American Airlines Adds Japan Airlines To Its Business Extra Program
The American Airlines Business Extra program has just added Japan Airlines its first new partner in quite a few years. Program members can earn and burn Business Extra Points on Japan Airlines flights with immediate effect although, with transpacific travel not exactly blossoming right now, it may not be until next year until the full benefits of this partnership can be reaped.
United Airlines Announces Seven New Non-Stop Routes (International & Domestic)
Yesterday, United Airlines used social media to run a teaser trying to get customers (and potential customers) to guess what new routes the airline was set to announce today. If you didn't see that teaser or if you failed to guess the new routes, this latest announcement will tell you all you need to know - United Airlines will be flying five new international routes to Africa and India, as well as offering two new routes to Hawaii.
What Are Your Rights If An Airline Cancels Your Flight (Covid-19 Edition)
This post aims to inform readers with bookings to/from/within the United States and/or the European Union (and select associated nations) what their rights are when an airline cancels their flight(s) in the era of Covid-19.
Marriott’s Secret Website Will Tell You What Services Its Hotels Are Offering During The Pandemic
Marriott has built a website that is designed to show travelers what services and amenities its properties are offering during the current crisis. The site isn't yet official and its contents are not yet complete, but with in-house offerings varying wildly from property to property (even for properties in the same town or city), this can still be an invaluable resource for anyone trying to decide what Marriott to book for their next trip.
Owed A Qantas Refund? The Airline Is Now Offering Incentives To Passengers Accepting Credits
One of the bigger consumer stories that has emerged during this pandemic is the story of tens of thousands of travelers struggling to get their canceled trips refunded by airlines all over the world. Qantas is one of the airlines that has been less than stellar when it comes to returning customer funds and now the airline is offering customers incentives if they choose to accept a credit for future travel over the cash they're owed.
I’m Taking A Cautious Approach To The Ritz-Carlton Card’s $300 Credit
The Ritz-Carlton credit card that's issued by Chase offers an annual $300 credit for incidental spending with airlines but with most people either not able to travel or not interested in travel, Chase has extended the credit to cover grocery spending and dining expenditure too.
Virgin Atlantic Will Offer Its New Business Class To Barbados
For the Northern Hemisphere Winter Season, Virgin Atlantic has scheduled one of its new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate its route between London and Barbados. This means that customers flying in the airlines Upper Class cabin will be treated to Virgin Atlantic's best Business Class seats.
Is The Briggs & Riley “Simple As That Lifetime Guarantee” As Good As Is Claimed?
I've been a big fan of Briggs & Riley for a number of years. I like quite a few of the ranges the luggage maker offers and I love the idea behind the lifetime guarantee that Briggs & Riley says it operates, but I've never had the need to rely on the integrity of the warranty that helps Briggs & Riley stand out from the pack. That has just changed.
American Airlines Plans To Restart Flights To Australia This Year
Qantas says it doesn't plan on restarting services to the United States before July 2021 and Australia is still a country that's off-limits to most of the world, but that's not enough to discourage American Airlines. Starting later this year American Airlines plans to resume service between Los Angeles and Sydney and it plans to offer four flights per week.
[Updated] Virgin Atlantic Plans Three Routes To Pakistan From December 2020
Virgin Atlantic has today announced that it plans to offer three new services between the United Kingdom and Pakistan from December 2020. To some, this may seem like an odd path for Virgin Atlantic to choose, but the fact is that what we're witnessing is an airline coming to terms with a very key weakness and looking for ways to mitigate the risks that weakness brings.
United Airlines Will Operate 40% Of Its October Schedule Next Month
United Airlines has just announced its planned schedules for September and October and the airline has confirmed that when its routes are taken as a whole (i.e. international + domestic routes together), it is expecting to operate 34% of its full schedule in September and 40% of its full schedule in October. These figures are in comparison to the routes operated in the same months last year.
Delta’s Misleading Cancellation Email Really, Really Annoyed Me
Just as I was arriving home last night, I heard the iPhone in my pocket "ping" in the way it always does when a new email drops into my inbox and, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an email from Delta letting me know that my December trip home to Los Angeles had been cancelled. Considering the state of flux that the airline schedules are currently in, the cancellation of my flight wasn't a huge surprise so I wasn't overly disappointed, but the wording Delta used in its email really, really annoyed me.
