• A lawsuit filed by a United Airlines Million-Miler will proceed, as a judge threw out United’s request to have it dismissed. Well… parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, but others are still in play. The judge said, “At this stage of the litigation, the court finds it plausible that defendants had a contract with Million Miler members which differed from the contract they had with other Mileage Plus members.” Will Regional Upgrades and 100% bonus miles return?
• In other United news, Seth at Wandering Aramean reports that United will drop a second appetizer choice from existing service on two-cabin international BusinessFirst flights (think legacy Continental). Not a big loss and the single cold appetizer is certainly nothing special. The change takes effect March 1.
• Hyatt Regency will take over and reflag a former downtown Los Angeles Marriott property in May. It marks a return for Hyatt to downtown L.A. after an eight year absence. And in other Marriott news, the chain is adding/reflagging seven hotels in Thailand in the upcoming months.
• A JetBlue flight was diverted because a passenger was miffed that a fellow traveler didn’t pay for the “premium seat” next to her. Apparently, a passenger was moved from his non-premium seat to one next to her due to an inop seatback monitor and she couldn’t handle it. Really people?
• In other bad behavior, American Airlines apologized and refunded Kristen Chenoweth a pet-in-cabin fee after a flight attendant allegedly made a mistake in claiming the actress/singer failed to properly document her pooch. The FA reportedly yelled at Chenoweth causing her to break down in tears.
• Allegiant Air began scheduled Las Vegas-Reno-Las Vegas service today. The twice-weekly service occurs on Fridays and Sundays, and a look at their fares today reveals a decent bargain on many dates for less than $100 round-trip (assuming you don’t assign yourself seats, buy with a credit-card or check bags). I’ve been meaning to try out the likes of Allegiant and Spirit just for the hell of it. Now that I’m Reno-based, I might just have to give the Vegas flight a try.
• And finally, in exciting news to my Amenity Kit Series, Delta Air Lines will begin issuing new BusinessElite amenity kits this month. The new offering will feature a bag by Tumi and skin care products by Malin+Goetz. Sounds (and looks) like an upgrade to me.

Delta BusinessElite Tumi Amenity Kit

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 31, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 30, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 29, 2013

• A third person has died from Legionnaires’ Disease linked to a JW Marriott hotel in Chicago. Hotel officials removed the fountain and tests showed that the pool, whirlpool and both the men’s and women’s locker rooms contained “the same species of Legionella as were found in the ill patients.”
• Lufthansa woes continue as flight attendants went on strike again today in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin causing hundreds of cancellations. Lufthansa says only a “handful” of flights will be cancelled tomorrow.
• Did you know I’m an amenity kit collector? I wish I were flying Virgin Atlantic this Thursday as they’re giving away limited-edition Swarovski jewel-studded eye masks valued at $4,000. The airline is hiding five of them in coach (?!) amenity kits this week.
• Delta Air Lines quietly raised some award redemption levels in the SkyMiles program. Tisk, tisk. Leave it to hard-core Flyertalkers to discover the increase and (probably) be the first to chastise the airline.
• Last week was pretty quiet on the “air traveling idiot of the week” front. Fortunately, I have several candidates today. A flier aboard a Swiss flight on Sunday felt disturbed during his meal when the passenger in front of him reclined his seat, causing an altercation resulting in the plane returning to Zurich. A man was arrested over the weekend at an airport in Lagos after officials discovered he had more than $150,000 worth of cocaine stuffed inside roasted chickens. An Emirates flight attendant was arrested in England after flying drunk. She was eight times the legal limit for FAs (twice the limit for driving).
• Finally, Glenn Beck says he was subjected to treatment by American Airlines that would be considered “subhuman.” While I don’t agree with many (all) of Beck’s opinions, I think there might be a little truth to this story.

