British Airways Is Going Retro – Select Aircraft Will Get Historic Liveries From February
As part of its 100th birthday celebrations British Airways will be repainting a number of its aircraft in liveries from days gone by and the first such aircraft will make an appearance on 18 February 2019.
Introduction: Europe – Singapore In Business Class – What I Booked, Paid & Earned
Whenever possible I like to write an introduction to the trips I take to give readers an idea of how much things cost, how I book my trips and when I use points and when I choose to use cash. The point of this is to hopefully show just how doable these trips are and how, with a little bit of planning and a little bit of flexibility, these are trip that a lot of people can book.
Emirates Is Reducing Baggage Allowances On Select Fares
From 4 February 2019 Emirates is lowering the baggage allowances on select Economy Class fares across its entire network. The changes only kick in for bookings made from 4 February onwards so existing reservations remain unaffected...but this is still a pretty negative move by Emirates.
Amex Imposes New Centurion Lounge Restrictions For Platinum Card Holders
American Express Centurion lounges were a breath of fresh air when they first appeared on the scene earlier this decade but their lustre has dulled over the past few years as airline lounges have improved and overcrowding at Centurion Lounges has become a serious problem.
Over the past few years Amex has been forced to address the overcrowding in its popular Centurion Lounges as some lounges (like the one in Miami) were turning into a bit of a joke - I couldn't find a seat in the Miami lounge on 3 of my last 4 visits so have been avoiding it for the past year.
Air France Launches New Amenity Kits & A New A La Carte Menu
Air France has launched a set of limited edition amenity kits to celebrate its 85th anniversary and has announced a new a la carte dining menu for Economy and Premium economy passengers who are happy to pay a little extra to swap out the meals offered as part of their fare.
United Will Start Adding True Polaris Business Class To Its Dreamliners This Year
United has finally been making some headway with the rollout of its Polaris Business Class product over the past 12 months as it took delivery of aircraft featuring the new cabins, refitted a number of existing aircraft with the new Polaris seat and finally got its lounge program back on track too (the LAX lounge opened last week). The problem is that a lot of United's long-haul fleet still doesn't offer the real Polaris Business Class product and, because of the deceptive way the airline names its Business Class cabins, this fact isn't alway obvious to the infrequent traveler.
Aer Lingus Has Officially Revealed Its New Livery
There have been a few leaks across the internet recently but now Aer Lingus has officially revealed the results of its rebranding including a new livery for its aircraft. The rebranding will continue later in the year when new uniforms are unveiled.
British Airways Unveils Changes To World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy)
British Airways has been updating the World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) cabins in a number of its aircraft since the middle of 2018 and now the airline has revealed how it plans to refresh the soft product it offers to its Premium Economy passengers.
Silvercar Will Now Rent You An Audi Q7 SUV
I've used Silvercar once in my life and I loved the experience. It was probably one of the best rental experiences of my life but, because I'm a cheap when it comes to car rentals, I have never been back for more.
The truth is that I don't rent cars domestically all that often and, when I do actually have to rent a vehicle, I'm usually either renting in locations where Silvercar doesn't have a presence (Hawaii) or I have the luxury of booking so far in advance that Silvercar cannot compete with the rates I'm locking in (especially as I don't really ever need a "nice car"...it just needs to work).
TAP Air Portugal Will Fly Its A321 LR To Washington D.C.
Yesterday I wrote about TAP Air Portugal scheduling its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A321neo LR on its Porto - Newark route from June this year and now the airline has added its new aircraft to another of its East Coast destinations - this time it's Washington D.C.
Marriott Unveils Its New Loyalty Program Name – Marriott Bonvoy
It's been a poorly kept secret for some time (although a lot of us hoped it wasn't true) and today Marriott has announced that it will be renaming its new loyalty program "Marriott Bonvoy" from 13 February 2019.
Korean Air Adds Fees For Award & Upgrade Cancellations
Back in December Korean Air responded to an increase in the number of passengers cancelling fares at the very last minute (sometimes when already on the departing aircraft) by increasing the penalties for cancelling a ticket once in an airport's departure area.
Now the airline has gone a step further by adding penalties for award ticket and upgrade cancellations which occur within three months of departure.