Hawaiian Airlines Is The Latest US Carrier To Eliminate Change Fees
One of life's rules has always been that when an airline pushes through a change that's negative for customers all of its competitors rush to follow suit. Rarely have airlines rushed to copy a change that's positive for customers, and yet here we have the fifth US airline in a week announcing that it is eliminating most change fees for is customers. This has been a good week for flyers.
American Express Gold Cards Are Offering Improved Targeted Welcome Offers
I'm always checking to see if American Express has targeted me for any special welcome offers or special deals to upgrade (it's how I got a 150,000 point bonus when I upgraded to the Hilton Honors Surpass credit card) and, as things stand, there appear to be improved offers available on the American Express Gold Card and the Business Gold Card for anyone fortunate enough to have been targeted.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer/PPS Club Makes Retaining Status Easier
A few months ago, Singapore Airlines announced that it was offering 1-year elite status extensions to all its KrisFlyer and PPS Club elites whose membership year ends between March 2020 and February 2021. Now the airline has gone further and announced that it is bringing in a measure to help its elites retain their status for a further year.
Now Alaska Airlines Eliminates Change Fees Permanently (Is There A Hidden Bonus?)
Well, this has certainly been a good start to the week for US flyers. First, we have United Airlines announcing that it would eliminate most domestic change fees, then Delta followed suit, and American Airlines rounded off the news from the "Big 3" by improving upon United's change fee announcement and improving its Basic Economy fares too. Now Alaska Airlines has joined in by confirming that has eliminated all change fees on most domestic and international bookings.
American Airlines Improves Basic Economy & Eliminates Select Change Fees
United Airlines may have started the ball rolling by being the first of the major US airlines to eliminate change fees on domestic itineraries, but American Airlines has now taken the ball further by eliminating change fees on more routes than United or Delta and by making some significant improvements to its Basic Economy fares.
Warning: IHG & Marriott Flexible Cancellation Policies Are Ending
IHG and Marriott are the first major hotel chains to confirm that they're ending their flexible cancellation policies which have been available on all bookings since the beginning of the current crisis. At the time of writing, Hilton, Hyatt, and Radisson have not yet followed suit, but with their current policies expiring at the same time as the Marriott and IHG policies expire, there's scope for these three chains to go down the same path.
Delta Follows United’s Lead & Eliminates Domestic Change Fees
United Airlines caught a lot of people off guard when it announced that it would be eliminating most change fees for domestic itineraries with immediate effect and, not all that surprisingly, Delta has followed suit and confirmed that it has also eliminated most domestic change fees with immediate effect.
United Airlines Is Eliminating Select Change Fees Permanently
With the travel industry in a state of crisis, airlines are being forced to try and find new ways to persuade travelers to choose them over their competitors. So far we've mainly seen airlines playing the "who's aircraft are cleanest" game with airlines sometimes appearing to claim that they've found a new and better way to sterilize an aircraft every week. Now, however, we've seen United Airlines fire the first new salvo for a while - the airline claims it's elimination change fees permanently.
Intercontinental Travel Isn’t Going To Get Easier Any Time Soon
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American Airlines Schedules New Shanghai Service From Seattle
Back in July, American Airlines announced plans to move the service it operated between Los Angeles and Shanghai to Seattle and, subject to government approval, that's what American Airways has done. The route is now in the schedules and is open for reservations.
Incredible: IHG Is Set To Lose Over 100 Properties In North America
The next time you're searching IHG.com for accommodation in North America you may find that a number of properties you've been used to seeing in the past are no longer there. This isn't a glitch or a temporary system error, it's because IHG has just lost over 100 of it's North American properties to a considerably smaller operator.
Delta’s Transpacific Plans For Winter 2020/21 and Summer 2021
Delta has announced that it plans to significantly increase the number of flights it offers across the Atlantic and across the Pacific in the coming winter and summer seasons. The airline says that the peak will come in the summer 2021 season when it will be operating over 50 more transoceanic flights than it had in the summer 2020 schedule.
Check Your Reservations – Some Hotels Aren’t Very Good At Communicating Cancellations
If you have a reservation for a hotel that is supposed to be reopening in the weeks before you're due to arrive, I suggest you double-check the property's latest information online and make sure that all is still going according to plan. Based on my experience, some hotels are not very good at informing guests that their reservations can no longer be honored in a timely way.
