Search Results for "united baggage".
Three years ago I outlined 11 Controversial Things I Believe. The predictions which have had time to come true or be proven false have actually borne out fairly well. One though I just got flat wrong.
Here are 7 controversial things I currently believe. Tell me that you think I’m wrong.
Right now SkyTeam member and Delta partner Aerolineas Argentinas is promoting an aggressive new status match offer. They will give you a year of elite status based on the status you have with another airline (that is not a part of the SkyTeam alliance) or a hotel chain. Willingness to match against, say, Hilton Honors is unique, easy, and aggressive.
SkyTeam elite status makes travel easier on Delta.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
When United announced at the end of September that earning 100,000 mile flyer ‘1K’ status would also require $15,000 in spending starting next year it was almost a foregone conclusion that American AAdvantage would do the same thing.
Meanwhile they’re introducing a new choice benefit for Executive Platinums who fly beyond 100,000 miles as well as adjusting mileage and status-earning when flying on their closest partner airlines or on ‘bulk’ or special fares.
ConciergeKey is American’s revenue-based top level, given to very high revenue customers and those who influence significant business for the airline.
It’s the ‘super secret’ level that George Clooney had in Up in the Air. The program began mostly for corporate travel buyers and folks in their old VIP program back in 2007, and gradually expanded to individual high revenue customers.
Two years ago American and Barclays introduced card spend as a way to earn credit towards American’s new ticket spend requirement for elite status. That will change substantially for most customers in 2019, and for some in 2020.
Airline deregulation was opposed by nearly all US airlines in 1978. It was championed by Senator Ted Kennedy (and his aide now Justice Stephen Breyer) and by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and signed into law by Jimmy Carter.
Bob Crandall was against deregulation then, and he’s against it now in retirement. And he’s blaming it for cramped airline seating. He also calls codesharing a ‘fraud’ to fool people.
Currently American Airlines is installing smaller lavatories across its domestic fleet, taking a few inches away from customers who have to go in order to squeeze in an extra row of seats.
The problem is that today American Airlines isn’t generating any revenue from its lavatories so it’s no surprise they’re trying to limit lavatory footprint.
We’d be much better off with airports that efficiently moved people from their initial location to their gate, and on arrival to their final destination, than with sprawling complexes that are cumbersome to traverse but accommodate more retail.
You can only sell off the airport’s future income stream once. Investing the money is new mega-terminals means not investing the money in things that would actually improve the airport most. As a result these choices mean the New York JFK travel experience will be worse than it otherwise could be.
In August I wrote about a ring of thieves stealing from passenger bags in the overhead bin.
There are occasional stories of passengers stealing from others’ carry on bags, usually this happens during long international flights when the cabin is dark and many passengers are asleep.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
