United ‘blocks’ award seats that their partners offer when it doesn’t want to pay for those seats. They’re the only Star Alliance airline that does this. A Lufthansa seat to Europe might be available with Continental, US Airways, or Air Canada miles but United might claim the seat is unavailable. I’ve been beating this drum for quite some time, not just here on this blog but in other media like Inside Flyer and Conde Nast Traveler, and I’ve helped to drive coverage elsewhere such as in the Wall Street Journal. Now, blocking wasn’t much of an issue from early May through early August. It would creep up occasionally, but nothing like in the past. Take the end of April, for instance, virtually no Lufthansa space that the airline was offering was bookable with United miles.…
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The Best of Airline Meals in Premium Cabins
CNN.com ran a piece today on premium cabin meals, the emphasis on first class dining options from Asian carriers. The opening picture is of one of my favorite features — dining opposite your travel companion as though in a restaurant. The example in the piece is Cathay Pacific, and I have much enjoyed moving over to the buddy seat to dine with my wife. Of course I don’t really like Cathay Pacific’s first class for traveling as a couple, the suites are too private and there’s no option to sit ‘next to’ each other in a meaningful sense. But dining together makes up for it. Cathay adds a table extender, the buddy seat has a seat belt, and it’s a lovely way to pass some time. Now, Cathay’s meal service isn’t my favorite (I much…
Why I Love US Airways Reservations Agents
Award from US to Kuala Lumpur and back, business class. Set up the reservation, agent gets ready to price. And contra Continental where the computers do everything, US Airways agents do a whole lot more fill in the blanks. Very helpful agent asks me about Kuala Lumpur, “that’s in North Asia, right?” Of course, business class to North Asia is 90,000 miles and to South Asia is 120,000 miles. Sadly, I am an honest man. Or at least I’m willing to own up to my geography. Still, I have to wonder (and I often wonder) whether US Airways made a really big mistake when they tried to save money by switching off of Sabre to SHARES. I flew them the weekend of the systems cutover, certainly I knew better but I had a great desire…
The Most Important Post on Flyertalk I Read This Week: Using Delta Miles for Business Class to Australia
I can’t seem to recall whether I’ve posted about this before on the blog or on Flyertalk, but award availability between the US and Australia in business class on V Australia is really quite good. In my experience the toughest two awards in all of frequent flyer-dom are North America-Australia and North America-Tahiti. In the latter case, the constraint is simply not a lot of flights and seats. Air Tahiti Nui, a Delta and American partner, offers decent availability but often only just a single business and first class seat per flight. They used to offer two first class seats on each flight, which is how I flew them as part of my honeymoon. But beyond Air Tahiti Nui you’re looking at non-daily Air France service from Los Angeles, and in the summer months it…
Announcing the Frequent Traveler Awards — the Answer to Which Program is the Best, as Voted on By Real Frequent Travelers
After 21 years, the Freddie Awards were retired. And that was sad news for those of us who follow loyalty programs closely. They were real awards voted on by large numbers of real travelers, focusing on what’s being done right by frequent flyer and frequent guest programs. These were awards programs wanted to win, and really did influence the thinking of program executives towards how to better deliver value for their members. Moreover, there really does have to be a way — beyond just reading this blog — of answering the question, which program is the best? Fortunately there’s going to be a new award stepping precisely into this space, the press release has gone out, so this is now public, the new Frequent Traveler Awards are coming. Voting will begin next month and the…
Why Your Choice of Frequent Flyer Program Needs to Match Your Award Goals
Continental’s generous routing rules are one reason why I’m not all that happy about the pending Continental-United merger. Wandering Aramean writes about his booking from the US via Europe and Asia to Australia. US Airways permits this, Aeroplan often won’t (though booking via Asia is perfectly doable). United on the other hand requires US-to-Australia awards take a much more direct routing, eg San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Vancouver to Sydney or to Auckland and on to Australia. (There are a couple of other permissable routings, such as via Hawaii and New Zealand, but those aren’t generlaly useful.) Continental offers one stopover and an open jaw, whereas both US Airways and United will allow only one or the other. But more importantly Continental doesn’t really have much in the way of routing rules. Like US Airways…
Hilton Announces Free Internet for Gold and Diamond Members
I received an email this afternoon that Hilton is finally adding free internet as a benefit for their Gold and Diamond members — and not making them choose free internet or club lounge access and an upgrade (which isn’t to a suite anyway). Hilton Worldwide is pleased to announce that beginning September 1, 2010, all Gold and Diamond HHonors members will receive complimentary high-speed internet access during their stay at all 3,600 hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands. Over a year ago, Hyatt pulled the trigger, offering all elite members free internet. Then Intercontinental came out with free internet for their Ambassador and Royal Ambassador members, but details have fluctuated a bit. It’s been at some hotels, not all. Then a special promotion. And only on the ‘free internet rate’. Though some hotels…
Air Berlin to Join Oneworld
Just announced, details to come in their news conference tomorrow, but Air Berlin will be joining oneworld. These integrations usually take 18 to 24 months, so don’t go out redeeming those American Airlines miles for Air Berlin flights between Miami and Europe and on to Egypt and Male just yet! But it’s an interesting expansion, not one I would have predicted. First, with British Airways and Iberia and Hungarian oneworld is relatively well-positioned with European-based airlines. Second, because oneworld has tended to focus on premium carriers like Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and even British Airways. So a ‘discount carrier’ breaks the mold a bit. Air Berlin is apparently the six-largest airline in Europe, and they reach Africa, Asia, and North and South America. They fly mostly all-coach products but their Airbus A330s do offer business class,…
Links for the Morning of Tuesday, July 13
Korean Air miles will remain valid for 10 years instead of 5. Frontier is offering second checked bags for $1 through September 6. Asiana’s New Business Class seat looks pretty great, and will be flying to San Francisco and Los Angeles. (HT: Charles) Three-hour ground delay rule harmed 195,000 passengers while helping 3,400. Park Hyatt Seoul: not a single flaw.
The Beauty of Air Canada Aeroplan’s Routing Rules and “Mini Round the World” Award Itineraries
I’ve written in the past about how much I like working with Air Canada Aeroplan, but an award that I booked yesterday really illustrates the power of those miles. Their award chart is on the whole pretty good, 80,000 miles for business class from North American to nearer points in Europe and 100,000 in first. For farther destinations like Greece it’s 100,000 and 120,000. A value on some destinations, competitive for others. South Asia — as far south as Singapore — is 120,000 miles in first class. Great value on its own, but where Aeroplan really shines is the routing rules: Up to 10 segments (not overly generous, but not cumbersome either) Transit either the Atlantic or the Pacific, or one ocean in each direction (round-the-world) Two stopovers — or a stopover and an open…
