U P F R O N T
This Week's Travel Newsbites
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> Security Threat: Higher
Yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security raised the terrorism-alert status from yellow (= elevated risk) to orange (= high risk).
For air travelers, that means more security searches and I.D. checks, both on the airport grounds and in the terminals.
Unfortunately for the airlines, the increased hassle factor can only further depress travel demand, especially among discretionary travelers, just as the peak summer season gets underway.
If you're airport-bound, do allow more time to get to the gate.
> More Room Throughout Coach: Less
Part of American's turnaround plan, as detailed today at the carrier's annual shareholder meeting, involves turning back the clock.
Beginning this Fall, American will begin partially dismantling its More Room Throughout Coach seating, returning 23% of the fleet to its original, cramped coach configuration. When the change is complete, there will be Less Room Throughout Coach on 23% of AA's planes, 140 Boeing 757s and 34 Airbus A300s.
> United: Rising?
A glimmer of hopeful news among the gloom and doom: today's Wall Street Journal reports that United may emerge from bankruptcy sooner than originally planned, possibly by the end of this year.
M I L E S & P O I N T S
Alaska Discounts Arizona Awards
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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will save 7,000 miles on summer award trips to/from Arizona.
The Mileage Plan Coach Saver award for flights on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air between Seattle, Portland or Spokane and Phoenix or Tucson is discounted from 20,000 to 13,000 Mileage Plan miles. Reduced-mileage awards can be booked now, for travel between June 1 and Aug. 31.
Award reservations booked online receive 1,000 bonus miles.
Full details are here.
Transfer OnePass Miles Thru May 30
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Reminder: the last day to transfer miles among OnePass accounts is May 30.
There's a service charge of $5 for every 500 OnePass miles transferred.
> More...
Earn SkyMiles for Amex Financial Advice
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SkyMiles members can earn 3,000 miles and Medallion members can earn 5,000 miles for an initial face-to-face consultation with an American Express financial advisor. Earnings increase to 10,000 miles for non-elite members and 15,000 miles for Medallion members when a financial plan is completed.
> More...
Diners Club Offers Summer Bonuses
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Among the summer bonuses on offer from Diners Club are the following...
Between June 1 and Aug. 31, Diners Club cardholders may convert Club Rewards points into double miles in British Airways' Executive Club program. During the promo period, Club Rewards points are exchangeable 1:1 for Executive Club miles, instead of the normal 2:1 rate. Use promotion code DC2003. See http://www.britishairways.com/dinersclub for more.
Through June 30, Diners Club charges at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy Stores earn double Club Rewards points.
Club Rewards members will earn 500 bonus points for booking a "Fairmont Package" at any Fairmont Hotels & Resorts location from June 1 through Sept. 1. For more information, or to book a "Fairmont Package," visit http://fairmont.com or call 1-800-441-1414.
Between June 1 and Aug. 31, Diners Club charges at over 11,300 CITGO and 5,300 participating 7-Eleven locations nationwide will earn double Club Rewards points.
Club Rewards members will earn 500 Club Rewards bonus points for redeeming through the Club Rewards Online Catalog during June and July 2003.
> More...
eBay Does Miles and Points
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There's a new big-name player in the miles-and-points space, and its name is eBay. On Tuesday, the online-auction colossus launched its own loyalty program, Anything Points.
Actually, according to eBay spokesperson Kevin Pursglove, Anything Points (AP) is not a loyalty program. Rather, it's a way of expanding the base of eBay users, which already totals 62 million.
Goals and strategies aside, in its initial incarnation, AP looks more like a mileage exchange than a mature loyalty program. That's not a bad thing from a consumer standpoint. And in any case, it's bound to change.
Here's how the program lays out...
> Earning
Points earning is currently limited to Sprint residential long distance (2,500 points for signing up, 2,500 after the first 6 months, 1,000 for credit-card billing) and small-business calling plans (5,000 points for signing up, plus 5 points for every $1 spent on long distance services).
Notably absent from the earning side of the ledger is points for eBay transactions. Most loyalty programs reward members for using the company's core product. But in the case of AP, no points are awarded for buying or selling on eBay.
According to Pursglove, the roster of earning partners will indeed be expanded, perhaps to include eBay purchases.
> Burning
The AP rewards "currency" is points, which are worth a penny apiece. So 10,000 Anything points points (APs) are worth $100.
APs can be used by themselves or in combination with cash to make purchases on eBay. The only stipulation: buyers must use (and sellers must accept) PayPal for payment. (eBay acquired PayPal last year, so the close operational tie is no accident.)
> Exchange
In what is, for now, the most compelling aspect of the program, Anything Points points are convertible, both from miles to points and from points to miles.
Specifically, miles from the American AAdvantage, Midwest Miles and Asia Miles programs can be exchanged for APs, as can Hilton HHonors points, and vice versa.
