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.
Air France Retires All Its A380 Aircraft…And Does Me A Favor
Air France hasn't shown its A380s much love for quite some time but it was still a big surprise to most when the airline took time out yesterday to announce that it was retiring all of its A380 aircraft with immediate effect.
Delta Restarts Two Routes To Europe & Adds Cape Town To Its Network
As of today, Delta is operating two more routes between the United States and Europe than it operated last week (it plans to offer nine transatlantic routes in June) and the airline's president told yesterday's employee virtual town hall that Delta would be modifying its operations to/from South Africa to include Cape Town when those services resume.
Quick Look: British Airways Club World Boeing 777 Cabin
On overnight flights, I like to board, settle down and get some rest as quickly as possible (especially on flights as short as the New York - London route) so I generally don't eat any of the meals served and my interactions with the crew are pretty limited. That's why what follows isn't going to be anything like a standard flight review and, instead, is just a look inside the Club World (Business Class) cabin of a British Airways 777.
The Airline Cancelled My Flight So This Is What I’m Going To Do
Yesterday, I got an email from British Airways to let me know that my Finnair flight from Helsinki to Los Angeles (booked for a few months' time has been cancelled) so I thought I'd write a quick post setting out how I plan to tackle this minor set back in the hope that it may give less experienced travelers an idea of how to approach any similar situations they may encounter.
Qatar Airways Is Now Codesharing on American Airlines Flights
Back in February, American Airlines backtracked on two key positions it had taken in recent years. First, the airline did a u-turn on its relationship with Alaska Airlines and the two are now best friends and, just a few days later, American Airlines forgot that it had been calling for Qatar Airways to be banned from operating services to/from the US and announced a strategic partnership with the Middle Eastern carrier. The first stage of that partnership has now kicked into action.
My Very Small But Very Annoying Issue With Chase
On the whole, I'm a fan of Chase. I've never really had any problems with the bank and I'm a big fan of a number of its travel-related credit cards which I'm very happy to hold. Just recently, however, I've had one small but annoying issue with Chase that I thought I'd share.
British Airways vs Cabin Crew: A Lot Of People Are Missing Two Key Points
It's no secret that we're in the midst of the biggest crisis the airline industry has ever seen so it's no surprise that a large number of airlines are currently taking significant measures to protect their business. One such airline is British Airways and the measures that British Airways is taking have led the airline into direct conflict with a key part of its workforce - the cabin crew.
The UK Continues Embarrassing Mixed Messaging On Quarantine Rules
Eight days ago the UK's Prime Minister appeared on national TV to address the nation and to update it on the direction the country would be taking as it attempts to emerge from lockdown. The country was hoping for clear messaging and a road map back to normality but, instead, it was presented with 15 minutes of waffle and ideas that had clearly not been thought through.
Here’s What Select Major Airlines Are Doing With Elite Statuses [UPDATED]
As the current travel crisis continues and as it becomes increasingly obvious that most of us are not going to be able to travel for a significant portion of this year, airlines around the world have been taking measures to keep their frequent flyers happy. In this post, you'll find brief details of what some of the major airlines around the world are doing for their frequent flyers together with links to further information where possible.
Delta Confirms It Is Retiring Its Boeing 777 Fleet This Year
Delta is the proud operator of 18 Boeing 777 aircraft and it has refitted each of these aircraft with its highly acclaimed "Delta One Suites" that have taken US airline premium cabins to a whole new level. With that in mind, it's more than a little surprising to see Delta announce that it will be retiring all 18 of these aircraft by the end of this year.
WOW: The New Qatar Airways Cancellation Policy IS As Good As Some Suspected
I'm delighted to be able to hold my hands up and say that I was wrong. Earlier, when I wrote about the latest changes to Qatar Airways' cancellation policies, I stated that I thought one of the options was far too good to be true and that I would be very surprised if the option worked as a number of people suggested it would. Well, not only am I very surprised, I'm stunned!
