As confirmed moments ago by FlyerTalk member United PR — who also happens to be Vice President of the United Airlines Mileage Plus frequent flier loyalty program — on Feb 1 – one-way awards will be bookable on ual.com, where one can travel one-way for half the miles of a round-trip award on United Airlines or United Express, starting at 12,500 Mileage Plus miles for a domestic Saver award.

Moreover, United Airlines is introducing Miles & Money Awards, which will enable one to book a round-trip flight, hotel stay or car rental for fewer Mileage Plus miles by making up the difference in cash.

Initially, both One-Way Awards and Miles & Money Awards will only be available via the Internet web site of United Airlines, but one will be able to call a United Airlines reservations agent via telephone later in 2010 to book these awards.

A Main Justice report on Attorney General Eric Holder watching football at DCA refers to the FT thread on this topic.

Flyer Talk is again mentioned in connection with the Sentiment Analysis Symposium, this time at Intelligent Enterprise.

The National newspaper of Abu Dhabi has a piece on the real air warriors with interviews with Randy and some Flyer Talkers.

If you have future plans to fly between Canada and the following cities in the United States:

• Santa Ana, California
• San Diego, California
• Portland, Oregon
• Portland, Maine
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Syracuse, New York

…then you are in luck, because Air Canada expands service to seven more American cities between April and June later this year.

In addition to Oregon and Maine, it is a shame that Air Canada did not also announce service to Portland in the states of Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Connecticut and Arkansas…

Little did FlyerTalk member PTravel realize that when posting the So I got a Scottevest Evolution jacket . . . thread, the Chief Executive Officer of the company would listen and personally respond by posting to the thread with a video specifically addressing FlyerTalk members by asking for a wish list on how to improve his company’s products.

Wouldn’t it be nice if travel-related companies such as airlines, hotel chains and car rental companies were this open and responsive — especially to members of a forum whose chief demographic is travelers who are members of frequent travel loyalty programs — giving current and potential customers that personal touch that seems to be lacking in business-customer relationships these days?

A New Procedure For Earning Bonus Hilton HHonors Points for Car Rental could possibly be another apparent benefit reduction regarding the Hilton HHonors frequent guest loyalty program.

While one can still earn 250 Hilton HHonors points for renting a car, the procedure is no longer done at the front desk of the hotel property. Rather, the request for Hilton HHonors points must be made at the time of the rental of the vehicle or, depending on the rental car company, have one’s Hilton HHonors number entered into the profile of the loyalty program of the car rental company.

Also, FlyerTalk members report that one must now choose between earning Hilton HHonors points and earning car rental points. Unlike until recently, one apparently cannot simultaneously receive credit in both programs — or “Double-Dip” regarding rental vehicles — anymore.

However, strangely enough, the one reported exception to this new procedure is for those who rent from Thrifty Car Rental, which is apparently exempt from the change in procedure for some reason. Even more bizarre is that this procedure change for collecting 250 Hilton HHonors points — which at one time was 500 Hilton HHonors points before it was reduced — was quietly implemented by Hilton Hotels Corporation with no known announcement.

Air NZ has been hyping their new longhaul seat as revolutionary. The remodelling shown early to the judges was a factor in the [ATW airline of the year] award” according to CEO Rob Fyfe.

Is it revolutionary or hot air? Join the discussion in the Air New Zealand new longhaul experience thread.

A flight attendant monkeying around with the last banana in the snack basket on a Delta Air Lines flight was not appealing to FlyerTalk member Tomphot, who wants to know if written correspondence documenting the incident will bear fruit and take a bite out of a similar situation which could possibly occur in the future.

The flight attendant, now also known as The Banana Bandit, allegedly plucked the last banana out of the snack basket for passengers and put it in her sweater pocket with half of it still in view. Afterwards, Tomphot was reportedly told that they were all out of bananas after requesting one.

First there was no orange juice, then no peanuts, and now no bananas on-board aircraft during flight. What is next?!?

Some FlyerTalk members think this entire issue is bananas and nothing to go ape over…

…threads such as the You know you’re a FT’er when … interest you.

You know you’re a FT’er when …

• You say to yourself, “so this is what the outside of an airport looks like”
• Whenever someone suggests going to a restaurant/taking a trip/purchasing something…your only thought is “how can I earn?”
• You’re on a mileage run, agent asks “what’s your final destination?” and you truthfully answer “I don’t remember.”
• When you turn a 3 segment round trip to a job interview into an 8 segment MR and save the company $150 off what the travel agent wanted to put you on. In the meantime you get to try out 2 new airports and a quick stop in a favourite lounge on the opposite coast wit ha great set of windows for spotting.
• When you describe how you get your miles and people roll their eyes.
• When you thinking about taking a MR over three days coast to coast and say to yourself the duration is not a problem and two nights without a hotel are not a problem as you have an almost 3 hour connection at IAH were you can take a shower at the lounge there!!
• When you wake up on an overnight flight, in the middle of a five day, three continent MR, and realize you have no idea what day it is or even where you are going, then realize it doesn’t matter, you’ll figure it out when you land, and fall, undistressed, back to sleep.

…and, of course, in homage to our own Kiwi Flyer, FlyerTalk member and co-author of The Gate…

• When your jealous, instead of afraid, of Kiwi Flyer

All of the above are actual quotes.

The Wall Street Journal has an interview with Randy on how Flyer Talk connects travelers.

Chicago Tribune has a piece on pilot commentary of the landscape below.  See also the Flyer Talk discussion on pilot commentary.

Flyer Talk is mentioned along with other social media sites in a press release on the Sentiment Analysis Symposium.

USA Today reports on what happens when a hotel switches from a hotel chain and refers to Flyer Talk discussion on Sheraton Braintree.

CNN International reports on the Flyer Talk Star Alliance MegaDo.

While the title of this article may use poor grammar, the grammar is not as poor as a joke a now-former Transportation Security Administration officer pulled on an unsuspecting traveler by allegedly pulling a small clear plastic bag containing fine white powder from her carry-on bag.

The problem was that the plastic bag was not the property of the passenger, which frightened her as she had no idea from where it originated. The Transportation Security Administration officer then informed her that it was all a joke.

If a passenger attempted a similar joke at an airport security checkpoint, that passenger would most likely be detained for questioning, if not arrested.

What would prompt a Transportation Security Administration officer to even think of a joke such as that, let alone act out on it? Was it for humor, or could it have been a show of power?

Whatever the reason may be, you are now advised to Watch Your Bags….TSA is Now Planting “Evidence”.