Donate Cash, Miles and Points to Hurricane Relief Efforts

If ever there were a good time to mix charitable instincts with frequent flyer program participation, this is it.

Miles, points and, yes, cash can help make a difference to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the relief organizations assisting them.

We've compiled a list of donation opportunities available through the airline and hotel programs.

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This Week's Travel Industry Newsbites

In what may be a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy, Delta will sell 11 B767-200's (the most fuel-inefficient plane in its fleet), reduce operations at its second-largest hub, Cincinnati, by 26%, and boost international flights from Atlanta.

Notwithstanding the changes, industry analyst Helane Becker deemed a bankruptcy filing "a near certainty."

United today filed its reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court, a critical precursor to the airline's emergence from Chapter 11. The plan calls for United to exit bankruptcy protection on Feb. 1, 2006.

According to United chief Glenn Tilton: "Today, we are more flexible, more efficient and more resilient. As a result, United is now positioned to compete with the best carriers and confront the challenges of a volatile industry." After shedding 20,000 jobs, cutting costs by $7 billion, jettisoning underfunded pension plans, and generally demoralizing its workers, one hopes that management has finally got it right.

Northwest and its striking mechanics union may be back at the bargaining table as soon as Thursday, according to late-breaking news coverage as we go to press.

While the public will undoubtedly will be inundated with spin from both sides, each claiming to have won its point, any resumption of negotiations at this juncture has to be taken as a victory for management, which proved that temporary non-union mechanics were up to the task of keeping Northwest's planes in the air.

FrequentFlier Forum Topics

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

In the "Airline Programs" Forum, in response to pnolen's rant on upgrading on Continental, smilesjr begins as follows: "There are several keys to using miles for Business Class travel on Continental to Europe..." He then proceeds to deliver on that promise.

In the "Credit Card Programs" Forum, Travlynn shares an intriguing offer for selected CitiBank AAdvantage cardholders: "Earn double American Airlines AAdvantage miles on purchases made at the supermarket, gas station and drugstore through 10/31/05." Sound like the American Express offer? You bet! This may be a trial run by CitiBank prior to matching Amex's double miles on a permanent basis.

And much more. Questions, answers? Post them to the Forum!

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American Bonuses Latin America Flights

Between Sept. 7 and Nov. 15, AAdvantage members will earn 5,000 bonus miles for unrestricted coach fares (Y, B and H booking classes) and 2,500 bonus miles for discounted coach fares (K, M, L, V, Q or N) on flights between the U.S. and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay.

Registration is required. Promotion code: LAT5K.

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China Southern, China Airlines Link Mileage Programs

Proving that business trumps politics, airlines from mainland China and Taiwan -- two notoriously adversarial countries -- have agreed to participate in each other's frequent flyer programs.

Members of China Southern's Sky Pearl Club frequent flyer program will be able to earn and redeem miles on China Airlines-operated flights that are marketed with China Airlines' "CI" code. And members of China Airlines' Dynasty Flyer frequent flyer program will be able to earn and redeem miles on flights operated by China Southern and marketed with the airline's two letter "CZ" code.

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Continental Bonus for Tickets Charged to Amex Card

Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, OnePass members will earn 500 bonus miles when booking tickets at continental.com using an American Express card. They'll also receive a year's subscription to Travel + Leisure.

Bonus is in addition to the 1,000 bonus miles for flying on tickets booked and purchased on continental.com.

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Independence Air Gets a Million

Frequent flyer program members, that is.

In just over a year, Independence's iCLUB program has enrolled a million members.

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Earn Bonus AAdvantage Miles for Loews Stays

Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, members of Loews' LoewsFirst program will earn 1,000 AAdvantage miles for every stay, plus 3,000 AAdvantage miles when staying at three or more different Loews Hotels. The offers are separate and combinable.

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Southwest Adds PeoplePC

Rapid Rewards members can now earn four credits for establishing new Internet service accounts with peoplePC starting at $10.95 per month.

Credits will be awarded after the third month of PeoplePC Online or PeoplePC Online Accelerated service.

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Star Boasts Alliance-wide Upgrades (Chapter 1)

The Star Alliance has begun offering one-class upgrades on selected alliance partners, with the promise that the remaining partners will be onboard next year.

The upgrades are currently available on ANA, Austrian, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. Conspicuously missing from the list: United, one of the founding members of Star.

