American Airlines Is Now Selling A New “Main Select” Fare With Special Perks

by Gary Leff

american airlines planes
Jun 21 2022

When American Airlines announced the end of the ‘Shuttle’ product in November they shared that they would turn over New York LaGuardia – Boston flying to JetBlue and introduce Shuttle-like fares to several markets.

New “Main Select” fares would be refundable, bundling priority boarding and check-in, free seat assignments for any coach seat (including extra legroom) and free same-day confirmed changes. According to a spokesperson these fares are now available on several routes:

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Cardless Launches New LATAM Credit Cards, Makes Earning Elite Status Easy

by Gary Leff

plane on tarmac
Jun 21 2022

The President of Cardless was once an intern at The Points Guy so bringing a travel card into his portfolio of products is certainly a big deal there. This isn’t LATAM’s first U.S. co-brand. They were partners with U.S. Bank. So Cardless taking on the LATAM product is another sign of strength for the startup.

The new LATAM products make earning elite status easy.

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How To Avoid United’s $125 Fee For Cancelling An Award, Redepositing Miles

by Gary Leff

Jun 21 2022

Covering how to prepare yourself for the turmoil of air travel this summer – since so many flights are cancelling, and there are few seats available for rebooking – I suggested booking a backup itinerary using miles for travel later in the day or the next day, and then cancelling the award ticket when your planned flight works out.

However I was asked, “Isn’t United charging for redeposit?” The answer is no, and it wouldn’t matter if they did.

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I’m Numb To Airline Meltdowns, Here’s What’s Going On

by Gary Leff

priorityclub
Jun 20 2022

A reader asked why I haven’t covered this past weekend’s drama. The truth is I’ve gotten numb it all because it is largely the same story week after week with passengers stranded amidst cancellations, and with flights full there’s no slack – very few seats for people to get rebooked onto – which means that the consequences of cancellations are greater than ever.

Here’s why airlines are struggling, and what you can do about it.

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Trip Report: Returning To Australia After Three Years, Part I: Austin – Vancouver

by Gary Leff

Jun 20 2022

This is the setup to a report on my just-completed Australia trip, with Air Canada business class awards on the outbound and United The trip started with Air Canada’s brand new Austin – Vancouver flight, followed by a stopover and then a visit to Air Canada’s Signature Suite – along with their Toronto lounge, the best business class dining in North America.

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This Was United’s Theme – Before Rhapsody In Blue

by Gary Leff

Jun 19 2022

The United Airlines is fundamentally intertwined with George Gershwin’s 1924 Rhapsody in Blue. It’s hard to imagine that when Continental Airlines management took over they considered dropping the song which the airline has used since the 1980s. United was the first commercial brand ever to license it, for an annual fee of $300,000 at the time.

The Gershwin piece wasn’t just used on board and in commercials but also a version was recorded for the ‘trippy tunnel’ connecting United concourses at Chicago O’Hare. But United didn’t always use this song.

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