U P F R O N T
No Frills AND More Fees
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It's way too soon to predict with any assurance what air travel will look like (and feel like, and taste like) 12 months from now. But the general outline of the post-9/11 airline industry is beginning to come into focus as carriers from American to US Airways unveil provisional glimpses of their still-tentative plans to reinvent themselves as, the hope goes, consistently profitable companies.
Whatever the ultimate outcome, there's 1 prediction I'm increasingly confident in making: We, the traveling public, won't like it. Yes, the industry that everyone loves to hate is poised to become more hateful still.
We were predicting a move toward fewer frills several weeks ago, and recent developments confirm that trend. (As though anyone thought that air travel was frilly. Ha!) What's new is the rising tide of revenue-generating gottcha's the airlines are slipping into their rate cards.
Lest we forget, the price creep began when the airlines put the screws to travel agents. By eliminating agency commissions, the airlines forced travel agents to assess fees for their services. And those fees amount to a price increase on every ticket a consumer buys through a travel agent. Nice sleight of hand, that: raising prices without changing the price of a ticket. And often as not, the agent takes the heat.
Having slashed and squeezed and finally eliminated agent commissions altogether, that well is dry. Next up for a drubbing: consumers.
The trickle of new fees that began with the imposition of surcharges on paper tickets is steadily developing into a torrent. Almost all carriers now charge extra for paper tickets. Delta has imposed a $40 surcharge for the third checked bag. Continental, which already charges for cocktails in coach class on overseas flights, this week warned that it would begin charging low-fare customers for "premium services" and enforce fare and other penalties that were often waived previously. And so on.
When they run out of new fees, there are always the old ones to raise and pursue more vigorously. Fees to change itineraries have crept up to $100 for domestic tickets, $150 for international. Excess baggage fees are up, as are prices to ship pets.
And in another de facto price hike, some airlines have eliminated senior discounts.
Reach for your billfolds, friends, the nickle-and-diming has begun...
> Epilog
On Thursday, possibly as you read this, I'll be en route from JFK to LAX, in seat 30B. Coffee, juice and soft drinks will be free, even in coach, and lunch will be served. If it's a late departure, as it was on the outbound leg, the movie will be free as well. At some point during the 5-hour flight, I'll let my eyes close and my mind wander, and I don't know whether I'll laugh or cry. Because this, for the foreseeable future, is as good -- and probably as cheap -- as it will get.
O N S I T E
New on the FrequentFlier Forum
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MrCheaps is waiting for the next Marriott promotion. Gretchen persevered and finally got her US Airways miles for opening a Bank of America account. Ray wonders whether Starwood will match elite status from other hotel programs. Nick shares a link to a Krispy Kreme free-doughnut offer (NYC only). And more...
Do you have mileage-related questions, answers, anecdotes? Post them (and read others') on the FrequentFlier Forum.
M I L E S & P O I N T S
Alaska, Horizon Offer Double Miles
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Mileage Plan members will earn double miles on all flights operated by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air between Sept. 3 and Oct. 31. The bonus can be earned an unlimited number of times.
Register here prior to the first qualifying flight.
Alaska is also offering 5,000 bonus miles for first-time ticket purchases at alaskaair.com and 1,000 bonus miles for every subsequent online ticket purchase.
Book First and Biz-Class Awards at AA.com
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First- and business-class AAdvantage awards for travel on American or American Eagle, to or from the continental U.S., Alaska and Canada, can now be booked on AA.com.
Coach PlanAAhead awards were already bookable online.
Fast Track to Elite on Continental
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Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, Continental OnePass members who purchase and fly selected unrestricted fares will earn triple segments/points which count toward 2003 elite status.
For example, domestic flights booked on first and unrestricted economy fares (A, D, Y only) and costing at least $400 will earn 3 credits per segment toward elite, rather than the normal 1 credit. Similar bonuses and restrictions apply for Continental overseas flights.
> More...
Delta Vacations' SkyMiles Deals
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SkyMiles members can earn 3,000 miles for every Delta Vacations package purchased.
Plus, miles can be redeemed in lieu of cash, to get a discount on Delta Vacations packages, ranging from 2,500 miles for a $50 discount to 15,000 miles for a $300 discount.
