Mobile booking apps are considered a must-have by airline and hotel marketers, who are convinced that they’re the future of travel buying, or at least a big part of it. While there’s surely a place for mobile booking, I’m skeptical that it will ever become the majority choice. Tiny cellphone screens simply don’t lend themselves…
When it comes to making elite status in its Rapid Rewards program a must-have status for high-frequency flyers, Southwest is at a considerable competitive disadvantage. With no first-class seats or airport lounges, there’s just not much that Southwest can offer super-loyalists in exchange for their business. The most substantive perk available to Southwest high-flyers is…
The merger of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America has left many travelers bemoaning the impending disappearance of Virgin, one of the industry’s best-loved airlines, as it’s folded into Alaska. Some of those disgruntled travelers are plaintiffs in a suit filed last week in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco seeking to block the merger…
Enter the Mezzetta “Explore Italy” sweepstakes by October 15, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: an 11-day Italy tour for two people, including air, hotels, tours, and cooking class. Related: Win a 10-Day Wine Lovers’ Trip for 2 to Burgundy To enter, provide the requested information (name, email, etc.) on the sweepstakes…
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. Another Day, Another Airline Computer…
Enter the General Assembly Space “Go Places: Burgundy” sweepstakes by October 2, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a 10-day trip for two people to Burgundy, France, including air, hotel, market and vineyard tours, and wine tastings. Related: Win a 5-Night Trip for 2 to Maui To enter, provide the requested information…
Need a few Virgin America Elevate points? Got 30 seconds to spare? If you answered Yes to both questions, click on this link, fill in the form with your name, email address, and Elevate member number, and within 10 days 500 points will appear in your account. Limit: one bonus per customer. Related: Delta Ups…
Through December 11, members of British Airways’ Executive Club can earn triple base miles for all qualifying roundtrip British Air flights, and for flights on American Airlines, Finnair, and Iberia between North America and Europe. The bonus may be earned for a maximum of four roundtrips during the promotion period. Registration is required. Related: 500…
Remember those exploding hoverboards, the once-popular self-balancing scooters that most airlines banned late last year due to their proven combustibility? The problem with the hoverboards was pinned on their lithium ion batteries, which were also the culprits in a series of onboard fires that bedeviled early models of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. In yet another instance…
Google “La Compagnie” and the top non-sponsored result describes the airline thusly: “Discover Paris and London with La Compagnie, the unique French all-business-class airline, at an affordable price.” That descriptor is accurate today, but won’t be from September 25, when La Compagnie suspends its service between the U.S. and London. The company linked its withdrawal…
When an airline knows its core customers are anything but frequent flyers, is there any point in hosting a loyalty program? Probably not. Which explains why Allegiant, the low-cost leisure-focused carrier based in Las Vegas, never rolled out a full-fledged frequent-flyer scheme. There’s just no return-on-investment when your customers are by definition infrequent flyers. And…