Tweet This!

Up until now, we haven't been very active on Twitter. With blogs and newsletters and columns and forums, there just weren't enough hours in the day.

But this week, we deployed new software on the site that makes publishing new blog posts to Twitter a quick and simple matter.

So if you're not already doing so, use this link to follow us on Twitter and stay abreast of the latest in frequent flyer program news, opinion, and advice.

"Up Front" Blog Entries

Following are some of Tim's recent blog posts:

• Which Rewards Programs Are Most Rewarding?
  A new study ranks the largest U.S. frequent flyer programs on a crucial dimension: how generous they are in making award seats available for mileage redemption. Check it out, and see if the findings square with your own experience.
• Frontier Will Sever Frequent Flyer Ties With AirTran
  The Frontier-AirTran frequent flyer program relationship is a casualty of the Midwest-AirTran battle to rule Milwaukee. Yep, it's complicated.
• AirTran to Midwest's Best Customers: We Want YOU!
  A most peculiar promotion turns out to be AirTran's attempt to poach Midwest's most frequent flyers in Milwaukee.
• Marriott Offers a Free Night After Three Stays
  Marriott has weighed in with its contribution to the growing list of summer hotel promotions, offering a free night after three stays.
• This Summer, Buy-One-Get-One-Free at Omni Hotels
  A new free-night offer from Omni Hotels is in place from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The FrequentFlier Forum - Hot Topics

As always, there's plenty of activity on the FrequentFlier Forum.

In the "Credit Card Programs" Forum, KimberlyCH contributes the following to the ongoing discussion of how credit card churning affects one's credit rating: "The degree to which opening and closing a credit card will affect your credit score depends on how closing that particular credit card will change the amount of unused and available credit you have.

"It might hurt your credit score if it significantly affects your debt to credit line ratio. Your debt to credit line ratio is the sum of the total amount of debt that you have measured against the sum of your available credit across all of your credit card accounts."

Questions, answers, opinions? Post them to the Forum!

:: More

Deal Alert from SmarterTravel.com

1) Fare War! $44 O/W Sale: American, AirTran, JetBlue, More

When AirTran announced its newest sale yesterday, we knew it was only a matter of time before other carriers would respond. This morning, American officially matched AirTran's offer, while JetBlue and Spirit are competing with unannounced everyday low fares on many routes. Travel this spring, summer, or fall at sale prices.

AirTran's sale features more than 1,500 domestic and Caribbean routes to about 70 cities, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Montego Bay, and Nassau. American's sale for the same travel dates includes domestic destinations such as Dallas, Chicago, and New York City.

Both sales end Thursday, May 20.

:: More

2) Fly to Multiple Cities in Asia for $1,599 With the All Asia Pass

Cathay Pacific's All Asia Pass allows travelers to fly round-trip from the U.S. to Hong Kong and visit up to four other destinations in Asia starting at $1,599.

Departures are valid Mondays through Wednesdays, August 17 through December 1. Summer departures are available from May 18 through August 16, though they come with a $500 surcharge.

:: More

Win a Trip for 2 to Paris, Rio, Florence, or ...

Enter Spiegel's "Dream Getaway" sweepstakes by June 14 for a chance to win a trip for two to one of the following six destinations: Paris, France; Rio De Janiero and Iguazu Falls, Brazil; Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson, AZ; Tanzanian Safari in Africa; New York City, NY; or Florence, Italy. All trips include air, hotel, etc.

:: More

[Visit FrequentFlier.com for more travel sweepstakes.]

Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel

We welcome reader feedback on issues related to travel generally and frequent flyer programs in particular. Please use this link to submit comments.

United's New Upgrade Fees

The following is in response to Martin G.'s criticism of United's new upgrade fees in last week's newsletter:

"In many respects this is a vast improvement over the old system where you were required to purchase a much higher class economy fare in order to be eligible to upgrade.

"If you were waitlisted and didn't clear, there was no refund and you lost the premium paid for the 'privilege' of possibly being upgraded. This could amount to a loss of several hundred dollars per ticket over the lowest available economy class fare available. Now you don't pay anything until you actually clear the list." [Hal H.]

Stop the United-Continental Merger!

"Any specific suggestions you'd care to mention on how the public can protest the proposed merger to the government would be welcome.

"As mentioned before, I see some real anti-trust/monopoly/restraint of trade issues here." [Ed N.]

[FrequentFlier.com replies - I'm always in favor of consumers' making their opinions known, but when the DOT and DOJ review the proposed merger, they'll be considering input from the airlines, their trade associations, economists, and lawyers -- not from the traveling public. Probably the best way of insinuating your concerns into the conversation would be via your representatives in Congress.]

Delta Awards, Not

"I saw your blog on SmarterTravel regarding frequent flyer awards on different airlines and just wanted to say that Delta's terrible ranking was well deserved.

"Comparing my experience to my friends' and co-workers', Delta is among the very worst unless you're prepared to pay more miles for awards with fewer restrictions. So in effect, Delta has raised the price we pay for awards, even though the prices of entry-level awards remain the same.

"Clever!" [Samuel L.]

Until next week...