U P F R O N T
Airlines' November Results: Dismal
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Since Monday, U.S. carriers have been reporting results of their Nov. operations. To no one's great surprise, passenger traffic is down substantially from last year, by as much as 26.7% in the case of US Airways. A summary:
Nov. 2001 vs. 2000
Airline Passenger Traffic
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AirTran -4.8%
Alaska -5.7%
American -25.0%
America West -17.9%
Continental -16.7%
Delta -19.6%
Northwest -21.7%
Southwest -8.8%
United -23.5%
US Airways -26.7%
These results are NOT academic. The airlines cannot sustain daily losses of $5 - $10 million indefinitely. Government subsidies and loan guarantees notwithstanding, if traffic and revenue don't recover, and sooner rather than later, there will be bankruptcies. Bankruptcies mean consolidation. And consolidation means less competition, fewer choices for consumers, and higher prices. Plus there's the very real possibility of frequent flyers losing their miles.
Stay tuned...
O N S I T E
New on the FrequentFlier Forum
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Skytail just qualified for AA Platinum (congrats!) and wonders: When will I receive my credentials? Always-active Ronald has even more miles and points suggestions than usual. Linda is looking for dining-for-miles deals. And more...
Do you have questions, answers? Post them to the Forum!
> More...
M I L E S & P O I N T S
Aviators Bows Out; Do You Know Where Your Miles Are?
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Over this past weekend, any outstanding Aviators miles were scheduled to be transferred automatically to the owners' AAdvantage accounts. Assuming, that is, the Aviators member had an AAdvantage account with the same name and contact information.
If were an Aviators member, be sure to check your AAdvantage account to verify that the Aviators miles have properly transferred (they will be shown as a "Bonus"). If not, or if the number of miles transferred is incorrect, call 1-800-433-7300 to request an adjustment.
[If you're a former Aviators member, I'd like to hear your experiences of the auto-transfer, positive or negative. Please e-mail me at mailto:editor@frequentflier.com Thanks!]
OnePass Members Can Buy "The Extra Mile"
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You can earn miles, and in some cases you can purchase miles. Continental's Extra Mile promotion is a hybrid, allowing OnePass members to BUY the opportunity to EARN bonus miles.
You'll pay $99 to join The Extra Mile program and earn a 50% mileage bonus on every paid flight from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2002. The bonus is over and above any Elite or promotion bonuses. A maximum of 10,000 bonus miles can be earned during the program period. Enroll online to earn an additional 1,000 bonus miles.
Enroll by Jan. 1, 2002, at https://onepass.continental.com or call 1-800-554-5522.
Because you're buying a bonus on actual flown miles, this offer only makes sense if you're a regular Continental customer. If you do fly Continental -- and especially if foresee being able to earn the entire 10,000-mile bonus during 2002 -- this deal amounts to purchasing miles at less than a penny each. As deals go, that's a good one.
CO, US Offer Up to 20,000 Miles for E-Bookings
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Both Continental and US Airways will reward e-bookers with up to 20,000 bonus miles, according to the following "buy more/get more" schedule":
1st purchase = 2,000 miles
2nd purchase = 3,000 miles
3rd purchase = 4,000 miles
4th purchase = 5,000 miles
5th purchase = 6,000 miles
Total = 20,000 miles
The Continental offer is in effect through Feb. 15, while the US Airways version applies through Feb. 28, 2002. The bonus miles cited include the normally earned 1,000-mile online booking bonus. Both offers require pre-registration.
> More - http://onepass.continental.com/
> More - http://www.usairways.com/dividendmiles/4709.htm
Earn Up to 60K Dividend Miles to/from Europe
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Dividend Miles members can earn up to 60,000 bonus miles when they fly US Airways between the U.S. or Canada and Europe between Dec. 16, 2001, and Apr. 28, 2002, in first class (F fare), Envoy Class (J/C fares), or full-fare economy (Y/B fares). That's 15,000 bonus miles for the first and second roundtrip, and 30,000 for the third.
Travel in discount economy class (M/H/K/Q fares) earns 30,000 bonus miles for three roundtrips -- 5,000 for the first roundtrip, 10,000 for the second, and 15,000 for the third.
For details and to register before departure at http://www.usairways.com/dividendmiles/4743.htm.
United.com Charges Earn 1,000-Mile Bonus
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Now through Dec. 31, receive an additional 1,000 bonus miles for every roundtrip ticket charged to your Mileage Plus Visa card at united.com.
