Massive Devaluation To Citi Credit Card Benefits
Citi has announced a raft of changes to the benefits that accompany a significant number of its credit cards and they are changes that will disappoint a lot of Citi's cardholders and bring into question the value that some cards will offer going forward.
Delta Delays A330-900neo Service On Two More Routes
Delta took delivery of its first Airbus A330-900neo just a few weeks ago with the aircraft set to enter service on the airline's Seattle - Shanghai route from 1 July. Earlier this month that entry into service date was pushed back to 15 July but the schedules on Delta's two other planned A330-900neo routes remained firm....up until now.
You Can Now Earn Avios Through Airbnb
Delta has been offering its Sky Miles members the chance to earn extra miles through Airbnb bookings/listings since 2016 and Qantas partnered up with Airbnb in 2017 but we haven't really had any other major miles & points earning partnership open up with Airbnb for a while. Yesterday, that changed.
Another Major City In Asia Will Get Qatar Airways Qsuites Service
I've been doing my best to keep an updated record of all the current routes on which Qatar Airways offers its highly acclaimed Qsuite Business Class cabin but the airline hasn't exactly been making life easy.
You Can Now Book Book Aer Lingus Awards With Alaska Miles
Alaska Airlines added Aer Lingus as a partner airline at the end of March but it's taken the airline until today to publish award charts for Aer Lingus and to get around to adding the Irish flag carrier to its award search engine.
Still, we can finally now see just how good or bad the new Alaska/Aer Lingus partnership will be for the miles & points community.
Brace Yourselves – British Airways Pilots Are Being Balloted On Strike Action
This has been coming for a while. Since around November last year the three major unions which represent the pilots, cabin crews and ground workers at British Airways have been negotiating as one for better pay and better benefits.
We heard from the unions in February (things weren't going well) and then we heard again last month (things still weren't going well) and now it looks as if things have reached breaking point.
IAG Just Gave Boeing A Massive Boost When It Needed It Most – I Wish It Hadn’t
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On Which Routes Does British Airways Offer The New Club World Suite
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Qantas Will Announce Big Changes To Its Frequent Flyer Program On Thursday
Let's face it, it's rarely good news when an airline or hotel chain tells us that it's planning to make some changes to its loyalty program so the fact that Australian Business Traveller is reporting that Qantas will announce "sweeping changes" to its frequent flyer program on Thursday is cause for concern.
My Annoyingly Foolish Mistake You Should Learn From
I spend a lot of my time searching for great Business Class fares (sometimes Premium Economy fares) to various destinations around the world and I like to think that I have a fair amount of experience when it comes to (a) finding great deals and (b) booking the deals once I've found them. Still, sometimes I screw up.
Citi Is Starting To Restrict Sign-Up Bonuses To One Every 48 Months (But There’s Good News Too)
With an ever increasing number of people happy to churn credit cards (open a card, earn the bonus, close the card and repeat) in the quest for cheap travel, most financial institutions have been bringing in rules to limit the number of sign-up bonuses one person can earn.
Airbus Launches The A321XLR – The Longest Range Narrowbody Aircraft
With Boeing still in disarray over its ill-conceived 737 MAX, Airbus has used the first day of the Paris airshow to turn the screw and unveil its newest aircraft - the A321XLR. The new aircraft is being promoted as offering a range of up to 4,700nm (~5,410 miles) and 30% lower fuel burn per seat and is expected to appear in airline schedules from 2023.
Qantas Confirms New Non-Stop Flights To Chicago & San Francisco
Qantas has said that it plans to grow its North America network by starting up two new routes between Australia and the US. Once the DoT gives the formal go-ahead for the American Airlines/Qantas JV (a rubber stamping exercise now that tentative agreement has been given), Qantas will launch non-stop service from Brisbane to Chicago and San Francisco.
Here’s A Big Reason Why I’m Already Booking My Trips For 2020
I happily admit to being one of life's planners so it's not entirely out of character for me to be planning trips a year into the future. Right now, however, there's an extra special reason why I'm already checking out flights and hotels for the first few months of 2020.