Hyatt Resorts Introduce “Work From Hyatt” Packages
As hotels continue to struggle to get their occupancy levels moving in the right direction, we're starting to see the more forward-thinking properties and chains adapting to the "new normal" by introducing plans and packages to suit the current environment. Hyatt's latest idea is to offer the "Work From Hyatt" package which aims to allow individuals, couples, and families to combine work and relaxation all in once place and away from the confines of home.
Virgin Atlantic Will Only Be Flying To Five US Destinations By October
Virgin Atlantic has been fighting for survival for most of the summer and it's only recently that the airline has been back in the skies and flying back and forth across the Atlantic. A recent schedule update published by the airline confirmed that, for September/October 2020, it will offer customers flights to just five US destinations.
Wow! Virgin Atlantic’s Companion Voucher Can Now Be Used Alongside Cash Fares
Virgin Atlantic took time out yesterday to announce some very positive changes to how its companion voucher will now work but amidst the excitement of all the good news we were being fed at the time, one very important change to how the Virgin Atlantic companion voucher now works doesn't appear to have been given the publicity it deserves - the companion voucher can now be used in conjunction with a cash fare.
Virgin Atlantic Announces Some Seriously Good News For Flying Club Members
If you're a fan of Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program you're probably going to be very pleased with the news the airline released earlier today. Elite statuses have been extended, voucher expirations have been extended, vouchers have been made considerably easier to use and the path to elite status has just been made easier by a change that no other airline has thought to introduce.
Gatwick’s CEO Wants An Unworkable Quarantine Plan For The UK
Over recent weeks the UK government has shown itself to be capable of introducing quarantine measures on arrivals into the country with little to no notice and, in a recent press conference, Gatwick’s CEO suggested that the government was taking the wrong approach to its quarantine restrictions and put forward a suggestion of his own. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't take a genius to see that his plan is wholly unworkable.
Delta & United Airlines Add More Flights To Shanghai
Delta and United currently operate two weekly flights each between the United States and Shanghai with both airlines routing their operations through Seoul Incheon Airport. An agreement announced yesterday between the United States and China to increase the number of flights between the two counties from four to eight will now see both carriers doubling the number of flights they offer to Shanghai.
Confirmed: Chase Ritz-Carlton Card’s Travel Credit Can be Used On Groceries & Dining
The Ritz-Carlton credit card from Chase comes with a $300 travel credit that, under normal conditions, can only be used to offset incidental travel costs like seat selection fees, baggage fees, and lounge memberships (airfares, hotel costs and the like can not be reclaimed). Now, however, with the travel world still at a standstill, that travel credit has been expanded to include spending made at grocery stores and on dining.
British Airways Has Started To Retire Its 747 Fleet
In the middle of last month, British Airways announced that it planned to retire its 31 Boeing 747 aircraft with immediate effect and starting yesterday, the airline's 747s are now being shipped out to meet whatever fate awaits them.
Japan Airlines (JAL) Increases Services To The United States
Right now, Airlines are making alterations to their schedules on a daily basis as they attempt to adapt to the ever-changing entry rules that various counties have been introducing. Recent restrictions introduced by the likes of the UK, Vietnam, and Thailand have seen numerous flights to those countries cut from the schedules so it's nice to be able to report that JAL will be increasing services to the US from September.
How To Apply Marriott Suite Night Awards To A Reservation In 6 Simple Steps [Updated For 2021]
Marriott Bonvoy allows its members to choose 5 suite night awards as part of their benefits package when they earn 50 elite night credits in a year (the Annual Choice Benefits), and it allows members to choose a further 5 suite night awards as part of their benefits when they earn 75 elite nights in a year. That makes it pretty important to know how to apply these upgrades online.
How To Redeem An IHG Free Night Certificate In 6 Simple Steps [2020 Edition]
There are two IHG Rewards credit cards which offer cardholders a free night stay at any IHG property costing up to 40,000 points per night – the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and IHG Rewards Club Select credit card (not open to new applicants) – and this is a quick step-by-step guide to redeeming the IHG free night certificate once it’s loaded to your account.
New Aeroplan Program Announced – Here Are The Key Headlines
Flyers have been waiting to hear the details of Air Canada's new Aeroplan program for months, but the waiting is now finally over as the airline outlined the headline features of the program earlier today. The new Aeroplan will launch on 8 November 2020 and the key headlines you need to know are in the post below.
