Earlier this month American Airlines cracked down on their reservations agents making changes to passenger itineraries for free when the schedule change was less than 15 minutes. That actually seems fair but as a passenger it’s still disappointing.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Some accounts update quickly, while others experience delays. It can take 72 hours, but usually takes just a few. Bear in mind that you may now be booking mixed Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines itineraries, and your choice of loyalty program affects benefits.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
A Delta Air Lines elite passenger received a rare first class upgrade – but 15 minutes later was sent back to coach in order to give their seat up front to a dog instead. The airline told the customer that the dog was a service animal, and there’s “nothing they can do.”
First class upgrades have become nearly non-existent. Delta says only about 12% of their first class seats go to upgrades, while 15 years ago, 81% of first class seats went to upgrades, awards and employees.
That may all be about to change.
Hilton Honors quietly raised free award night redemption prices on the last Friday before the holidays. Since they stopped publishing award charts, they did not tell anyone that they did this, but your Honors points are now worth less than they were on Thursday.
For years, the ‘worst airport gate in America’ was generally considered to be 35X at Washington’s Reagan National airport. There were competitors, like Miami’s D60 and the old D9 at LaGuardia before the terminal was redone. But 35X was the stuff of legend.
Detroit airport is planning to add a cigar lounge, and anti-smoking groups are freaking out, claiming it “would expose millions of travelers and airport employees to harmful secondhand smoke.”
Maybe the most Marriott thing ever is allowing a hotel using their brand to get away with failing to meet brand standards and treat customers well – with a sign about how they aren’t going to do housekeeping, and proving it with a used band-aid in front of it that hasn’t been cleaned up by housekeeping.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
