Mar 12 2016

I took a set of connecting flights, and on flight number one was seated next to someone that was sick. Then I took my next flight. It was a completely sold out flight. I was initially thrilled with my upgrade at the gate. But once I settled into seat 5A I discovered that the passenger sitting behind me in 6A was sick as well.

Much coughing ensued. There was no opportunity to change seats. I guess I could have (should have) gotten off the plane. And I realize that this is a challenging question, what to do — for sick passengers, for those not wanting to get sick, and for the airline?

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Mar 11 2016

It became commonplace in the past few year to declare the mileage run dead. And for the most part, the traditional mileage run has been dead for a long time. A combination of rising airfares and rising award prices meant that it no longer made sense to fly for the redeemable miles earned.

It didn’t used to be that way. Double, triple, and even quadruple miles offers abounded a dozen years ago. Airfares were low, $200 cross country roundtrips were common or even $500 roundtrips between the US and Southeast Asia (upgradable even).

I once cleared about 100,000 redeemable miles on a single roundtrip, and back then United’s business class awards between the US and Australia were 90,000 miles roundtrip. Sure, the opportunity cost of my time was lower back then. And there was no inflight internet. But I curled up with a good book.

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Mar 11 2016

Citibank is offering a 25% bonus transfers from ThankYou Rewards to Virgin Atlantic through April 6.

Virgin Atlantic charges 40,000 miles each way between the East Coast of the US and London. So that’s not a lot of points, with this offer 32,000 ThankYou points is enough for a one-way business class ticket across the Pond.

However the program adds fuel surcharges to awards. So while Virgin Atlantic itself has a decent business class product across the Pond, many prefer to book their awards through Delta SkyMiles (at a higher mileage cost) to avoid the fuel surcharges.

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Mar 08 2016

I had heard back in November or December that a route announcement for Los Angeles – Hong Kong was imminent. So I was surprised that when they made their big splash about growth at LAX they didn’t announce the service then.

Last night American put Hong Kong service up on their website in error, and quickly pulled it down. I asked American spokesperson Casey Norton, and he confirmed the service.

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Mar 06 2016

This is a short trip report, British Airways first class enroute Paris and back in business class — a great opportunity to compare two very controversial products. Some say BA’s first class is really just a good business class. While not the over-the-top experiences offered by some Asian or Middle Eastern airlines, I found it to be solid. Business class, on the other hand, was… certainly better than coach.

Along with that another return to the Park Hyatt Vendome, which in many ways is an overrated hotel but that I also believe is one of the best award values going for a very nice hotel in a part of the city I much enjoy. Coupled with the benefits of a Hyatt Diamond, it’s still hard to beat in my opinion.

Upcoming installments will cover the Park Hyatt, Paris, and the return journey. This post covers planning and executing the flights and travel from Austin to London.

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Mar 04 2016

Starwood is offering a discount of up to 25% on purchased points through April 15. Starwood points are the most valuable loyalty currency, and there’s leverage in any bonus they offer, however I don’t think this offer quite is cheap enough to justify buying.

Still, if you need to top off most any frequent flyer account this could be strategically useful.

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Mar 04 2016

There are truly disgusting things in the world. Last year a family was ‘forced’ to sit in vomit on a flight to DC. A couple flying to Hawaii found a full barf bag in their seat back pocket.

Of course there’s the whole bare feet thing. Worse yet, in the lavatory. And a man was hospitalized last year in a freak airport toilet accident.

There was Three Mile Island. There was Chernobyl. And there’s that Qantas A380 flying Sydney Dallas packed full oftentimes in economy, the American Airlines Dallas – Hong Kong flight, and Delta Atlanta – Johannesburg. The lavatories at the end of those flights…

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Mar 02 2016

Singapore Airlines used to operate the longest flights in the world, Singapore – Los Angeles and Singapore – Newark non-stops, operated with a flying gas can an Airbus A340-500. Flights operated between 2004 and 2013, originally with extra legroom economy seating and business class and from 2008 onward all business class seating.

Singapore no longer operates non-stop service to the US. Non-stop flights, though, can now make sense thanks to both more fuel efficient aircraft capable of flying long distances and lower fuel costs. Flying great distances is especially costly when oil prices are high, since they have to carry extra fuel just to fly all the fuel needed for such a long journey.

And that’s just what Singapore Airlines intends to do.

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Mar 01 2016

Marriott is buying Starwood. The deal is expected to close in June. t has now cleared anti-trust hurdles in both the US and Canada.

Two narratives coming from folks at Starwood may give positive indications of things to come in both the short and the long term.

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Feb 27 2016

American’s revenue management has been notoriously stingy about releasing seats for premium cabin international travel over the past three years. However American has been going to lengths to improve their premium cabin award availability.

We’ve seen that with transatlantic space, with Asia flights, and even with Auckland, New Zealand. This week we finally saw it with South America.

But strangely award availability on American’s flights was nonexistent past the end of the calendar year.

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