More news:

Friday, August 31, 2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

• The FAA is beginning to review electronic devices and whether passengers can one day use them at all times during a flight. The agency is forming a committee to review the issue, even accepting input from the traveling public.
• American Airlines posted a net income of $135 million for July 2012, the second straight month of profitability. The carrier incurred $54 million of bankruptcy-related charges during July.
• American and Air Tahiti Nui officially launched their codeshare agreement today for travel September 10 and beyond. American added its code on Air Tahiti Nui’s Papeete flight out of LAX, and Air Tahiti Nui did the same on American’s flights out of LAX to 15 destinations.
• Coach passengers flying Virgin Australia will receive free meals beginning September 26 on flights from Perth to the East Coast of Australia, matching a service Qantas passengers currently enjoy.
• Hertz has agreed to buy Dollar Thrifty for $2.3 billion. Avis could still come in and outbid Hertz as the deal has a 30-day window during which time Dollar Thrifty can entertain and accept higher bids.
• A computer malfunction caused the JFK AirTrain system to shut down on Saturday, stranding 140 passengers heading to/from the terminals. Air conditioning broke down, communication failed and some passengers were stuck for a couple of hours and had to walk more than a mile to “freedom.”
• Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel will join the Autograph Collection of boutique Marriott properties next month. It opened in 1892 and is the second oldest hotel in operation in Denver.
• Ron Akana, United’s longest serving flight attendant, retired over the weekend. He worked for United for 64 years and flew his final flight as a crewmember on Sunday from Denver to Honolulu. Congrats on a wonderful career!

[Edited: These offers are no longer valid, but I'm leaving the post up for reference. I've removed the links to each offer.]

I’ve added the current Marriott Rewards credit card offers from Chase to my Mile & Point Earning Credit Card page. There are two standard offers out there right now. The Marriott Rewards Visa Credit Card offers 30,000 bonus points and the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Credit Card offers 50,000 bonus points. Each card also bestows free night certificates (and other perks), as shown below.

Marriott Rewards Credit Card – 30,000 Bonus Points

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after your first purchase, redeemable for up to 4 free nights
• Receive 2 free night stay e-certificates upon account approval (category 1-4 hotels)
• $0 Introductory Annual Fee the first year, then $45 annually
• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at Marriott locations
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent elsewhere
• Instant Silver Elite status with a credit of 10 Nights applied to your account every year
• Earn 1 Elite Night credit for every $3,000 spent
• Purchase APR is 14.24% Variable
• Application link for the Marriott Rewards Credit Card

Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card – 50,000 Bonus Points

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after your first purchase, redeemable for up to 6 free nights
• Receive 1 free night stay e-certificate upon account approval (category 1-4 hotels)
• Receive 1 free night stay e-certificate each year on your anniversary (category 1-5 hotels)
• $0 Introductory Annual Fee the first year, then $85 annually
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott locations
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent directly with airlines, car rental agencies and restaurants
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent elsewhere
• Instant Silver Elite status with a credit of 15 Nights applied to your account every year
• Earn 1 Elite Night credit for every $3,000 spent
• Purchase APR is 15.24% Variable
• Application link for the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card

So which card is better? I’d definitely go for the 50,000 Premier card before considering the lower bonus offer. A $40 premium for the annual fee beginning the second year of membership is a small price to pay for the extra points that would equate into 2 additional free nights at category 1-4 hotels. And the annual free night certificate for category 1-5 hotels is an added bonus.

Silver elite status in Marriott Rewards earns a 20% bonus on base points for hotel stays, free Wi-Fi in select countries outside of the U.S., a 10% discount on weekend rates at Courtyard and Springhill Suites, late checkout privileges and more.

Application link: Marriott Rewards Credit Card 30,000 offer

Application link: Marriott Rewards Credit Card 50,000 offer

One final note: the free night certificates earned after account opening are valid only at category 1-4 properties. There are very few category 1 hotels out there and the majority of category 4 hotels are the likes of Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn. Don’t think you’ll get a stay at a major Marriott flagship resort with those certs.

For more hotel and airline-branded credit cards, visit my Mile & Point Earning Credit Card page.

I receive a referral credit if you use the links on this page and successfully apply for a card. I remain grateful to any who use my links as blogging is my full-time job. The decision to apply for credit is yours and includes the responsibility to read and understand all terms and conditions.