Travel for both promotions must be completed by Sept. 30, 2002.
For additional information on Delta Vacations or to book a package, visit http://www.deltavacations.com or call 1-877-759-7949.
Priority Club Stays Earn Bonus
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For every second qualifying stay at any Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites hotel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, from Sept. 9 through Nov. 27, Priority Club members will earn either 2,000 bonus points or 500 bonus airline miles. Members may earn a total of 20,000 bonus points or 5,000 bonus miles during the promotion.
To participate, Priority Club Rewards members must be residents of the U.S., Mexico or Canada and register their in advance. For further details visit http://www.priorityclub.com/autumn or call the registration number 1-888-560-5660 and enter promotion code 5700.
Earn Double Miles for Thrifty Rentals
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Through Nov. 15, Thrifty is offering double miles-for-rentals in the programs of 8 airlines: Alaska, American, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways.
Offer is valid for 2- to 7-day rentals of compact and larger cars in the U.S., Caribbean, Latin America, or Mexico. Use promotion code DBL2 when reserving.
> More...
United Offers Bonus for Hawaii Flights
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Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 11, Mileage Plus members will earn 5,000 bonus miles for qualifying roundtrips between the 48 contiguous United States and Honolulu, Kona, Lihue or Maui.
Offer may be earned a maximum of 4 times, and is valid on fares in F, Y, B, M, H, Q and V booking classes only.
Register by Nov. 11 by calling 1-800-447-6772 and entering offer code 201, or online at http://offers.mileageplus.com/MPN722.
5,000 Bonus Miles for US Air Flights
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Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 15, Dividend Miles members can earn 5,000 bonus miles when flying roundtrip to or from the following: Denver, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Register before the first qualifying flight at http://www.usairways.com/.
US Airways Extends Guarantee, Triple Miles
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US Airways has extended through the end of the year its special offers for Shuttle flights, originally scheduled to expire on Aug. 31.
Shuttle customers will continue to be eligible for a $200 voucher toward future travel on US Airways if, Monday through Friday, they are unable to get to their boarding gate within 20 minutes of checking in. Dividend Miles members will also continue to earn triple miles for Shuttle flights through Dec. 31.
Register for the triple-miles bonus -- which still counts toward elite status -- by calling 1-800-872-4738 and entering promotion code 5236, or online at http://www.usairways.com/dm/5236.
I'd be very surprised if we don't see Delta match this offer.
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...
International vacation from $344 R/T
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United is offering low sale fares to Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific, for departure between Sept. 5 and Oct. 30. For the lowest fares, book tickets online only and by Thursday, Aug. 29. A 7-day advance purchase is required for Latin and Pacific destinations, and a 21-day advance purchase is required for Atlantic destinations.
> More...
Labor Day weekend fare sale from $138 R/T
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US Airways is offering roundtrip fares starting at $138 for travel during the last week of summer. Departure is valid between Aug. 28 and Sept. 1, with return travel no later than Sept. 7. Book tickets online only and by Friday, Aug. 23. A 7-day advance purchase is required.
> More...
R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S
The Fine Print: No Mileage Credit
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"I rented a car in Spain for three weeks. I used Europcar. On the Internet, I read I would get AA miles when renting a car with Europcar. I got the reservation through Auto Europe. Europcar wrote to me saying I would not get the miles because I got the reservation from a Tour Operator. I guess they consider Auto Europe a tour operator - it just a car reservation to me. If I knew this beforehand, I could have rented a car about the same price from Hertz or Avis and gotten Delta miles."
- Rojomu
The Hassle Factor (Or, Why I'll Just Drive)
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"To echo your quoted comments from this weeks NYT's, I have traveled commercially five times since Jan 1st, and each time has been a major league pain in the *&% because of the so called "airport security". It took on average at the various airports twenty five minutes to clear security, which was run by people who could barely speak English, had maybe a room temperature IQ, and probably did not have a green card. The last thing I resemble is a terrorist. This whole program is total overkill on the part of the government, and because of that, will only get worse.
"The airlines for the most part are fine. It is the nightmare security that is keeping people from flying. I leave in Sept. for a three week vacation, and I am driving from Florida to northern Michigan and back."
- William
Until next week...
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