Preferred seating

New Episode: How The Airlines Are Screwing Customers, Cranky Flier On A Roll

November 16, 2018By Edward Pizzarello3 Comments

The unintended consequence of Basic Economy fares? Even if you buy up to “regular old coach”, you still might not get a seat assignment. Brett Snyder and I discuss this and a whole lot more on this episode of the Miles To Go podcast.

Alaska Airlines And American Are Killing Most Of The Benefits You Receive From Their Partnership

July 10, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are ending parts of their partnership that currently benefit Mileage Plan and AAdvantage members when they fly the other airline.

Save 25% On Disney World Tickets This Fall And Sleep In!

Saving money on a Disney World vacation is on every family’s radar when they plan a trip to visit the mouse. Disney has released a variety of different ticket options over the years that have varied in their ability to save you money. A recent option is likely to be a better fit for many folks.

Hong Kong Protests: Why We Can All Learn From Cathay Pacific’s ex-CEO

If media reports are correct, Cathay Pacific’s ex-CEO Rupert Hogg made an incredible sacrifice for his employees.

Did Boeing Promise Southwest Millions Of Dollars If 737 MAX Pilots Needed A Simulator?

A small nugget in a recent story about the Boeing 737 MAX has me wondering if Boeing made significant financial promises to airlines in regards to the training requirements on the MAX.

Cathay Pacific CEO Resigns, Presumably Because China Is Mad At The Airline

Cathay Pacific CEO resigns amid Hong Kong protests. He was most likely forced out as a sacrifical lamb for angered Chinese officials.

Marriott Rolling Out Changes That Are Likely To Hurt Many Members

With these new changes, Marriott becomes Lucy holding the football while their customers become Charlie Brown, charging down the road to a vacation they may not be able to afford.

I Flew Frontier, Saved $400 And Didn’t Die. My Frontier Airlines Review

Those low-cost carriers always have very appetizing fare sales. Who wouldn’t want to pay $20 to fly somewhere? But, what does $20 really buy you? I found out exactly what Frontier does (and doesn’t) offer customers on my first flight with them recently.

How To Use New Metro Silver Line To Get Between Dulles and Reagan National Airports

People talk about how bad the traffic is in places like Los Angeles with plenty of adjectives. And, it is quite bad. But, the traffic in DC is what I refer to as “stealthy bad”. It doesn’t get the same press that LA traffic does, but a trip that normally takes an hour can easily turn into a 3-hour ordeal. With visiting dignitaries, protests and construction as variables, weather can also wreak havoc on a system that consistently backs up during rush hour. For those of us that live in […]

A Summary Of United Airlines Global Services Benefits

As travel has gotten more stressful the benefits of elite status are even more valuable. In some cases, what used to be free for everyone is now only free for those customers that fly most frequently. I value my American Airlines Executive Platinum status more highly than any status I’ve earned, including 1K service with United Airlines. However, Global Services is another matter. For those not aware, Global Services is an invitation-only status level that United bestows on their best customers. What defines a best customer? Well, United doesn’t list […]

Update: American Airlines Variable Choice Plus Pricing A Feature, Not A Bug

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the original announcement that American Airlines was creating bundled pricing that included change fees at a lower apparent cost. Things got a little better when American also announced they were expanding the timeframe you could request a same day change to your flight. And, then things started to get a bit screwy. It started with just one flight I couldn’t get to price right with Choice Plus as an add-on. But, then I did a bit more digging and found out […]

Is Foursquare Dead?

Venture Beat doesn’t think so, and I’m not 100% sure they’re wrong. But, before I discuss the article, a little background on why someone allergic to social media like me became a Foursquare nut. A few years ago, a company called TopGuest came up with this concept where you could earn airline miles and hotel points for checking in at various places on Foursquare. I can’t say I thought it was a terribly good business model, but they convinced a bunch of hotel chains to hand out miles for this. […]

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Glenn, let's hope someone gives him a job.

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Milton, maybe not 0, but probably not a big number.

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Ryan, agree on both of your points. I still bet an airline [...]

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
OR97, I don't read it that way. I read it as a [...]

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Tom, the good old days of SPG are definitely behind us.