Select Chase Ink cards now offering bonus points & cash back in new categories [limited Time & targeted]
Chase is emailing select holders of its Ink Business cards to announce that, for a limited time, their cards will now offer bonus points in two new spending categories. I've seen this bonus targeted to my Chase Ink Plus card (which is no longer open to new applicants) and to the Ink Business Cash card, but there's every chance that other Ink cards are being targeted too.
Qatar Airways Boosts Services To JFK & LAX And Returns To Two More US Cities
Back in June, Qatar Airways announced its return to four major US cities and, as of today, the gulf carrier now operates on six transatlantic routes to the United States. Starting tomorrow, 12 August, Qatar Airways will begin boosting frequencies on its existing US routes and, from September, the carrier will restart services to two more US cities.
British Airways Schedules Club Suite Service To Los Angeles (Finally!)
After months of waiting, Los Angeles-based oneworld flyers will soon no longer have to choose between a great Business Class seat combined with poor service (American Airlines) or a poor Business Class seat with pretty good service (BA) as British Airways has finally scheduled a Club Suite equipped aircraft to serve LAX from later this year.
Cathay Pacific Will Only Serve Three US Cities In September
Before the travel world came to grinding halt, Cathay Pacific offered flights between Hong Kong and eight US airports across 7 US cities but, in a further sign of how slowly travel is currently recovering, the carrier is only set to operate to three of those cities in September 2020.
Air France Is Now Replacing The A380s In Its Schedules
It has been over two months since Air France announced that its A380s wouldn't be taking to the skies again (at least not as a part of Air France's commercial operations) but it's only now that Air France has updated its schedules to show what aircraft it will be using on the routes that the A380 once operated.
RIP BA1 – British Airways Retires Its All-Business-Class A318
IAG, the parent company of British Airways, has published its latest quarterly results and alongside the news that the airline group made a loss of €1.3bn ($1.55bn) between April and June of this year, IAG announced that it was "exiting" the A318 fleet as part of its response to the current crisis and, with that, signaled the end of the all-business-class service that British Airways operated between London and New York.
British Airways Won’t Fly From London Gatwick Before November
If anyone you know needs a reminder that the current crisis is far from over, point them in the direction of an airline schedule. While some airlines are clearly doing their best to ramp up operations and restart routes (e.g. Qatar Airways), a lot of major airlines are still running vastly reduced services and are pushing back the dates for planned service resumptions.
Why The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card’s Club Level Upgrades Can Be Deceptively Bad
I've recently tried to use one of the major benefits of the Ritz-Carlton credit card and I quickly found myself counting my blessings that it wasn't one of the benefits I'm relying on to help me get real value out of the card. The experience turned out to be more than a little disappointing.
Lesson Learned: Don’t Mess With Chase!
The annual fee on my Chase Ink Business Plus credit card posted earlier this month and over the weekend I decided to see if I could get Chase to waive the annual fee or, at the very least, to give me a spending bonus to help offset the fee. Things didn't go according to plan.
Another Great Example of Idiocy By The UK Government
Over the weekend the UK government suddenly reimposed quarantine restrictions on all travelers returning from Spain but, even though we all know the quarantine will be toothless, there's some logic to applying a quarantine to those returning from Spain and I don't have an issue with how quickly the new quarantine order was introduced. What I do take issue with is the truly idiotic messaging coming from two key government departments.
Caution: You May Not Be Searching For American Express FHR Properties Correctly
I'm in the process of trying to plan a trip to a Ritz-Carlton on the Spanish island of Tenerife and, as part of my research into the best way to book the property, I decided to check what offers I could find for the property on the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts site. Annoyingly, the property wasn't there.
My Ritz-Carlton Award Booking Dilemma
From a social distancing point of view and from a 'staying healthy' point of view, the Ritz-Carlton Tenerife and Tenerife itself seem like as good a place as any to visit right now...but I'm hugely conflicted about how to book the accommodation.
Is Everyone Having Issues With The IHG Website? (Cannot Make Bookings)
Yesterday I wrote about the good news that some Chase IHG Free Night Certificates are still able to book any property in the world and, although I'd only gone through the booking process as far as the final "book reservation" button, everything looked in order and no errors occurred. The same cannot be said when just tried to complete a couple of reservations.
Be Careful When Using Select British Airways Vouchers (Itineraries Not Ticketing)
As I've been navigating the various processes involving British Airways vouchers I've been finding out quite a bit about how they work but, more importantly, I've also been finding out that the process of applying a voucher for future travel isn't always a smooth one and caution is required.