ANA Is Trialling Driverless Buses At Tokyo Haneda
I'm still not sure I like the idea of driverless vehicles on our roads as I'm not convinced we're even close to developing the technology required for them to co-exist happily with everyday traffic and pedestrians. However, when it comes to heavily controlled areas I have fewer reservations and that's why I was interested to read that ANA has embarked on the second stage of testing for its autonomous, driverless bus at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
Has The Personal American Express Gold Card Been Pulled? (Probably Not)
Last week I wrote a note to remind myself to write a post about why I genuinely don't like the new American Express Gold card and, at the same time, I bookmarked the Gold Card webpage to make sure I had quick access to the card's details should I need them.
I've just attempted to access that bookmarked webpage and all I now see is this error message
Finnair Adds new Seasonal Routes To Japan & The Caribbean
Finnair has announced that it will be adding two new routes to its winter schedule for 2019/20 and, although the frequencies on the routes aren't exactly impressive, the fact that this is an airline known for the occasional great deal means that they should prove popular with oneworld flyers.
TAP Air Portugal Increases Flights To New York With Its A321LR
In its latest operations update TAP Air Portugal has scheduled its new Airbus A321neo LR to operate on its Porto - Newark route from Summer 2019 and, at the same time, the airline will increase frequencies on this route too.
Sometimes I really don’t like spending my miles & points (this may be bad)
I view my miles & points balances as just another set of currencies I have at my disposal to pay for trips. I don't view them in quite the same way as I view cash (cash is clearly a lot more versatile and less prone to devaluation) but, because of the time and effort I put in to building up my miles and points balances, I'm anything but flippant when it comes to using them....and here's where I encounter a contradiction.
You Can Now Use TSA PreCheck At LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal….But When Did This Happen?
I fly in and out of LA quite a bit but most of my recent flying has been centered around Terminal 4 so I haven't flown out of airport's "international terminal" for a few months. That's the only explanation I have for how I've managed to miss the news that the Tom Bradley Terminal now offers a TSA PreCheck facility.
Reminder: AAdvantage Award Chart Changes Kicking In From 16 January
Back at the beginning of December American Airlines announced a number of changes to its award charts that will be kicking in for bookings from 16 January 2019.
The changes that are being introduced introducing center around Canada and Hawaii and, while the news for Hawaii isn't good the news for Canada is mixed.
Good News: Emirates Adds Seasonal A380 Service To Boston
Last summer Emirates flew an A380 to Boston as a one-off exercise and left many people wondering if this was a sign of things to come. Since then the Dubai - Boston route has continued to be served by an Emirates 777-300ER and there's been no further news surrounding the A380....until now.
United Unveils Its New Polaris Business Class Lounge In Los Angeles
United Airlines will be opening the doors to its new Polaris Business Class lounge in Los Angeles on 12 January 2019 (tomorrow) and the airline has unveiled the first images of what the facility looks like inside.
Radisson Opens Two New Hotels In Abu Dhabi…And They’re Worth A Look
Radisson and its loyalty don't get much love from a lot of us because, frankly, the hotelier's offerings here in the US are at best mediocre and more often than not a grave disappointment. Quite simply there are usually better places to stay for the same outlay.
However, outside the US things aren't the same and Radisson has a number of properties that are well worth checking out....especially if you're traveling in Europe.
Award Wallet Saved Me $250…And Quite A Bit Of Embarrassment
As you have probably noticed, I write about miles & points quite a bit and, despite the fact that I have a large number of credit cards and loyalty program accounts (31 at the last count), I like to think that I'm good at keeping on top of my accounts, tracking spending and earnings and generally knowing where I stand at any given moment in time.
Hyatt Is Offering Bounties Of Up To $4,000 If You Can Hack Its Websites
Cyber crime is a thing we have to live with nowadays and announcements of major hacks seem to be getting more commonplace.
The Equifax hack was probably the most publicised hack from the past 18 months but the recent admission by Marriott that details of up to 383 million guests were compromised makes the hotelier the victim of one of the largest hacks so far....and things won't stop there.
Qatar Airways Is Selling Access To Its Exclusive Al Safwa First Class Lounge
The Al Safwa First Class lounge is one of the few oneworld First Class lounges where a top-tier Emerald status card won't get you in. Up until now travelers wanting to access the exclusive First Class facility have had to present a boarding pass for a First Class Qatar Airways flight at the reception desk or settle for the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge....but apparently not any more.