In other airline, hotel and travel industry news last week…

• Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran in May last year and received a single operating certificate from the FAA last month, but each carrier remains an independent operation for the time being meaning AirTran’s baggage and other fees will remain intact. Unlike the relatively faster integration between Delta & Northwest and United & Continental, Southwest says it will take, “several years to fully transition AirTran into Southwest Airlines to become one airline.” The fees will continue through at least the end of 2013 and possibly into 2014.
• US Airways is expanding its Gogo Wi-Fi service across their entire Airbus fleet and Embraer 190 aircraft, eventually bringing onboard internet capabilities to 90 percent of its domestic mainline fleet. Regional carrier Republic Airlines will also add the service to its Express Embrarer 170 and 175 aircraft. Gogo Vision will be included where passengers have the option to download movies, TV shows and other content directly to their Wi-Fi enabled devices.
• Lufthansa announced their new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft will be deployed on the Frankfurt to Washington Dulles route shortly after deliveries begin April 23. It will replace the existing 747-400 flights, LH 418 and LH 419. All of Lufthansa’s 747-8 aircraft will feature the new business and first class product, as well as 787-style overhead bins and LED lighting. I look forward to burning some miles to fly this bird in a premium cabin later this year.
• Japan Airlines took delivery of its first two Boeing 787-8s this past week making it the second airline to receive the long-delayed Dreamliner. The airline is expected to begin 787 flights to Boston this month and to San Diego later this year. I may have to start building up my American AAdvantage miles for a future redemption.
• Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel predicts Chicago O’Hare’s newest runway will be built and in use by 2015. The city will rely on financial help from both American and United to get it built and predicts once in use, it will reduce delays by 80 percent and allow for 300,000 more passengers annually.
• My “air traveling idiot of the week” award goes to a woman onboard US Airways flight 1697 from Charlotte to Fort Myers who, in an allegedly intoxicated state, kicked, scratched and spit on flight attendants, even knocking one to the ground. Unlike other recent incidents, the flight didn’t divert and continued to Fort Myers after she was restrained with the help of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy.

Finally, here are some other noteworthy items deserving of a click-through:

• A revealing Q&A with American Airlines CEO Thomas Horton.
• Alaska Airlines dedicates it’s new Terminal 6 location at LAX.
• New York-area airports may fine and prosecute disruptive passengers.
• Airlines for America ends its lawsuit over the EU ETS “tax” scheme.
• New Marriott properties will pop up in 2014 at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

In other airline, hotel and travel industry news last week…

• The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics released 2011 full-year data for a variety of airline metrics last week. Among them are several positive results when compared to 2010 and previous years, including the best on-time results in a December for the past 17 years, a record low rate of mishandled bags and fewer flights where passengers were involuntarily denied boarding. Complaints, however, were up 3% likely due to airlines reducing capacity causing packed flights.
• United Airlines is selling a hotel it has owned for decades in Waikiki to an undisclosed buyer. The Waikiki Seaside Hotel has acted as a layover property for flight crews and a popular destination for United’s employees and retirees. Having previously worked very closely with Hawaiian hotels when I managed the Hawaii market of two vacation packaging companies, my best guess is it will become a low-to-mid range property in the Aston or Outrigger chain.
• The USA Today recently sat down with five top hotel executives discussing trends in the lodging industry. One of the hot topics discussed was internet access and whether or not to charge for the service. It’s definitely an ancillary fee many chains would hate to see end, but at the same time executives are aware of the demands from business travelers wanting it for free. Other items discussed were the new Room Key hotel search site, customer reviews, smartphone capabilities, increasing nightly rates and property refurbishments.
• InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will be overhauling the Crowne Plaza brand, as well as launch a new midscale brand in the United States and a five-star offering in China. The new brand names have not been disclosed and the company was quick to note the newest U.S. incarnation appearing in the next three years will result in “minimal cannibalization” to their current midscale offering, Holiday Inn. For Crowne Plaza, IHG plans to remarket the brand as an upper scale property through upgrades or having up to 41 properties leave the chain in the next two years.
• Air Australia, who rebranded from a primarily charter operation last November, met its death this past week. The airline suddenly went into “voluntary administration” (bankruptcy) on Friday, stranding thousands of passengers from Thailand to Honolulu. The airline bluntly released a statement saying, “It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately.”
• Hundreds of flights were canceled at Frankfurt Airport this past Thursday and Friday due to striking apron and runway workers. The airport’s operator, Fraport, claims it will lose approximately €5 million for every day workers strike. The union is demanding pay increases of up to 70%, for which Fraport deems ridiculous. Both parties are willing to return to the negotiating table, though further industrial action may occur this week.
• The “idiot airline traveler of the week” award goes to a man who tried to bring a loaded handgun through security at California’s Ontario International Airport. TSA officers and airport police arrested the man who claimed he forgot the weapon and additional ammunition were in his bag. He was cited and released, though was not allowed to fly to Phoenix as planned.
• Finally, many of my BoardingArea readers will thoroughly enjoy an article that appeared in the USA Today on Monday. It reviewed the recent oneworld MegaDo event where many mileage runners and “extreme fliers” participated in a multi-city (and country) behind-the-scenes experience. American Airlines and other oneworld alliance member airlines sponsored the event which allowed participants to meet with executives, ride in a flight simulator and slide down emergency evacuation slides at a flight attendant training center, among other things.

