View from the Wing Archives.
A 67-year-old man reportedly drove to Detroit Metro Airport saying he was there to meet Tom Cruise and save his dad — then crashed his black Cadillac SUV through the Evans Terminal doors. Police say he appeared disoriented, no weapons were found, and no one was seriously hurt, but this is somehow the second time this year a vehicle has smashed into a Detroit airport terminal.
A Mercedes sedan drove through the glass entry doors at Detroit Metro and into the Delta departures lobby, slamming into the check-in area and sending debris across the terminal.
United is leaving American behind in the dust at Chicago O’Hare, and competed head-to-head with Delta in the ‘premium lane’ of U.S. air travel across the country. So it doesn’t surprise me that they’re investing more in their product, investing in their technology, and consistently surprising customers with inflight milestone recognition. Well, it seems they have something new up their sleeve.
In general there’s a branded marketing tie-in to these tarmac transfer deals, best thought of as a merchant-funded offer conceptually similar to statement credits and elite status provided through credit card issuers. Here Jaguar’s electric I-PACE is what’s being promoted, showcased for the very customers that United values most. There’s even a 50,000 mile offer for buying one.
What are the cards that really offered outsize value and aren’t available anymore, or played a real role in the development of where we are today?
I don’t know how The Points Guy can offer such a list without talking about Diners Club.
On tight connections American Airlines sometimes meets their ConciergeKey members on the jetway of their arriving flight and driven across the tarmac to their onward gate in hub cities. They’ve done this since 2014 in a partnership with Cadillac. That partnership has ended.
David Dao getting dragged off of a United Express flight was a worldwide moment. It focused attention on involuntary denied boardings. It generated outrage. And United, Delta and American all looked closely at their approach. United’s stock recovered quickly, passenger numbers held, and the airline continued to grow. Two years later United suffers no drag at all from David Dao, but it’s the industry that has shifted.
United is offering 35% off economy plus (extra legroom) seat assignments for June travel if you pay by May 27. Not valid for basic economy tickets.
They actually ran 50% off for travel during the second half of March. United, it seems, upsells to economy plus seats the same way that American Airlines sells miles. They maintain a high regular price so they can frequently offer seats at a discount.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Christopher Elliott takes on his role as the world’s worst travel advisor and tells his audience in USA Today that they have his permission to take any empty seat in coach since flight attendants “can’t police every seat.”
By the way that’s one of his “tips for getting an upgrade.” So presumably we’re not even talking about moving between regular coach seats. Just sit in the premium seat and if questioned tell your cabin crew (and anyone they call in for reinforcements that you had Christopher Elliott’s permission.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
