Mar
27
2019
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.
One of the Stranger Hotel Fees and an Inappropriate Airline Ad
ASIA
Search Results for "ASIA".
Hyatt Announces Dates They’re Adding 2 New Brands, Plus Bonus Points and Free Night Offers
Mar
27
2019
In addition to expanding their footprint via partnerships (such as earning and redemption at so far about a third of Small Luxury Hotels of the World) they’ve also acquired Two Roads Hospitality which manages 5 brands.
Hyatt has now announced that Thompson Hotels joins March 28 and Joie de Vivre Hotels joins May 15. They have two bonus offers to celebrate, they stack, and also help towards an existing bonus as well.
Avianca LifeMiles for 1.2 Cents Apiece via 125% Transfer Bonus
Mar
26
2019
Star Alliance frequent flyer program Avianca LifeMiles is offering a 125% bonus on transferred miles. For every 1000 miles you transfer from one account to the other, the recipient receives a bonus 1250 miles. That’s effectively buying miles at 1.2 cents apiece.
Man Arrested for Packing a Drugged Orangutan in His Luggage
Mar
23
2019
A Russian passenger was arrested in Bali trying to leave the country with a drugged orangutan in his luggage.
The man was carrying “injections and drugs in his bag” that he said he intended to use on the orangutan during a connection in Seoul.
Hundreds of Hotel Guests Secretly Taped in Their Rooms, Livestreamed on Pay-Per-View Website
Mar
21
2019
In December I wrote about a woman suing Hilton claiming a hotel employee videotaped her in the shower and used the photos to blackmail her. I’ve written about plenty of cases of video surreptitiously hidden in hotel rooms and also inside of Airbnb accommodations.
Now there’s any case being reported of a paid subcription website where viewers could watch hotel guests being secretly taped in South Korean hotel rooms.
You Can Now Use American AAdvantage Miles on China Southern
Mar
20
2019
American Airlines purchased a stake in China Southern. The Chinese carrier will be leaving SkyTeam this year.
Several months ago they announced that frequent flyer benefits would be coming. Travel on China Southern now earns American AAdvantage redeemable miles (but elite qualifying miles only in American Airlines codeshares) and AAdvantage miles can be used for award travel on China Southern.
How to Make the Most of Emirates Skywards Awards During Capital One’s 100% Transfer Bonus
Mar
20
2019
The biggest end of year miles and points news was definitely that Capital One has introduced the ability to transfer their miles to a variety of different airlines.
I’m excited to see that Capital One is running a bonus to transfer their miles to an airline at a better than standard rate. It suggests to me that transfer bonuses are on their radar, so I can’t wait to see whether another transfer bonus comes along soon.
Marriott’s Secret Cobalt Elite Status
Mar
18
2019
As tough a criteria as Ambassador is — 100 nights isn’t enough, and indeed you could spend 250 nights at mid-level properties in Asia without spending enough to qualify — it isn’t actually the top tier in Marriott’s program. That’s because there’s an unpublished level called Cobalt.
Smuggler Turned Boeing 777 Lavatory Into a ‘Pot’ of Gold
Mar
15
2019
12kg of gold was found behind the mirror in the lavatory of a Biman Bangladesh flight from Dubai on arrival in Dhaka on Monday. You might even say that lavatory was a pot of gold.
Smuggling gold into Bangladesh is incredibly common. Spot prices are high and it’s a common destination for illicit funds being taken out of the Gulf region and also parts of Asia as we learned when a North Korean diplomat was discovered trying to bring $1.4 million in gold into Dhaka.
Government Wants to Ban Flights Between Amsterdam and Brussels
Mar
13
2019
There’s a move afoot to end flights between Brussels and Amsterdam, because members of the Dutch government believe the flight is too short.
KLM currently runs 5 flights a day between the two cities.
Amsterdam and Brussels airports are about 125 miles apart if you’re driving, 98 miles by air.