Two Great Trips That Have Got Me Excited To Travel Again
I'm incredibly lucky to be able to fly around the world in relative comfort courtesy of the miles and points hobby (and a lot of hard work) but sometimes I go through phases where the last thing I want to do is to get on another plane.
Aer Lingus Schedules First Short-Haul Flights With Lie-Flat Business Class
Aer Lingus has been having a few issues with the delivery of its new Airbus A321LR aircraft which has seen the airline push back the start of its transatlantic services with the aircraft on at least two occasions. Just recently, however, Aer Lingus has brought forward the launch of A321LR transatlantic service to 2 August and now the airline has finally scheduled its first short-haul route with the new aircraft.
First Images Of The New AMEX Centurion Lounge Coming To Phoenix
It was back in February that we found out that 'The Club' lounge at Phoenix Sky Harbor Terminal 4 was set to close and that it would be replaced by two new lounges - an American Express Centurion Lounge and an Escape Lounge.Up until now we haven't really had much idea of what to expect from the two lounges but, as of today, American Express has shared 7 images showing what is planned.
Bombshell: Emirates Is Now Offering A ‘Basic’ Business Class Fare
Emirates has quietly dropped a bombshell on the travel world by introducing a Business Class fare that has a lot of the usual Business Class benefits stripped out. At the time of writing, there's no mention of this move on the Emirates media page and I haven't seen it mentioned by any of Emirates' official outlets but the fare is very real indeed.
Qatar Airways Adds Qsuites Business Class To Another European Route
Recently, reader Jan got in touch to let me know that Qatar Airways has started to offer Qsuites Business Class on one specific pair of flights between Doha and Copenhagen and, upon close inspection, it would appear that it's also offering Qsuites Business Class on a very limited number of other flights too.
United Rolls Out ConnectionSaver – A Tool To Help Travelers Avoid Misconnects
There are few things more frustrating in the world of travel than missing your connecting flight when you, as the traveler, have done nothing wrong but the airline you're flying has somehow contrived to screw things up in spectacular style (I've been there!).
It can get even more frustrating if it becomes obvious that, despite the issues which caused your delay, a little thought and common sense on the part of the airline could have salvaged the trip.....and that's where United's 'ConnectionSaver' appears to come into play.
Amex Offer: Save Up To 20% On Hilton In Europe [Targeted]
Out of all the hotel chains Hilton definitely features the most when it comes to the Amex offers I see in my accounts and there have been a number of offers running since the beginning of March. Now there's a new rebate appearing in targeted Amex accounts which offers up to 20% back on bookings made at Hilton properties in Europe.
Amex Adds ‘Boxed’ As A Gold Card Partner & Brings Back The Rose Gold Card
Last week Amex announced a significant improvement to one of the benefits that come with its $250/year Gold Card when it confirmed that the 4 points/dollar that the card earns on restaurant purchases in the US will be extended to restaurants worldwide. Alongside that announcement Amex quietly made a couple of other changes that some readers may find interesting.
American Airlines Delays The Reintroduction Of Its 737 MAX Again
American Airlines used a very quiet Sunday morning to announce that it is extending the cancellations of all flights set to be operated by its 737 MAX aircraft through 3 September 2019.
I Used A British Airways Gold Benefit I Never Thought I’d Use
I'm very new to British Airways status (having given up on American Airlines status last year) so I'm still learning the finer details of what my Gold status gets me in the British Airways Executive Club but, after a few months of paying closer attention than normal, I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting on top of everything I really need to know.
You Will Soon Be Able To Earn & Burn Hyatt Points On Adventure Travel
Over the past year we've seen Hyatt announce significant expansion of its own brands (like on the West Coast and in Canada), we've seen it incorporate brands like Joie de Vivre and Thompson into its portfolio, we've seen SLH Hotels added to the World of Hyatt program in their hundreds and we've seen a nice new partnership forged with American Airlines.