American Airlines Schedules Dreamliners On 4 Domestic Miami Routes
I've been known to get a bit over-excited when I've managed to book a Business Class seat on a widebody aircraft on a domestic route (after having expected to be booking a standard domestic First Class cabin), so I'm expecting the news that American Airlines is going to offer its premium cabin flyers yet more opportunities to fly to/from Miami in comfort, to go down very well.
Some IHG Chase Free Night Certificates Can Still Book Any IHG Property Worldwide
In mid-April, IHG confirmed that all existing free nights certificates earned via Chase credit cards would see their expiration date extended by 6 months but, when the certificates started appearing in member accounts, the few remaining certificates that would have worked at any IHG property in the world before their original expiration date could no longer book any property costing over 40,000 points. I tested this for myself.
Air France’s Tahiti Route Returning To LAX in September
A couple of days ago I published Air France's plans for its USA routes in the months of September and October but, while the new schedules look good for SkyTeam flyers based in the US, there was no news surrounding the return of Air France's flight between Los Angeles and Tahiti which was set to return in August. Well, we now have news.
Air France Is Reintroducing More “Normal” Meal Services Onboard
Now that airlines are trying to get their schedules back on track and tempt people back into the skies, we're seeing more and more carriers announcing the return of a little more "normality" onboard and Air France is the latest airline to confirm that passengers can expect to see improved service levels and offerings from this month onwards.
KLM Will Operate More Flights To Select US Cities in August/September
KLM has recently updated its worldwide schedules and in the months of August and September, the European carrier will be increasing the number of fights it offers to select cities in the United States with some destinations getting twice as many flights as they're currently seeing.
Hyatt Now Lets You Book Suites With Points Online
Unlike some hoteliers, Hyatt allows customers to book suites with its loyalty currency at reasonable rates but, up until now, suite availability checks and suite award night bookings have had to be done over the phone. However, at some point over the past 48 - 72 hours that has changed as suites can now be booked with World of Hyatt points on Hyatt.com and via the Hyatt mobile app.
British Airways To Retire ALL Boeing 747s With Immediate Effect
In an email sent out to employees a few hours ago, British Airways effectively announced the end of the road for its Boeing 747s. With the travel world still in turmoil and with recovery not expected for a number of years, the viability of BA's least efficient aircraft was always going to be called into question, so it's not altogether surprising to read that the 747 has flown its last commercial flight for British Airways.
Big News: American Airlines In Surprise Tie-up With JetBlue
American Airlines and JetBlue have today announced that they are entering into a strategic partnership that will see American Airlines launch new international services out of New York JFK, JetBlue expanding at all three New York airports, and members of both airlines' loyalty programs enjoying reciprocal elite benefits.
New Aeroplan Program Details Will Start To Emerge On 28 July
Executive Traveller has reported that it has received an invitation to a 'sneak peek' online presentation on 28 July in which Mark Nasr, Air Canada's VP for Loyalty and eCommerce, will outline details of "Air Canada's transformed loyalty program" to select members of the international media.
London Hotels Not Passing On Tax Savings To Guests
As of today, 15 July 2020, the level of VAT being charged on UK hotel accommodation is 5% (down from 20%) and as VAT is a tax on the consumer and not the hotelier (VAT is a sales tax so the hotelier is only acting as a government tax collector), it would be reasonable to expect the cost of a hotel night to drop in proportion to the drop in VAT...but this isn't necessarily the case.
All 2020 Hilton Elite Nights Will Rollover Into 2021
Over the weekend we saw Marriott's bonus elite nights dropping into members' Bonvoy accounts but Hilton has just upped the ante by announcing that all Hilton Honors elite nights earned in 2020 will rollover into 2021 making Hilton elite status a whole lot easier to earn next year.
Air France USA Routes & Frequencies For Sept/Oct 2020
Most airlines have been operating skeleton schedules for most of the past few months but, over the past few weeks, we've slowly started to see a few airlines announcing plans to increase the number of flights they offer. The latest airline to announce increased routes and services to/from the US is Air France.
Bonus Elite Night Credits Have Now Posted For Marriott Lifetime Elites
Almost exactly a month ago, Marriott announced that on top of the elite status extensions that it has offered to all of its Bonvoy elites, it would also be adding bonus elite night credits to member accounts by the end of this month. On Friday night, most Bonvoy accounts were updated (unexpectedly early) but the accounts of a lot of Lifetime Elites remained unchanged, and this led to some confusion.
