When Chase comes out with a new big credit card offer they might advertise it as "limited time" -- we know it‘s better than usual. We may even know how much better it is than usual. However we do not usually know when the offer will be pulled. With new best-ever United and Southwest card offers, though, Chase has tipped their hand. Continue reading What Limited-Time Means For Two Big Chase Offers...

Three years ago we saw what I think may be the worst signup bonus in history, worse even than the stuffed animal you could get signup up for a JAL Mileage Bank credit card. But are there several offers that are worse, even much worse? Continue reading The Worst Credit Card Signup Bonus Ever...

Delta‘s operations at New York JFK are split across two separate terminals, terminal 2 and terminal 4. Delta wants all of its operations under one roof. And they want all of SkyTeam under their roof too. In order to accomplish that they need to push out several airlines that currently operate out of terminal 4. Continue reading Delta Wants Several Airlines Out of New York JFK Terminal 4...

Somehow I wasn‘t familiar with the story of Aeroflot flight 6502 from Yekaterinburg to Kuibyshev to Grozny. On October 20, 1986 the pilot of the Tupolev Tu-134A bet his co-pilot that he could land the plane blind. He would draw the curtains on the cockpit windows and make an instrument-only approach. Continue reading 32 Years Ago an Aeroflot Pilot Bet He Could Land an Airplane Blind. He Couldn‘t....

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites the latest news and tips. Continue reading Where Credit Card Balances are Highest and Airline Employees Asked to Work for Free...

An airplane ride isn‘t usually that long, it‘s fine to be separated from your travel companion unless that companion is a small child. There are times though that it really does matter to most of us. And even when seated alone, some seats are better than others. Continue reading Here‘s My Seat Selection Strategy: Always Get the Best Seat Possible on the Plane...

People don‘t think about the little niceties they can do for others when they fly. For instance how often does an airline club member guest someone in need into the lounge? My guess is that when we travel we don‘t take the time to get to know what‘s going on with fellow passengers. It can be awkward or stilted to try. I know I‘d hate to seem creepy approaching a stranger, even if it‘s to do something nice for them.

Delta‘s CEO told employees they‘re looking to grow their service in Africa on their own metal, and not just through partnership with Kenya Airways. Continue reading Delta Expects to Grow in Africa...

Flight numbers frequently have meaning. Three years ago the final US Airways flight was US1939. It was given that number for the year the airline commenced operations. Today American Airlines has at least two flight numbers which remind us just how American the airline is. And there‘s at least one more flight number that‘s just fun. Do you know of any other flight numbers like this at American? Continue reading 3 Clever American

Last year‘s Air Canada Toronto - San Francisco flight AC759 that lined up to land on taxiway C could have been the worst aviation disaster in history. Four planes were waiting on the taxiway to take off. Air Canada descended to as low as 59 feet - just three above the height of a United 787. Just after was a Philippine Airlines Airbus A340. Continue reading Taxiway Landing Disasters Are Preventable But FAA Bureaucrats Haven‘t Done I

Normally I like to transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline frequent flyer miles or to Hyatt points. However I recently had an interesting use case to spend Ultimate Rewards points for paid travel. I booked a domestic first class ticket using a combination of points and cash. I was downgraded from first to coach, and the airline was willing to refund the fare difference -- to the agency that issued the ticket. And Chase just changed

There are several offers right now that I don‘t think are going to last. Some we know won‘t. Others banks have hinted they won‘t. And in some cases we can make that bet based on past experience. Usually there aren‘t this many heightened offers at once, it‘s an embarrassment of riches, largely I think because it‘s getting harder and harder to get consumer attention, banks need to spend more to acquire custome

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites the latest news and tips. Continue reading How Loyalty Programs Track You and Earn 1 Extra Mile Per Dollar Spent Through End of Year...

American AAdvantage has added two more airlines for online redemption. These are two that most members will never use, but it‘s going to add convenience for those who do -- especially since that makes connections onto these carriers bookable as part of a larger award. American is also updating their award chart online around 10 a.m. Eastern this morning to reflect award chart pricing changes for Hawaii that will go into effect January 16th

The reason Marriott will weather the storm of 500 million records being hacked is because all of our information has already been hacked. First, we‘re immune to it. And second there‘s really not that much new that‘s going to be out there as a result of this network infiltration. There are (4) things you can do to protect yourself. Continue reading 4 Things You Should Do to Protect Yourself From the Marriott Hack...

Earlier this year Delta, United, and American took out a full page ad praising Donald Trump trying to curry favor, to build up capital, in hopes of cashing in for their own ends. The lobby shop representing Delta, United, and American -- the Orwellian "Partnership for Fair Open Skies" which lobbies against Open Skies agreements -- has put out a statement. Continue reading Watch Out, US Airlines Are Trying to Get Government to Pick Your Pocket A

There‘s no quicker and easier way to earn a large amount of miles quickly than with a new credit card. And before the holidays is the perfect time to get one, because it‘s even easier than the rest of the year to meet the minimum spending required to earn signup bonuses. Every month I post what I find are the best signup bonus offers out there. There‘s now even a public 200,000 mile offer which I‘ve never seen before. Co

Basic economy tickets aren‘t a ‘new way to offer cheaper fares‘. They are new restrictions on the cheapest fares, a way of making the product worse so that some passengers will pay more. Now that United, Delta, and American all offer Basic Economy fares (no advance seat assignment, no cancel/changes, no upgrades or extra legroom seats, and in United‘s case no full-sized carry on bag) it‘s only been a matter of time

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites the latest news and tips. Continue reading Why Merchants Still Require Signatures When Credit Card Networks Don‘t and Why Travel Writing is So Bad...

About 5 years ago the ban on using personal electronics below 10,000 feet on U.S. flights was lifted. Now passengers can use their phones or tablets with the door closed, during taxi, and takeoff. But devices are supposed to be in airplane mode. This is the first time I‘ve heard of a real consequence for not doing that -- though as a result of something that would only occur with certain airlines in Europe, the Mideast, and Asia. Continue

Dubai-based Emirates tweeted out a photo of one of their Boeing 777s encrusted in Diamonds. For Emirates this is actually believable. And they serious Need. To. Do. This. Continue reading This Diamond-Studded Emirates Boeing 777 is - Sadly - Not Real...

A disrupted relationship with Jet Airways - from the carrier‘s own troubles, and the possibility that Etihad takes back control - could stymie Delta‘s indeterminate and underspecified promise to serve the market. Continue reading The Jet Airways Meltdown Could Spell Trouble for Delta‘s India Plans...

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce welcomed Royal Air Maroc CEO Abdelhamid Addou into the oneworld alliance this afternoon at the Royalton Hotel in New York. This is a big win for AAdvantage frequent flyers. Award travel on the carrier is abundantly available and with the addition of Miami service in April they‘ll offer non-stop Boeing 787 travel from 4 North American cities to Casablanca with connections beyond. Continue reading oneworld Alliance Gets

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites the latest news and tips. Continue reading An Oral History of Anthony Bourdain and People Taking Fake Private Jet Selfies...