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Double American Miles for Gulf Air Flights
Through December 31, AAdvantage members will earn double miles for Gulf Air flights between London (Heathrow), Frankfurt, or Paris (Charles De Gaulle) and Bahrain.
Registration is required.
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Double Continental Miles for Shangri-La Stays
Between September 1 and November 30, OnePass members will earn double miles for stays of two or more nights at Shangri-La city hotels, Shangri-La resorts, or Traders Hotels.
Qualifying rates: Value Rate at Shangri-La city hotels; Resort Select Rate at Shangri-La resorts; and Traders Smart Deals rate at Traders hotels.
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From National: "One-Two-Free"
Through December 12, members of National Car Rental's Emerald Club will receive one free rental day for every two rentals of a midsize or larger car, for two or more days, in the U.S. and Canada.
Registration is required.
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United Discounts International Flights
Mileage Plus members who charge international coach tickets to a Visa card will receive a discount of 10%. Discount applies to flights from the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands to Europe, Asia, or South America.
Tickets must be booked before September 30, for travel between September 9 and November 20.
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Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel
"I've never had any problem taking my empty water bottle thru security, & then filling it before I board the plane." [Anne C.]
"TSA doesn't ban travelers from packing an empty container for water or anything else. I take an empty container and fill it with water once I'm past the security gates." [Susan U.]
"Just a comment to BJM's reply in [last week's] newsletter about my 1968 flights. I guess because you had taken my original statement from the FF Forum only in part, and not including my mention about my understanding the fact that inflation had of course gone up, or my earlier comment in the same thread about the nickel and diming that we're presently getting hit with, his checking the costs of things in '68 sounds relevant. However I had mentioned that I understand inflation and its results, and I still feel that current flyers are getting the shaft, even with his perceived low fares (and yes, the actual fares themselves are not unreasonable), yet I think that I and many others feel that the airlines are overdoing it with the additional crap that they're throwing at the pax, and in the long run, they're starting already to see the backlash from the public, who, unless they really have to fly, are not. Only those who MUST fly for business or personal reasons will do so, until some of the 'extra charges' are removed, and the weaker airlines are gone. UA just announced they'll now be charging for BOB food in Y class for TATL flights from IAD. And I think fares will come down more (we're starting to see that already) as airlines find more empty seats on their flights, even after cutting available seats by grounding flights and discontinuing small cities. Hotels are already feeling the pinch, as their rates fall sharply.
"And as to the reply that the average cost of a home in 1968 cost $14,000, I'd reply that a year later we looked for a home in N.J. where we lived, and a modest new home in the area started at $51,000. Averages are just that....an average.
"I guess BJM didn't bother reading my entire comments in the Forum, but that's okay... to paraphrase him, my glass is 3/4 full, with the highest 1/4 fed up with the BS costs that the airlines are trying to pass off to the pax. Still have some room for a 1/4 on the very top though." [Jeff F.]
"When comparing prices of things from past years, two caveats: the things of the past and the things of today are scarcely equivalent, and in many cases, prices have fallen instead of rising.
"In 1974, for instance, a 19" Sony tabletop television set cost nearly $600. That's for a basic color set, mono sound, no digital tuner, no wireless remote, no cable-ready inputs. Today, $600 will buy you a 32" LCD HDTV with stereo sound.
"Average housing prices have gone up, but the average house is more than double the size of an average house of the early 1970's. Moreover, it's more likely to contain much nicer appliances with far more features than a comparable 1970 house. Likewise, the cost of a car may be ten times what it was in the late 60's, but the average car today contains far more safety and entertainment features and is much more fuel efficient.
"Not to mention that the home computer of the early 1970's was a typewriter (typically manual, unlikely electric, almost certainly without any correction features) and a calculator. Together, the two could cost as much as a low-end notebook does today.
"Air travel is kind of in the middle: planes are much safer, but there's scarcely been any net improvement in comfort or speed. Computers can now lose your reservation much faster than humans used to be able to, though, and no human can match their efficiency in coming up with indecipherable pricing schemes." [Kevin M.]
"We traveled to Orlando from Portland, Or in June, getting tickets on-line through Alaska. We were booked on Delta on the outbound flight, and Alaska on return. We purchased first class tickets, left at 6 AM from PDX with a stop in Salt Lake City. NOTHING was offered on the first leg of trip, and from SLC to Orlando, were given a choice of a turkey chipotle sandwich. When we asked for another choice, we were told "That's it!" They added that I could purchase something from what they were selling in coach! Since it was a long flight, I had no alternative, and opted for a $6.00 fruit plate.
"Our return trip on Alaska was everything a first class fare should be, just as on prior first class flights. I wrote a letter to Delta explaining our disappointment, and requested some kind of compensation, i.e.the difference between first class and coach fare for that portion of the trip. We paid for first class, and received "coach". Two letters and a phone call later produced no results, and they absolutely refuse to do anything for us. I would never recommend purchasing first class tickets on Delta, and wish I had legal recourse. If anyone has a suggestion to further action, I would appreciate the info." [Ray and Myrl]
"I RECENTLY TRIED TO USE MILES TO FLY FROM BOSTON TO CA AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD TO DO A ROUND TRIP TO USE POINTS. I HAD ALREADY MADE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OTHER LEG OF THE TRIP. I RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE FROM UNITED. THIS IS CRAZY." [JOHN S.]
"Who are all these whiners lamenting lost points, lost miles, blah, blah, blah on this site? Isn't it for frequent fliers? How do they qualify as 'frequent' when they lose points, miles, perks, status, whatever because they don't use something within a year (or more)? I say, hey, you're an adult, if you can read, and care about these bonus programs, and you lose something because of your own inactivity, don't blame the providing source, blame yourself. Like legal things, ignorance is no excuse. Sorry, but it's time America wakes up from its long, lazy sleep and pays attention. Good grief. And why does this site even allow these whiners time/space to gripe when it is called 'frequent flier'? Pa-lease." [Kevin D.]
Until next week...
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