When converting from AAdvantage miles to Anything Points, 13,889 miles net 10,000 points. That equates to a value of .7 cents per mile, well below the 2 cents we use as a rule-of-thumb benchmark. Reversing direction, 10,000 APs can be exchanged for 4,186 AAdvantage miles. That amounts to paying 24 cents per mile -- a patently lousy deal, and probably intentionally so.
Looking at the Midwest Miles program, 20,203 miles convert to 10,000 APs. And 10,000 APs convert to 4,186 Midwest Miles.
And in the case of Hilton HHonors, 10,000 HHonors points can be exchanged for 1,000 APs, and 1,000 APs can be exchanged for 1,000 Hilton HHonors points.
APs expire after 12 months unless there is qualifying activity -- either earning, burning or exchanging -- in the member's account. Expired points can be reinstated by paying a fee of 100 APs (worth $1) for each month the account was inactive beyond the termination date.
> The Take Away
Anything Points is a work in progress, especially on the earning side. While the conversion rate is less than stellar, I can imagine trading AAdvantage miles for APs, and using those APs to partly or wholly pay for my next eBay purchase.
[I do not own eBay stock -- unless it's through a mutual fund I'm not aware of -- and have no financial self-interest in the company's success. I have bought and sold items through eBay, mostly outdated consumer electronics and PC parts, and have always been completely satisfied. If you have avoided eBay because you think it's insecure or inconvenient, or just because it's unfamiliar, you're missing out on one of the Internet's great success stories.]
> More...
Hilton Doubles Points for Summer Stays
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Between June 1 and Aug. 31, Hilton HHonors members will earn double HHonors points for stays booked online and completed by paying with a Visa card.
To make reservations online, go to http://www.hiltonhhonors.com or any Hilton Family of Hotels website (Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Homewood Suites, Scandic).
Northwest Reprises "Fly Free Faster"
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Once again, WorldPerks members can earn 10,000 bonus miles for using selected WorldPerks non-airline partners through Aug. 31.
First, register at http://www.nwa.com/offers/fff/.
Next, complete a qualifying activity between June 1 and Aug. 31. Qualifying activities include flights on Northwest, KLM or Northwest Airlink, signing up for a new WorldPerks Visa card, etc.
Finally, earn five Partner Credits from non-air WorldPerks partners between June 1 and Aug. 31, including WorldPerks Visa Card transactions, car rentals from WorldPerks rental partners, shopping at the WorldPerks Mall, stays at partner hotels, etc.
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...
Summer companion fares on Northwest from $162
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Northwest is offering companion fares for travel in the U.S. and Canada, with prices starting at $162 roundtrip. Travel is valid through Nov. 20. Book tickets by Friday, May 23.
Companion tickets require a 14-day advance purchase. Higher individual fares are also available, and must be purchased at least 30 days in advance.
> More...
Fly to Puerto Rico or the USVI from $369
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Springtime is when fares to Caribbean destinations begin to drop from their high winter levels, and right now American is offering low sale fares for travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Travel is valid through June 20. No booking deadline has been announced; tickets must be booked at least 3 days before travel.
> More...
S W E E P S & F R E E B I E S
Win 1 Million OnePass Miles
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Enter the LendingTree Million Miles Sweepstakes by June 30 to win 1 million OnePass miles.
Sweepstakes is open to members of OnePass as of Feb. 1, 2003, who are legal U.S. residents at least 18 years old at the time 1of entry. One entry per person.
> More...
R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S
This Week's E-mail Bag
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"A few weeks ago, I was told by a Hilton rep that we can request the awards before May 31 at much lower point requirements and make the reservations later (after May 31, 2003) when we know more about the timing of our stay. I just called to request the Aloha Spirit award issued even though I don't have a firm date for it yet. The rep told me that I must make a reservation at the same time as I request the award, and I can only change the reservation BEFORE May 31! After May 31, I'll have to go with the new points system. This is a dramatic change from the information I was given just a few weeks ago. If you are thinking of getting the high-points VIP awards, call and find out the details!"
- George
F R E Q U E N T F L I E R F U N N I E S
True (Funny) Travel Stories
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"I recently travelled on a domestic flight in New Zealand and was politely ignoring the in flight briefing when I pricked up my ears - had I heard correctly "there may be 50 ways to leave your lover" said the flight attendant but only 4 ways to leave this aircraft" and she pointed to the exits. She then went on to the beverage service - "we offer tea and coffee. You may take the cups with you." "In fact" she went on "it's mothers day soon. If you collect 6 and put them in a shoebox, they'll make a great gift!". By now, every time she made an announcement she had the entire plane's attention. On arrival "be careful to collect all your belongings before you leave; if you don't we collect them up and share them out among the crew". Everyone left with a smile on their face. Not bad for a cramped commuter airline. Of course if the airline moguls heard about it, they'd probably fire her!"
[Thanks to Liz, who contributed this week's story for the enjoyment of Crier readers. Incidentally, the flight in question was on Air New Zealand Link.]
Until next week...
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