When the Supreme Court took up the case of the Rabbi whose frequent flyer account was closed by Northwest Airlines because he complained too much, I asked reader, attorney, and Supreme Court watcher Eric M. Fraser to offer his perspective on the case. He joined us again as the case went to oral argument. And I’ve asked for his contribution now that the Supreme Court has ruled unanimously against the consumer in his quest to sue Northwest (now Delta) under state law interpretive rules of contract. Eric M. Fraser is an appellate and antitrust attorney with Osborn Maledon. He is an active flyer and closely follows View from the Wing. * * * The Supreme Court of the United States released its decision and opinion in Northwest, Inc. v. Ginsberg. The Supreme Court held in…
united baggage
Search Results for "united baggage".
Star Alliance Gold Status for Sale
Avianca LifeMiles will now straight-up sell you elite status. And with this change they fully supplant US Airways’ role inside of the Star Alliance. US Airways used to be known as ‘the official consolidator of Star Alliance premium cabin seats’ (HT: eponymous coward), the idea was that they would sell miles cheap and as a result let people buy the business and first class seats that the rest of the Star Alliance didn’t expect to sell for cash at a deep discount. No one monetized their frequent flyer program, and the award seats of their partners like US Airways. But now US Airways and American have merged, US Airways has left the Star Alliance. Fortunately Avianca LifeMiles has stepped up to the plate — with frequent discounted mileage purchase offers (selling miles even cheaper that…
How Throwaway Tickets and Hidden Cities Can Save You Big Money on Airfare
It’s been awhile since I explained how to use hidden city and throwaway ticketing to save big money on airfare, and it’s such an integral part of an arsenal to save money on airline tickets that it’s worth repeating. Airlines often price tickets from one city to another through a hub cheaper than flights that terminate at the hub. Flying United New York to Milwaukee through Chicago is often much cheaper than just flying New York to Chicago. If you get off the plane in Chicago and don’t board your connection to Milwaukee, you’ve potentially saved yourself a lot of money. This is called hidden city ticketing. Most people think they’ve purchased two flights, New York to Chicago and Chicago to Milwaukee. They only take one, but the airlines still got paid for both. The…
Everyone Is to Blame for Too Many Checked Bags On Board, They Just Didn’t Know It
I like Joe Sharkey, he’s one of those great curmudgeons in travel, and full disclosure he moderated a panel I was on a couple of years ago at the Phoenix International Aviation Symposium. But like so many curmudgeons, crankiness holds together their narrative more than argument. As with this New York Times piece on checked baggage fees. Sharkey manages to simultaneously offer us that: People carry on more luggage than they are permitted. It’s unfair for airline personnel to single people out to check the size of their carryons. An inability to carry all of the bags people bring on board a full flight is a problem with the aircraft. Here are some highlights. Attire Discrimination: Will How You Dress Determine Whether You Face Carry On Scrutiny? Michael S. Piraino, an elite-status flier on United,…
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: Vietnam Airlines Economy Class Danang – Siem Reap
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
How Frequent Flyer Programs Really Work (What Travel Writers Tell You is Wrong)
I love that consumer ombudsmen like Chrstopher Elliott exist. They can get attention for people that are trapped in bizarre bureaucracies, out real cash after trips have gone awry and who are getting nothing but runaround. What frustrates me is that he seems to think that everything travel providers do is inherently ridiculous and unreasonable, and that consumers ought to be entitled to pretty much anything they wish. He reminds me of the Saturday Night Live fake commercial for a personal injury law firm that featured Phil Hartman — “Sure the sign said no trespassing, but how much did that really mean when you were as drunk as I was?” And Elliott makes crazy, over-the-top claims that even he can’t possibly believe, presumably to get clicks and generate controversy. That’s often how online writers get…
American Eagle Gives Itself a Name That It Can’t Possibly Live Up To
American Eagle Airlines will change its name to Envoy. Here’s the trick. American Eagle is a wholly owned subsidiary operating feeder flights and thin routes for American. Recently American has taken on more regional partners to do flying for them. And US Airways has non-owned regional airline partners flying for them. And that regional flying needs a name. Like United Express and US Airways Express, a brand that encompasses all of the contracted airlines flying small aircraft. So American wants to use ‘American Eagle’ to represent all of these airlines, not just their one subsidiary. As a result they’re renaming the subsidiary. So far, so good. But… Envoy? “By taking on the Envoy name, we can better differentiate ourselves from the competition and better market ourselves. …The name was chosen because Envoy is reflective of…
Bits ‘n Pieces for November 15, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Flight cancelled after passengers mutiny over ejection of a blind man. (HT: Reid) Alligator Found at O’Hare Baggage Claim United will start flying to Atlantic City so that Chris Christie will support PATH train expansion to Newark Hyatt’s new all-suite all-inclusive properties will allow use of suite upgrade instruments to get into even better suites … but bookings for these newly-opened hotels do not yet seem to be going smoothly. How to transfer a small number of Le Club Accorhotel points to airline miles A man walks down the street… The rest of my life is so hard… I want a shot at redemption. The stock ticket symbol for the new American Airlines? You Can Call Me AAL. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals…
When Will Your Checked Bags Get Lost, and What Can You Do About It?
When readers shared their own travel tips and several really stood out as worth highlighting. Jordan said, Always expect the unexpected when traveling. If you are checking a bag, make sure you pack extra clothes and other neccesary items into a carry-on in case/when things dont go as planned. Checked bags will get lost. Not every time, of course, just when you’re the one checking them and when you need their contents the most. Transferring bags between airlines. It’s an extra complication and condition that needs to go right. Short connections, whether because of flight delays or not Disgruntled employees. When Alaska had a baggage handler job action I had one bag mutilated to shreds and another sent to Reno rather than Seattle. Airlines are better at tracking bags than they used to be, but…
US Airlines Didn’t Always Charge for Lounge Access. Why the US Approach Has Diverged from Europe and Asia
US Airlines Offer Paid Lounge Access, Most of the World Does Not I’ve always found it interesting that US airlines charge for lounge access, while European and Asian airlines provide access primarily based on class of service flown (lounges for business and first class passengers) and for elites (for whom access is complimentary). US airlines do offer premium cabin international travelers complimentary lounge access. And do they provide lounge access to elite members who are traveling internationally. But for the most part, passengers flying domestically have to pay to access an airport lounge. Exceptions to this are Alaska Airlines offering (non-upgraded) first class passengers lounge access, and ‘premium transcon’ routes like New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco where lounge access for premium passengers is more common. But US airlines offer paid memberships, while…
