U P F R O N T
This Week's Travel Newsbites
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Airline Aid In the Pipeline
A Federal aid package for the airlines will soon be a reality.
The White House has taken an uncompromising free-market line on airline assistance, arguing that the industry should be allowed to restructure in response to supply and demand. They support relief to the tune of approximately $1 billion, linked to expenses directly related to post-9/11 security measures.
The airlines -- through the Air Transport Association, their lobbying arm -- are claiming that losses stemming from the combined effects of 9/11 and the Iraq war will total almost $11 billion during this year alone, and are seeking relief on that scale.
And Congress is reconciling competing House and Senate packages, both of which total slightly more than $3 billion.
Congress is the odds-on favorite to prevail. Whatever the size and shape of the final package, it will NOT be a bailout.
(On analogy with "There are no atheists in foxholes," one wonders how many Mileage Plus members subscribe to hardline free-market economics?)
Au Revoir and Ta Ta, Concorde
Following up on our report that BA is considering retiring its Concordes (a seemingly arcane topic which generated a surprising amount of interest and feedback), Air France has confirmed that they will suspend Concorde service in 2007. According to the report, load factor (percentage of seats occupied) on Concorde flights has declined to 40%, well below breakeven. BA is reported to be close to finalizing its own Concorde plans, and may make an announcement later this week.
B-A-A-A-A-A-D D O G G I E
In the Doghouse: New York Times
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The headline in today's New York Times proclaimed "American Reining In Frequent-Flier Plan."
In fact, contrary to the across-the-board devastation implied by the head, the increases are quite limited. And more importantly, they were announced in Oct. 2002.
Indeed, the Times article conceded that American had given advance notice of the increases, but then proceeded to treat it as breaking news.
If a lesser publication had stooped to the same cheap (and misleading) sensationalism, it likely wouldn't merit comment. But when the Times speaks, people listen, they believe, they act. And already the "story" has been picked up and propagated by other media.
No, the sky is not falling, notwithstanding reports to the contrary from the New York Times.
[See "Miles & Points" below for a reminder of the specific AAdvantage changes which take effect May 1.]
M I L E S & P O I N T S
Alaska Airlines Discounts Portland Award Flights
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Award travel on Alaska or Horizon Air to/from Portland, Oregon is currently on offer for 7,000 fewer miles.
Mileage Plan members can request a domestic roundtrip award for 13,000 miles (regularly 20,000), or an award between Portland and Mexico for 23,000 miles (down from 30,000).
Offer is valid for travel between Apr. 1 and May 23, and only applies to Saver awards. Travel to/from Miami, Washington DC (Reagan and Dulles), Newark and Boston is excluded. Awards booked online receive 1,000 bonus miles.
> More...
Reminder: Some AAdvantage Award Levels to Rise
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As alluded to above, selected AAdvantage award levels will increase effective May 1.
As we said when we reported on the changes in Oct. of last year: "No one relishes a price increase. But American, to their credit, made the bad-news announcement prominently and gave AAdvantage members more than 6 months' notice of the change."
And as promised then, herewith we re-summarize the increases:
1. For travel within the continental U.S. and Canada--
PlanAAhead First/Business Class award from 40,000 to 45,000 miles;
AAnytime Economy Class award from 40,000 to 50,000 miles;
AAnytime First/Business Class award from 80,000 to 90,000 miles
2. For travel between the U.S. and Hawaii--
PlanAAhead First/Business Class award from 60,000 to 75,000 miles;
PlanAAhead Premium Class award from 80,000 to 95,000 miles;
AAnytime First/Business Class award from 120,000 to 150,000 miles;
AAnytime Premium Class award from 160,000 to 190,000 miles
If you're planning to use any of the above award types anytime soon, the take-away should be obvious: Redeem now, before the prices rise.
> More...
America West Adds Hertz to Partner Lineup
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Effective immediately, FlightFund members will earn 50 miles per day on qualifying Hertz rentals. To promote the new partnership, members can receive a free day and double miles through Aug. 31.
To earn the free day and double miles, FlightFund members should mention their frequent flyer number, the FlightFund discount number (CDP#) 1450445, and promotion code 939643 at time of reservation. Offer is available on Leisure Weekly rentals of 5 or more days, and Leisure Weekend rentals of 3 or more days, with a full size or larger cars.
> More...