Air France Is Launching A New Healthy Menu On Its Long-Haul Flights
From tomorrow, 9 January 2019, Air France is launching a new premium a la carte menu called "healthy" (I hope they didn't pay anyone to come up with that name!) and, according to the airline, it will offer a "light and balanced" option "inviting customers to enjoy fresh, gourmet products on board a long-haul flight".
Temporary Changes Coming To Delta’s Complimentary Comfort+ Upgrades (Select Routes Only)
Delta has posted a Medallion Member update in which it has announced that automatic upgrades from its Main Cabin to Delta Comfort+ will not be available on select routes from later this year.
A New Delta Sky Club Opens In Phoenix Today – Here’s What It Looks Like
Delta has announced that its new Sky Club at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport opens today (8 January 2019) and the airline is keen to highlight 5 features that it says flyers should be looking forward to at its new facility.
There’s no one correct way to use your airline miles
I love the miles and points hobby because it has allowed me to visit places I may not have otherwise visited, allowed me to stay at properties I would not otherwise have been able to afford and to travel around the world in a level of comfort I could only have dreamed about just a decade ago...but there are negative aspects to the hobby as well.
Do You Know About Kimpton’s Last Minute Deals?
One of the things I love most about writing this blog is that the research I have to do means that I'm constantly learning new things about the travel industry and constantly discovering ways I can save cash when I travel.
While I'm a big fan of making airline bookings way in advance I'm beginning to hold off from making any hotel/accommodation bookings until much closer to my actual trips - I'm finding that I'm getting better deals that way and, by delaying the reservations I make, I'm finding myself in a better position to make the most of any hotel promotions that come around.
Marriott Updates Guests On Its Massive Security Breach…And The News Isn’t Great
At the end of November 2018 Marriott announced that, earlier in the month, it had called in security experts after its systems had detected an unauthorised attempt to access one of its databases.
The subsequent investigation suggested that there had been a security breach in the Starwood database since 2014 (no, that's not a typo) and that the personal and private details of up to 500 million guests had been compromised.
Singapore Airlines Devalues KrisFlyer Award Charts & Makes Other Changes Too
Starting in January 2019 Singapore Airlines is introducing a number of changes to its KrisFlyer Program. Mostly the changes can only be categorised as negative (bad news if you hold a significant number of KrisFlyer Miles) but there are a couple of small pieces of good news too so it's not all gloom and doom this early in 2019.
You Can Now Get Airport-Specific Deals Through Priority Pass
Priority Pass is the world’s largest independent airport lounge program that gives members access to a network of over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide for a fee. Now the lounge program has introduced Priority Pass Offers which it says will add "a new dimension to your membership".
The UK High Court Forces A Virgin Atlantic Pilots Union To Cancel Its Christmas Strike
Here's a bit of good news for Virgin Atlantic flyers this holiday season - your travels should now be free from industrial action and, all things remaining the same, Virgin's flights should be operating as normal for the next few weeks.
Delta Is Complaining About Qatar Airways Again (And No One Is Surprised)
It's not all that difficult to dislike the three legacy US airlines based purely on how they treat their customers but it's their truly abhorrent hypocrisy that annoys me most....and Delta really leads the way on that front.
Emirates Has Opened A New First/Business Class Lounge In Rome
Emirates has announced the opening of its new lounge at Rome's Fiumicino airport and, thanks to the images supplied by the airline, we can now get a glimpse inside the new facility.
Singapore Airlines Adds More First Class Suites To London (And More Business Class Too)
As it did in 2018, for summer 2019 Singapore Airlines will be replacing one of the two 777s which it currently operates between Singapore and London with an A380 and the A380 that it will be employing comes with the older-style suites.
London Gatwick Airport Closed By A Drone – Sabotage Suspected
London's Gatwick Airport is currently closed and is expected to remain closed until at least 10:00(UK)/05:00(ET) because of a drone incursion that has been going on for over 12 hours.
Flying Air France Out Of Paris CDG? You Can Now Check Your Bags In Town (For A Fee)
Air France has partnered with the French national train operator to offer passengers departing Paris Charles de Gaulle the opportunity to check their bags at a central Paris railway station on the day of their flight.
Good News & Bad News From Hyatt – Globalist Requalification Just Got Harder But New Rewards Are Coming Too
Just as IHG appears to be doing with its Ambassador program now we have Hyatt adding benefits to the World of Hyatt program with one hand while seemingly unable to resist the urge to make things a little worse with the other.
