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.
Delta’s Sky Clubs are nicer than competitor products, with more and better food. But they’re also busy. There are frequently (long) lines to get in, and once inside they’re crowded – hardly a respite from the terminal. Delta has a problem, driven in part by more people with access through credit cards because of their Amex agreement, and in part because a nicer lounge means passengers are more likely to go when eligible.
This week I wrote that Delta Air Lines would cut Sky Club lounge access for elites flying coach on international itineraries. They’re doing that. But they’re going further.
In order to be an attractive co-brand partner you need a large base of customers who are loyal to your brand. And ideally you have a currency and benefits those customers are willing to accelerate with their spend. There’s just not a huge opportunity on day one.
So Avelo has an interesting workaround. They’re not yet in a place to generate that sweet, sweet co-brand cash. But they can earn a commission on credit card signups.
American Airlines is phasing out the AAirpass program, which allowed customers to prepay for travel at flat rates and receive extra benefits – like no changes or cancel fees; premium seating; Admirals Club access; and even ConciergeKey status with larger purchases.
In September American Airlines removed the option to put a flight on a 24 hour hold, rather than purchasing it right away. Competitors haven’t had this option for years. It’s one of the things that set American Airlines apart and made them easier to buy from.
Now it’s been restored.
At approximately 5:22 a.m. on Tuesday, Hertz-owned vehicles that had been rented by President Biden’s Secret Service burst into flames in a lot at the Nantucket airport after they were returned.
A Ford Expedition had reportedly been under a battery recall, but hadn’t yet had the battery replaced. It appears to have caught fire, taking four other vehicles with it.
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.
Protests have been ongoing in Iran for the past 10 weeks, precipitated by a woman who was beaten and killed by authorities for ‘improperly’ wearing her hijab. To prevent citizens from seeing the protests, seeing them spread, and feeling confident in defying the regime, internet access in the country has been limited. Their Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says these “riots” are in fact war perpetrated by foreign governments and dissidents.
Mahan Air flight attendant Sanz Keshavarz, who worked the Airbus A340, reportedly took part in protests and was killed by the government in response. The airline – which is said to work closely with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – has been said to warn all of their employees who attended the woman’s funeral that they could be prosecuted.
The Biden administration official overseeing spent nuclear fuel at the Department of Energy has been charged with stealing a checked bag from baggage claim at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
Choose the charity you support, based on groups actually seeking miles (that get deposited into an account for them to redeem real award tickets against), this isn’t a ‘corporate charity program’ it’s something much better than what other loyalty programs offer – the ability for real charities to raise miles from members rather than through a corporate partnership with the airline meant to burnish the airline’s image. Kudos to United for doing this.
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 »