Things have been looking good at Hyatt of late and now the hotelier has announced a further new partnership to keep World of Hyatt loyalists interested. This partnership is with Lindblad Expeditions.
Did You Know That You Can Earn Flying Blue Miles On JAL?
When I discover something I didn't previously know about a loyalty program I rarely use I'm generally not very surprised because modern-day loyalty programs have so many nuances that it's almost impossible to keep on top of all of them...but today's discovery genuinely caught me off guard - I had no idea that you could credit Japan Airlines (JAL) flights to the Flying Blue program (and vice versa) and this is something I would expect myself to know.
Delta Unveils New TUMI Amenity Kits For Business Class & Premium Economy
Delta's TUMI amenity kits have traditionally been pretty good (I still have a couple stashed away somewhere) so regular Delta flyers will be pleased to hear that the airline is refreshing its amenity kit offering across all cabins (yes, even Economy Class is getting a little bit of love) and the new kits should start to appear onboard later this month.
Aer Lingus Brings Forward Transatlantic A321LR Service (And Adds Washington D.C.)
Aer Lingus will be taking delivery of 14 Airbus A321LR aircraft in total and 4 of these aircraft are supposed to be delivered this year. The Irish flag carrier was expected to be the first airline to offer transatlantic A321LR service with the new aircraft operating between Dublin - and Hartford from 1 July but a series of aircraft delays have seen Aer Lingus have to push back A321LR service on at least two occasions.
Delta’s New Airbus A330-900neo – What You Need To Know
Delta has now taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-900neo aircraft (with a further 34 deliveries expected to follow) so, with the aircraft scheduled to fly its first Delta long-haul international route in July, I thought I'd take a closer look at the latest addition to the Delta fleet.
Delta Delays Airbus A330-900neo Introduction To Mid-July
Delta took delivery of its first Airbus A330-900neo at the end of last month and was scheduled to become the first US airline too operate the new aircraft on a long-haul route in a little under a month's time. Well, based on what the Delta reservation system is currently showing, Delta will still be the first airline to operate the A330-900neo but the aircraft will no longer be entering service on 1 July as had been expected.
Ethiopian Airlines Cancels A Washington Route & Delays Houston/Toronto Services
Towards the end of January, Ethiopian Airlines announced that it would be changing up its services between Addis Ababa and North America with the airline ceasing operations to/from Los Angeles, offering new services to Houston and Toronto, and adding more service to Washington DC....but now things appear to be changing again
Will I Be Happy To Fly On Boeing’s 737 MAX Aircraft?
I’m pretty sure there’s no need for me to go over the reasons why the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are getting so much attention right now (I’ve gone over that ground a few times before) so I’ll just focus on the question a lot of readers have been asking me over the past few weeks – will I be happy to fly on Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft once the authorities have re-certified the aircraft as airworthy?
British Airways Releases New Partner Award Costs (And The News Isn’t Too Bad!)
Earlier this year British Airways made a less than helpful comment indicating that it would be revising the cost of partner awards without actually telling us how the costs would be revised so we've been waiting to see just how good or bad the news will be. Well, now we know.
British Airways Quietly Changes How It Charges For Business Class Seat Selection
One of the more heinous ways in which British Airways gouges passengers for yet more money is by charging for seat selection in the Business Class cabin. Where most airlines allow all Business Class passengers to select their seats for free, British Airways only offers an exemption to select elite flyers.
United May Have Just Delayed The Restart Of Its Service To Delhi…..Again
Back in April United Airlines suspended its service between Newark and Delhi for an initial period of two weeks as the airline struggled to balance the closure of Pakistani airspace and strong headwinds (both of which significantly increased flying time) with the number of hours a cabin crew is allowed to work without rest.
Some Priority Pass Memberships Just Became A Lot Less Valuable
Most readers with Priority Pass membership will probably have that membership courtesy of a premium credit card which offers membership as one of its benefits and, for the past 12 - 18 months, there has been little to distinguish the Priority Pass memberships the various credit cards offer. That’s about to change.