American Airlines Schedules More Transcon 737 MAX 8 Routes Out Of Miami (Avoid If Possible)
The Economy Class cabin on the new American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft have been described as "the most miserable experience in the world" by one of the airline's own pilots and, if you're a Miami-based flyer, you're going to find it increasingly more difficult to avoid these aircraft if you choose to fly with American.
Bad News: It Looks Like InterContinental Ambassador Changes Are Worse Than Expected
Last week I wrote about some changes that are rumored to be coming to the benefits offered by the InterContinental Ambassador and Royal Ambassador programs and, by and large, the changes were considered a net positive by most people....but we may have been too quick to judge.
Hyatt Adds A New Property In Barcelona (And You Can Book It Now)
One of the biggest issues a lot of miles & points fans have with Hyatt is that it doesn't exactly have a large footprint of properties across the world. This makes it hard to be loyal to the chain (and earn status) and it means that World of Hyatt points are harder to use than the currencies issued by the other major hoteliers....but Hyatt is trying to do something about this.
Aer Lingus Will Offer Lie-Flat Business Class Seats On Select Short-Haul Flights
The Irish Times has reported that as a result of the new aircraft Aer Lingus will be receiving next year the airline will offer a Business Class cabin on a few of its short-haul routes to Europe...but there's a twist.
American Airlines Downsizes Its Dallas – Buenos Aires Route For Summer 2019
It's always a good idea to pay attention to airline schedule changes if you have one or more flights booked a few months ahead as some of the changes we see can make a significant difference to your flight.
The closer you are to your departure date the less likely an airline is to change the aircraft it's employing (unless a mechanical fault or a weather front intervene) but when you have flights booked over six months out the seat/cabin you reserved at the time of booking may look a lot different when it actually comes time to fly.
Los Angeles Cracks Down On AirBnB – Good News For Renters, Bad News For Travelers
Santa Monica essentially banned residents from renting out their properties via AirBnB over a year ago (AirBnB lost an appeal earlier this year), the City of West Hollywood followed suit in the first half of 2018 and now the City of Los Angeles (covering by far the biggest area of the three) has announced new rules to curb the rapid growth of AirBnB within its borders.
KLM Has Opened The First Part Of Its New Crown Lounge In Amsterdam
If you travel with SkyTeam into and out of Europe with any kind of frequency there's a good chance that you spend quite a bit of time at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Amsterdam is one of SkyTeam's major connecting hubs so the news that KLM is starting to open up its new Crowne Lounge at Schiphol will be music to the ears of a lot of flyers...and that fact that the lounge looks good will be a bonus.
This Is Why Service On American Airlines Won’t Get Better
The Chicago Business Journal has reported that American Airlines is adding 'service analysts' to some of its flights as the airline desperately tries to find ways to get flight attendants to offer customers a reasonable level of service. Unsurprisingly, some within the flight attendant pool are less than happy about this.
American Airlines Is Adding 18 New Routes & More Flights To Europe In 2019
Yesterday we heard United Airlines tell us all about the extra flying it will be doing from San Francisco next year and today we have American Airlines telling us how it will be expanding in 2019 too...but prepare to be disappointed.
If you thought that United had overhyped its new routes from San Francisco before the official announcement yesterday you're probably going to be equally disappointed when you see the "18 new routes" American Airlines has announced today
Malaysia Airlines’ Cabin Rebranding May Be Good News For Oneworld Mileage Earning
It's not often that you hear of an airline removing its First Class product from sale without changing the cabin layouts onboard its aircraft but that's exactly what Malaysia Airline has just done.
As of yesterday Malaysia Airlines will no longer sell passengers a "First Class" fare but, as it also has no plans to strip out its existing First Class seating, it is now selling the old First Class seats as "Business Suites".
British Airways Is Relaxing Lounge Access Rules Over The Holidays (For Some)
Over recent years British Airways has taken to relaxing its lounge entrance criteria during times when business travel is slower and when families are more likely to be traveling together.
For a period during this past summer British Airways relaxed its entry rules at its Heathrow lounges to allow its Gold status holders to bring at least two guests into its Business Class lounges
United Airlines Announces HUGE Expansion Out Of San Francisco
United Airlines has just announced that it plans to grow its services out of San Francisco quite dramatically in 2019. The airline is calling this move its "largest ever international network expansion" and when you see the routes being added you'll see why.