Emirates is Restarting Flights To Nine Destinations
Most of the world may be living under significant travel restrictions but Emirates has announced plans to restart flights to nine destinations from later this month as it looks to find a way out of the current crisis. The first flights the airline will offer since it grounded its fleet at the end of March are mostly to cities within Europe, but the United States and Australia will be seeing select services resume too.
Richard Branson Is Raising $400m To Help Rescue Virgin Atlantic
"Vieco 10" probably won't mean much to most people but it's the name of the investment company owned by Virgin Group (and therefore Richard Branson) which holds a controlling interest in Virgin Galactic. Last night, in a statement to the New York Stock Exchange, Vieco 10 confirmed that it is disposing of up to 25m shares in Virgin Galactic as Richard Branson seeks to raise funds to save a number of ailing travel enterprises.
The UK Will Impose Quarantine On Visitors…Sort Of…Sometime…
In last night's address to the nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a series of announcements regarding the progress being made and the path his government will steer over the course of the coming weeks and months and, as far as travel goes, he made one very important announcement
These Airlines Now Require Passengers To Wear Face/Mouth Coverings
For reasons that haven't always been very clear, there has been a lot of debate, discussion, and controversy over the use of face masks during the current pandemic but, regardless of how you feel about wearing something that covers your mouth and nose, a number of major airlines now insist that passengers take precautions on board.
United Airlines Is Raising $2.25 Billion To Pay Off A Loan
Towards the end of last month, United Airlines announced that it was planning to raise $1.1 billion from a public stock offering to go alongside the $5.0 billion the airline has received from the US government and now the airline is heading back to the markets to raise yet more cash. This time it's cash that it needs to pay down an existing loan.
Qantas Presses Pause On Project Sunrise
Project Sunrise is Qantas' ambitious plan to offer non-stop flights from the Australian east coast to cities in Europe and cities on the east coast of the United States. Back in December, the airline announced that it had selected the Airbus A350-1000 to be the aircraft that would operate the first groundbreaking routes and that it would be making a final decision on the viability of the project in March 2020. That announcement now seems like a lifetime ago.
Virgin Atlantic Is Abandoning Gatwick & Cutting Over 35% Of Its Workforce
Virgin Atlantic has just announced that it plans to "reshape and resize" its operations in a bid to survive the current crisis. With the airline struggling to raise desperately needed funds and with the British government still apparently not inclined to offer a lifeline, Virgin Atlantic says that it will be closing down its operations at Gatwick and shedding 3,150 jobs.
Marriott Raises $920 Million From Chase & American Express
Marriot has just announced that it has raised $920 million in cash through the agreements it holds with JPMorgan Chase and American Express and, in doing so, follows Hilton in using its credit card partners to raise much needed liquidity during the current crisis.
AAdvantage credit cards now earn miles towards Million Miler status
Up until 2011, all miles earned through credit card spending counted towards American Airlines Million Miler status while the miles earned from the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card counted through 2012. Since then, only miles earned by flying (better known as "butt-in-seat" miles) have qualified to move the needle in the Million Miler program...until now.
Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy review (Airbus A330-300)
Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy cabin is known for offering the widest seats you'll find outside of a First or Business Class cabin and, combined with the airline's reputation for friendly flight attendants, that's what made this cabin an appealing choice for an overnight flight that I had to take between Washinton D.C. and London at a time when Business Class fares were sky-high.
US Citizens Shouldn’t Assume That They’ll Be Able To Travel Internationally Anytime Soon
I made the conscious decision to see out the current crisis outside of the US and away from my home in Los Angeles and, as a result, I'm getting a close look at how another country is handling the pandemic and how other countries are viewing the US response to Covid-19. The news on the latter isn't good.
Citi Extends Its Welcome Offer Earning Period & Improves The Prestige Card
Citi has just announced two new measures to make life easier for new credit card holders and its Prestige cardholders. The measures are nowhere near as significant as the measures we have already seen announced by Amex and Chase earlier in the day, but they're important nevertheless.
