FrequentFlier Blog

Enter the Hilton "Great Getaway Giveaway" sweepstakes by August 4 for a chance to win one of four grand prizes, as determined by participants' votes, including trips for two to Thailand, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Orlando, New York, or Napa Valley. All packages include air and hotel for two, a $500 HHonors gift card, and up to $2,300 spending money. To participate,

Members of JetBlue's TrueBlue program now have one fewer thing to worry about. Effective today, TrueBlue points no longer expire. Per the company's email of this morning: "No activity requirements. No asterisks. No expiration dates." And there's no asterisk on "No asterisk." The move brings JetBlue circle on the expiration issue.

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.

Alaska Airlines may not be among the largest (or even the larger) carriers. But its loyalty program, Mileage Plan, ranks among the biggest and the best. The program boasts an enviable partner lineup that includes Air France, AeroMexico, American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, KLM, Korean, LAN, and Qantas. That's impressive,

Spirit last week began selling cans of Friends Wine In a Can on its flights. That's right: wine in 250-milliliter aluminum cans. Price: $7 a can. Florida-based Friends boasts that it has invented a new category of wine it dubs "Fun Wine." What that means is such flavors as Strawberry Moscato and Grape Melon and a relatively low alcohol content. Sweet, in other words.

In what could be a harbinger of bad times ahead for American customers, the Dallas Morning News is reporting that the airline plans to squeeze more seats onto its B737 and MD-80 planes. The two aircraft types together account for 63 percent of American's fleet, so the effects of any change will be widely felt.

Since basically cloning Marriott's Rewards program and rebranding it as Ritz-Carlton Rewards, in 2010, Ritz-Carlton hasn't made much use of the program to actively promote its hotels. But the few promotions it has launched have been good ones. And the latest is no exception. Offer Details Between July 1 and October 31,

The Citibank-issued credit cards linked to American's AAdvantage program have long featured a benefit that can represent real extra value, both to holding an AAdvantage credit card specifically and to program membership generally: discounted award tickets. Holders of the various AAdvantage-affiliated credit cards can book awards to selected U.S. and Canadian destinations at discounted prices.

A company that treats its employees well is more likely to treat its customers well. I can't recall whether that chestnut came to me from the street or academia, but it's a correlation I've always assumed to exist. So when I come across studies of employee satisfaction, especially in the travel industry, I take note. A just-released survey by Glassdoor.com, reported in Forbes,