The 5 Cards That Offer You the Best Insider Benefits

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, […]

The post The 5 Cards That Offer You the Best Insider Benefits appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/5-cards-offer-best-insider-benefits/

You’ll Always Lose at the Comparison Game (So Stop Playing It)

I went back to the Tattered Cover in Denver last night. Love that store! Fun people. I remembered being there two years ago. At the time, The $100 Startup was selling really well and there were at least 150 people at every tour stop. I was feeling good. In Denver that night there were more…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/youll-always-lose-at-the-comparison-game-so-stop-playing-it/

How To Fix Thai Airways First Class Downgrade

I recently wrote about how operationally unreliable Thai Airways is, given how many last minute equipment swaps they have. If you book a flight a year out, it's not unusual to have the equipment type changed a handful of times. It's what I (not so) endearingly like to refer to as "getting TGed."

Most recently, Thai Airways cancelled first class service to Sydney, by changing the plane they fly on the route from a three class 747-400 to a two class 777-300. This ended one of the only realistic Star Alliance first class award options to Australia, which was terrible for everybody who had booked first class awards on this route.

Earlier this month, Thai reversed course by rescheduling a three class 747-400 on the Bangkok to Sydney route, once again offering a first class product. But this time the issue isn't what Thai did do... it's what Thai didn't do.

The post How To Fix Thai Airways First Class Downgrade appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/fixing-thai-airways-downgrades/

We know you secretly hate bars

The word “bar” can refer to a variety of places. A handy rule is, the cooler the bar, the more horrible the life experience it will provide.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/secretly-hate-bars/

In Transit Blog: Kosher Accommodations in Costa Rica

Kosher Casas gives travelers access to more than 80 rental villas in Costa Rica that are fully koshered.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3edd11bf/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C260Ckosher0Eaccommodations0Ein0Ecosta0Erica0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Q4 2014 Hilton HHonors Hotel Category Changes

As of April of this year, Hilton HHonors has shifted how they make award category changes. Rather than having massive award chart changes every so often, they're doing quarterly hotel category adjustments. That's to say that they're not changing the number of points required for each category every quarter, but rather are shifting which hotels belong in which categories.

Ultimately I favor anything which isn't an award chart massacre like what we saw with HHonors early last year, though I don't really buy that this is being done to increase transparency.

Basically, rather than emailing members when there's a big award chart change, they now have a website where Hilton lists the category changes. That sounds great in theory, except I'm not sure how a vast majority of members are expected to know when these changes happen.

The post Q4 2014 Hilton HHonors Hotel Category Changes appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/q4-2014-hilton-hhonors-hotel-category-changes/

Domestic Upgrades are Getting Harder and Harder to Get

A reader that didn’t want to be identified asked me why it’s so hard to get domestic upgrades as an elite frequent flyer? It used to be that 100,000 mile flyers found themselves in first class nearly all the time, and even mid-tier frequent flyers found themselves in first class most of the time. Some […]

The post Domestic Upgrades are Getting Harder and Harder to Get appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/domestic-upgrades-getting-harder-harder-get/

Reader Recs: Life-Changing Childhood Trips

Traveling at a young age can be a transformative experience that leads to a lifetime of wanderlust. To celebrate the power of travel (and perhaps inspire a few parents out there), we asked our @NatGeoTravel Facebook fans to tell us about trips that made a lasting impression on them during their early years.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/26/reader-recs-life-changing-childhood-trips/

Flying cars totally exist, and were engineered by Slovaks

It's not what I had originally imagined growing up, but this car is seriously badass.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/flying-cars-totally-exist-engineered-slovaks/

Skyscanner wins appeal, UK watchdog to rethink OTA hotel rate clubs

For those of you keeping score at home, it’s now Skyscanner, 1 – OTAs, 0, in the legal game that’s developed around ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/skyscanner-touts-win-british-regulator-ruling-expedia-booking/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=skyscanner-touts-win-british-regulator-ruling-expedia-booking

Chicago flights halted after fire at FAA facility

Flights in and out of Chicago's O'Hare International and Midway airports were stopped Friday morning because of a fire at a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facility in Aurora, Illinois, CNN affiliate WLS reported.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/26/travel/chicago-ohare-midway-flights-stopped/index.html

Check Your Flight Status To/From Chicago

I'm in Chicago this weekend for FTU Advanced, and I know well over a hundred people are flying in for that. For those of you that are enroute to Chicago but haven't been following the news, it looks like a vast majority of flights to/from Chicago have been canceled. As of now there's a ground stop till noon for O'Hare and Midway, and hundreds of flights have been canceled.

Via CBS Chicago:

"Authorities said a contract employee at a Federal Aviation Administration radar center in Aurora set a fire in the building Friday morning, prompting the facility to be evacuated, and grounding all flights to and from Chicago’s airports."

The post Check Your Flight Status To/From Chicago appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/check-flight-status-tofrom-chicago/

10 signs it's your first Mexico trip

You think everyone is going to be eating tacos. Tacos are a thing in Mexico, don’t get me wrong. But so are a zillion other mouth-watering dishes.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/10-signs-first-time-mexico/

Check In: Hotel Review: Riad Star in Marrakesh, Morocco

This three-story B & B, situated in the heart of the old city, was once Josephine Baker’s home.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3edc7f3a/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Ctravel0Chotel0Ereview0Eriad0Estar0Ein0Emarrakesh0Emorocco0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Argentina Wants Access To Your Frequent Flyer Accounts

Argentina is in a pretty abysmal financial state at the moment, and it's having quite an impact on the travel industry. Tourism is down, and some airlines are reducing service as a result. There are rumors of even bigger airline service cuts than what we're seeing already.

Amidst the financial turmoil, it looks like the government of Argentina wants more information about passengers flying into and out of the country. Per the Buenos Aires Herald:

The post Argentina Wants Access To Your Frequent Flyer Accounts appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/26/argentina-wants-access-frequent-flyer-accounts/