Monthly Archives for February 2016.
Enter the Holland America Line “Choose Your Cruise” sweepstakes by March 31, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a seven-day Holland America Line cruise for two to the winner’s choice of Alaska, Canada and New England, the Caribbean, or Europe, including most onboard meals. To enter, provide the requested contact information (email,…
Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week. If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can read all about it here, and plan your travel accordingly. Airlines Have Already Attempted 5…
How much will you be charged for that hotel stay? The answer, of course, should be obvious: You’ll pay the published rate, plus government-imposed taxes and fees. Whatever that total turns out to be is your price. But not always. At hotels that charge resort fees, you won’t just pay the published rate plus taxes…
Apparently, Icelandair neglected to patent its recently launched Stopover Buddy program. Just as Icelandair’s Stopover Buddy service pairs flyers stopping over in Reykjavik with Iceland locals, KLM’s newly announced Layover with a Local program pairs flyers on that airline making connections in Amsterdam with city residents. RELATED: Airlines Have Already Attempted 5 Price Hikes in…
Are you a current or prospective Hilton loyalist? If so, a credit card linked to Hilton’s HHonors program is a no-brainer. And, for a limited time, one of the HHonors no-annual-fee cards comes bundled with a particularly generous sign-up bonus. Offer Details New customers for the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature card can earn 75,000…
Fuel, one of the airlines’ two largest operating expenses, is 40 percent cheaper than it was a year ago. And airline profits are robust, in some cases at record-high levels. Against that backdrop, flyers might reasonably expect the airlines to cut airfares. The airlines, however, have other ideas. According to Rick Seany, at FareCompare, U.S.…
While its success is based principally on attractive pricing and ease of use, Uber’s business model critically depends on a ready supply of available and motivated workers. While there’s no sign that the pool of potential drivers is drying up, yet, the enthusiasm of Uber drivers seems to be eroding. According to a new survey…
Virgin America thinks its new “Flights with Bennies” campaign is cheeky. In name, perhaps. But really, it’s just another refer-a-friend bonus promotion. Which isn’t a bad thing. (Warning: The landing page for this promotion, perhaps in an effort to achieve cheekiness, has an annoying auto-enabled soundtrack. You may wish to mute your speakers.) Offer Details…
Is the state of air travel improving? Not according to the DOT, which just released its Air Travel Consumer Report for 2015. Airline passengers filed 20,170 complaints with the DOT in 2015, up 30 percent over 2014. That was for all airlines, foreign and domestic, and travel agents. For U.S. airlines, the picture was even…
American’s AAdvantage program isn’t the only loyalty scheme converting to spend-based accrual later this year. Starbucks, the world’s largest purveyor of coffee-based beverages, has announced plans to make a similar change to its Rewards program, effective some time in April. According to the company: It’s an exciting new program that reflects the #1 request we…
Enter the Cupcake Vineyards “Treat Today” sweepstakes by March 15, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a five-day trip for two to the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, including air, hotel, airport transfers, and event passes. Runner-up prizes include $100 and $50 gift cards. To enter, provide the requested contact…