As changes to hotel-program award prices go, the latest for InterContinental’s IHG Rewards are decidedly modest: Prices for award nights at 400 hotels will change by either 5,000 or 10,000 points, half moving up, half moving down. If it were just that 50-50 split, Rewards members might dismiss it as a wash and count their…
American Airlines today announced its financial-performance numbers for the fourth quarter and the full year. For the quarter, the airline posted net income of $3.3 billion, including a one-time tax credit. Even without that extraordinary gain, American’s $1.3 billion net profit for the quarter was a record for the company. For the full 12 months, American…
You may remember the 100,000-mile bonus for new British Airways credit card sign-ups in 2010. This is not that. The original offer—one of the most generous ever—featured 100,000 bonus miles after new cardholders charged $2,000 within three months. Quick, easy, and lucrative. In subsequent years, the offer was reprised, but with increasingly higher charge targets to earn…
For U.S. News & World Report, the road from weekly news magazine to publisher of company rankings has been a long and winding one. The key, though, to its shift toward data-driven ratings of companies and institutions was its 1983 publication of “America’s Best Colleges.” The enormous success of that publication, combined with the withering…
UPDATE – Spirit apparently had second thoughts about the new size restrictions, and has elected to forego the changes reported in our article. According to a Spirit representative: “We had been preparing for a potential change in personal item sizes, however we decided a few weeks ago not to implement the change. While we always…
What’s next in hotels? We are. That’s the pitch Hilton Worldwide is making to prospective owners of the company’s thirteenth and newest brand, Tru. Tru will compete in the midscale market, with per-night rates in the $90 – $100 range. While Hilton claims “the brand will appeal to a broad range of travelers who span…
For all their copious complaints about tight seating and sketchy service, consumers have proven themselves to be remarkably price-sensitive, willing to forego all manner of niceties to save a buck or two. Proof positive is the reliably robust financial performance of the likes of Southwest and Spirit. That focus on penny-pinching has to raise questions…
JetBlue’s principal claim to fame has long been its relatively roomy coach seats. Sure, the airline has been ahead of the curve in onboard WiFi, and inflight entertainment generally. And there’s that undeniable cool factor to flying Blue that American and Delta just can’t match. But JetBlue’s substantive edge came from its willingness to put…
IHG Rewards today released its latest list of PointBreaks hotels that are available for booking for just 5,000 points per night. Offer Details Beginning on January 25, IHG Rewards members can book award nights for 5,000 points at 171 participating hotels, for stays through April 30, 2016. The new list includes 113 hotels in the…
Enter the SmartSource.com “New Year, New You” sweepstakes by February 29, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a seven-night trip for two to Freeport, the Bahamas, including air, hotel, and on-premise meals. RELATED: Win a 6-Day ‘Downton Abbey’ Tour for 2 to Great Britain To enter, provide the requested contact information (name,…
For years, Marriott has been referring to its periodic systemwide promotions as MegaBonuses. Early on, when the offer was a free night after two paid stays, the name was apt. But recently, the offers have been much less generous; they were more mini than mega. The offers also became more complicated over the years, resorting…