Why You Probably Shouldn’t Book UK Hotels Before 15 July
Earlier this week, the government of the United Kingdom announced that its idiotic quarantine regulations would no longer apply to travelers visiting England from 60 nations as of 10 July but, even if you now find yourself allowed to travel to the UK, a recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer means that you probably shouldn't be rushing to book your accommodation before 15 July.
Which Delta Sky Clubs Are Open And Which Are Opening?
Delta managed to keep approximately 15 of its Sky Clubs open for most of the current crisis and, so far in July, the airline has reopened a further 4 Sky Clubs and is promising to reopen at least 3 more before the end of the month.
American’s Seattle – London Service Is Open For Bookings
American Airlines will be starting service between Seattle and London from the end of March 2021 and the plan was to have the service bookable from early May of this year. The crisis that unfolded since the original route announcement saw American Airlines delay the opening of reservations for its newest route but, following a recent schedule update, tickets are now on sale.
UK Quarantine Rules Will No Longer Apply To Visitors From 60 Countries (USA Not One Of Them)
In what can only be seen as an admission that its decision to impose quarantine restrictions on visitors from abroad was a monumentally idiotic idea, the British government has just published a list of 60 countries from which people may visit England without having to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
Delta Has Restarted Select Beverage Services On Domestic Flights
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Qatar Airways Now Requires Masks AND Face Shields For Economy Class Passengers
In a move that's almost certain to polarize opinion, Qatar Airways has modified the health and safety rules enforced onboard its aircraft to include a requirement for Economy Class passengers to wear both a mask and a visor for the duration of the flight. Business Class passengers will continue to be asked to wear a mask and/or shield at their own discretion.
A Message For People Who Refuse To Wear A Face Covering
Yesterday was the first time in months that I ventured out of the suburb I've been living in and into a major metropolis, and it was quite an eye-opening experience. Throughout the day, I was fortunate in that most of the people I encountered in confined or enclosed areas were doing their civic duty and wearing a face covering of some sort or another (most were wearing masks), but rarely does a day goes by without a new story about a new set of idiots (usually back home in the US) who are refusing to cover their noses and mouths. This post contains a message to those idiots.
Emirates Starts To Reopen Lounges & Restarts Services To 11 Destinations
Emirates has announced the reopening of one of its lounges in Dubai and has confirmed that its Chauffeur Drive service is once again being offered to customers with select premium bookings. In addition, the airline has continued to restart routes to countries around the world and will offer services to over 50 cities in July.
London’s Lockdown Is Easing But The City Is Still Incredibly Empty
I've been seeing out the current pandemic in the suburbs just outside London but, until yesterday, I hadn't been into the center of the city since a few weeks before we were locked down. With the UK's lockdown rules easing, I had assumed that London had been getting back to its usual bustling self since most stores were allowed to reopen earlier this month, so I wasn't prepared for the scenes that met me yesterday morning.
American Airlines Premium Economy Boeing 777-200ER review
American Airlines offers a Premium Economy cabin on most of its long-haul fleet and this is a review of the airline's product on its Boeing 777-200 aircraft flying between London Heathrow and Los Angeles. With a flying time scheduled at well over 10 hours, there was plenty of time to get a good sense of what the American Airlines Premium Economy cabin and service are all about.
This Is Why I Like IHG’s New Variable Pricing Awards
I'm not exactly one of IHG biggest fans nor am I a fan of award pricing that's based on the cash price of a booking, so I've been more than a little surprised to find that I actually quite like IHG's new dynamic price awards. IHG's variable pricing may not work for everyone but, for me and for quite a few other people, it looks like it may actually improve the value we get out of IHG Rewards and, just as importantly, out of the free night certificates issued by IHG co-branded credit cards.
Qantas’ Recovery Plan Could Mean That It Never Operates Its A380s Again
Qantas has unveiled the 3-year recovery plan it will be following as it navigates its way out of the current crisis, and the details shared by the airline show Qantas cutting a significant number of jobs, keeping a large proportion of its fleet grounded, retiring its 747s earlier than planned and admitting that the days may be numbered for in A380 aircraft.
