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UP FRONT..........................................................
Temporary Reprieves for United, US Air
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US Airways ticket holders and Dividend Miles members can breath a sigh of relief. The battered and maligned carrier has beaten considerable odds to, for now, sidestep insolvency.
With last week's wage concessions by machinists and baggage handlers and 2 fare sales, US Airways has cash for the short term and lower costs for the longer term.
While US Airways has dodged the liquidation bullet at least through the middle of this year, the company's survival depends ultimately on mending fences with a host of key constituencies. Consumers view the carrier as overpriced, unreliable and indifferent. Employees are angry and demoralized. Competitors salivate at the prospect of poaching business from a bumbling and vulnerable rival. And potential investors see the airline as a bottomless money pit.
The lingering question: Can US Air stay afloat long enough to fix its problems, repair strained relations, and regain profitability?
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Also on the mend: Chicago-based United.
While United still has no reorganization plan, the company has reduced its annual costs by $5 billion and is on track to trim an additional $725 million. United chief Glenn Tilton over the weekend vowed to bring the airline out of Chapter 11 in the fall.
ON SITE...........................................................
FrequentFlier Forum Topics
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As always, there's plenty of activity on the FrequentFlier Forum.
In the "Airline Programs" Forum, craigm is wondering about elite-matching: "Has anyone heard of Delta matching US Airways levels in FF membership levels? I have heard from my company's corp. travel newsletter that it is happening between now and 2/4."
Also in the "Airline Programs" Forum, and also on the subject of elite status, itais poses the following question: "I'm missing 505 miles in order to be eligible for Continental One Pass Gold membership (requires 50,000 miles). 1)Do you know if Continental will upgrade me although I'm missing the miles required. 2) Is there any way except flying to gain these missing miles?"
In the "Credit Card Programs" Forum, TheAwesome1 shares a link to register for double miles-for-charges on the Delta SkyMiles credit card during Feb.
And much more... Questions, answers? Post them to the Forum!
More: http://frequentflier.com/forums/index.php
MILES & POINTS....................................................
Aeroplan Changes for the New Year
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Air Canada Continues to tinker with Aeroplan, with mixed results.
Effective Jan. 17, changes to flight dates or flight numbers can be made for CA$55 per ticket, plus applicable taxes, up from CA$ 25 previously.
And changes to an itinerary or class or service can be made for CA$55 per ticket, plus applicable taxes, down from CA$75.
Beginning in 2005, "regular, fast, easy and secure" Aeroplan statements will only be available online.
More: https://www.aeroplan.com/en/offers/news.jsp
Amtrak Offers Freebies, Double Points
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Between Jan. 11 and May 31, members of Amtrak's Guest Rewards program will earn a free ride after every 2 trips on Acela Express or Metroliner, plus double points for tickets charged to a MasterCard.
Limit: 8 free vouchers per member. Free trips may be booked between Mar. 1 and Dec. 15, for travel between June 15 and Dec. 15. Blackout dates apply.
Registration is required.
More: http://amtrakguestrewards.com/
Best Western Offers Bonus for Multiple Stays
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Between Feb. 1 and Mar. 30, Best Western Gold Crown Club Int'l members can earn up to 2,500 bonus miles after 5 qualifying stays at Best Western hotels.
Earn 250 base miles after 1 stay;. 250 base miles plus 250 bonus miles for 500 total miles after 2 stays; 250 base miles plus 500 bonus miles for 750 total miles after 3 stays; 250 base miles plus 750 bonus miles for 1,000 total miles after 4 stays; and 250 bonus miles for the 5th through 10th stays.
Registration is required.
More: http://www.goldcrownclub.com/offers/BWQD05.asp
Choice Hotels Triples the Miles
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Between Feb. 1 and Apr. 30, eligible stays at Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge or Rodeway Inn hotel in the U.S. or Caribbean will earn triple miles/credits with participating airline programs.
Reservations must be made at choicehotels.com to qualify for the bonus.
More: http://www5.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/AirlineMiles
Continental Bonus for London Flights
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Matching similar offers from British Airways, American and United (see below), Continental is rewarding OnePass members with 42,000 bonus miles for every roundtrip or 2 1-way segments flown in BusinessFirst to London between Jan. 20 and Apr. 30.
More: http://continental.com/onepass/news/offerRegistration.asp
MileTracker Tops 100 Programs
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MileTracker, the mileage-management software that runs on users' own PCs, now covers more than 100 loyalty programs, allowing frequent travelers to view and manage consolidated account information from multiple programs.
The standalone version of MileTracker is available via USA Today at http:///www.usatoday.deskport.biz and the DeskPort version including MileTracker can be downloaded from http://www.deskport.biz. Both versions are free and all proprietary account data resides securely on the user's own computer.
Priority Club Puts Elite Status on Sale
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Priority Club Rewards members may now purchase Gold Elite status for $50.
Gold members receive a 10% bonus on earned points for hotel stays, priority check-in and access to a customer-service number reserved exclusively for use by elites. Elite benefits are valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which they are purchased.
