Monthly Archives for July 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. Pilots Union Calls Out American…
When American Airlines merged with US Airways, American’s disgruntled unions were unanimous in their support for what amounted to a hostile takeover of the much-larger American by Doug Parker and his mid-sized US Airways. American’s union troubles haven’t been ameliorated by the merger and change in management. American’s pilots, in particular, have been unrelenting in…
Somebody had to be first. And when it comes to the relaunch of scheduled flights between the U.S. and Cuba, following the normalization of relations between the two countries after more than 50 years, it appears that JetBlue is set to snag those bragging rights. According to the airline’s news release, “It’s a new day…
In April, when the FAA removed restrictions on additional flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, the hope was that other airlines would increase their share of the airport’s flights, in the process eroding United’s dominance and near-monopoly pricing in that important market. As it turns out, those hopes were not in vain. Last week, Alaska…
Does it feel like 2010 all over again? As far as U.S. domestic airfares go, it is. Or so the government would have us believe. In its just-released Air Fare Data report, the DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics pegs the average domestic ticket price at $361 in the first quarter of 2016, down 7.8 percent…
Starwood’s systemwide “Triple Up” bonus-points offer ends on July 31, and to date there’s been no word of a successor campaign for late summer and early fall stays. What Starwood has announced, however, is a double-points promotion for stays at one of the company’s 11 brands, Tribute Portfolio. Offer Details Between August 1 and October…
JetBlue today announced an amendment to its existing purchase agreement with Airbus to increase the number of Mint-configured A321s, and add the option to acquire A321LRs (“LR” for long range) beginning in 2019. Adding more aircraft to the fleet with premium-cabin Mint accommodations is consistent with JetBlue’s claims for the service’s popularity. According to the…
American Airlines is on a roll, and not in a good way. After the merger with US Airways, the airline followed Delta and United in converting its loyalty program to a spend-based scheme, which means fewer miles and free trips for the great majority of American’s flyers. In April, American nixed its customer-friendly no-fee 24-hour…
IHG Rewards, the loyalty program of the InterContinental Hotels Group, today released its latest list of PointBreaks hotels that are available for booking for just 5,000 IHG Rewards points per night. Offer Details Beginning on July 25, IHG Rewards members can book award nights for 5,000 points at 138 participating hotels, for stays through October…
Enter the Hallmark Channel “Summer Nights” sweepstakes by August 29, 2016, for a chance to win one of two grand prizes: 1) a seven-day Virgin Islands cruise for two, including air and hotel before and after the cruise; 2) or a four-night trip to Victoria Island, British Columbia, to visit the set of “Chesapeake Shores,”…
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. New from Standard Hotels: Flexible…