Turkish Airlines launched Houston – Istanbul six days per week service yesterday. The route makes a good deal of sense for Turkish. They’re a Star Alliance member and Turkish is a Star Hub, so they should see some decent feed. They also connect up with a ton of former Soviet cities with oil, including many more obscure airports. I also like Turkish quite a lot for their strong business class lounge in Istanbul, their willingness to put even economy passengers up in a hotel when traveling on a forced overnight, and because of their decent award availability to Asia and Africa (it’s often a go-to last-ditch way of getting folks to either on award tickets). They’re also the best way to use Star Alliance miles to the Maldives. (And they’re willing to status match.) So…
ASIA
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The Death of the Double Miles Award: and Why the US Airways/American Merger Will Kill it For Good
I’m going to stake out a prediction for the US Airways-American Airlines merger that I haven’t seen anyone else make yet — it spells the death knell for the ‘double mileage award’. Most US Programs Used to Charge ‘Double Miles’ for a Seat When There Wasn’t Award Availability Traditionally US frequent flyer programs offered to let members book any seat on any flight for twice the miles. That way if there wasn’t any “saver” award inventory, it would still be possible to use your miles. Now it wasn’t always precisely twice the miles. Up until October 2006 United Airlines Mileage Plus offered awards from North America to Australia in business class at 90,000 miles roundtrip — or 150,000 miles for what they called "standard" or rule-buster style awards where you could have any empty seat…
Preview of My Next Trip Report: Best First Class Award EVER
This is a quick introduction to a new trip report I’m starting, even though I haven’t finished the last one. I’ll do a much more thorough job especially with the return portion of the flight and also my adventures in Russia. But I just had to share right away a little bit of the product that I’ve just experienced — an ANA award first class redemption on new Russian carrier Meridien Airlines. It’s probably the best product I’ve tried, and right now award availability is really good. Two years ago Transaero Airlines (which many know as a partner of the since-acquired by British Airways british midland) split off a smaller airline, led by a disgruntled faction of the board, creating Meridien Airlines which operates Boeing 777, Boeing 737-800, and Airbus A319 aircraft. Last year they…
Bits ‘n Pieces for March 29, 2013
News and Notes from Around the Interweb: Delta will be squeezing four more coach seats into their 737-900s by shrinking the lavatories. More Than Mary has started a series with my advice on getting a little extra luxury for your travel spend, the first part of the series focusing on hotels – with a tip a week for the next six weeks, I believe. SAS will be eliminating intra-European business class. Possibly short-sighted move, if my conversation with a British Airways exec a couple of weeks back is any indication — BA loses money on their intra-European business product itself, but maintains it because it’s key to be able to sell long haul premium cabin seats (they believe cunnecting premium cabin passengers would book away without an intra-European premium product). Le Club Accorhotels instant top…
Return to the Maldives: New York JFK – Abu Dhabi, Etihad First Class
Trip Report Index: Introducing and Strategy New York JFK – Abu Dhabi, Etihad First Class Park Hyatt Dubai Touring the Burj al Arab Tea at the Burj al Arab Abu Dhabi – Male, Etihad Business Class Male – Kaadedhdhoo, Maldivian and Transfer to the Park Hyatt Park Hyatt Hadahaa Maldives Kooddoo-Male-Abu Dhabi, Maldivian and Etihad Business Class Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi – Dusseldorf – London, Etihad First Class and British Airways Club Europe London Heathrow – San Francisco, British Airways New First Class After checking in for my Etihad flight — a bit of a process in and of itself because the check-in counters are roped off and there’s a staff member there to keep people away who don’t belong, though I didn’t have to show him an itinerary to get through.. and…
First Class “Used to Be a Better Meal, Now It’s a Better Life”
In the film Jerry Maguire, Renee Zellweger looks forward from the coach cabin and tells her son, ” First class, that’s what’s wrong. It used to be a better meal, now it’s a better life.” Except… she’s flying domestically and so that statement hardly seems true at all. Jeff Martin passes along an Atlanta Journal Constitution piece on Delta’s investments in their premium cabin product that can’t resist the urge to frame the issue as the haves and have nots. Over the years, airlines have been squeezing more seats into the back of the plane and have removed some extras like free checked bags and meals. Now, much of their attention is on ever-more luxurious seats and amenities for those up front, where the profits are. The comparison really doesn’t hold water at all. Coach…
The Best Mileage Credit Card for Beginners
Key Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred If you’re already an expert, stop reading this post now. You already know everything in it, and I don’t want you to waste your time. You won’t be able to get your 45 seconds back. If you have 6 or more credit cards open, this post is not for you. When I’m asked for frequent flyer advice, I have to resist the temptation to give an oral dissertation defense. I can easily run off at the mouth. I tend to be really quite earnest and feel like it’s important to qualify, to offer precise recommendations. But too much advice can be overwhelming. It’s probably why many of the people I work with think that this ‘crazy frequent flyer thing’ (jetting off in premium cabins around the world multiple times a…
Making the Most Out of (Devaluing?) Membership Rewards Points
Ronald A. asks how to get the most out of Membership Rewards points, in light of recent changes to their program — no more bonus to pay for airline tickets directly with points (which was never a good value to begin with), fewer transfer bonuses in the past, and partners that mostly add fuel surcharges onto awards. They’ve also eliminated their shopping portal that allowed accumulation of Membership Rewards points for online purchases. I’ve written frequently in the past that the biggest devaluations to Membership Rewards have come from external changes rather than changes to Membership Rewards itself — Aeroplan gutting its award chart and adding furcharges to most partners British Airways gutting its award chart for long haul/connections ANA adding fuel surcharges onto Virgin Atlantic awards Singapore Airlines increasing award chart pricing Loss of…
Considering My Next Big Award Redemption.. 3 First Class Products in One Easy to Book Award
I’ve discussed at length the American AAdvantage distance-based oneworld awards (now called oneworld explorer awards) in the past. In addition to the ‘normal’ way you can book an award, with the mileage cost based on the ‘region’ you start from and end in (which is subject to all sorts of rules, like you can’t fly from North America to Asia via Europe, there has to be a published fare between your starting and ending cities, etc) American will allow you to base the mileage cost of your award based on the distance that you fly as long as you only fly on oneworld airlines (and not their other partners like Alaska Airlines or Etihad) and fly on at least two different oneworld airlines (not counting American). The addition of Malaysia Airlines into oneworld has me…
Return to the Maldives on Miles: Etihad and British Airways First Class and Tour of Park Hyatts
Trip Report Index: Introducing and Strategy New York JFK – Abu Dhabi, Etihad First Class Park Hyatt Dubai Touring the Burj al Arab Tea at the Burj al Arab Abu Dhabi – Male, Etihad Business Class Male – Kaadedhdhoo, Maldivian and Transfer to the Park Hyatt Park Hyatt Hadahaa Maldives Kooddoo-Male-Abu Dhabi, Maldivian and Etihad Business Class Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi – Dusseldorf – London, Etihad First Class and British Airways Club Europe London Heathrow – San Francisco, British Airways New First Class One of the things I really like about American AAdvantage is that they’re generally the best program for securing international first class awards. They have a litany of partners both inside oneworld and outside of oneworld that make this possible – British Airways (albeit with fuel surcharges), Qantas (not nearly…