In other hotel and travel industry news last week…

• In an attempt to steer traffic away from Online Travel Agencies like Expedia and Priceline – and the commissions paid to OTAs – several major hotel chains beta-launched Room Key. The brands include Best Western, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Marriott and Wyndham, and Room Key acts as a portal to a hotel company’s website where the booking actually takes place. It’s a pretty slick site, but I found it a bit slow in uploading choices when entering a city or zip code. They’re hoping to capture more chains and will fully launch this March.
• Club Carlson (Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, et al) has a pretty incredible promotion offering triple points for stays now through March 16, 2012. Registration is required and new this year (in the U.S., anyway), points are accrued for food and beverage purchases at the properties in addition to the room rate. Loyalty Traveler has an excellent breakdown of the promotion and its inherent value.
• A woman is suing the Starwood Hotels & Resorts chain claiming a man who received her room key at a property in Finland just by saying he was her husband sexually assaulted her. If true, it’s absolutely horrific. Her lawyer is Gloria Allred and whenever she enters the picture, I just never know what to think. She helped push Herman Cain out of the GOP running, but some of her other cases just seem peculiar to me. I don’t know why, but I’m always skeptical with her cases. Again, if true, by all means Starwood needs to face justice.
• The popular and well-known Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki completed its $45 million renovation of the Rainbow Tower. All 800 rooms were renovated and received new bathrooms, fixtures, furnishings and carpet. The top floor sports two suites – Duke Kahanamoku and Niumalu – both of which saw $1 million in upgrades. Pretty stunning. After the Outrigger Waikiki and Outrigger Reef on the Beach, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is my next favorite moderate hotel in Waikiki. Nothing beats the Halekulani, though.
• The former Carlton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, as a Preferred Hotel property, became a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel last week. The Autograph Collection was launched by Marriott in 2010 and features luxury and historic hotels around the world, including The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and The Algonquin in Times Square. The Vice President of the Group mentioned additional properties would be coming online this year in the U.S. in New Orleans and South Beach.
• Four Seasons recently made an $18 million investment in their website and online presence. The company refuses to break down the details, but one article quotes it likely includes “the big, bright photography seen online, new booking process, mobile optimization, social media integration and personal profile technology.” One day I yearn to holiday at one of their properties, but it remains out of reach for the time being. The article also quoted something I found revealing – 32% of Four Seasons guests cite the ability to check-in without speaking to someone as valuable versus the 78% of airline passengers who claim the same importance. I guess it’s sort of apples to oranges here, though. A Four Seasons front desk “agent” (they probably have much better titles) is a much higher caliber position I’d have to guess.
• Finally, business travel growth shows signs of slowing (except on the luxury end), but at least it’s still growing. One leisure analyst thinks it could be a marker of overall trends in both business and leisure travel, but another report reveals that travel agency air sales increased 6.1% in 2011. Total transactions were down 2.1%, but things still sound pretty optimistic. After all, the major airlines launched a fare increase this week that appears to have stuck.

