New: United Explorer Card 70,000 Bonus Miles

by Gary Leff

airline seat with teddy bear
Apr 07 2022

The United Explorer Card has an offer to earn up to 70,000 bonus miles: 60,000 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months and an additional 10,000 after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. That’s still just an average of $1000 a month, so easily doable for most readers.

This is a nice improvement over most of the elevated offers there have been for this card. And it comes with a $0 the first year then $95 annual fee so you aren’t even paying that first year fee in exchange for the additional miles.

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American Airlines Threatens To Fire Flight Attendants Who Leave Their Base While On Reserve

by Gary Leff

Apr 07 2022

American Airlines sent out a memo to cabin crew this week threatening to terminate them if they aren’t near the airport when called to work a flight while on reserve. The airline is correct on the contract language and requirements, but managed to offend many of their crew who felt blamed for the airline’s operational problems over the last several days.

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Another New Cardless Card, Things Are Really Heating Up Through Narrowcasting

by Gary Leff

Apr 07 2022

It also includes digital matchday programmes for every Premier League home match and access to a dedicated online Members’ Area for prize drawing and content; discounts on Anfield Stadium Tours and food from the Boot Room Sports Café as well as an LFC pen, pin badge, and keyring upon LFC International Membership initiation. Cardholders also receive LFCTV GO complimentary for the first year; and then with LFC International Membership, cardholders receive 50% off LFCTV GO each following year.

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American Airlines Flight Attendants Left Sleeping At The Airport And Sharing Rooms As Flights Cancelled

by Gary Leff

Apr 06 2022

This past weekend American’s operation melted down, along with other airlines including Southwest, Delta, and JetBlue. Once again the flight attendants union reports that crew had no hotels, and even worse that the airline – which was cancelling flights due to lack of crew – didn’t even keep track of where their flight attendants were to reassign them to trips to get customers home.

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Comp Star Alliance Gold Status Available For American And Delta Elites

by Gary Leff

ANA plane
Apr 06 2022

Star Alliance member ANA Mileage Club has a rare status match offer to make competitor program members elites through March 31, 2023.

This will be useful for many members because mid-tier status with ANA is Star Alliance Gold status, and that comes with lounge access when flying Star Alliance airlines – even when flying United Airlines domestically. Put another way, it’s akin to a free United Club membership.

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Chilling Air Traffic Control Audio As Boeing 777 Won’t Respond To Controls While Landing In Paris

by Gary Leff

Apr 06 2022

Air France flight 11 from New York JFK to Paris had alarm sounds in the cockpit and one of the pilots called out “Stop! Stop!” several times on Tuesday morning as it descended through 1500 feet on final approach.

The 17 year old Boeing 777-300 reportedly did not respond to commands. The crew managed to execute a go around as it hit 1150 feet, after veering significantly to the left.

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The White House Spent $2 Billion On Tests, Has No Intention To Stop Requiring Them For Int’l Travel

by Gary Leff

Apr 06 2022

Requiring a negative Covid-19 test to fly to the U.S. did not stop the Omnicron variant from entering the country, and it didn’t stop the Omicron wave. Requiring testing for travel but not for anything else makes no sense at all. The antigen tests that are accepted are hardly a guarantee against a passenger carrying the virus. We aren’t pursuing an ‘eradication’ policy against Covid like China is. Barely-piecemeal efforts are largely symbolic.

But the Biden administration says lifting the testing requirement for international travel is off the table.

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