Tentative: Winners & Losers In The Haneda Slot Lottery
It seems long ago than February but it was only three months ago that United, together with American, Delta, and Hawaiian, applied to the US Department of Transport to operate the new Tokyo Haneda slots that are up for grabs. The US DoT has just 12 slots it can bestow upon the carriers it thinks will use them best (in the interest of consumers) but, between them, the US carriers applied for 19 so that left the DoT with some decisions to make.
American Airlines Has Opened Its Flagship Lounge At Dallas Ft. Worth
American Airlines has officially opened its new Flagship Lounge and remodeled Admirals Club at Dallas Fort Worth Terminal D and with it, the airline has unveiled its new and improved Flagship First Dining experience too.
Two More Routes To Get The New British Airways Club Suite
On 18 March this year British Airways unveiled the new Business Class seat it is fitting to its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The new 'Club Suite' looks like it's going to be fantastic and will be such a significant step up from the current Club World seat that it's got a lot of people justifiably excited....especially those of us who have to cross the Atlantic with any great frequency.
IHG Launches Atwell Suites – A New All-Suites Brand
IHG has just unveiled the latest brand it is introducing into its portfolio at a conference in Las Vegas and, with it, the hotelier says it's looking to target an estimated $18bn industry segment focusing on all-suite properties in the upper-midscale sector of the market.
British Airways Pilots & Crews Move A Lot Closer To Industrial Action
At the end of November 2018, in a somewhat surprising show of solidarity, the three unions who represent the majority of the British Airways workforce submitted a joint pay claim calling for an improved 3-year deal for their members with improved profit sharing. Negotiations between the unions and the airline commenced in December but, at the end of February, the unions announced that discussions really weren't going anywhere.
Hyatt Says It Will Double Its Presence In Canada By 2022
Hyatt has been on quite a run recently and it looks like it's planning to continue that run for a few more years. Recently, the hotelier has been adding more and more SLH properties to the World of Hyatt program, it has announced a significant expansion on the West Coast and now Hyatt tells us that we can expect a doubling of its Canadian portfolio over the coming 3 years.
The Airbnb Rules In Los Angeles Are Emboldening Hotels To Rip Off Their Guests
From 1 July 2019 the City of Los Angeles will introduce a series of measures which will seriously limit the opportunities for residents to rent out their properties on sites like Airbnb, VBRO and HomeAway. The City of Los Angeles hasn't gone as far as two of its neighbors (Santa Monica and West Hollywood) who have already essentially banned short-term rentals outright, but the restrictions being introduced from July are still pretty severe.
United’s New Safety Video Is A ‘Mini-Drama’ Featuring Spider-Man
United Airlines will be launching its new safety video from 1 June and the airline has just released the full version for us all to see. At 4 minutes 44 seconds in length it's a bit of an epic (which would explain why it has been described as a 'mini-drama') and it features the work of Spider-man and an appearance by United's CEO Oscar Munoz.
British Airways Crews Are Unhappy With Their Uniforms & Dress Requirements
It's British Airways' centenary year this year and among the various promotions, nostalgic revivals of old liveries and new commercials the airline is also unveiling a new uniform for its cabin crews....but the cabin crews aren't happy.
Southwest Confirms It Will Add Another Hawaiian Destination To Its Routemap
It was way back in October 2017 that Southwest announced its intention to commence flights between the mainland and Hawaii and although flights were supposed to go on sale in 2018 it wasn't until March of this year that Southwest finally opened up bookings for travel out of 6 California airports.
Delta Swaps Out Boeing 767s On 8 International Routes
Delta's international Business Class product on its A330 aircraft is great and the introduction of the Delta One Suites on the airline's A350s has been a big success, but Delta also has a lot of 767 aircraft flying its network (78 of them to be precise) and these aircraft offer a Business Class cabin that has seen better days.
Qantas To Operate An Airbus A380 Just For Points Redemptions (I Love This!)
