The Problem With International Travel In January And February

by Gary Leff

Dec 10 2021

There’s good reason to think that Omicron spreads more rapidly than previous versions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That would be both because of inherent transmissibility and because of greater likelihood of breakthrough infections for those that have had Covid-19 before as well as those fully vaccinated (and even boosted) against it, though boosters do appear to provide greater protection than mere vaccination.

With Omicron appearing headed towards dominance in parts of Europe, outcompeting Delta, and with cases rising rapidly we are facing a conundrum.

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Delta Passenger Rants About Slavery, Attacks Flight Attendant And Air Marshal

by Gary Leff

Dec 10 2021

An African American man on a Delta Air Lines flight went on a rant about being enslaved by white men, before assaulting a flight attendant and an air marshal on board the Washington – Los Angeles plane on Thursday evening.

After being attacked, the air marshal called for passenger assistance and together got the situation under control – zip-tying the man – as the aircraft diverted to Oklahoma City.

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Wow: Delta Eliminates Mileage-Earning On Its Cheapest Tickets

by Gary Leff

delta airplanes on tarmac
Dec 09 2021

Delta devalued SkyMiles awards twice during the pandemic and now calls it a sale when they offer 350,000 and even 400,000 mile-plus business class roundtrips to Europe. They’ve also gutted international upgrades with top elites getting confirmed from coach to premium economy only and no longer business class.

The other shoe has dropped at the reverse end of the spectrum, mileage-earning on the cheapest fares. For new tickets purchased (as of December 9, 2021) and travel starting January 1, 2022, Delta’s basic economy fares will no longer earn miles or elite status credit. Period.

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American Airlines Announces New Doha Flight, Lacks Planes To Fly Its 2022 International Schedule

by Gary Leff

Dec 09 2021

New long haul routes are exciting! American Airlines will fly from New York to Doha this summer. That’s great for AAdvantage elites looking for an upgrade. For most others, Qatar Airways remains the better airline of choice.

They’re adding this flight at a time they’re announcing they lack enough widebody aircraft to fly their summer Europe schedule, so they’re cancelling plans for many flights. They’re blaming Boeing’s production problems, and ignoring the decisions they made during the pandemic that put them in this bind.

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Southwest Renews Chase Co-Brand Deal, Will Reveal New More Expensive Fare Type In 2022

by Gary Leff

Dec 09 2021

`Southwest did a head fake as it renegotiated its card deal last time. But brands always do this, use other banks as a stalking horse to get a better deal. The card is integral to its strategy in fact offering customers Hawaii flights as an inducement to rack up Rapid Rewards has even been a piece of their network strategy.

Those who aren’t redeeming will be interested in watching the new fare product Southwest plans to introduce in 2022.

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Hilton Permanently Moves To More Generous Points Expiration, Here’s The Strategy Behind It

by Gary Leff

hotel
Dec 09 2021

In January 2020 Hilton moved from requiring activity in an account every 12 months to keep it active to a 15 month expiration policy. Then the pandemic hit and many programs, including Hilton, paused points expiration. Hilton points won’t expire until at least December 31, 2022. Now they’ve moved to a ‘permanent’ 24 month expiration policy, with points first expiring again in a year. Why the change?

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