Monthly Archives for February 2016.
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. Tipping Uber Drivers: Yea or…
With Marriott’s pending acquisition of Starwood, there’s reason to expect that as the former goes, so will go the latter. Marriott announced its award-price changes for 2016 earlier this week; the next day, Starwood announced its changes. Marriott’s were a significant downgrade, with 13 percent of its properties rising in price. Starwood’s are less significant,…
In its latest effort to capture the hearts, minds, and expense accounts of the travel universe’s most privileged 1 percent, American is raising the bar for airport lounges. The airline has two types of lounge: the Admirals Club lounges, available to anyone willing to pay for access, and to holders of the Citi AAdvantage Elite…
Marriott has just published its list of award-price changes for 2016. As Marriott Rewards members have come to expect from these annual pronouncements, the news amounts to yet another decrease in the value of their points. Around 18 percent of Marriott’s properties will be reassigned to higher or lower award categories, with 560 hotels requiring…
Tired of slow, expensive inflight WiFi? So is American, and it’s suing Gogo, the industry’s largest supplier of inflight WiFi, demanding that Gogo either up its game or allow American to switch providers for 200 of its planes. The Gogo service on the aircraft in question uses the old air-to-ground technology, which has been superseded…
“Stop Clicking Around. Start Saving.” That’s the headline of Hilton’s new ad campaign, and the nub of its latest marketing push. The “stop clicking” piece of the proposition is Hilton’s way of saying that qualifying bookings must be made direct with Hilton, via its website or smartphone app or by phone. As do all hotels…
In a setback to United’s new management team, led by Oscar Munoz, the airline’s mechanics today voted to reject the company’s “final offer” for a new wage and benefits package and to authorize a strike. United’s 9,000-plus mechanics are represented by the Teamsters union; an overwhelming 93 percent of those voting gave a thumbs-down to…
Uber’s policy on tipping is simple and clear: You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file – there’s no need to tip. And yet, and yet. I am a confirmed opponent of tipping, whether it’s waiters or…
How easy is it for disgruntled airline customers to file a complaint with the DOT? Not easy enough, according to Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Los Angeles). And she places the blame for that difficulty squarely on the shoulders of the airlines. Since 2012, U.S. airlines have been required to publish contact information for the DOT’s Customer…
Enter the AFAR Media “Glasgow Getaway” sweepstakes by March 14, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two to Glasgow, Scotland, including air, four nights’ hotel, airport transfers, tours, one dinner. To enter, provide the requested contact information (name, email, etc.) on the sweepstakes landing page and press “Submit.” Done!…
This week’s biggest stories and best deals: Unlimited Flying from $1,500 – Is It for You? If you can cram at least $1,500 worth of flying into a month, a OneGo all-you-can-fly plan might be for you. Congressman Introduces Bill to Halt the Coach-Class Seat Squeeze Tired of squeezing your ever-expanding frame into those ever-shrinking…