United Reactions and $100 Round Trips To Miami. Best of the Rest For September 9, 2015

The Best of the Rest is my effort to summarize all the travel/miles & points stories that interested me on a daily basis but didn’t have time to write about in length.  On a daily basis, I try to keep track of roughly 100 different blogs (try being the operative word) that have interesting things for you and I to learn from.  Some are passed along without comment, while I add my analysis to others.   This is your shortcut to find out what’s going on in the travel world without having to read dozens of travel blogs to get all the best info.

Here’s what I’m reading about today:

Cheap Flight(s) of The Day: Pizzainmotion reader ncSam contributed this tidbit of $106 fares from NYC to Miami, roundtrip to The Flight Deal.

Jeff Smisek’s dismissal, ahem, resignation from United sparked a lot of public commentary.  In case you missed it, this was my wish list for the new United CEO.  Here’s a sampling of some of the best coverage I’ve read:

Brian Cohen from The Gate takes my piece a bit further and adds his own thoughts on the future of United.

This is Smisek’s severance package, assuming he doesn’t go to jail.

Seth does a good job of distilling the things United needs to do to improve down to a few basic (and critical) elements.  We agree.

Mommy Points weighs in with her perspective on what’s needed, including some family oriented improvements.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming of other stuff worth reading around the travel space.

How to get free United Club access if you have elite status with Delta, American or United.

Are we starting to see a path where faster internet comes at a (greater) cost?  It’s an interesting question, and not surprising that some airlines are trying to charge more for a better product.  The basic products being offered are, for the most part, not cheap.  And, speeds aren’t great, nor are adoption rates.  Could the way to profitability for these companies be through charging more for premium speeds?

Virgin America is offering free Uber rides to Dallas Love Field and great fares to/from there in a fare sale that ends tomorrow.  I sure hope they keep doing this, as it should continue to force American to offer lower fares.

The 5 best elite perks for frequent travelers.

Is Air Canada making changes to their eUpgrade policies?