ASIA

Search Results for "ASIA".

Will Hyatt Buy the Former Orient-Express Hotel Chain Belmond?

by Gary Leff

cipriani
Aug 30 2018

Four years ago Orient-Express Hotels rebranded as Belmond. They had been licensing the name Orient-Express, and they found that while the name seemed familiar (because of the train) it wasn’t really associated with the chain and didn’t drive bookings. Although it’s not clear that Belmond served them better. Orient-Express is now an Accor brand. And Belmond is putting themselves up for sale. Accor could be a buyer, they’re trying to build the Orient-Express brand and could pick up twice as many hotels as their current 2025 goal and goodness knows they buy everything else. Hyatt is mentioned as a potential buyer, it’s hard to find too many hotel companies that have the resources to acquire a small luxury chain and for whom it would be worthwhile. Big players wouldn’t see three dozen hotels as moving…

Continue Reading »

Has United’s President Done a 180, Started Caring About Customer Experience?

by Gary Leff

airplane seats
Aug 27 2018

United Airlines President Scott Kirby, who has previously served as President of American Airlines (and US Airways and America West before that), is the most ‘by the numbers’ executive in the airline industry today. I’ve called him a destroyer of airlines.

However he’s just given an interview where he actually says that brand matters to an airline’s success in the long run and so more than what’s in the spreadsheet matters. Does the new rhetoric match reality?

Continue Reading »

Fare Alert: Premium Economy Many US Cities to China, Hong Kong From $884 Roundtrip

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Aug 26 2018

It’s never been as easy or cheap to fly internationally, largely because of ultra low cost carriers across the Atlantic and the rise of Chinese airlines fighting for business from the US and connecting that traffic to Southeast Asia.

However I really value premium cabin fare deals. Because while you can sometimes find transatlantic fares for under $300 roundtrip, and transpacific fares under $400 roundtrip, those would have been great in my youth but I don’t want to fly coach such long distances.

Continue Reading »

It’s August 25 — and Korean Air Still Shows Up as a Chase Transfer Partner

by Gary Leff

first class cabin
Aug 25 2018

Chase announced that the last day to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Korean Air’s SkyPass program would be Friday, August 24 and that effective today Saturday, August 25 Korean would no longer be a Chase transfer partner.

That notice is still on the Chase Ultimate Rewards website. However Korean Air is also still listed as a transfer partner and the website is allowing me to begin the process of initiating transfers.

Continue Reading »

Coffee, Tea, or Me? One Airline Hires Only Single Women Under 28 as Flight Attendants

by Gary Leff

vietjet calendar cover
Aug 24 2018

There’s a long history of sexualizing flight attendants. It remains a part of the culture in the U.S. but isn’t nearly as overt as it once was. In part that’s because travel is no longer nearly as glamorous, and airlines in the U.S. rarely promote the glamour of most of their travel experience (and when they do it now focuses on product). U.S. culture would no longer be as welcoming of this as it once was either.

Continue Reading »

The World’s 15 Best First Class Products, Ranked

by Gary Leff

inside airliner
Aug 23 2018

The key to these rankings is subjective weight that goes into different components of the product. I value personal space more than anythnig else, so a first class configuration that’s four seats across isn’t going to rate as well for me as one that’s two or three seats across.

I’d never rate Air France or Garuda as highly as others — despite phenomenal ground service and attentiveness — because of the lack of real estate each first class passenger gets in the cabin.

Continue Reading »