A few weeks ago I wrote about Expert Flyer adding the functionality to search for Korean Air business class award availability. This was hugely useful, given that previously one had to call Delta to ask about award availability when trying to redeem SkyMiles for travel on Korean Air (which was a nightmare, to put it lightly).

Anyway, Expert Flyer has now added the ability to search for business class award space on Iberia and Icelandair.

Iberia award space can presently be searched via the British Airways and Qantas websites, though both are a bit clunky to use, and at times not especially accurate. You can find a tutorial on searching OneWorld award space using those websites here.

However, Expert Flyer is a much easier way to search award availability on any given route for a week at a time, so I’m really happy to see this new functionality.

Iberia display option

At least nine business class award seats!

Given how hefty British Airways fuel surcharges are, this is a great alternative for transatlantic travel using American AAdvantage miles.

The functionality to search Icelandair business class award space was also added. This isn’t quite as useful for a few reasons.

First, they have a very limited number of airline partners. Chances are that the only way you’ll redeem miles for travel on Icelandair is through Alaska’s Mileage Plan program. They do have pretty good award rates for travel on Icelandair, as follows:

80,000 miles for travel from the US to Europe in business class with a stopover in Iceland is pretty tough to beat.

The second downside, however, is that business class on Icelandair is more like a domestic first class seat than an international business class seat, with only 39″ of pitch (only a couple more inches than domestic first class). Still, award availability is excellent in business class, and the ability to visit both Iceland and Europe on a single award is tempting.

Beyond the ease of searching award space on the above airlines, also keep in mind that Expert Flyer lets you set availability alerts. So now if an Iberia or Icelandair flight doesn’t have award availability, you can set up an alert so that Expert Flyer will email you if space opens up.

Setting up an availability alert

Even more reasons to get an Expert Flyer account!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Starwood’s annual hotel category adjustments. Not surprisingly a lot more hotels went up in cost than down, so this is the last day to book stays before some hotels change their categories. You can see which hotels go up a category and which hotels go down a category here.

While the categories for some hotels change tomorrow, keep in mind that this is all based on when you book and not when you stay. So if you have a future stay planned, check to see whether your hotel goes up a category or not, so you can lock in a booking if it does. Conversely, if your hotel goes down a category tomorrow, you should be able to rebook to save some points.

I locked in a stay at the W Santiago for September for 10,000 points per night, given that the cost goes up to 12,000 points per night tomorrow.

Is anyone else making any last minute bookings in anticipation of the changes?

Through May 31 Accor is offering new members that have the Citi Premier Miles W0rld Elite MasterCard in the UAE complimentary A|Club Platinum status. As is usually the case with these kinds of offers, anyone can sign up through the links, and in the past they’ve always honored them.

The new Platinum status should be reflected immediately with the new account. While A|Club Platinum status is hardly exciting, it’s something, at least! As Gary describes it:

Platinum status generally requires 60 nights (or 25,000 points earned) and comes with a 100% points bonus and then at Sofitel, Pullman, and MGallery hotels: room upgrades that the rules say you specifically have to ask for, 4pm late checkout, guaranteed availability, and a welcome drink and gift.

(Tip of the hat to Gary)

I’ll keep it short, since this story is still developing. I flew from Dallas to Miami this morning, and as the flight attendant was serving drinks she drenches my MacBook Air with orange juice. I mean drenches. She was pretty apologetic about it and at first I thought it was no big deal. She brought me lots of towels and I spent a few minutes drying my MacBook Air. For a short while everything looked okay, though as soon as I turned it on I noticed the keyboard didn’t work. Crap. That’s one of the downsides of the MacBook Air — I don’t think you can remove the keys, so when something like this happens you’re more or less hosed.

After a few minutes the computer also stopped turning on. I mentioned this to the flight attendant and she said she’d file a report. I requested that they have someone meet the flight regarding the issue, and she assured me she’d have the captain send a message to Miami for someone to meet the flight. A few minutes later another flight attendant came by my seat to apologize and said “to be honest this is Miami, so I really wouldn’t count on anyone actually showing up.” Yes, that has indeed been my experience with American at Miami — service is awful.

We land and sure enough there’s no one there to meet us. Not only that, but there’s no gate agent in sight. After waiting for about 15 minutes a gate agent shows up though is entirely clueless as to the situation. I explain it to her and she says to go to baggage claim to file a report. She was apathetic and clearly had no desire to help me.  Fortunately (or so I thought) a supervisor showed up to handle a different issue. As it turns out he wasn’t much help either. He said the same thing, and looked at me as if I was nuts when I suggested someone was supposed to meet the flight. Before leaving I wanted to have something in writing documenting the situation. Once the crew disembarked the flight attendant that spilled the drink on my laptop documented the incident on the computer and gave me a case number.

I went to baggage claim and they told me that wasn’t their responsibility and to go to aa.com and file a complaint with customer relations.

That seems a bit ridiculous given that we’re not talking about a complaint or minor service issue, but a seriously busted laptop.

Anyway, mark this as “developing.” I’ll keep you guys updated as to what happens. In the meantime, my apologies for being slow to respond to emails, since I’m more or less without a computer till tomorrow night.

And that leaves me exactly where I started — with a broken laptop and no resolution.

Thanks Iberia for the pre-boarding and priority seating (and the gracious, charming, and polite ogress agents at check-in)!

As a matter of fact, here’s a video of the one that checked us in: