Tagged With "Cranky Flier"
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Re: United's Award Chart: Premium Award Cost Goes UP
I think for premium travel,it makes sense. It has always surprised me that premium travel is so much cheaper from a frequent flier perspective (2:1) vs economy than when you actually buy the ticket. Just as a side note, aeroplan has recently reduced miles required on some of their reward charts as well.
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More Frequent Flier changes in the air
The world of award travel and elite perks continues to shake and shift. Delta, which like United, has switched for next year to awarding flight miles based not on distance but on price paid for ticket—a move that hurts many frequent...
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One year into merger, AA is optimistic
American Airlines and USAir merged a year ago this week, forming the world's largest airline, even though it's not quite operating like one. Passengers still book on two different systems, and sometimes use different customer service reps...but the...
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Update: Loyalty Programs and Credit Cards
For some of us, credit cards are more than a convenient way to pay—they are the lifeline to free travel through loyalty programs. Between points for purchases and bonuses for opening or upgrading credit card accounts, it's possible to get quite...
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Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus
Airbus, the big European planebuilder has urged airlines to go with 18"-wide seats, up from the standard 17" in use now. Their studies indicate that the extra width makes a BIG difference in passengers' ability to sleep on long flights (which are...
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Emirates Adds a 3rd US Frequent Flier Partner
Emirates Airways, which serves over 130 cities on 6 continents from its hub in Dubai, has added another U.S. frequent-flyer partner: Virgin America, which flies from 7 of Emirates' 8 U.S. cities. Emirates already has links with JetBlue and Alaska. The...
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New Target for Thieves: Frequent-flier miles
If you believed all the whining about how this airline's or that airline's loyalty programs were no longer worth anything...a ring of thieves didn't, and have turned frequent flier accounts into new targets for thefts. Both American and United...
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Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Many Americans (myself included) are thinking much more seriously now about visiting Cuba with the relaxed process. But don't expect it to be smooth yet—veteran traveler Brian Kelly, who runs ThePointsGuy (an extremely useful site...
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American completes "re-banking" its hubs
American Airlines has completed a series of schedule changes at its Miami, Chicago and Dallas hubs to create shorter layovers, and so far it appears to be working. That's the report from a respected airline blog, Cranky Flier . A few...
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AA-USAir loyalty merger...and a maybe last chance
American Airlines will merge its two loyalty programs "within 30 days" according to e-mails sent yesterday to all members of the USAir Dividend Miles program, which will be folded into the AAdvantage program. All existing miles will transfer; for some...
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Is there a "best day" to buy tickets? Maybe not!
There's always a lot of talk about when it's best to buy airline tickets—how far in advance, what day, even what time. A recent study that got a lot of publicity, even a Wall Street Journal article, suggested that Sunday is the best day because...
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American, USAir loyalty programs will merge Q2 2015
American and USAir have just notified their frequent flier program members (AAdvantage and Dividend Miles) of more detailed plans for merging the two plans, including a date: 2nd quarter of 2015, as well as details of the merger plan. All USAir...
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Star Alliance contest with million-mile prize
Your favorite cultural experiences could earn you a bonanza in frequent flier points.
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JetBlue, Icelandair partner up frequent-flier plans
JetBlue and Icelandair passengers can now earn loyalty points on each other's flights, with a double-points bonus through July 7.
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Brit report: Ban airline loyalty programs
Frequent fliers are among the targets of a British academic's proposals to help clear the air.
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Traveling With Style: 10 Tips to Look Good While Having a Vacation
Some interesting tips on looking good while seeing the world (sponsored content)
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sept. 19, 2015: Flying Lessons
Back for a day from our flying time, on the way home from Europe, we spotted this young bird on our Brooklyn stoop, preparing to become a frequent flier. While the mother perched above, the baby showed all the trepidation and ungainliness...
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AAdvantage members, bite your nails: change is coming
After a couple of years in which both United and Delta have switched to frequent flier systems based on dollars spent on fares rather than miles flown, American could be joining the parade...but we'll have to wait and see. American is planning changes...
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Do Airlines offer the Best Loyalty Rewards Programs?
Many people like to collect airline frequent flier miles because of the opportunity for free travel and upgrades. So much so that they'll use a credit card affiliated with their favorite airline or be sure to fly a partner of their airline...
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Lufthansa moves to fare-based loyalty plan
Lufthansa Group's loyalty programs follow their American cousins into 'revenue-based' scheme.
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Comfort and Style on the Go: Clothes for Women on the Road
Helen Bradford shares some of her ideas on what clothes to pack when you're an active traveler.
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Bumped up to Business on Turkish Airlines
Frequent flier Marilyn Jones is surprised to find she's been given the Holy Grail of travelers—an upgrade to the front of the plane.
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Air Canada joins PreCheck, more foreign carriers to follow
Air Canada has become the first "overseas" carrier to join TSA's PreCheck program that allows program members to move through airport security faster, and with less unpacking and undressing. TSA says more carriers will soon follow. For reasons that...
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I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
I am traveling Spring 2014 from the US to Spain. I wanted to use my American Airlines frequent flier (AAdvantage) miles to best advantage, so to speak. I learned that it is possible to incorporate free domestic layovers into my journey. As I have family in Dallas, that intrigued me. AA's website showed available flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Madrid (MAD) that connect through Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, New York or Miami. AAdvantage rules require that the layover stops must be on...
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* Fireworks will Fill the Skies of Dubai *
Dubai says it has over 400,000 fireworks this New Years Eve.Read more about the increbible plans.This will be something to see. http://travel.france24.com/con...rs-eve-firework-show UPDATE: The show in Dubai is getting rave reviews:...
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Qatar Airways Joins OneWorld and AAdvantage
http://www.frequentflier.com/blog/american-and-qatar-are-now-frequent-flyer-partners/
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United Follows Delta in Loyalty Program Changes
United Airlines is making the same sort of shift Delta previously announced; starting early next year MileagePlus points for flights will be awarded based on the price of tickets rather than the distance flown. Passengers will get anywhere from 5 to...
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Born to fly, baby gets 1,000,000 miles
A baby born on a Dubai to Manila flight starts life with a million-mile gift from an airline.
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Gov't study: Airline loyalty programs fair but confusing
A Department of Transportation study has found that airline loyalty programs are working fairly well, but could use some further study and help.
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Lucky flier gets a private flight on Delta
Delta passenger returning home to Atlanta had the plane to himself, because Delta wasn't able to reach him and reschedule.
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United dumps award chart, AA may follow
United follows Delta into the world of variable points prices for award travel.
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YOU CAN'T FUEL ME! BA fliers sue over high surcharges
British Airways is known for the steepest "fuel surchages," especially on award tickets--but a group of frequent fliers has sued, pointing out that the fees seem to bear no relation to fuel costs at all. A senior judge in the U. S. District...
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Up, Up and Away: Airline miles cards with big bonuses
Up, up and away—quickly! That’s the goal for many frequent fliers, and a current round of cards for various airlines is offering some big bonuses to meet that goal…some of them enough for a round-trip to Europe in one shot. Right...
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Delta Skymiles: Big Changes Ahead...Very Big
If that sounds a bit complicated, here's the deal. When you earn "miles" using a credit card, it's 1 or 2 miles per dollar, but most frequent flier programs give you a "mile" for each mile flown. Delta, starting in 2015, will become the first major...
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AA/USAir: Start the Miles and Lounge Sharing
Now the frequent flier part of the AA/USAir merger begins. AA announced yesterday that members in both its AAdvantage and Dividend Miles programs can earn miles in either program on all AA or USAir flights. In addition, elite members of either program...
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BA Avios can save on U.S. domestic flights
Most domestic economy flights, paid for in loyalty points/frequent flier miles go for 25,000 miles round-trip, almost no matter the route. A few carriers, such as American and USAir, allow a discount for holders of the right credit card. On the...
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It had to happen: BA flight struck by Heathrow drone
What airlines, officials and passengers have feared has happened, though fortunately this time without serious consequences: An inbound British Airways flight was struck by a drone during its approach to Heathrow Airport Sunday night (Apr 17). The flight from Geneva, ironically an A320 on Flight 727, landed safely and was permitted to continue flying after an inspection. The growing popularity of drones as toys and camera platforms has made such incidents inevitable, despite rules that...
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Take your seat...while you still have one!
Aircraft designers are always busy trying to figure out the best way to get the most passengers in without actually provoking revolt or suffocation...and the past few days bring fearsome news on that front. Included in the roundup are dead-serious proposals to stack seats in the main cabin, to sell passenger space in the hold below the cabin, and even to squeeze business-class seats into a 12-across configuration. Not even the rich, it seems, are immune to the trend. The stacked-seat idea...
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Flier survey: Bytes beat bites
Turns out that today's travelers want consistent, fast connections, and that more than half would pick that over inflight meals.
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Flier alert: New rules bump multi-city fares
An airline rule change has created sticker shock for fliers used to buying multi-city itineraries as the majors chase low-end business.
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Google Flights' new trick for frequent flier miles
Google Flights has added filters that allow you to choose which partner in a codeshare sells the tickets so you can choose the one with more loyalty points.
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Grinch Air? Flights that steal Christmas
The International Date Line plays mind games with passengers to and from Australia, who either lose Christmas or have doubles.
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JetBlue, Southwest top loyalty rankings
The Big Three are the bottom three when it comes to satisfaction with airline frequent flier programs.
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American Airlines locks out AwardWallet
American Airlines abruptly cuts off its cooperation with one of the most popular loyalty trackers.
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Re: Schiphol: Passenger cutbacks extended to March
All reports I’ve seen so far have not mentioned a class distinction there, and many of the online complaints I’ve seen in frequent flier groups are from people who never consider flying economy. This is probably one of the few times it’s not better at the pointy end of the plane!
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Airport loyalty programs growing
A new wrinkle for frequent fliers: A growing number of point-earning airport loyalty programs
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Adults-Only zone to get an airline trial
Corendon, a Dutch carrier, is the first European airline to try out a no-kids cabin on a regular basis
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Airport lounges: giving and taking away
Overcrowding and waiting lists are turning airport lounges into bones of contention
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JetBlue leads as bag fees jump again
JetBlue is adding a surge-pricing style surcharge to its checked bag fees, possibly setting off a round of imitators