I fly to Europe a lot. Usually those trips are red-eyes, leaving in the evening from the East Coast and arriving early morning in Europe. When I do this, I typically go straight to work. This requires changing and shaving in tiny (European) airport restrooms. I tried doing this in-flight but airplane restrooms are not…
Elite Status
All about Elite Status
United, Delta cut Gulf routes
Only two US based airlines fly to destinations in the Persian Gulf – United and Delta. That already short list now has been reduced to just one with Delta announcing it is ending it’s Atlanta-Dubai (ATL-DXB) route. United also announced it is ending it’s Washington Dulles – Kuwait – Bahrain (IAD-KWI-BAH) route. United now remains the…
United’s new revenue based miles – Good, Bad or Ugly?
As you all probably know by now, United has switched to a revenue based earning model for miles as of March 1st. This change only impacts how redeemable miles (RDM) are earned. It does not impact how Elite Qualification miles (EQM) are earned. EQM (or PQM as United calls it) earning remains the same as…
Upgraded to the Presidential Suite
Every once in a while one gets lucky – an upgrade to a suite in a hotel. I was staying for one night at the Westchester Marriott in Westchester County, NY. It was an uneventful stay and a nondescript Marriott, in a non-so-exciting location. I showed up really late and was in for a surprise…
Full Fares – Earning bonus Elite miles on United Partners
As I discussed in my last blog post, if you book a full-fare or flexible-fare economy ticket that is booked as a Y or a B fare, you will earn 150% of the miles flown on the trip. This is not a reason to buy these tickets as they can cost several times the cost…
Earning more miles than you actually fly – the how and why?
When I looked at the miles I have earned over the years, I have found a consistent trend – my earned Award miles (RQM) and Elite miles (EQM) are always are greater than the actual miles flown (BIS – Butt-in-Seat Miles). This is not unique to me, you will see this in your accounts too.…
United and missing special meals
Most airlines have a good selection of special meals one can order when traveling internationally. United has many such good options. Unfortunately, they appear to consistently lose my special meal requests. On 4 out of the last 10 international flights I have taken, no special meal. More importantly, in all cases the FAs and Purser…
Star Alliance Upgrades
One of the most frustrating things about flying on an airline that is not one you have status or miles is the inability to upgrade with miles or upgrade instruments. (You can always upgrade with cash). I recently flew from Japan to the US on ANA and had to sit in coach. Traveling the same…
Chossing a Booking Class when buying a ticket
One of my readers Jack asked a question after I posted my post on Earning United Miles on Jet Airways flights. In the article I talked about how I did not pay attention to the booking class I was being booked into on Jet Airways and I earned no United miles, as a result. His…
The Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card *Updated*
I am one of the few people who values hotel points more than airline miles. For airlines I care more about status and the perks I get – like upgrades and lounge access, but for hotels it’s about the free stays. While airline miles can add up real fast and get free flights all over…