Qantas appears to have come up with a pretty cool idea. Later this year the airline will need to fly an Airbus A380 to Tokyo from where it will operate a charter flight for whoever has chartered the aircraft and, rather than flying an empty aircraft to where it is needed, the Australian carrier will operate the A380 as a points-booking-only flight to Japan's capital city.
The First Images Of Chicago O’Hare’s New Terminal 2 Look Fantastic!
Chicago's O'Hare airport is seeing an $8.5bn injection of funding to bring the airport up to modern day standards and $2.2bn of that funding will be used to completely overhaul Terminal 2. As things stand, O'Hare Terminal 2 is a terminal that serves domestic/North American flights only but, after the extensive renovations are complete, T2 will be home to international departures and arrivals too.
Las Vegas Is Getting A Non-Stop ‘Low-Cost’ Flight To Paris (But Is It Really Low Cost?)
LEVEL is a low-cost European carrier owned by IAG (the parent company of British Airways) which operates a mixture of long-haul and short-haul routes and it has recently announced that it plans to offer a non-stop service between Paris Orly and Las Vegas.
Incredible Arrogance & Stupidity Were Two Reasons An Air India Express Aircraft Ended Up In A Drain
On 4 September 2017 an Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi landed at its destination in heavy rain. Shortly after landing the aircraft turned off the runway and was soon parked, nose first, in an open drain.
ANA’s Honolulu Lounges Will Open On May 24th
In preparation for A380 service, ANA has built a dedicated 2-lounge space on the 3rd floor of Terminal 2 at Honolulu international airport and the airline has just confirmed that its new lounges will be opening on 24 May 2019.
China Eastern Schedules First A350 Service To North America
China Eastern took delivery of its first Airbus A350 in December last year but so far we've only seen the airline operate the aircraft on 4 of its long-haul international routes. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, and Sydney all now get A350 service from China Eastern but, up until now, there's been no sign of the aircraft coming across the Pacific to North America. That situation has just changed.
London Marriott Canary Wharf – Executive Room (In Pictures)
The London Marriott Canary Wharf is my go-to hotel when I'm visiting London on a weekend because it often offers some amazing rates for Friday and Saturday night stays. I reviewed this property in quite a bit of detail earlier this year but as that particular stay saw me upgraded to an Executive Suite I thought it might be useful to post details of what a more standard room at the London Marriott Canary Wharf is like.
Delta Will Start Trialing Free Wi-Fi From Next Week
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American Airlines Is Adding New Routes To Mexico, Latin America & The Caribbean
American Airlines has just announced that it will be adding a number of new routes to its network towards the end of this year with seasonal and year-round flights set to start up to destinations in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The New Marriott West Hollywood EDITION Is Finally Taking Reservations
Originally the West Hollywood EDITION was scheduled to open in "late 2018" and, when it rapidly became obvious that this was never going to happen, that date got pushed back to "Spring 2019" and then, quite quickly, to "September 2019" but now, finally, the property is starting to take its first bookings.
How British Airways Handled A Recent Service Failure
A few weeks ago I wrote a post explaining why I'm finding myself actively choosing to fly with British Airways a lot more than I have done in the past but, rather ironically, just a few days after the post was published I had an annoying (albeit non-major) service failure onboard the very next British Airways flight I took - this is what happened and how BA dealt with it.
Delta Introduces ‘Reclaim My Status’ As A Loyalty Benefit…..But I’m Not Sure It’s All That Great
Delta has today announced the introduction of it's "Reclaim My Status" program which allows SkyMiles Medallion Members to restart their travels with a challenge which offers them the opportunity to regain their old status after taking time out for one of life's expected or unexpected major events.
Qantas Adds More Dreamliner Service To San Francisco (Not Necessarily Good News)
Qantas ordered the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to replace is ageing (and fuel guzzling) Boeing 747s and, since the airline has its first Dreamliner delivered, we've seen a number of 747 routes taken over by the newer aircraft.