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United Highlights Award Availability

United now features a dedicated page on its website where it lists routes which are more likely to have seats available for award use at saver levels.

This is obviously in response to escalating frustration on the part of Mileage Plus members unable to redeem their miles for their first (or second or third) choice of flights. Steering members in the direction of less popular flights doesn't solve the core problem, obviously. But United gets points for making a bad situation less so.

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United Offers Enrollment Bonus

Through Oct. 31, new Mileage Plus members who enroll through the link below will earn 3,000 bonus miles.

(I discovered this promotion quite by accident on the website of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which I've been monitoring for news of the Northwest strike. There, on the page dedicated to strike updates, United was running an ad promoting Mileage Plus memberships. United is clearly trolling for disaffected Northwest customers.)

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Double United Miles on SFO-Ontario Ted Flights

Between Sept. 7 and Dec. 14, Mileage Plus members will earn double miles for Ted flights between San Francisco and Ontario. The double miles can be earned on up to six flight segments.

Registration is required.

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Viator Bookings Earn United Miles

Viator.com has added United to American and Delta on its list of airline mileage partners, allowing consumers to earn miles for purchasing tours, or event and attraction tickets.

Mileage Plus members earn one mile for every $1 spent at Viator.com, and double miles for purchases over $300 through Sept. 30.

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Maximize Your Workout
Provided by Healthy Travel Network

Busy, busy, busy describes most business travel trips. To maintain your fitness level on the road, maximize your workout by compressing its duration but increasing its intensity. Try these tricks on your next trip:

• Turn weight lifting into cardio exercise by moving rapidly from one exercise to the next, without resting. Remember to perform the exercises with controlled movements, just be sure to minimize your resting time. High intensity circuit training can burn almost twice as many calories as a casual workout.

• Cut time by performing dual arm and leg exercises, such as combining squats and arm curls, plié squats and lateral raises, or standing lunges and shoulder press.

• Maximize the effectiveness of your cardio workout by performing interval training. Try this 30-minute routine: five-minute warm-up, two minutes at high intensity with two-minute recovery repeated five times, followed by a five-minute cool-down.

Sign up at Healthy Travel Network to get an upcoming article including sample programs to maximize your next workout.

Deal Alert from SmarterTravel.com

1) Ireland Sale Fares on Aer Lingus from $228

Off-peak flights to Ireland are on sale with Aer Lingus' winter offer. Prices start at $228 roundtrip.

Departures are available from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Booking deadlines and validity dates vary by city.

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2) JetBlue's New Cross-country Route from $99 Each Way

JetBlue has announced new service between Boston and Seattle that will begin in early November. Introductory prices start at $99 one-way, not including taxes and fees, and regular one-way fares will range from $149 to $349. Departures are valid from either city.

The introductory fares are valid for travel from Nov. 3 through Dec. 14. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 30.

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Win a Dodge Charger from Dollar Rent A Car

Through Sept. 30, enter the Dollar Rent A Car "40th Anniversary Sweepstakes" for a chance to win a 2006 Dodge Charger, a five-day/four-night trip for four to Orlando, Fla., or 75,000 Delta SkyMiles.

Register online at the company's Web site; or mail a 3-by-5 card with your name, address, telephone number and email address to "40th Anniversary Sweepstakes," Dollar Rent A Car Inc., MS 9W1, P.O. Box 35250, Tulsa, OK, 74153-0250. In addition, anyone who rents and picks up a Dollar rental at participating locations through Sept. 30 will receive one automatic entry.

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Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel

"I am disappointed by SWA's Rapid Rewards changes. Not so much from a personal perspective that they will negatively impact me in the short term, but rather on how the changes will impact the majors.

"I have thought for some time that the best way to reward customers is to give at least as good a service or product at the time of the reward as a customer gets when paying full price. With today's mixed bag of available awards from discounted short-hauls to last minute Rule Busters, it's very difficult to know what a mile is worth or what I should expect to pay (in miles) for an award. With the old Southwest model, or the Starwood model, you know what your miles and points are going to get you. It's very clear. And prior to this change, I had hoped that at some point the majors might go to a model that offers more restrictive mile earning opportunities, but last seat availability on the awards. While I don't think the model is completely out of reach, I do think it's off the table until some measure of profitability returns to the industry." [Glenn]

Until next week...