Each year, for five years now, IdeaWorks has published a study (.pdf) on which airlines offer the best award availability and each year Scott McCartney picks it up approvingly in the Wall Street Journal without a recognition of its flaws. Roughly speaking this year’s piece finds that: Overall airline award availability is getting better despite an improving economy (more seats sold). Low cost carriers are better for flyers looking for award seats than legacy airlines. International airlines are better at offering award seats than US ones. But the only way it reaches these conclusions is by assuming away virtually everything we know about how these programs actually work. Nowhere in the study do they account for the value or quality of what the low cost carriers like Southwest Airlines are getting you for your miles.…
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Air France Reveals Its New First Class Suite!
It doesn’t even come close to the just-announced Etihad A380 First Class Residence, but Air France has just unveiled its new La Premier First Class Suite. It has curtains. Curtains. It’s not even a suite with doors. I suppose I didn’t take this rendition seriously enough. I like the lighting, though, something that British Airways already does quite well up front. The colors are nice. They’re going with Sofitel bedding. And they’ll have caviar. While it does seem very ‘Air France’ it also doesn’t seem very revolutionary, or for that matter better than what other airlines that continue to invest in their first class experience offer. They’re nowhere near the standard of better Asian or Middle Eastern carriers — though no paying passenger will likely ‘route around’ Air France in favor of Lufthansa or British…
First Class Going Away November 1, 50% Off Award Tickets, and a Transfer Bonus (Bits ‘n Pieces for May 2, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: Uber referral credits are now worth only $10 for new members (and for the person referring them) but new users can still get $25 with their first use (HT: Delta Points) Back in February South American airline (and then-Star Alliance member, now member of oneworld) TAM started releasing most of their first class seats as awards. Those seats were still available, and I booked some myself. Though TAM had pretty much never released first class awards before in any meaningful way, the availability remained even after TAM joined oneworld a month ago. The seats certainly weren’t selling, and now we learn that TAM is eliminating first class altogether after November 1. Flying Blue 50% off Promo Awards for July/August travel are out. Book in May, travel in July…
Always Print Your Travel Itinerary (All-Electronic Isn’t)
There are many times it helps to have a printed e-ticket itinerary, and even a printed boarding pass. An itinerary can be helpful: Getting into the airport Many airports in Asia — such as Bali, Male and Manila — will have security checking for itineraries on the way into the terminal. Showing your onward travel plans at immigration. You may need to demonstrate you have an onward ticket when being admitted into a country, or for that matter when transiting. Transi security will often need to see either a boarding pass or itinerary. Interlining bags across multiple itineraries. If you are traveling on separate tickets and checking bags, and want the airline you’re checking in with to interline those bags to the next airline in your journey, they’ll be much more willing to do so…
ACT NOW: US Airways Award Tickets On British Airways Without Fuel Surcharges
Debating Whether or Not to Share This I struggled with whether to post this or not. Since US Airways joined oneworld a month ago there’s been a big opportunity. But I also suspected that once I posted it, the opportunity would disappear quickly. There’s always a balance. I want as many people as possible to benefit from a deal, but I also don’t want to overexpose something either. If I think something is sustainable I will post it. If I think that an opportunity will end from my shedding a light on it I won’t. I don’t always get the balance right, but I do my best. This deal was posted on a handful of minor blog sites, and I didn’t take the bait. But this morning I saw The Points Guy cover it. And…
100% Bonus on Purchased US Airways Miles Expected to Return May 3
According to Loyalty Lobby, US Airways will be back with a purchase miles bonus of up to 100% between May 3 and May 25. Over the past few years they’ve run buy miles bonuses — sometimes targeted — about 75% of the year. Which means that the 100% bonus is more or less ‘regular price’. Nonetheless, that means they sell miles less expensively than most airlines including less expensively than American Airlines — and these miles will become American miles when the two programs merge. As a long-term play it’s cheaper to buy miles from US Airways and have them become American miles than to buy those miles from American. (One imagines that when the programs do merge, that the higher price of American miles will prevail.) Good Deal? At a 100% bonus, priced at…
Which Airline and Hotel Program is the Best?
The Freddie Awards were held in Seattle on Thursday night. They’re the awards for the best airline, hotel and credit card loyalty programs voted on by millions of frequent travelers around the world. They’re one way to answer which program is best. Not for everyone and at all times (not everyone casts their vote for the same program!) but they’re a real people’s choice award (although the voting is structured so that it’s not a ‘popularity contest’ – voters rank programs and small programs with a passionate and satisfied member base can do well). I had the honor of emceeing the awards, and presenting trophies on behalf of members tot he programs that earned them. Here’s USA Today coverage and Skift coverage of the event. And here are full results. I was interviewed by KOMO…
2000 Bonus Miles for Each of Your Kids, Last Call for $20, and Award Shenanigans With United and Air China (Bits ‘n Pieces for April 24, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: Enter my giveaway for lounge passes and miles Possible new routing rules for United awards between the US and North Asia Tomorrow is the last day for Uber referral links to offer a $20 first-time user credit. After that the first time incentive drops to $10 (but look out for better offers). (“Why Taxis Suck and What You Can Do About It“) Turkish Miles&Smiles will give your kids 1000 bonus miles for signup and 1000 more with first flight within 90 days (including partner flights on United). You can sign up each of your kids, and then combine the points. Are Air China employees cancelling United award tickets on their airline, to help other travelers clear upgrades for a fee? You can join the 40,000+ people who see…
Thai Airways Discovers the Security Theatre Time Machine
Inane security procedures aren’t exclusive to the U.S. And it’s just so 2002. The Winter Olympics were in Salt Lake City. The ceasefire began in Sri Lanka. Queen Elizabeth passed away. Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison for selling secrets to the Soviets. Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas died. And the Department of Homeland Security was created. Thai Airways is trialing going with all plastic flatware on its Bangkok – Los Angeles route. Chatree Pongsak, director of THAI’s flight operations safety department, said the change had been made out of concern for passenger safety. He said the stainless steel cutlery could be used as a weapon in a terrorist attack or to commit a crime on board. The airline’s Company Safety Committee (CSC) is considering phasing out the metallic cutlery on all of the…
Elephant Jumps Thai is Cooking at a Whole Different Level, You Should Go Now
Friday night my boss emailed me, “You must go and get his sour bamboo shoot curry, and the fermented fish curry, possibly the best dishes yet…! (not available every day, though)” He didn’t have a subject line, didn’t mention the restaurant, he didn’t have to because it was obvious. I was planning to go to Elephant Jumps for lunch on Saturday anyway. Tyler Cowen’s Ethnic Dining Guide has an updated review: This place has improved so much I feel it deserves another review. It was already one of the best places on this list, nowadays it is probably the very best place. It has consistently original and authentic Thai food which is refined and improved on a regular basis. …If you are ever upset that I am not writing more restaurant reviews, the answer is…