In other hotel industry news this week…

• After 40 years as CEO and a total of 60 years with the chain, J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. is handing over the top spot to current President and Chief Operating Officer Arne Sorenson. This handoff takes effect March 31, 2012 and marks the first time Marriott will be led by a non-family member. Mr. Marriott will become Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board.
• Two conflicting reports came out this week with regard to the ratio of growth in budget vs. high-end hotels. One article states travelers are spending more on flights, but downgrading themselves when staying at hotels. It quoted that “first- and business-class airline tickets increased by 9.1% and 5.4% respectively,” but hotel spending on budget and luxury accommodations grew 10.5% and 2.2% respectively, pointing at slowing growth for high-end properties. Another source is forecasting that high-end hotels will excel in 2012 driven mostly by rate increases with nearly flat growth in occupancy. They see a 6.1% increase in revenue per available room particularly due to “higher demand from business and corporate travelers.” Forecasting is an art, though, not a science.
• Travel Weekly bestowed honors to the best of the travel industry during their ninth annual Readers’ Choice Awardsthis week. On the hotel side, here were the results:
  • Domestic: Marriott International
  • Asia: InterContinental Hotels Group
  • Caribbean: Sandals Resorts
  • Europe: InterContinental Hotels Group
  • Mexico: Secrets Resorts & Spas
  • Hawaii/South Pacific: Starwood Hotels & Resorts
  • All-Inclusive: Sandals Resorts
  • Luxury: Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts
  • Upscale: Westin Hotels & Resorts
  • Mid-Priced: Hampton Inn
  • Boutique: Karisma Hotels & Resorts
  • Sales & Service: Marriott International
• Google began placing its own Hotel Finder service above every other sponsored ad when a user enters something like “Las Vegas hotels” in the search box. This is drawing anger from other highlighted companies like Kayak, Expedia and Vegas.com who will undoubtedly receive fewer click- throughs with their weaker page placement. Some are calling it “reckless and evil,” but I think Google has every right to promote itself first.
• The Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Center has opened for business this week. It represents the chain’s 18^th and largest property in the city and houses 720-rooms, 20,000 square feet of meeting space and five restaurants and lounges.
• Hyatt opened its first Hyatt Place hotel in Waikiki by converting the former Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki at the Diamond Head end of the beach. The Pali Tower opened last week with 190-rooms and the 236-room Diamond Tower is planned to open sometime in the spring.
• Staying with the Hawaiian theme for a moment, the ever-popular Hilton Hawaiian Village received approval for a $760 million expansion that will add 550 timeshare units and additional swimming pools, parking and retail space.
• Finally a personal note of achievement: I’m officially a Hilton Diamond member now, my first time ever being a top-tier elite with a hotel chain. Now I need to decide who to focus my spend with in 2012. I’m considering status matching/challenging to Starwood or Hyatt for suite upgrades as Hilton currently doesn’t offer this as a perk. What to do, what to do.

Late last month I posted a review of how travel managers ranked airlines, those people who have contracts with Fortune 500-type businesses who are responsible for planning travel. The same outfit, Business Travel News, also surveyed a similar 519 corporate travel department officials who rated hotel chains across 13 categories.

As with the last post, these reviews come from not the end-user of the hotel room, but the department that books it for their clients. They certainly receive feedback from the travelers, but I think it’s worthwhile to see how hotels are viewed from a contractual booking-type basis. The chain I’m loyal to didn’t come in to well… eh hem… Hilton.

Each category was ranked on a 1- to 5-point scale and I’ll share the results below broken across seven tier categories from Deluxe to Mid-price extended-stay hotels. The USA Today reported on these results and further interviewed a few end-users, one of which praised Marriott claiming, “When a reservation is booked, I never have to worry about my room being there for me.” This gentleman spends 125 nights annually on the road, so also enjoys Marriott’s top-tier loyalty benefits.

The Ritz Carlton took a hit in this year’s review, dropping to third among the Deluxe properties. Marriott won the Upper Upscale category, Crown Plaza took Upscale – which is a surprise to me… my last several Crowne Plaza stays were rather mediocre – and Holiday Inn swept the Midprice range. Sheraton’s Four Points took the top honor for Select Service hotels, Staybridge Suites won Upscale extended-stay and TownPlace Suites by Marriott finished out on top for Midprice extended-stay.

I’m on my way to achieve Hilton Diamond status this year and might have to reconsider whom I book with in 2012. I feel a status match in my future with either Priority Club or Starwood. I’m definitely open to advice and recommendations, so please chime in with any comments.

And now the results… please click into each one for a full view. All images courtesy Business Travel News.