Some Virgin Atlantic Pilots Are Planning To Strike Over The Holidays
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Delta & SkyTeam Significantly Expand Operations Out Of Boston
Delta and its SkyTeam partners have announced a significant increase in their services to/from Boston for 2019 and, coming on top of Delta's other increased Boston services over the past two years (a new Las Vegas service and new services to Nashville, San Francisco, Jamaica) this puts Delta in a very strong position in Boston.
Air France Unveils Its Refurbished Dining Area At New York JFK
Yesterday, 11 December 2018, Air France unveiled the refurbished dining area of its lounge at New York JFK and promised more upgrades to come in February 2019.
Situated in JFK Terminal 1 the Air France Lounge is open to La Première, Business Class, Flying Blue Platinum and Flying Blue Gold flyers. Select SkyTeam elite status holders also have access.
The Incredible American Airlines Award That Came & Went
American Airlines has recently started publishing some discounted Economy Class awards which it's calling "web specials". This is almost certainly as a result of Delta's ever more frequent flash sales but, up until now, American's web specials have only been offered on select domestic routes. Yesterday that changed....briefly.
United Caves – Basic Economy Fares Now Qualify For Elite Credits
Let's be honest and open about this - Basic Economy fares are a rip-off.
Airlines would love for us all to blindly believe that Basic Economy fares are just super-cheap, no-frills fares brought in to compete with the low-cost carriers...but they're nothing of the sort.
Basic Economy fares are no cheaper than the cheapest fares that were around before Basic Economy was even a thing - they just come with considerably fewer benefits. Remember that the next time you read about an airline CEO telling us all how Basic Economy is great news for the budget traveler.
Delta Says It’s Eliminating Zonal Boarding – Boarding By “Branded Fare” Is Coming
Delta has announced that boarding aircraft by zones "will soon be a thing of the past" as the airline changes the way it herds passengers onboard to a system governed by the fare brand that passengers have purchased.
Rumor: Changes Coming To The IHG Ambassador Programs Next Year
The IHG Ambassador Program is made up of a loyalty status that you can pay for (IHG Ambassador) and a status which you can only attain via an invitation from IHG (Royal Ambassador). The former costs $200 to join (more information here) while the criteria for Royal Ambassador are not published and appear to change from year to year.
You Can Now Upgrade Your Existing Delta Bookings Online
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Qatar Airways Has A New Route And It Has Potential To Be GREAT For BA Tier Points
Qatar Airways has today announced another new European route which it plans to start operating from Summer 2019 and it could mean a very nice haul of Tier Points if you're starting your travels in the UK.
Ordinarily, an announcement of a new Qatar Airways route is just good news - it's another route on which to earn and burn AAdvantage Miles or Avios - but the route announced today could signify a great opportunity for UK flyers looking to earn a lot of tier points in a single trip.
Was Earning BA Gold Status Cheaper Than Earning American Airlines Executive Platinum?
Late last year I wrote a post in which I concluded that simple mathematics suggested that I shouldn't credit my 2018 flights to the American Airlines AAdvantage program. Now, almost a year to the day since I wrote that post, I've finished my flying for 2018 and it's time to see how that decision played out.
TAP Air Portugal Will Fly Its New Business Class To The US From March
TAP Air Portugal became the first airline to take delivery of the Airbus A330-900Neo last week and its new aircraft comes fitted with a new (and much improved) Business Class cabin.
TAP Air Portugal currently flys to 4 North American cities (Boston, Miami, New York and Toronto) and, from June 2019, the airline will add Chicago and Washington DC to its route map too.
On What Routes Does Delta Offer Its Delta One Suites?
While Delta's A350s have slowly been coming on line the airline has also been refitting its 777 aircraft with the new Delta One Suite and we're now finally starting to see the suite offered on enough routes that a sighting is no longer a rarity....but on what routes does Delta actually offer Delta One Suites?
My Rio de Janeiro Decision (And A Big Thank You)
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Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites To & From Boston Next Year (Award Seats Readily Available)
Qatar Airways has been deploying its hugely popular Business Class seats on an ever-increasing number of routes and recently that route list got a little longer when the Doha - Los Angeles route was added.
Now it looks as if a number of people have spotted that Qatar Airways will offer Qsuite service to/from Boston next year (the amusingly named "ChubbyPanda123" from Flyertalk).