CO Promotes New Services with Miles
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Continental is offering bonus miles for newly launched and upcoming services, including flights to Edmonton, Alberta Canada; Geneva, Switzerland; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Fort Walton Beach, Florida; and Morelia, Mexico.
Start dates vary and registration is required.
> More...
Book Online to Earn 2,000 CO Bonus Miles
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OnePass members who purchase their Continental tickets at continental.com using an American Express card between Apr. 1 and May 31 will earn 2,000 bonus miles (1,000 miles for using the Amex card in addition to the 1,000 bonus miles normally offered for online bookings).
> More...
United Has New Miles-for-Mortgages Partner
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United Mileage Plus members can now earn 1,300 miles for each $10,000 financed or refinanced through Awards for Mortgage & Real Estate (Washington Mutual, Wachovia, CitiMortgage, and Chase).
Miles are also offered for home equity loans, home sales and moving services. And there's an additional bonus of up to 5,000 miles for Premier members.
> More...
S T E A L S & D E A L S
Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com
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This week's hot deals from SmarterLiving.com...
Fly to London from $288
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British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have released new spring fare sales to London, and British Airways is offering hotel stays for $1 per night, as well as flexible travel options.
Book tickets by Apr. 15 with Virgin Atlantic, or Apr. 16 with British Airways. Departure is valid for midweek travel between now and June 18. A 7-day advance purchase is required.
> More...
Flights to/from Los Angeles for $198
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AirTran, Delta, and US Airways are offering $198 roundtrip fares to/from Los Angeles between June 4, when AirTran's new coast-to-coast service begins, and Oct. 8. Book tickets by Thursday, Apr. 10.
> More...
R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S
This Week's E-mail Bag
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"I read with interest week after week FFC readers who just can't seem to get useful reward travel with their miles. Maybe I'm just lucky, flexible enough, or simply plain ornery enough to stick with it until I find something, but after 10-12 years with NWA, I have managed to receive the following, all in useable vacation time-frames, sometimes with a little monkeying around by simply calling NWA and asking for help.
"To date, I have received: 1 RT ticket to Los Angeles; 2 triangle fare tickets (1 week in Japan and 2 weeks in Australia), including putting a border collie in cargo from Australia back home as part of the tickets; 2 RTs to Japan (and 3 RTs 3 years later); 2 RTs to England; 1 RT to Germany; 1 RT from Germany that NWA transferred without fee to a friend at the other end; 1 RT to Alaska.
"And just last week, after 2 days of failing to secure 2 RTs to New Zealand in August of this year via the NWA website, a friendly agent spent two hours cobbling together the flights for a friend and I by changing our outbound flight by one day and scouring partner airlines for available seats. Seeing as we would be stuck somewhere for 12-24 hours to make a connection, we were offered layover choices and were given an 18 hour stop in Singapore, allowing us time for a city tour and some shopping before continuing on Malaysian Air. AND a reduction in our used miles for the layover inconvenience."
- mudgee
"Nothing that United has done to me in the last 8 years of 1K flying has annoyed me more than their downgrading of the value of the System Wide Upgrades for 2003.
"I'm only 5000 miles from my millionth mile and was looking forward to the additional SWU but now they are no more valuable than miles for upgrading. The fare must be M, H, or higher. Previously they were good for any published fare. This meant when a loved one flew I could use them to upgrade a discounted ticket. The benefits for 1K are almost imperceptible from those of Premier Executive. They are certainly not worth the effort to double your Premier Executive flight requirements on United when you can double the number of airlines for which you will get the Premier Executive benefits on."
- Steven
"If you look at the current prices of Song flights from JFK to Florida, you'll find that an extraordinarily large number are actually more expensive than Delta's existing flights."
- Art
F R E Q U E N T F L I E R F U N N I E S
A Recent Jay Leno Monologue
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"As you know, our forces have taken over Saddam Hussein's International Airport and renamed it Baghdad International Airport, which, you know -- is that the right name? Shouldn't we have called it something more appropriate, like the 'No Thanks to France or Germany International Airport?'
"I tell you something, even though we've only controlled the airport now for a couple of days you can already see the American influence. I mean, since we took over, three of the airlines have already gone broke, the luggage has all been lost and the pilots are all drunk already.
"But the good news is, since we now control it, it's the only airport in the world where all the cab drivers actually speak English."
Until next week...
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