Jan

Bits ‘n Pieces for January 8, 2013

News and notes from around the interweb:

Starwood is trying to cancel its agreements with the Parker Meridien hotels in New York and Palm Springs after the properties allegedly faked accounting records and guests in order to claim over $1 million in payments from SPG. (HT: @Jamison)

I stayed here a few months back and it definitely needs some investment. It used to be one of the best redemption values in SPG, back when it was a ‘category 5′ hotel. Not so great as category 6. Soon to be category nothing.
When Qantas and Emirates struck their partnership on routes between Australia and Europe via Dubia — much to the chagrin especially of oneworld alliance partner British Airways — they specifically didn’t partner on Qantas’ pacific routes between Australia and the U.S.

Emirates would like to change that (HT: Alan H.) and in particular wants to offer its own Airbus A380 service from Dubai to Los Angeles and coordinate flight times with Qantas’ A380 service such that it would be possible to fly around the world on nothing but an A380. Which strikes me as ‘very Emirates’ (‘wouldn’t that be cool?’ rather than just ‘wouldn’t that be profitable?’).

It’s not clear that Qantas needs a boost on such routes, or that Emirates helps them uniquely there, but the two airlines are BFFs these days.
Registration is now open for Starwood’s first quarter promotion.
Through June 30 Virgin Australia is offering elite status credit on award travel.

Jamison @ Points Summary said,

Thanks for the HT Gary! Kinda bummed I’ve always waned to try the Le Parker NYC & Palm Springs, but with their deceptive practices, I am staying away..
D Wonder said,

I won’t miss them at all
However I couldnt stop wondering how widespread the accounting fraud is in the industry and how much more we end up paying for redemption and elsewhere
HansGolden said,

Flying to SYD via DXB is INSANE as a strategy. It’s more than TWICE as far LAX-SYD non-stop.
FrequentMiler said,

Would one get Virgin Australia elite status credit when awards are booked with Delta SkyMiles?
Gary said,

@FrequentMiler – it seems to me that one probably would, since the flights book into the same class regardless of who issues the award (my guess is that they just are allowing those booking classes to count towards status, no restriction on tickets being issued by VIrgin Australia)
What Starwood’s Lawsuit Against Two of it Own Hotels Reveals About the Starwood Preferred Guest Program - View from the Wing said,

[...] Tuesday I wrote that Starwood is suing the Parker Meridien and Perker Palm Springs hotels, accusing them of fraud and seeking to abrogate their contracts. Starwood is trying to cancel its [...]

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