I’ve Finally Booked A Big Ticket Marriott Redemption For Next Year
Since Marriott introduced its new award chart in August it has been possible to book awards at numerous aspirational properties around the world for just 60,000 points per night but, sadly, that's only going to be the pricing for a limited time.
The window to book these properties for 60,000 points per night will probably close on 1 January 2019 when Marriott is expected to introduce a Category 8 level into its award chart - a category into which all the aspirational properties will be placed.
Air Italy Adds Two New Routes To California (More Avios Redemptions)
So far, in 2018, Air Italy has added routes to Bangkok, Delhi, Miami, Mumbai and New York and now the airline has announced that it will operate two new routes to California from next year.
Royal Air Maroc Is The Newest Oneworld Alliance Member – Here’s What You Need To Know
Yesterday, at a meeting of all the oneworld alliance members in New York, Royal Air Maroc was introduced as the newest full member of the oneworld alliance. Technically the airline is still a oneworld member designate but, short of a major catastrophe or change of heart, Royal Air Maroc will be fully integrated into oneworld by mid-2020.
American Airlines Introduces Biometric Boarding At LAX
The rapid improvements we have been seeing in facial recognition software combined with the amazing capability government agencies have to collect and collate data about us have seen airlines make serious investments in biometric gate technology.
Delta and BA were both playing around with biometric gates back in 2017, British Airways then expanded its US biometric gate trials to include 3 gates at LAX back in March, Lufthansa followed suit just a couple of weeks later and, just recently, JetBlue got its facial recognition systems up and running at JFK.
Now, at LAX, it's the turn of American Airlines.
Time To Legislate: This Hotel Rip-Off Needs To Stop
If you ask a group of frequent travelers what five aspects of the offerings they get from hotels and airlines they dislike the most you're likely to get a host of different answers.
Some will probably point to the inability of certain airlines to keep to a schedule (that would be you AA), some will probably comment on hotel rooms that don't offer enough power outlets and some will complain about the ever decreasing amount of space passengers are given on an aircraft.....but I'm willing to wager that one ever more apparent aspect of travel will appear on most of their lists - Resort fees.
London Heathrow Will Have The Next International Amex Centurion Lounge
American Express has announced that its next international Centurion Lounge will open at London Heathrow's Terminal 3 in 2019. This will be Amex's first Centurion Lounge in Europe and the first international lounge to be opened since the Hong Kong Centurion Lounge opened in October 2017.
Delta One Pre-Select Meals Are Now Available Globally
Back in May Delta announced that customers flying in its Delta One Business Class cabins flying select routes from the US to Europe would be able to choose their meals in advance starting 1 June.
At the end of September the number of flights departing the US for Europe and offering pre-select meals was increased, a number of flights departing Europe (for the US) were added to the pre-select program, all Delta One domestic routes began offering the pre-select service and select routes between the US and Asia/Australia joined in too.
Looking Likely: Delta Will Install 29 Business Class Suites On Its New A330s
Delta is the first and only US airline to have installed suites into some of its long-haul aircraft and it's a move which has seen the airline go from having one of the older Business Class products on the market to an airline offering one of the best.
As things stand the Delta One suite is only to be found on the airline's new Airbus A350 aircraft and on a select number of its 777s but, if a clever bit of sleuthing turns out to be correct, the Delta One suites will soon be coming to another of Delta's aircraft.
United’s Premium Economy Cabin Goes On Sale On Monday (December 3rd)
United Airlines in the last of the three US legacy carriers to introduce a true Premium Economy product and the airline has just announced that the first seats will go on sale in a few days.
As of Monday 3 December 2018 United will begin selling it's "Premium Plus" product for travel on select international flights starting 30 March 2019.
New York’s LaGuardia Airport Will Open A New Concourse Tomorrow
Joe Biden famously once compared New York's LaGuardia airport to a third world country and not many people disagreed with him (although the comment may have been a bit unfair on third world countries).
Since then LaGuardia has been undergoing some significant changes and there was a big reshuffle a little over a year ago when Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines all moved around to new locations. Now we're about to see the next phase of LaGuardia's regeneration.
Marriott Hacked – Up To 500 Million Starwood Accounts Are Affected
Here we go again! What is it with big corporations and their inability to keep our information safe?!
We're only just getting over the Cathay Pacific hack and the debacle that was the British Airways hack and now we're being told that Marriott's Starwood database (containing the information of 500 million customers) has been compromised by an "unauthorised party".
