Cheap Flights To Cancun And Maternity Leave For Elite Status?

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:  DC to Cancun for $268, and the flights to Alaska come down a bit more in price, to $379.  And, for pure mileage runs or a fun lunch, LAX to O’Hare or vice versa is $40.

REMINDER:  Free access to National Parks tomorrow (Saturday).  And, apparently I missed that some museums are included as well.

Mommy Points asks if airlines should grant elite status waivers for maternity leave?  I’ve frequently mentioned that I think airlines should employ “get out of jail free” passes for elite members of long standing.  I’ve heard plenty of stories of people who lost their status due to a birth or illness, and many less stories about airlines making an exception and giving them an exception to status requirements for one year.  Aside from the fact that I absolutely support some sort of one-time waiver for a woman giving birth, I think it’s prudent for airlines to have other one-time exceptions.  Yes, yes.  I know.  If they give it one time, they’ll be asked to give it multiple times.  But, I really don’t think that’s insurmountable.  Give each member a “golden ticket” of sorts for some protracted period of loyalty and allow them an exception they can count on.

Lots of smoke, but no fire yet when it comes to changes in the AAdvantage program.  Today’s scare/smoke was reduced earning on British Airways.  But, it’s a false alarm, says View From the Wing.  Still, that sort of mistake took a great deal of work to format by someone.  Hard to believe it was never under consideration.  We know changes are coming, just not what (or how bad).  The wait continues….

I know Delta wants to maximize every dollar in extra revenue they can, but this seems a bit wonky.

Where are your travels taking you next?