Bonus is in addition to other united.com booking and flight bonuses.
MWE Gift Certificates Reward Givers with Bonus Miles
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Purchase by Dec. 31 a Midwest Express gift certificate -- good for the purchase of a ticket on Midwest Express or Skyway Airlines, The Midwest Express Connection, or on codeshare flights -- and earn bonus miles 2 ways.
1) Double Frequent Flyer miles when you use your Midwest Express Gold MasterCard or MasterCard Business Card to purchase gift certificates -- 2 miles for every dollar charged.
2) 500 bonus miles for any gift certificate purchase of $200 or more. Limit: one bonus per member per calendar year.
Certificates are available in multiples of $25, up to $500, and can be purchased by calling 800-452-2022.
> More...
Nikko Hotels to Join WorldPerks Program
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Beginning Dec. 1, 2001, WorldPerks members can earn miles for stays at Nikko hotels. Eligible stays earn 500 miles at participating Nikko hotels and 200 miles at participating Hotel JAL City properties located in Japan.
In a disappointing departure from standard marketing policy, there's no double-mile offer associated with this partner introduction.
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...
Web-Only Sale Fares to Italy, Portugal, or Spain From $285
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Continental Airlines has released web-only sale fares for travel from the U.S. to cities in Italy, Portugal, and Spain through Mar. 15, 2002. Purchase tickets online only and at least 14 days before departure.
> More...
Nationwide Savings on Holiday Travel Starting at $60 R/T
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Southwest Airlines has released a systemwide sale on roundtrip and one-way fares, including regional fares from $60 roundtrip for travel within California, the Midwest, the Southwest, or Texas.
> More...
S W E E P S T A K E S & F R E E B I E S
Win a Week in Hollywood
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Enter the Cheap Tickets "15 Minutes of Fame" sweepstakes to win a 1-week trip to Hollywood, including first-class air, hotel, rental car and an opportunity to appear on NBC's "Three Sisters."
Through Dec 31, 2001, each ticket purchased at Cheap Tickets will earn an entry in the drawing. You can enter without making a purchase as well, by sending a postcard with name, mailing address, etc. to the address provided on the Cheap Tickets website.
> More...
[Other travel-related sweepstakes and giveaways are online at http://frequentflier.com/sweeps.htm.]
R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S
Elite Policy Rants (continued)
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Last week's note from Stacey regarding UA's elite policy (http://frequentflier.com/ffc-112801.htm) clearly touched a nerve among the high-frequency-flight set. Here are 3 responses:
"Face it--life will never be the same for anyone in the U.S., and next year and the year after there will always be an excuse for why we didn't quite make the 1K level. Based on surveys of those who earned 1K the hard way, United decided to see if you qualified in either 1999 or 2000 under the 100,000 mile or 100 segment system. If you made it the real way in either 1999 or 2000 then they will match it next year. However, if the only way you ever made 1K was to fly 84,000 under the "1K lite" discount last year, then you don't make it unless you hit the 100,000 mile or 100 segment level this year. Yes, I'm grumbling about needing a couple of mileage runs--which I have now planned--BUT I appreciate United looking at my past loyalty levels over several years not just the previous year. And I appreciate their efforts to protect the benefits of the 1K program for those who really do fly over 100,000 miles a year."
- Steve
"Hooray for the letter complaining about United's (cheap) elite plan for 2002. That, along with the poor (awful) service they have been giving is pushing me to American also. United moans about losing money but seems to have no idea how to retain or obtain customers!"
- SFOgolfer
"I have been very disappointed as a 10-year Northwest Airlines elite status member that they have not extended this status to us for 2002. Many of us could not complete flights that were scheduled immediately after the Sept. 11 incident and will not retain our status for 2002. "Elite" members should be given more consideration."
- Gene
F R E Q U E N T F L I E R F U N N I E S
"Strangers On Your Flight"
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One of the victims of Sep. 11 was, understandably, humor. Humor in general, and particularly travel-related humor, just felt inappropriate in the midst of tragedy and high seriousness.
The return of humor is, I think, a measure of the country's emotional recovery. And if that's true, the corner may have been turned with the recent Saturday Night Live parody of John Ashcroft. Further indication of humor's resurgence is the reappearance in my e-mail inbox (and probably yours as well) of jokes and links to sites trafficking in humor and parody. Here's a link a reader e-mailed to my attention.
Warning - Politically incorrect!
> More...
Until next week...
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