American’s 777-200s are being retrofitted, and the first one is now in service with a brand new business class that looks fantastic but no longer offering first class. Since American’s 777-300ER aircraft got a new first class, that means the old Flagship Suites are being retired. I reviewed American’s first class lounge at New York JFK at the start of the trip. From the lounge I proceeded to the departure gate just as boarding was already starting to commence. And there she was! It’s like a throwback to what feels like an earlier time. There’s great space, even some ingeniousness to the seat. They’ve enhanced the soft product over the past three years. But at its core is a large first class cabin (too large for modern economcis) with a seat that’s been left behind…
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A Great Rental Car Mileage Deal, and Airline Fee Increase for the Holidays
News and notes from around the interweb: Interesting article on American Airlines’ strategy in Asia 3000 Virgin Atlantic miles per 3 day Hertz rental. Book by November 17 and complete your rental(s) by November 30. Here’s what you can do with Virgin Atlantic miles. 10,000 or 20,000 easy Qantas miles “Winter is Coming” at Spirit — the airline will charge even higher fees over Christmas and New Years Here’s the best worst thing that can happen to you on vacation. How not to carry your neck pillow through the airport Passed along without comment. Apparently from London’s Luton airport. You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You…
How to Protect Yourself from Ebola: the Dulles Passenger in a Homemade Hazmat Suit Goes Viral
Dulles Passenger in Homemade Hazmat Suit Goes Viral (Get it? ‘Viral’) A photo of a traveler in a homemade “hazmat” suit at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., is making the internet rounds as hundreds of real suits are selling out online. The female passenger was spotted sitting down in an airline terminal and dressed in what appeared to be a full-length white onesie, topped with a blue rain poncho, blue latex gloves and a white face mask. This doesn’t actually seem all that strange to me. Maybe I’ve just flown enough in Asia where it’s common to see a decent percentage of passengers wearing surgical masks. Maybe we don’t need an ebola travel ban. We just need to to practice safe travel. Which strangely reminds me of the old Capitol Steps tune, “Little Doc…
How Reliable is the ‘Trick’ to Get Qantas First Class Award Availability?
Searching for Qantas first class award availability between the US and Australia is about the only time where it really is the case that you need to grab the space as soon as a flight is loaded into the reservation system. The problem is that Qantas loads their inventory ~ 3 weeks before American AAdvantage lets you have access to it. (American won’t access schedules more than 331 days out.) So Qantas members — and indeed British Airways and Cathay Pacific members, for instance — can book these award seats that are made available, while American’s members just have to wait and hope. It used to be the case that Alaska Airlines miles could be used when a partner loaded seats, even if Alaska’s own schedules hadn’t been loaded yet. So say 350 days out…
Why Is International First Class Disappearing?
The Inside Flyer blog pegs the demise of international first class flights on corporate travel policies, noting that American’s refurbished 777-200 aircraft get a new business class and remove first class. The thing is, though, while first class has been on the wane overall, it hasn’t happened evenly or across the board. Indeed, some airlines are even growing their first class offerings and improving their products. Middle East mega-carriers Emirates and Etihad are expanding their fleets, routes, and first class offerings. Etihad is even introducing the most over the top first class in history. While some European carriers have been pulling back but still offer significant first class products. First class remains prevalent among certain carriers in Asia. Delta, Continental, and US Airways stopped offering international first class long ago. United and American continued to…
Diving Into the Lesser-Known Gems: Here are the 5 Best Rewards Cards from Bank of America
I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). Earlier in the month I laid out my argument for the 5 best all-around rewards credit cards. But there are different cards which meet each of the (3) main reasons to carry a card: Those you get just for the signup bonus, but you may not want to keep spending on the card after you’ve earned the bonus. Those you get for the benefit of having the card,…
Success Loading OneVanilla Debit Cards Plus How to Check Your Room for Bed Bugs
News and notes from around the interweb: Success loading a(n Amex) Target RED card with a Onevanilla prepaid debit card Plastc is another take on loading all your credit cards into a single card, like Coin which went public a year ago but is still hard to get in beta. Personally I’m waiting until an actual product release before jumping on. How to check your room for bed bugs Save up to 1/3rd on SPG award redemptions at Caesars hotels. Savings vary with rates, and wind up not being a great deal much of the time. When Vegas rooms are cheap, pay cash. The Thai Coasian Anti-Bribery Campaign, Moral Hazard Edition You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one…
The Best Amex Points Transfers by Destination Now That Delta Transfers are Being Capped
American Express Membership Rewards just took a hit with the news that there will be a cap on the number of points a member can transfer to Delta Skymiles each year. Now, I rarely recommended transferring to Delta. Their awards tended to be tougher to get and cost more than those of many other major currencies. But it was ‘easy’ for many — Delta was the last remaining major U.S. airline that American Express points transferred to. There are a surprising number of people out there with tons of Amex points, many hundreds of thousands and into the seven figures. And for them it’s often the case that just moving points over to the program they know was the simple solution. Nothing to figure out, or so it seemed. Starting in 2015, it will only…
Thai Government Initiative Cracks Down on Bad Thai Food Around the World
Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was so bothered by the state of Thai food around the world that she raised the issue at a Cabinet meeting. She has since been deposed by a military coup but her work lives on. The Thai Delicious Committee was formed and it is rolling out a new robot that will taste Thai food and declare when it’s bad. Diplomats and dignitaries have been invited to witness the debut of a machine that its promoters say can scientifically evaluate Thai cuisine, telling the difference, for instance, between a properly prepared green curry with just the right mix of Thai basil, curry paste and fresh coconut cream, and a lame imitation. A boxy contraption filled with sensors and microchips, the so-called e-delicious machine scans food samples to produce a chemical signature,…
Here are the 10 Best Ways to Take Advantage of a Big Chase Offer
I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). How Useful Are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points? Chase Ultimate Rewards are probably the most valuable mileage currency, and certainly one of the top three. Along with American Express Membership Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest points they have the flexibility to be transferred to a wide variety of programs. The value proposition here is that you get to decide later which miles you want — you can top off…