Great News: Etihad Awards Appear To Be Bookable On AA.com
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Aer Lingus Introduces Its New Short-Haul Business Class – AerSpace
From 1 September 2019 Aer Lingus is introducing 'AerSpace' Business Class to its short-haul aircraft on numerous intra-Europe routes and, based on the description of the product we can expect, it looks as if this may be a further (if minor) alignment of Aer Lingus with a fellow IAG airline - British Airways.
New From Amex: Upgrade Flights With Membership Rewards Points
American Express is launching a new offering for US Consumer, Business and Corporate Card Members enrolled in the Membership Rewards program today which will give them the option to use Membership Rewards points, or a combination of points and dollars, to place offers on airline seat upgrades in First Class, Business Class, or Premium Economy Class on over 20 participating airlines.
British Airways Will Offer Lounge Access At More European Destinations This Summer
While British Airways has quite an impressive European route network it's lounge network is less than stellar, and there are quite a few popular destinations around Europe where British Airways and oneworld don't offer elites or premium cabin passengers a lounge to relax in before a flight.
Qatar Airways Begins To Roll Out It’s New Economy Class Upgrades
At the beginning of March Qatar Airways unveiled its new 'enhanced' Economy Class seat to the world at the ITB Berlin trade fair and, at the same time, the airline announced that it would be improving its soft product in the Economy Class cabin too.The airline suggested that we'd see significant improvements to the food served in its Economy Class cabin and said that the changes would begin to be introduced in April.
Delta Will Finally Launch Service To Mumbai From 22 December
Around this time last year Delta announced that it planned to launch service between the US and Mumbai in 2019 but gave no further details of its plans. There was no mention of which US city would offer the new service, no details of how often the route would be flown and no details of what aircraft we could expect the airline to use.
Avios Devaluation No. 1 Is Coming On 30 May 2019
British Airways has announced that it will be changing the to cost of Avios awards on partner airlines from 30 May 2019 but, for some unfathomable reason, the airline has declined to provide any clues as to what those changes will look like.
Hate Loyalty Devaluations & Bad Service? Blame 7.1 Million Frequent Travelers!
Last night the Freddie Awards were held at the CR Smith Aviation Museum in Dallas Fort Worth and it was a night on which we got to find out how 7.1 million frequent travelers feel about the various loyalty programs they belong to, the airlines they fly and the hotel chains they stay with.
RIP OFF ALERT: Now The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Is Charging A ‘Facility Fee’
A few weeks ago I noticed that the Andaz West Hollywood has started charging a 'Destination Fee' of $23.10 to all guests other that Hyatt's top-tier elites and now, not to be outdone by an upstart in West Hollywood, the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown has added a 'Facility Fee' of its own.
Why I’m Starting To Choose British Airways More (And Why American & United Should Take Note)
I haven’t exactly been the biggest fan of British Airways since I started this blog and I’m usually one of the first to point out the airline’s failings and shortcomings but, despite the fact that not much has really changed in how BA operates, I’m slowly starting to actively choose to fly with BA more than in the past.
Marriott’s London EDITION Reviewed
The London EDITION is a property I’ve been wanting to try out ever since its doors opened in 2013 but, for one reason or another, before last month I'd never stepped foot inside the property.
Shortly before the recent changes to Marriott’s award chart took effect some of my plans changed and I found myself needing to book a single night stay in central London and, with the EDITION’s nightly award cost about to increase from 60,000 to at least 85,000 points per night, this seemed like a very good time to give the hotel a try.
Is Another Hyatt Property Playing Games With Award Availability?
For the past few months it has been Marriott's Bonvoy program that has been in the spotlight for, amongst other things, increasing the number of points needed for award bookings and allowing its various brands to pick and choose which benefits they're happy to offer elite guests...but Marriott isn't alone when it comes to shenanigans within its loyalty program.
I’d Love Airlines To Limit/Eliminate Seat Recline On All Short Flights
Right now Delta is in the process of reducing the amount of recline on offer to First and Economy Class passengers in over 60 of its Airbus A320 aircraft and it's a move I cheered enthusiastically when I first heard about it.