Hilton Adds 3 All-Inclusive Resorts To Its Portfolio
Hilton has used its partnership with Playa Hotels & Resorts to introduce three new all-inclusive resorts to its portfolio. These resorts are located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic and all are bookable using Hilton Honors points via Hilton.com.
Air New Zealand Releases “The Nicest Christmas Ever” Video (And Mocks Someone Famous)
The latest Air New Zealand Christmas video ("The Nicest Christmas Ever") is now available to watch and, this year, the video manages to combine a bit of festive spirit, a bit of Christmas tradition and a not-so-subtle bit of mockery that will probably go down well with quite a few people (and no doubt enrage a few too).
United Will Fly Between Denver & Frankfurt From 2019
I already knew that the past few weeks would have been busy for the United Airlines scheduling team (I have no idea if that's what they're really called) with all of the 787-10 Dreamliner routes being planed for next year but it now it would appear they've been working on more than just that - there's a new European route coming next year too.
I’m A Little Worried About A Trip I Have Planned – This Is New For Me
I've been fortunate enough to have visited a variety of countries around the world both for pleasure and for work and not all have been destinations you'd necessarily wish to visit with your family.
Some of the places I've visited (in parts of Africa and in parts of Asia) are definitely not tourist destinations and, to put it bluntly, they're not very safe....but I was ok with that.
American Airlines & China Southern Expand Partnership (Reciprocal Elite Benefits On The Way)
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Alaska Airlines May Soon Be A Oneworld Connect Partner….But What Does That Even Mean?
The oneworld alliance has scheduled a meeting for 5 December at which, it is said, that a new full member of the alliance will be unveiled (the first new member in over six years) and at which Alaska Airlines is rumored to be unveiled as the second airline to become a "oneworld connect" partner.
We don't know for sure which airline will be joining oneworld as a full partner (it looks like it will either be Royal Air Maroc or Philippine Airlines and neither see particularly exciting) but the more interesting story may be the one which suggests that Alaska Airlines will become a oneworld connect partner.
Hilton Is Adding A New Property With Over-Water Villas
I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like the idea of an overwater villa so the news that Hilton will be opening a new resort offering exactly that should bring a smile to a few people's faces.
Here’s Why I Sometimes Choose To Earn Fewer Points When Booking Air Travel
I value Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou points and Amex Membership Rewards points all at 1.5 cents each so it may seem strange that, at times, I choose to earn the equivalent of a 4.5% rebate through Chase or Citi rather than an effective 7.5% rebate through American Express...but there's a very good reason for this.
JetBlue Now Has Facial Recognition Working At JFK
Biometric gates are starting to gain traction and we're seeing more airlines trialling them and putting them into service all the time. Delta and BA were testing facial recognition gates back in 2017, BA expanded its US trials in March this year and Lufthansa joined in on the act at LAX a few weeks later. Now JetBlue has brought its biometric gate to New York.
Qatar Airways Is Playing Fast And Loose With The Words “Upgrade” & “Spacious”
Earlier today I wrote about how Qatar Airways is replacing one of its two Qsuite equipped aircraft on the Doha - Frankfurt route in favor of an Airbus A380. In the press release for that announcement the airline attempted to put a positive spin on the news despite the fact that, for Business Class travelers, the news was probably not what they wanted to hear.
In fairness to Qatar Airways there are some positives to having the Airbus A380 on the Doha - Frankfurt route (I pointed those out in the post earlier) so the press release wasn't entirely a smokescreen for bad news....but the airline has also released another press release in which facts really only play a half-part.
LifeMiles May Now Be An Amex Transfer Partner But I Really Don’t Care
During the first week of November LifeMiles (Avianca's loyalty program) was rolled out as the latest American Express transfer partner and I've just realised that I never wrote a blog post about it.
It wasn't a conscious decision not to write about the Amex/LifeMiles news at the time so the omission is almost certainly a result of the fact that the announcement wasn't actually something I cared about....and there's a very good reason why I didn't (and still don't) care.
Qatar Airways Adds First Class But Cuts Qsuites On Its Frankfurt Route
Qatar Airways offers two daily flights between Doha and Frankfurt and this route was one of the first on which the airline offered its fantastic Qsuite Business Class cabin on all flights. Sadly, starting with the summer 2019 season, this will no longer be the case.
Flying To Dubai or Abu Dhabi? Your Medications May Be Illegal!