More: https://priorityclub.points.com/goldstatus/index.jsp
United to Intro Mileage Plus Prepaid Elite Travel Card
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Beginning on Feb. 1, United will begin selling prepaid travel cards, earning buyers immediate Mileage Plus elite status and allowing them to pre-purchase tickets on United, United Express and Ted at a 5% discount. The cards will be offered in 3 denominations: $5,000 (which rewards purchasers with Premier status), $10,000 (Premier Exec) and $20,000 (1K).
Ticketing and travel must take place between Feb. 1, 2005 and Feb. 28, 2006.
If the card has a remaining balance of $250 or less on Feb. 28, 2006, a travel voucher will be issued for travel on United, United Express or Ted equivalent to the remaining amount. If the remaining balance on Feb. 28, 2006, exceeds $250, a travel voucher will be issued for travel on United, United Express or Ted for the first $250, and a refund amounting to 50% of the remaining amount will be granted, less a $25 processing fee.
In other words, there's a risk of getting less than full value from the cards.
More: http://www.united.com/prepaidtravel
United Offers Bonus for Europe Flights
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Matching the promo first launched by British Air and since mimicked by American and Continental (see above), United is offering Mileage Plus members 42,000 bonus miles for first and business-class trips between the U.S. and Europe from Jan. 20 and Apr. 30.
Bonus applies to roundtrips or 2 1-way transatlantic segments on United or Lufthansa in first class (F or A booking classes) or business class (C or D booking classes). Registration is required.
More: http://united.com/page/article/0,6722,51207,00.html
STEALS & DEALS....................................................
Deal Alert from SmarterTravel.com
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1) U.S., Canada, and Mexico from $68
Take advantage of low fares within the U.S. and to Canada and Mexico with Alaska's new sale. Prices start at $68 roundtrip, and destinations include Seattle, Vancouver, and Puerto Vallarta.
Travel on most routes is valid on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays through June 12. Book tickets at least 14 days in advance, and by Feb. 3. Most routes require a 1-night minimum stay.
More: http://www.smartertravel.com/air/deal.php?id=8211
2) Systemwide Fares on Independence Air from $44
Travelers departing from the East Coast, Midwest, and Southeast can take advantage of Independence Air's latest sale. Prices start at $44 1-way, and destinations include Las Vegas, Orlando, and Savannah.
Travel is valid through Mar. 17. Book tickets at least 3 days in advance, and by Jan. 28.
More: http://www.smartertravel.com/air/deal.php?id=8232
SWEEPS & FREEBIES.................................................
Play WorldPerks Mission For Miles Game to Win Miles
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Between Jan. 17 and May 15, play Northwest's Mission for Miles trivia contest to be entered into a sweepstakes to win 100,000 WorldPerks miles. Other prizes include smaller mile allotments and hotel vouchers.
More: http://clients.eprize.net/nwa/miles/index.tbapp
[Visit http://frequentflier.com/sweeps.htm for more travel sweepstakes.]
READER RANTS & RAVES..............................................
Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel
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"On a recent trip to Florida (PBI) my wife and I were both upgraded to first class in both directions three days before the flights. On one of the flights the flight attendant came around and thanked us for flying with Delta and called us by name. We have had similar experiences on other Delta flights. These "guys" do seem to be trying harder. My wife and I are both gold medallion members and that probably helps." (John)
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"After we booked United to Australia from NY they changed the LA-NY return to LA-CHI-NY and changed airports in NY. When I asked to stay over in LA to fly later they said the charge was $600 per ticket. I tore up the last segment and flew Jetblue for $110." (Ira)
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One of the deepest mysteries in airline operations has been the number of seats allocated for reward travel on flights. This is a continual source of questions on various group bulletin boards, as well as on the FrequentFlier pages. So, it is surprising to me that there hasn't been any good investigative story where a reporter somehow finds out this super-secret information and informs us all.
"It is also surprising to me that no frequent-flier/hacker has managed to break into some airline's system in order to find this information out. I wonder if any of FrequentFlier's readership is either an investigative reporter or a hacker, and would want to find this out?
"Or...perhaps this has been done but I don't know where it is published??" (Jeff)
[Editor's Note - The airlines allocate between 5% and 10% of their annual seat inventory to award travel. The "mystery" is the flight-by-flight allocation, which can be as few as none on high-demand flights. Behind the scenes, sophisticated yield-management software is continually adjusting the number of award seats available for every flight, with the pre-programmed goal of reducing to near zero the odds of displacing a revenue passenger with a non-paying passenger. It's a process which should, indeed, be made more transparent to the program members whose satisfaction depends upon it.]
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"My wife and I used Air France Frequence Plus miles reward tickets to travel from IAH to CDG then to FCO (Rome) and the airport taxes were over $300 for the both of us! This is approximately the cost for round trip economy flight for one. This seems to be awfully high. Noticed if you bought the ticket yourself you still have to pay these taxes. Who is getting rich here; the airport or airlines?" (Linda's husband)
[Editor's Note - Fees and taxes are at all-time highs. Still, neither airlines nor airports are doing well financially. So it's difficult to make the case that they're gouging consumers.]
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If you have a rant or a rave, e-mail us at rants@frequentflier.com.
Until next week...
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