Use Any Brex Points Before They Close Your Account!!

by Gary Leff

Mar 11 2022

My first thought was to generate some account activity but that may not be enough to save the account. I might do that anyway, but I’m going to use my rewards right away. Brex says if I use the account they will merely “conduct an internal review” over whether to close the account. Usage alone may not be enough to save it.

Meanwhile one reader shared that when Brex told them their account would be closed in 30 days the account was actually closed sooner than that. I’m going to cash out my 210,000 points immediately.

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American Airlines Names New Head Of AAdvantage Loyalty Program

by Gary Leff

Mar 11 2022

The AAdvantage program has been without a Vice President for several months. Rick Elieson, who took over from Bridget Blaise-Shamai in the huge American Airlines pandemic leadership shuffle, announced his departure has fall. They’ve named a new Vice President in Julie Rath. Julie has been Vice President of Customer Experience and Reservations and becomes Vice President of Customer Experience, Loyalty and Marketing. American has also been without a Vice President of Marketing since Janelle Anderson’s departure. She previously worked at Delta Air Lines and Northwest, where she went to work out of college in 1991. Ms. Rath continues to report to Alison Taylor, Chief Customer Officer who has overseen sales, and whom many have expected to leave after being passed over for incoming CEO Robert Isom’s Senior Leadership Team. Heather Samp, the current Managing Director…

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Woman Given Onboard Upgrade After Seatmate Starts Surfing For Porn Involving Planes

by Gary Leff

Mar 10 2022

A passenger has taken to social media to share the story of her upgrade to first class. It didn’t come due to elite status, spending miles, or dressing sharply (or whispering ‘revenue management’ to an agent). Instead she was moved to the front cabin after her seat opponent logged into the inflight internet and started searching for “sex on planes.” And then watching sex on planes.

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Hilton Raises Award Prices To Over 100,000 Points Per Night At Popular Resorts

by Gary Leff

Mar 10 2022

Marriott is getting heat for eliminating award charts at the end of this month, but Hilton already did this in 2017 while claiming award prices wouldn’t go up. And every time a program has dropped published price lists, that’s meant an irresistible temptation to raise the cost of awards. They don’t even have to tell members that they’re doing it.

Hilton has just increased pricing at some of their best properties, though it will take a comprehensive review to identify just how many and how much.

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Federal Air Travel Mask Mandate Extended One Month

by Gary Leff

Mar 10 2022

The Biden administration wasn’t quite ready to let the federal transportation mask mandate lapse, out of fear they’d look stupid if Covid-19 cases surged again. But they know the mandate is on its last legs. Every state is eliminating its indoor mask mandates (or has already done so). Even if cloth masks were effective against the Omicron variant, this mandate would do very little on its own.

The federal mask mandate for commercial airlines, airports, trains and buses was set to end March 18. It will be extended through April 18. That one month extension, announced a mere 8 days before the rule would have lapsed, is the shortest extension yet. And, barring unforeseen events, is likely to be the last.

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