A cautious friend of mine is currently planning his first visit to Dubai and he recently pointed out something to me on the British Foreign Office's website that made me stop and wonder what the UAE is thinking.
I've visited the UAE a number of times and have had good experiences on all visits but it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone when I say that some of the rules you'll find in the UAE aren't exactly what most of us may be used to.
Delta Silver Medallion Members Now Get An Extra Checked Bag On Virgin Atlantic
I hold absolutely no status with Delta or Virgin Atlantic but as I look to possibly change my airline allegiances going forward I'm paying a lot more attention to what the like of Delta and Virgin Atlantic offer....and that's why an update posted today caught my eye.
An alert I received today let me know of a change posted to the Skymiles News & Updates page today (15 November 2018) which suggests that Delta Silver Medallion members now get at least one checked bag on Virgin Atlantic operated flights.
Is Cathay Pacific Now Even Closer To Leaving Oneworld? [Speculation]
These are tumultuous times for the oneworld alliance with more infighting than ever before and with at least one member already openly saying that it's considering exiting as soon as next year.
It's no secret that a number of oneworld's members don't really get on and some even openly dislike each other so it seems only a matter of time before something gives and we see one or more significant changes to the membership.
Your Credit Card Info May Be On The Dark Web Courtesy of British Airways
According to the Daily Mail the Russian team who successfully hacked British Airways earlier this year may have made around $12m (£9.4m) selling the credit card information it obtained courtesy of BA's ineptitude.
Qatar Airways Is Looking At Alternatives To Oneworld
The oneworld alliance is probably the most dysfunctional of the three major alliances as a good number of its airlines simply do not get on with one another.
The squabbles between BA and Qantas are well documented, Cathay Pacific and Qantas have never really seen eye to eye and American Airlines has spent the best part of the past five years trying to get the American government to impose sanctions on Qatar Airways.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall when all the members sit around a conference table to discuss whatever it is they discuss....it must be like the most awkward Thanksgiving dinner of all time!
United Airlines Announces First 787-10 Dreamliner International Routes
Just last week I wrote a post detailing the more important aspects you may need to know about United's new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and now we know what the airline has planned for its new aircraft's first long-haul routes.
Blog News: Traveling For Miles Has Joined BoardingArea!
If you've had your morning cup of coffee before visiting Traveling For Miles this morning you may have noticed a small new floating link on the bottom right of every page. It's a link with a logo that I'm very proud to have on the site because it shows that Traveling For Miles is now part of the BoardingArea family of blogs.
ANA Will Soon Let You Book Premium Economy Seats With Points
ANA first started to introduce a Premium Economy cabin to its fleet in 2015 and the cabin is now fitted to 59 of its aircraft flying 30 international routes.
Up until now it hasn't been possible to book Premium Economy awards on ANA (a bit like the situation we currently face with American Airlines) but the airline is looking to change that in 2019.
What You Need To Know About United Airlines’ New 787-10 Dreamliner
United Airlines took delivery of its first 787-10 Boeing Dreamliner on Monday and in one fell swoop became the first U airline to take delivery of this Dreamliner variant and the first airline in the world to operate all three Dreamliner variants (787-8, 787-9 & 787-10).
The Dreamliners get bigger as you progress though the list and the 787-10 is 18 feet longer that the previous longest Dreamliner United Airlines operated. This has allowed United the freedom to incorporate 4 different seat classes into its aircraft.
Finnair Will Introduce A Premium Economy Cabin … But Not Until 2020
You only have to look back a little over a decade to see a time when most transatlantic airlines didn't offer a Premium Economy cabin and when the likes of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offered a product that few others did.
Air France and KLM added Premium Economy cabins in 2009 but things didn't start to speed up in the sector until 2014 when Lufthansa joined the Premium Economy club.
Since then we've seen American Airlines, Iberia, Delta, LOT and United Airlines(amongst others) jump on the Premium Economy bandwagon.
Now it's Finnair's turn.
American Airlines Simply Doesn’t Care About AAdvantage Or Its Members
There was a time when the American Airlines AAdvantage program was the clear leader in the airline loyalty sector and when the airline saw it as a genuine asset to its business. Nowadays all of that is rapidly becoming a distant memory as the current leadership team at American Airlines continues to dismantle AAdvantage and with it what little loyalty that is still felt towards the increasingly hard-to-like airline.
Credit Card News & Offers