Qatar Airways Suggests It Will Introduce A New First Class Cabin
Qatar Airways offers arguably the best all-around Business Class product in the world and it's a product that's better than a number of First Class cabins that I can mention. It also currently only offers its own First Class product on its Airbus A380 aircraft which the airline has already said it will be retiring...so will Qatar Airways really introduce a brand new First Class cabin?
Are People Actually Jealous Of Legacy British Airways Cabin Crew?
The dispute between British Airways crews and management has been well documented in the press and on various blogs and, aside from the actual plight that the British Airways crews find themselves in, the thing that has struck me most in all of this has been the nature of some of the comments directed at British Airways legacy cabin crews made by people seemingly unconnected to the airline - they make no sense.
Emirates Brings Back Its A380 To London & Paris
The Airbus A380 may be the world's largest commercial aircraft but in an era of economical aircraft like the A350s, the A330neo, and the Boeing Dreamliners, the A380 is an uneconomical dinosaur. None of the airlines that operate the A380 have been flying them during the current crisis and some airlines have gone as far as to say that they'll never fly their A380s again...but for Emirates that's not an option.
Qatar Airways Expands Services To Offer 270+ Flights To 45+ Destinations
Qatar Airways has grown to be the largest airline in the world during the current crisis, primarily due to the fact that it has continued to serve a variety of routes while most other large airlines have dramatically shrunk their capacities. Now, as airlines around the world begin to ramp up their services once more, Qatar Airways has confirmed that it now offers over 270 weekly flights to over 45 destinations...and the numbers keep growing.
Virgin Atlantic Plans To Be Flying To 23 Destinations By October
Virgin Airlines has been living on the edge ever since the current crisis first hit the headlines as, unlike a lot of its competitors, it found itself unable to access the aid on offer from its home government. In its fight for survival, we have seen the airline cut over 35% of its workforce and abandon one of its hub airports and we have seen multiple pleas for help from the UK government go unanswered...but the airline keeps soldiering on.
Malaysia Airlines Introduces Hand Baggage Only Economy Class Fares
Malaysia Airlines has announced that it has introduced "enhanced Economy fare options, putting customers’ needs as priority" which, in normal everyday language, means that it has introduced "hand baggage only" Economy fares which offer customers very little in return for no price decrease at all. Regardless of how Malaysia Airlines tries to spin this news, this isn't good for passengers.
Etihad Plans Increased Services To Chicago & New York
Etihad has joined the growing list of airlines that are scheduling increased services between their home hubs and various cites in the United States and, in some cases, restarting routes that have been mothballed since the start of the current crisis. Etihad's latest schedule changes seen the airline planning to significantly increase services to Chicago and New York in just a few weeks' time.
American Airlines Is Trying To Raise $3.5bn From Equity, Bonds & Loans
American Airlines chose to use Sunday afternoon to announce that it is looking to raise at least $3.5 billion through a combination of a public stock offering, the issuing of loan stock, and a new secured credit facility.
Qatar Airways Announces Its Return To Four Major US Cities
Qatar Airways has been the only big Middle Eastern carrier that has kept a number of services operating to the United States throughout the current crisis and now, as the airline enters an eight week period during which it hopes to get as many as 70% of its routes back online, it has announced plans to resume flights to four major US cities.
JetBlue Launches Mint At Newark & Announces 30 New Routes
JetBlue has offered a nice distraction from the current travel crisis to announce a series of new routes out of nine East Coast/Florida airports and the introduction of its acclaimed Mint Business Class cabin to two new transcontinental routes out of New York Newark airport. Additionally, the airline also announced that nine temporarily closed cities and several summer seasonal destinations will reopen in early July.
Emirates Returns To Washington DC And Nine Other Destinations
Emirates has announced plans to boost flights to 14 of the cities it currently serves and it has confirmed the dates on which it plants to recommence services to 10 destinations it dropped when the current crisis took hold. It won't be all plain sailing, however, as some of the planned destinations are currently closed to overseas visitors, but Emirates has a plan for this.
Qatar Airways Is Canceling Aircraft Orders & Pushing Back Deliveries By Up To 10 Years
The CEO of Qatar Airways gave a live interview to a British news channel yesterday afternoon and, as is always the case with Akbar Al Baker, he didn't mince his words and he wasn't short of a few opinions. The interview covered a broad spectrum of aviation issues and Al Baker revisited some old ground, but one of the more interesting revelations to come out of the interview is the fact that Qatar Airways wants to push back deliveries of new aircraft by up to a decade. That's incredible.
