Why Revenue-Based Programs are Bad for You — and Why You Should Jump Ship Now

Joe Brancatelli offers mostly sound frequent flyer advice but has a real soft spot for revenue-based frequent flyer programs that seems undeserved. When Delta Air Lines announced plans to reward miles based on dollars spent, not the number of miles flown, critics immediately decided that so-called “revenue-based” plans were bad for business travelers. The cries […]

The post Why Revenue-Based Programs are Bad for You — and Why You Should Jump Ship Now appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/revenue-based-frequent-flyer-program-bad/

The Curse Of The Traveler

I read every comment posted on this blog, and sometimes they just leave me speechless. That applies in both a good and bad way.

Take this comment, for example (thanks to Google, I seem to be an authority on moving to Bellevue, WA):

"I found this page and it may be a bit old, but I was thinking of moving from San Diego, CA to Kirkland, WA. I have a friend up there who is willing to let me live with him for $200 a month (i don’t have to worry about rent until i get myself stable enough to pay rent). How much would you recommend me saving up before moving."

The post The Curse Of The Traveler appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/curse-traveler/

Mediation Denied, Pilots Extend Strike

The union representing about three-quarters of Air France pilots acted after Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there were no grounds for new negotiations with a mediator.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ee4bca2/sc/30/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C280Cbusiness0Cinternational0Cmediation0Edenied0Epilots0Eextend0Estrike0E0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Mini City Guide: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

I love big cities, and always enjoy returning to Hong Kong, New York, and Sydney—among many others. But what about those unknown gems that are off the beaten tourist path… those obscure places that are just waiting to be explored by real travelers? Our new “Mini City Guides” are here to uncover those gems, and…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/mini-city-guide-san-juan-del-sur-nicaragua/

The Full PointBreaks List of Discounted IHG Award Hotels Leaked Early

Yesterday IHG Rewards Club reached out to let me know that the next round of PointBreaks — discounted hotel redemptions that cost just 5000 points per night — would be posted on Monday for stays between September 29 and November 30. They shared a sample of the ~ 150 properties that will be featured: Crowne […]

The post The Full PointBreaks List of Discounted IHG Award Hotels Leaked Early appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/full-pointbreaks-list-discounted-ihg-award-hotels-leaked-early/

Weekly Review: September 27, 2014

So much news this week! I realize not everyone finds schedule updates and new routes as exciting as I do, but it's made for a fun week of literally typing just as fast as I can.

We've got A380 schedules for Qatar, product updates for American and Virgin Australia -- exciting stuff! :p

The post Weekly Review: September 27, 2014 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/weekly-review-september-27-2014/

Mammut lights up the Matterhorn

The lights along the Hoernli ridge represent the original trail undertaken over 150 years ago.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/light-matterhorn-vid/

Review: Hyatt Olive 8 Seattle

My "go to" hotel in Seattle is the Hyatt Olive 8. Hyatt's hotel footprint in Seattle is pretty interesting, given that they literally have two hotels one block part -- the Hyatt Olive 8 and Grand Hyatt Seattle actually share one general manager and a lot of amenities.

During my most recent visit to Seattle I spent my first couple of nights at the Hyatt Olive 8, and then switched over to the W Seattle for the last night, given that the Olive 8 was sold out.

The Olive 8 is located at 8th & Olive (anyone care to speculate where the name of the hotel comes from?) and is part of a larger building. Roughly the bottom half of the building is a hotel, while the top half is condos.

The post Review: Hyatt Olive 8 Seattle appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/review-hyatt-olive-8-seattle/

Diners Club is Back and Open to New Applications! Here’s What You Need to Know

Diners Club — the original credit card, and once upon a time one of the real leading rewards cards for road warriors — has been closed to new applications for years. It’s back! There are still some strategic uses for the card. It’s a chip and pin MasterCard whose points transfer to a variety of […]

The post Diners Club is Back and Open to New Applications! Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/diners-club-back-open-new-applications-heres-value-proposition/

In Transit Blog: Hotels Move Into Manhattan’s Garment District

Traditionally home to the New York’s fashion industry, the area offers a growing number of lodging options within walking distance to Broadway theaters.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3ee3988f/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C270Chotels0Emove0Einto0Emanhattans0Egarment0Edistrict0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

4 steps to overcome a fear of sharks

So what do all these ocean people have in common? How are they able to overcome that human-natured fear of being a little lower down on the food chain?



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/4-steps-overcome-fear-sharks/

The Doorman Sets The Tone For A Hotel Stay

I'm a pretty independent traveler, and I'm also somewhat introverted. So my ideal hotel stay involves interacting with as few humans as possible... in theory. Conventional hotel industry wisdom suggests that the more hotel employees a guest interacts with, the higher their level of satisfaction will be.

While I'm not entirely sure that's true, I think I've come to realize the single biggest weapon a hotel can have -- a good doorman.

If someone told me a couple of months ago that a good doorman really sets the tone for a hotel stay, I would've laughed at them. But that's just because I hadn't experienced a truly great doorman until then.

The post The Doorman Sets The Tone For A Hotel Stay appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/doorman-sets-tone-hotel-stay/

Uber Driver Secrets, Ways to Use Your Miles, and an Airline Going Out of Business

News and notes from around the interweb: Six secrets your Uber driver won’t tell you Five things you should consider doing with your miles. Though it handled poor operations well in social media, the end appears at hand for the ‘reborn’ PEOPLExpress airlines. Restrictions on American Airlines ticket sales in Argentina Will Hyatt give you […]

The post Uber Driver Secrets, Ways to Use Your Miles, and an Airline Going Out of Business appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/27/uber-driver-secrets-ways-use-miles-airline-going-business/

Child Playing With A Tire on the Island of Sao Tome

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/09/26/child-playing-tire-island-sao-tome/

Volcano Erupts In Japan; Hikers Reportedly Injured

Japan's Mt Ontake, just 150 miles from Tokyo, Erupted Saturday. Local reports said that a number of hikers in the area were injured.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/mt-ontake-volcano-erupts-japan-injuring-several-hikers-1695873