British Airways Is Testing A New Avios Redemption Option On Its New York Route
One of the major issues with British Airways long-haul awards is the high surcharges that accompany all such bookings. While the number of Avios needed to book a flight can often be reasonable, the cash co-pay that British Airways charges can make bookings highly uneconomical...especially in Economy Class. Now British Airways is testing out a new redemption option on its New York - London route.
United Devalues MileagePlus (Again) When It Thinks No One Is Looking
United appears to have chosen a moment in time where it thinks that its customers aren't watching to push through a subtle (yet very real) devaluation to its MileagePlus loyalty program - a program that had already been significantly devalued since the beginning of this year.
Gold Star Service From A Fantastic British Airways Cabin Crew
've been meaning to write about this experience for some time and just haven't got around to it but, now that we're living through a period when most of us can't travel and when airline crews must be going through a terrible time, I thought it might be nice to recognize some really nice, kind and thoughtful service Joanna and I received on a flight earlier this year.
Expired IHG Free Night Certificates Are Reappearing (But Some Aren’t Working Correctly)
The IHG free night certificate that I get through my legacy IHG Rewards Club credit card expired earlier this month and disappeared from my account. IHG had already confirmed that certificates with 2020 expiration dates from 1 March onwards would be extended through December 2020 but it's only now that my replacement certificate has appeared online. That's the good news.
Why I Generally Avoid Using Travel Agencies For Flight Bookings
For a lot of frequent travelers, there's a very obvious reason why booking hotels through one of the many online travel agencies may not be the best policy (you won't earn hotel loyalty points and your elite status will not be recognized), but because airlines aren't often seen to be treating travelers who have booked through agencies any differently to travelers who have booked directly, often there isn't the same level of reservation when it comes to using agencies for airfare bookings. Perhaps there should be.
Delta Is Raising $3 Billion To Ease Its Liquidity Issues
Yesterday, I wrote about United Airlines heading to the stock market to raise up to $1.1 billion to add to the $5 billion the US government just handed the airline, and now it's Delta's turn to tap up big investors for more cash as it announces a bond issue and a new Term Loan B facility which will total an impressive $3 billion.
I’ll Be Using Airbnb A Lot More After This Is All Over
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United Airlines Is Raising $1.1 Billion From The Stock Market
It was just last week that United Airlines revealed that it was receiving a $5 billion bailout from the US government with around $3.5 billion of that bailout coming as a government grant which will never have to be repaid. Apparently that wasn't enough as the airline has now announced that it's now raising over a billion dollars in cash from a public offering of common stock.
Is Anyone At American Airlines Actually Doing Any Thinking?
For the past few days, I've been drafting a blog post which was going to point out something that I found interesting. American Airlines, the airline that has done a superb job of destroying its loyalty program, making its aircraft increasingly uncomfortable and generally annoying as many of its customers as possible, appeared to be negotiating the current crisis with a rarely seen level of skill...at least as far as customer service goes.
Of Course Virgin Atlantic Should Be Saved…It Just Has To Be Done Correctly
There's an incredible amount of nonsense doing the rounds right now and the lastest involves suggestions that the British government shouldn't be offering assistance to Virgin Atlantic and that the airline should be allowed to go to the wall. As usual, these suggestions are coming from people with little or no understanding of what Virgin's demise would mean, people who don't understand how bailout could be structured and people who are incapable to see past their dislike of Sir Richard Branson. Hopefully, the UK government will ignore them all.
Emirates’ New Cancellation Options Are Fantastic (Especially If You’ve Already Accepted A Voucher)
Emirates is one of the many airlines that have been showing a very serious reluctance to offer passengers refunds on their canceled flights even though refunds are exactly what these passengers are entitled to but, somewhat unexpectedly, Emirates has had a big change of heart and is offering customers a variety of options that now put a lot of other airlines to shame.
