http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/04/26/daily67.html

I don’t really like this.  From my Charlotte perspective it seems like Continental likes to focus on small flights with short connections and limited destinations even with connections.  I have no use for continental because either they don’t fly where I’m going, they expect me to make a 30 minute connection in the afternoon in EWR or they want twice as much as anyone else for the privilege of flying them (which probably goes back to supply and demand).

Until recently CO only flew regional jets (RJs) into CLT.  This meant that there was no chance of an upgrade.  It also meant a flight to IAH was uncomfortable.  They also don’t go anywhere…did I say that already?

United likes big planes.  United has a huge route structure.  United flies mainline into CLT.

I’d like to just see Continental go away instead of merge with my carrier.

All credit card point earning categories are not created equal.  Many credit cards offer bonus points on certain categories such as gas an groceries while purchases at big box stores are often excluded.

Flyertalker 4Health details his way of getting around spending category shortfalls by buying WalMart gift cards online on American Express’ bonus portal (only for Membership Rewards cards).

My Hilton HHonors American Express offers bonus points at grocery stores.  Many grocery stores now sell gift cards for various other places.  Since restaurants no longer earn bonus points on that card it can be used to purchase restaurant gift cards so the grocery bonus is earned instead of the standard point rate.  It takes some advanced thought and relegates one into chain restaurants, but if you are going to eat at Chilis anyway might as well get some more points with it.

If you are using another card’s portal or one of the various airline shopping malls verify before hand that purchasing gift cards counts.  Many times purchases of gift cards or purchases made with gift cards do not count for bonuses.

I’m not talking about Otis Spunkmeyer, I’m talking about internet tracking cookies…or should I say Chris Elliot is.

Good food for thought if you notice your itinerary always goes up but others don’t.

I haven’t noticed any issues with price fluctuations recently.  I noticed it quite a bit 10 years ago, but side step yields the same results consistently and I can book the same fare on my corporate site.

When I used to get asked whether I liked traveling so much I always enthusiastically said yes.  The fact of the matter is that I chose to seek employment in a traveling job because I was Ryan Bingham.  I sought to keep my backpack empty.  I had a lot of acquaintances but few real friends.  The friends I did have lived 1000 miles away in a place I never wanted to live.  It gave me the ability to be very selective about my circle.  I haven’t been traveling that long, but the longer I travel the harder it becomes to  want to maintain such distance.

It gets harder each time to say that I can’t make another event on a week day.  I am Ryan Bingham at the wedding realizing there is more to life that flying.  Life is what happens when I’m making plans.

It doesn’t help that every week TSA restricts more of my freedoms, frequent travel programs devalue, and flight times get crappier for my schedule.  Hopefully this will pass.

What donations to the airlines have you made throughout the years by leaving things in seatback pockets?

The other day on my flight I was in the first row and had a friendly flight attendant so we chatted a bit.  She was complaining about the size of the novel she was carrying.  I replied that she should get a Kindle because that is the whole point.  She stated that if she wouldn’t pay $200 for a device that will just end up left on the plane.  I inquired if she has found many and she said I wouldn’t believe how many she’s found (and since she doesn’t have one I’ll assume she is honest and turns them in instead of getting new toys).  I told her it is my policy to never put anything in the seat back pocket.  The time I am most tempted is during a long-haul flight.  The problem is the longer the flight the more I try to sleep.  The more I try to sleep the less likely I am to remember whatever it is.

I will attach my glasses to the seat back pocket since I am so blind there is no way I will make it out of my seat without my glasses, but aside from that I follow the mantra of the regional carriers and leave only the airline magazine, sky mall, airsickness bag, and safety card.

Photo from Amazon.com

According to MSNBC

New York Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday that American, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, US Airways and JetBlue Airways each have committed to him that they would not institute fees for carry-on bags. He said he was hopeful other carriers would follow suit.

This is in response to Spirit Airlines recent announcement to begin charging for carry-ons.

They had been renovating the Check-in area between the B and C checkpoints for a while (the short-lived Midwest check-in area). Now I find out why. Before Delta, United, American, Continental, and Airtran were crammed in between the A and B checkpoints. Now United and Continental have jumped into the area between the B and C checkpoints and they are really emphasizing the Star Alliance affiliation.

I did not wander down to see if any changes have been made to jetBlue, Lufthansa, or US Airways.

This was actually an entry for the Gold Coast contest on one of the other blogs (and I need to search to remember which one). This has also been discussed on Flyertalk when a jetsetting family member dies.

The way the airlines have it set up frequent flyer miles belong to the person on the account and in the case of death those miles technically go bye-bye. The thing is that airlines don’t know that someone died so the real limiting factor is that no living person knows the password to that account. For someone with a serious mileage balance part of the will should include user logins and passwords for frequent flyer accounts so surviving members can use remaining miles. Airlines like United require the redeemer to go to an airport in person to present ID for a reward flight booked over the phone in certain situations, but other airlines have different rules. Usually if the last name on the ticket is the same as the account holder there is less of an issue.

Link here
Travel between April 13, 2010 and June 15, 2010

As opposed to other DEQM offers this offers double Preferred (elite status) and redeemable (used for trips) miles.

It seems all the pressure and temperature changes from travel like to take their toll leading me to pounding headaches. Headaches are sneaky things and know to strike the trip after changing to a new purse and not carrying my normal stash of Excedrin. Headaches also know to do this when I didn’t rent a car and my headache gets worse when I stand up.

Thankfully this Hampton Inn has a shop with several choices in analgesics. Not my normal Excedrin, but oh well.

Any tips out there for travel headaches (and I mean literal ones).