What Happens to Existing Reservations When Your Status Goes Up or Down?

One of the classic data challenges with frequent flyer programs is: what happens when your elite status changes? Historically you would make a reservation, and your status would attach to it. When I dropped from Starwood Platinum status down to Gold at the beginning of 2010, my Platinum status still stayed in my reservations I […]

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from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/happens-existing-reservations-status-goes/

Friday: Virtual @NatGeoTravel Photo Walk

This Friday: Join Traveler magazine's director of photography and features editor for a virtual photo walk at the National Museum of Natural History to get a sneak peek at the Smithsonian's new dinosaur exhibit and find out Traveler's picks for the top 20 places to visit in 2015.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/17/friday-virtual-natgeotravel-photo-walk/

Thanks Emirates For Leaving My Dad Speechless (Again)!

I just can't even begin to say how impressed I've been with the genuine hospitality offered by Emirates on this trip. First we had an amazing flight from Los Angeles to Dubai. We're now in the Emirates A380 First Class Lounge in Dubai.

When we got to the airport I hadn't yet told my dad where we were going. So I went to the check-in desk and explained the situation -- "I'm taking my dad on a surprise birthday trip and he doesn't know our next destination. When he gives you his passport could you please not tell him where we're going? Just give me his boarding pass." They laughed at the idea and gladly cooperated.

When we arrived at the lounge the same thing happened. At first the agents seemed to think I was kidnapping him or something, but once they "got" what I was doing, they loved the idea.

The post Thanks Emirates For Leaving My Dad Speechless (Again)! appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/thanks-emirates-for-leaving-my-dad-speechless/

In Transit Blog: An Upgrade for Newark’s United Hub

Terminal C, the United Airlines hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, will receive a renovation that includes new restaurants and free use of iPads in waiting areas.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/4092de6d/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C110C170Can0Eupgrade0Efor0Enewarks0Eunited0Ehub0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

100% Bonus on Citibank Transfers to Hilton HHonors Through January 8

Over the summer Citibank drastically improved the value proposition of its Thank You Points program, making the points transferable to a variety of airline mileage programs. Two years ago they introduced the program’s first transfer partner — Hilton. But transfers to Hilton are normally a really poor value at 1:1. Doubly so because Hilton massively […]

The post 100% Bonus on Citibank Transfers to Hilton HHonors Through January 8 appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/100-bonus-citibank-transfers-hilton-hhonors-january-8/

8 truths about Southern Californians

"We are Californians before we are Americans." MatadorU student Preston Roeschlein explains 8 truths (and no lies) about Southern Californians.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/8-truths-southern-californians/

Free and Easy Ways to Blog and Share your Travel Stories

Many of us keep a journal or travel diary of sorts to jot down details of our trips that we may otherwise forget. We might also keep in touch and share our journey in real time with friends and family by posting on Facebook or Twitter. If you’d like to kick it up a notch […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/11/free-and-easy-ways-to-blog-and-share-your-travel-stories.html

Amex Centurion Lounge Studio Coming To Seattle Airport

Over the past couple of years American Express has started opening lounges in the US, called Centurion Lounges. So far they have lounges in Las Vegas, Dallas Ft. Worth, New York LaGuardia, and San Francisco. They've also announced plans to open a lounge in Miami in 2015.

Those with the Platinum Card® from American Express can access the lounge for free, while other American Express cardmembers can pay $50 for access.

It looks like American Express is expanding the lounge concept even further, with the introduction of their first Centurion Studio, which will be debuting in Seattle in 2015.

Here's the press release:

The post Amex Centurion Lounge Studio Coming To Seattle Airport appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/amex-centurion-lounge-studio-coming-seattle-airport/

Why Don’t Airlines Lower Fuel Surcharges?

With oil prices down, I've been asked on a daily basis lately why airlines don't lower their fuel surcharges. In spirit, a surcharge should be temporary, to reflect an additional burden.

But if you follow the way airlines impose fuel surcharges, the system seems to be that the fuel surcharges go up every time that oil prices increase, while they don't go down when the cost of oil decreases.

Even with the cost of oil prices way down, fuel surcharges still make up the majority of fares in many cases. For example, take the below flight between New York and London, which has a $264 base fare, and $458 in fuel surcharges.

The post Why Don’t Airlines Lower Fuel Surcharges? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/dont-airlines-lower-fuel-surcharges/

SPG Nights And Flights

Starwood Preferred Guest has an interesting redemption option called “Nights & Flights,” and while I’ve touched on the value a few times, I don’t think I’ve ever written about the program in detail.

*How does SPG Nights & Flights work?*

Effectively, Nights & Flights is a discount on five night hotel award stays, combined with a transfer bonus to an airline partner. This is only valid at Category 3 and 4 Starwood hotels, and only with airlines with a 1:1 transfer ratio.

-- 60,000 SPG points can be exchanged for five nights at a Category 3 and 50,000 airline miles

-- 70,000 SPG points can be exchanged for five nights at a Category 4 and 50,000 airline miles

The post SPG Nights And Flights appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/spg-nights-flights/

Real World Travel Tip: Take Care of Your Airline Club Agents, and They Will Really Take Care Of You

When I was young my family had a big gathering each year at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. I remember being quite young, maybe 5 or 6, and spilling something on my shirt at brunch beforehand, so had to make a stop at a department store on the way to the event […]

The post Real World Travel Tip: Take Care of Your Airline Club Agents, and They Will Really Take Care Of You appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/11/17/real-world-travel-tip-take-care-airline-club-agents-will-really-take-care/

Taking back control of the direct channel for hotels

Hotels and resorts – especially independents – are facing skyrocketing costs of distribution on third-party channels, cutting in to your margin and ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/taking-back-control-direct-control-hotels/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taking-back-control-direct-channel-hotels

In Transit Blog: Walkabout: A Bigger, Better Mass MoCA; an Airplane Apartment on Airbnb

A weekly capsule of travel news curated by our writers and editors.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/40910a7c/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C110C170Cwalkabout0Ea0Ebigger0Ebetter0Emass0Emoca0Ean0Eairplane0Eapartment0Eon0Eairbnb0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Coming Tomorrow: Luxury Travel on an Everyday Budget

Once in a while, we actually make new products for the Unconventional Guides shop. Earlier this year we debuted the following great resources: The Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing (in cooperation with Amber Adrian) Designed to Sell (in cooperation with Jen & Omar) Get Rich Slowly (in cooperation with J.D. Roth) After another six nine…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/luxury-travel-on-an-everyday-budget/

Riding all the Walt Disney World rides in one day

Who in their right minds would try to ride every single Walt Disney World ride in one day? These guys tried it in November.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/travel/all-disney-world-rides-in-one-day/index.html