Wow: Hawaii Just 3154 Points Each Way During Peak Season On Southwest

by Gary Leff

tropical hotel pool
Dec 07 2021

Hawaiian, United, American, Delta and Alaska are all running sub-$100 each way Hawaii fares from the West Coast. Southwest Airlines has matched the lowest of these ($62 each way) and that makes their flights available super-cheap on points as well.

You can book Hawaii for just 3154 points each way, or 6308 Rapid Rewards points roundtrip ($5.60 in security taxes each way as well). The best part of Southwest redemptions is that they are fully refundable, you can cancel and redeposit your points at no charge.

Continue Reading »

Doug Parker Stepping Down As American Airlines CEO

by Gary Leff

Dec 07 2021

American Airlines announced that Doug Parker will step down as CEO on March 31, 2022. He will remain chairman of the board. Current airline President Robert Isom will become CEO and join the airline’s Board of Directors.

Robert Isom becoming CEO points to a more or less a status quo future. And David Seymour was elevated to Chief Operating Officer at the airline after overseeing its disastrous summer 2019 operational meltdown.

Continue Reading »

Alaska Airlines Starbucks Buy One Get One Deal

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Dec 06 2021

Most airline sales aren’t really sales, but this is legit. It’s a bit of an odd marketing play, though, since you don’t have to buy a Starbucks drink to get ‘buy one get one’. You don’t get a gift card for a drink when you buy one, get one. There’s no Starbucks tie-in whatsoever except, it would appear, some marketing dollars from Starbucks to cobrand the promotion.

This strikes me as a genuinely good deal if you’re traveling with someone in and out of Alaska Airlines cities.

Continue Reading »

Recalculating How Much Frequent Flyer Miles Are Worth

by Gary Leff

Dec 06 2021

How much airfare a mile buys is different than ‘how much a mile is worth’. You can’t spend miles on nearly as many things as cash (and get lower value for things other than travel when you redeem that way). You don’t earn interest on your miles. There’s more devaluation risk with miles.

Here’s a stab at quantifying the discounts that you should consider taking when converting ‘how much airfare do miles buy’ into ‘how much are miles worth’?

Continue Reading »

The Tradeoffs We Have To Make Spending Miles On International Business Class Tickets

by Gary Leff

first class seats
Dec 05 2021

Airlines make seats available as awards at the lowest level that they don’t think they can sell for cash. They also want to make sure not to release seats to someone who would pay cash. So you’re getting the leftovers.

That requires flexibility, if you start out saying here’s where I need to go, and here’s the dates I need to travel, and here’s when I need to make my booking.

Continue Reading »

Did United Airlines Bait-and-Switch Flight Attendants Into Taking Early Retirement?

by Gary Leff

Dec 05 2021

During the pandemic airlines were gifted billions in taxpayer dollars to keep all of their employees on staff, ready to work when travel returned. Only they didn’t do that. They convinced employees to retire early, and they paid employees to stay home rather than staying certified and work ready.

As they tried to get employees to take unpaid leaves and early retirements, the offers sometimes got better and better. One United Airlines employee, who took an ‘early out’ is suing because United made a better offer than the one they accepted, and they want that better offer too.

Continue Reading »

Couple Kicked Off American Airlines For Refusing To Place Prayer Shawl Under Seat In Front Of Them

by Gary Leff

Dec 05 2021

A couple flying home from Miami to Newark on American Airlines flight 322 was booted off the evening departure when they refused a flight attendant request to place their prayer shawl underneath the seat in front of them.

According to a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the passengers, their tallit bag was in the overhead bin above their seat. A flight attendant came by, took it out of the bin and asked whose it was. When they raised their hand, the crewmember tossed it at them and said it had to go underneath the seat.

Continue Reading »