6 Unexpected/Odd Reasons I Loved Australia
There are plenty of reasons why Australia can be a great place to visit (the weather, the scenery and the food are just three of them) but I'm not going to discuss those here - that's what travel guides are for - here I'm just going to offer up a brief list of a few less obvious and, in some cases, slightly odd reasons why I really liked the parts of Australia we visited.
Virgin Atlantic’s New Upper Class Cabin – My First Impressions
On April 8th Virgin Atlantic released details of the new Business Class seat it will be installing on its soon to be delivered Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and the new seat received a mixed reception.
An Update On The New Andaz West Hollywood ‘Destination Fee’
Last month I noticed that one of my preferred hotels in Los Angeles, the Andaz West Hollywood, had quietly introduced a $23.10 destination fee for all non-award bookings (award bookings appeared to have escaped the fee) and I managed to get the Andaz to comment on the new surcharge.
The Qatar Airways Qsuite – My Thoughts Now That I’ve Finally Tried It Out
I've tried out the Qatar Airways A350-900 (which often comes with Qsuites) and I've even been booked to fly in a 777-300ER Qsuite cabin before a last minute aircraft swap saw me relegated to an older 777 aircraft (that was disappointing) but, for one reason or another, none of my many Qatar Airways flights have, up until now, given me the chance to try out the Business Class seat that many consider to be the best in the sky.
Review: American Airlines Admirals Club Rio De Janeiro Terminal 2
The American Airlines Admirals Club in Rio De Janeiro is in Terminal 2 of the city’s Galeão International Airport (GIG). The lounge was refurbished back in 2016 as part of a wider (and still ongoing) Admirals Club renovation project and here I take a look inside and see what the club has to offer.
We Didn’t Get Bonvoyed! (A Marriott Success Story)
Joanna and I have recently returned from a trip to Australia where we stayed at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel for 5 nights. I made the award night booking back in 2018 and when I received my suite night upgrades (courtesy of my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status) I applied five of them to this stay.
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Rio de Janeiro Terminal 2 [International Departures]
There are three Plaza Premium Lounges in Rio de Janeiro’s international airport Terminal 2 but only one is dedicated to international departures and that’s the lounge that’s being reviewed here. The other two Plaza Premium lounges cater for domestic departures and for arrivals respectively and all three of the Plaza Premium lounges are part of the Priority Pass network.
Amazing! Hyatt Has Actually Improved Its Best Rate Guarantee
There was a time where the best rate guarantees offered by the big hotel chains were a valuable tool in getting great deals but over the past few years most programs have watered down their guarantees to such an extent that they're not often worth very much (some don't seem to be worth anything at all).
JetBlue Announces Its Routes To London Will Start In 2021
JetBlue has confirmed what a lot of people have suspected for some time and that's that it finally plans to take on the large transatlantic carriers by starting up service between the US and London.
Review: GOL Premium Lounge Rio De Janeiro Terminal 2
The GOL Premium Lounge in Rio De Janeiro is the lounge you’ll be sent to when flying Iberia and British Airways out of Rio but it’s also the lounge for Delta, Air France and KLM (amongst others) as well as being a Priority Pass lounge as well. This makes it one of the airport’s more important lounges and one which a lot of TFM readers will probably use when traveling through Rio.
Delta Will Not Fit Delta One Suites To Its 767-400 Aircraft
Delta received a lot of praise for being one of the first airlines to offer a true suite-style product in Business Class when it unveiled its Airbus A350 and, since then, we've seen the Delta One suite slowly installed on the airline's 777s and, we're told, we'll soon see it offered on its new A330-900s too....but the suite is not coming to the 767-400.
Review: JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro
At the beginning of last month I took a trip to Rio de Janeiro courtesy of the fantastic Iberia Avios promotion from last year and, for my 4-night stay, I booked the JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro on Copacabana Beach.
I’m Taking A Proper Vacation (Of Sorts)….And I Can’t Wait!