I Was Very Impressed With How American Airlines Handled My Refund
One very noticeable theme that has been running through the travel world since the current pandemic brought daily life to a grinding halt has been the theme of airlines doing everything in their power to withhold refunds from customers to whom refunds are owed. With that as a backdrop, I wasn't sure what to expect when I submitted a refund request to American Airlines but, as the title of this post suggests, I've been very pleasantly surprised.
Last Week’s Announcements From British Airways May Change My Plans Considerably
Back in April, I said that the argument that airlines shouldn't extend elite statuses because it will encourage flyers to defect to other airlines is nonsensical because people look to earn status to enjoy the joys of that status. Generally speaking, they don't earn status only to then fly with airlines with which they have no standing. I also said that if British Airways extended my status I wouldn't be seeing what other airlines I can fly. Well, it turns out that this isn't entirely true.
If You Have To Fly, Wear A Face Mask (It’s Really Not A Lot To Ask)
While in recent weeks, it has been heartening to read reports that fewer and fewer people are choosing to ignore the "wear a mask" advice, it's clear that there are still a significant number of flyers who, for reasons best known to themselves, are refusing to wear a mask on board an aircraft...and that's a shame. At a time when we should be doing our best to act in the interests of everyone around us as well as ourselves, this kind of selfishness is, to put it mildly, disappointing.
Good News: California Will Get More A350 Service From Virgin Atlantic
In a recent schedule update, Virgin Atlantic has reversed a decision taken back in February which saw California lose the prospect of getting a new A350 route and it has added a further A350 flight to a city already served by the airline's flagship aircraft. If the schedules don't change again (admittedly that's a very big "if"), California will be getting a lot more A350 service from Virgin Atlantic starting from this fall.
What’s The Point Of United’s Health Self-Assessment?
United Airlines has announced that it is now asking all passengers to complete a health self-assessment during the check-in process as part of its "CleanPlus" approach to customer safety....but I'm struggling to see the point if it. Can anyone help?
Airlines Take Legal Action Against UK Quarantine Rules
On Monday, 8 June, the UK introduced the quarantine rules that were originally announced back in May, so most visitors entering the country are now expected to self-isolate for 14 days before they can join the rest of the population and go about their business. The new rules are nothing short of idiotic and now three of the UK's major airlines have filed legal papers requesting the rules are put to a judicial review.
IHG Is Opening An InterContinental Property In Rome
IHG has announced that it will be reintroducing the InterContinental brand to Rome 6 years after the last property to carry the InterContinental name in the Italian capital (the InterContinental De La Ville) was reflagged as a Rocco Forte property.
The Japan Airlines July International Schedule Shows How Bad Things Still Are
It can be hard for a lot of travelers (like me) to get a feel for how things are really looking in the aviation world right now, but if you want to see how bad things still are (in the very near term) you only have to take a look at the latest international schedule Japan Airlines (JAL) has published for July
British Airways Announces 12-Month Elite Status Extensions…And More
The headline says it all. British Airways has finally followed most other global airlines in announcing that it is extending elite status for its frequent flyers by a period of 12 months.
British Airways Is Now Issuing Some Refunds Within 24 Hours
A disappointing number of global airlines have spent most of the past few months doing their best to avoid offering customer refunds when their flights have been cancelled. British Airways has been particularly poor at letting passengers know when they're entitled to refunds (a lot of people have mistakenly accepted vouchers from BA because they didn't know a refund was due) and, even when a refund was processed, the airline has been taking weeks and weeks to return customer funds. Those days may be coming to an end.
The UK’s Idiotic Quarantine Rules Are Now In Place
Last month, to the despair of most in the British travel industry, the UK government announced that it was planning to introduce a rule requiring most people arriving into the UK to self-isolate for a period of 14 days. As of today, 8 June 2020, that rule is now in force and it's nothing short of idiotic.
UK Announces Its Pointless Quarantine Rules [Updated]
On 10 May, the UK Prime Minister used an address to the nation to announce that his government would be introducing a 14-day quarantine period for visitors entering the UK as well as for nationals returning from abroad. At the time of the announcement the government's messaging was inexplicably mixed, the facts were very thin on the ground, the Prime Minister looked worryingly unsure of what he was announcing, and the country couldn't even be told when the quarantine restrictions would come into effect. The whole situation was farcical.
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