American Express Looking At Options For $650 Annual Fee Marriott Card

looking down at credit card
Aug 25 2021

Back in December I broke the news that American Express was looking at making substantial changes to their premium Marriott co-brand card. There was talk of a $650 fee (or more) to go along with better points-earning, waived resort fees, and even confirmed suite upgrades.

American Express is now surveying a more specific product, that appears to be taking shape.

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134 People Evacuated As Passenger’s Phone Catches Fire On Alaska Airlines Flight

Aug 24 2021

Early in the Trump administration the U.S. banned electronics like laptops on board flights to the U.S. from certain locations. It was a dumb move that compromised airline safety, because when electronics in the cargo hold catch fire, that’s dangerous. When it happens in the passenger cabin it’s easy to contain.

That’s what yesterday’s Alaska Airlines flight 751 from New Orleans to Seattle reminds us as a cell phone caught fire in the cabin upon landing.

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Rudy Giuliani Shaving While Eating Soup Inside New York JFK Delta Lounge

Aug 24 2021

Rudy Giuliani was caught shaving while eating at a table inside a Delta Air Lines lounge at New York JFK. Despite having rather nice restrooms – the normal place you’d shave in an airport – he chose to use the selfie camera on his iPad as a mirror and take breaks between soup and snacks to clean up his face. No one got close enough to verify whether his shavings got into the soup.

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Air Canada Aeroplan Now Partners With Gulf Air

gulf air
Aug 24 2021

As of today Gulf Air is a new mileage earn and burn partner of Air Canada Aeroplan. Gulf Air is Aeroplan’s 8th new airline partner in the last 14 months and the program says to expect “additional airline partners in the months ahead.” Those Amex and Chase points are getting more valuable thanks to Aeroplan transfers.

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Will The U.S. Ban Europeans From Coming Here Until Thanksgiving?

Aug 24 2021

U.S. travel restrictions are for show. There’s a huge status quo bias in policy. Lifting restrictions looks ‘soft on Covid’ which is galling from an administration that was supposed to be ‘guided by science’ yet has been unwilling to reverse the policies put in place by the previous administration. These restrictions have real consequences separating families and raising the cost of doing business.

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