I'm more than a little aware that from the outside it can appear as if all the traveling I do is a recipe for a fantastic lifestyle and that my life is essentially a never-ending carousel of premium cabin luxury and hotel room upgrades....but that's not really how things are.
Air France Unveils Its Michelin-Starred Chef’s Business Class Dishes For 2Q 2019
Air France is one of the few airlines that regularly updates us on what it's offering customers onboard. Most airlines rotate their menus reasonably frequently (especially in premium cabins) but I can't think of another airline that's as keen to share what it serves onboard as Air France - I take that as a good thing.
Korean Air SKYPASS Is Eliminating Free Stopovers In Korea On Award Bookings
Award programs which allow travelers to take a stopover can be a very economical way of visiting more than one country in a single trip without having to pay any more miles than a regular roundtrip journey would cost.
Virgin Atlantic & Icelandair Offering ‘Rescue Fares’ For Stranded WOW Air Passengers
'Wow' was probably not the word most people uttered when WOW air announced it was closing down its operations earlier today as anyone paying attention could see this coming and anyone not paying attention (and affected by the shutdown) probably chose more colourful language.
Boeing Will Release “Fixes’ For Its 737 MAX Aircraft By Tomorrow
We still don't know for sure what caused the tragic Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 disasters but we do know that neither Boeing nor the Federal Aviation Administration are coming out of the investigations looking particularly good.
Qatar Airways Finally Adds QSuites On Its Auckland Route
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You Can Now Use Etihad Guest Miles To Bid For Etihad Upgrades
Etihad introduced the concept of allowing flyers to bid for a one cabin upgrade back in 2012 but, up until now, the only form of payment Etihad recognised for upgrades was cash. This has now changed.
Hyatt Adds Thompson Hotels To The World Of Hyatt (Bonus Points Available)
Over the past year Hyatt has been doing a good job of expanding the opportunities available to its World of Hyatt members by adding a significant number Small Luxury Hotel (SLH) properties to the list of hotels at which members can earn and burn Hyatt points....and now the expansion continues.
Why I’m Using Online Travel Agencies More & More (And Why You Probably Should Too)
I hold top tier-status with Marriott and mid-tier status with Hilton and IHG but, more than ever, I'm now finding myself booking select hotel stays through online agencies like Hotels.com, Travelocity and Orbitz.
Apple Card – The New Credit Card From Apple
Apple held a one of its much heralded events in Cupertino yesterday in which it announced a number of new ventures for the corporation. Amongst the announcements came the news that Apple was launching its own credit card - Apple Card.
No, It’s Not A Good Thing That The FAA Delegated Certification To Boeing
It's always fun when two bloggers disagree and right now I have a diametrically opposing view to Gary (View From The Wing) on the way the FAA appears to have handled the certification process for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Is American Express About To Improve Its Green Card?
The Green Card was once (a log time ago) one of the iconic symbols of American Express but, as time has gone by, new cards have been brought to market which offer better benefits, better welcome bonuses and better earning rates so the Green Card has largely been forgotten.
Review: Iberia A330-200 Business Class (Daytime Flight)
Iberia currently flys its Airbus A330-200 between Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and a combination of an incredibly generous Iberia promotion from last year and near-perfect reward flight availability (for me) saw me book a roundtrip Business Class fare on this route for just 85,000 Avios + taxes.
The 737 MAX Disasters Have Opened Up Serious Trust & Credibility Issues For Boeing And The FAA
Having two new aircraft of the same type involved in tragic and fatal accidents in the space of five months is a very unusual state of affairs but, without any solid information from the authorities investigating the crashes, it's important that we resist the urge to start apportioning blame for those disasters.
JetBlue Launches Its New Airbus A320 Economy Class Cabin Interior
JetBlue has given the Economy Class cabin in its Airbus A320 aircraft a makeover and the first aircraft fitted with the new cabin is now in service. With airlines increasingly densifying their Economy Class cabins at the expense of passengers' personal space it's interesting to see what path JetBlue has taken.
Credit Card News & Offers
