News and notes from around the interweb:
- Chinese woman fined for using ID card of lover’s dead wife for hotel tryst
- 7 ways to take your travel up a notch in 2018
- 2017 was safest year in history for passengers around world claim is that there were no fatal commercial jet airline crashes, excludes planes weighing less than 5700 kg.
- The new revenue-based Alitalia frequent flyer program can’t get its award pricing right, and of course not in your favor.
Check out the new Alitalia MilleMiglia redemption prices for LAX-FCO! (I called and they confirmed a website error. Told me “don’t book anything” and wait 48 hours.) @garyleff @WandrMe pic.twitter.com/CggvkUtW5V
— Peter (@ATCPeter) January 1, 2018
- US immigration computers went down for about 2 hours last night keeping people out of the country (and Mexico didn’t even have to pay for it).
- World Elite Mastercard new pre-reserve nightclub benefit (HT: @Iadisgr8)
The Nightlife Program (New)
Exclusive access to inventory at over 200 top nightclubs and lounges in the U.S. and around the world. Cardholders are able to book secured, dedicated time slots and avoid waiting in line to ensure VIP recognition at the venue. Contact our concierge through the number on the back of your card.+
I really resent having to provide a drivers license or passport to check into a hotel because based upon all the info they collect they have a ton of personal info. However, after things like the Vegas shooting I am swallowing the idea that things will ever change for the consumers benefit. I still want my damn Do Not Disturb sign honored though just opens the door for more stuff being stolen. Only so much fits in the damn safe.
@8BB8B8:
I tend to use a passport card for checking into a hotel. It minimizes the amount of information that I’m providing and is more annoying to key to other databases.
You might also keep in mind that many hotels have real safe deposit boxes available, and that the in-room safe is mostly a convenience. I mostly lock stuff into my hard-shelled bag because it’s about on par with how hard it is to open that one in the room.
I have worked front desk and am now in accounting for a hotel, and the biggest reason for ID is to reduce credit card fraud. It’s simple for people to clone, steal, or otherwise have access to accounts they are not responsible for, unless the ID doesn’t match. Saves us a lot of money and hassle, that’s for sure.