IHG Is Confirming Free Night Certificate Extensions
Lately, I've been giving IHG and IHG Rewards a deserved hard time by pointing out how they have been doing less than their competitors in a number of areas relating to customer care and by pointing out that they only have themselves to blame if customers are less than happy with them overall...but I've finally had some positive news drop into my inbox.
British Airways Refunds: It May Still Be Possible To Request Refunds Online
Up until a couple of weeks ago there were at least a couple of well-documented workarounds to requesting a British Airways refund online but British Airways got wise to these loopholes and shut them down pretty quickly. Of late, it has appeared as if last remaining ways to request a refund from BA involve phone calls or emails and that all online options have been removed...but that may not be so.
4 Hyatt Status Extension Questions Answered
Last week, Hyatt announced that it was extending its moratorium on points expirations, extending the expiration dates of various award instruments and extending elite statuses into 2022, and there have been four questions that I've been receiving from readers over and over again regarding Hyatt's announcement so I thought I'd address them in this post.
The Citi Premier® Card is changing…for better & for worse
I'm new to the Citi Premier® Card. I've had it for less than two months and it's only in my credit card portfolio because I'd had enough of the Citi Prestige® Card but didn't want to give up on Citi's ThankYou program entirely. Now we're hearing news that the Citi Premie®r Card is changing and that it's changing significantly enough to affect most cardholders.
This Status Extension Argument Makes No Sense To Me
In the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of the big airlines and hotel chains offering status extensions to members of their loyalty programs but we have also seen quite a few loyalty programs choosing a different path and, instead, choosing to take much shorter-term measures.
This short-termism doesn't really make any sense to me but what makes even less sense is the argument that I've seen put forward to explain (or excuse) the moves being taken by the likes of British Airways and IHG Rewards.
American Airlines Is Now Offering Elite Status Credits On Alaska Airlines Flights
Back in 2017 American Airlines and Alaska Airlines announced some significant negative changes to their partnership and it was only October last year that American Airlines removed Alaska Airlines from its list of award partners...but that was then and this is now.
Delta Pauses Automatic Advance Upgrades & Blocks Middle Seats
Delta has just announced a series of new measures which it hopes will help passengers to continue practice social distancing in the air as well as on the ground. These measures include pausing advance complimentary upgrades and blocking seats in most cabins across the airline's remaining route network.
How IHG Has Gone From Hero To Zero Very Quickly
It was way back on 12 March that IHG Rewards was the first major loyalty program (from the hotel or airline industry) to take measures to make it easier for its members to earn/retain status this year but that appears to have been the end of the program's interest in looking after its members and guests.
I Love Air Canada’s Innovative Offers To Its Elite Flyers
I don't have very many dealing with Air Canada so I can't really comment on how well or badly the airline is dealing with customers in the current environment, but I can say that I love a couple of innovative offers that the airline put to its elite members in an announcement it released yesterday.
How To Get A Refund From British Airways – The Last Working Ways
British Airways has been one of the many airlines that have been trying their very best not to offer customers refunds (or making refund requests as difficult as possible) when their flights have been cancelled, and this is despite the fact that the European Commission and the US Department of Transport both recently restated that refunds have to be offered.
United MileagePlus – Status Extensions, Reduced Elite Requirements & More
United is the second of the three big US carriers to announce measures aimed at placating its frequent flyers (Delta announced its measures yesterday) and the airline is going further than simply extending status for all that currently hold it – there are changes to this year’s elite status requirements, it will be easier to earn status through credit card spending and numerous flyer benefits will no longer expire this year.
Aer Lingus Aer Club Is Gifting Tier Points To Its Members
We've already seen hoteliers like Hilton and Radisson offering elites generous status extensions and airlines like Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic following suit, but a few hoteliers and airlines haven't been quite so forthcoming and, up until now Aer Lingus was one such airline. Not any more.
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