Upgrades

Match Your Airline Status To LATAM. Is It Worth It?

August 24, 2022By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

There’s a status match offer that launched recently which has been getting some buzz. You might be asking why a status match to an airline based in Latin America is of value to you. It’s a valid question. I’ll share my thoughts, but let’s cover the promotion first. LATAM Status Match Offer Chilean-based carrier LATAM is offering a status match opportunity in partnership with StatusMatch.com. You can match airline status from a sizable list of airlines to different levels of status with LATAM. The chart below shows the mapping of […]

United Airlines Changes To Upgrades: We Should Expect More

September 25, 2019By Edward Pizzarello5 Comments

Here’s why we should be expecting more from United Airlines as they make changes to their upgrade program.

Big United Airlines Change For Business Travelers: PlusPoints Changes How Upgrades Work

September 24, 2019By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

What is a PlusPoint? Where did my RPUs and GPUs go? All good questions. We have some of those answers, with more likely to come soon. Plenty of questions for United Premier Platinum and 1K members today.

Wait, Hotel Status Doesn’t Matter For Families???

November 8, 2017By Edward Pizzarello13 Comments

Hotel elite status can be a huge help for families who travel. But, someone disagrees with me. Which side are you on?

Money Talks. American Airlines Adds Revenue Requirement For Upgrades

May 19, 2017By Edward Pizzarello7 Comments

American Airlines is rolling out some positive and negative changes for elite members. Is it good for you?

My 2017 Airline Loyalty Decisions (A Bit Late)

February 16, 2017By Edward Pizzarello12 Comments

Wondering where I decided to focus my airline spending in 2017? Here’s the rationale for my decisions in the new world of airline loyalty programs.

Is Everything Back To “Normal” With American Airlines Elite Upgrades?

February 3, 2017By Edward Pizzarello16 Comments

There are reports that American Airlines fixed a system glitch that was preventing elite members from receiving complimentary upgrades before they reached the airport. But, is it really fixed?

Here’s Why You Need To Be Careful With American Airlines New Basic Economy Fares

January 22, 2017By Edward Pizzarello3 Comments

American Airlines has released details about their Basic Economy fares. Here’s why you need to be careful booking these fares.

Change Is Here. It’s Real. And, It Sucks.

December 5, 2016By Edward Pizzarello16 Comments

What do you expect from elite status as a business traveler? I know what to expect and I’m even surprised once in a while.

What’s Next After Marriott Gets Final Approval On Their Merger With Starwood?

September 20, 2016By Edward Pizzarello10 Comments

Now that the merger between Marriott and Starwood is officially approved, what can we expect next?

Bilt Rewards Double Points On All Categories On The First Of Every Month

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Double points? On all spending? Sign me up! There’s also 50% off on cruises and free SoulCycle classes. Bilt Rewards, the program that lets you earn points for paying your rent, is also turbo-charging their credit card. I’m a big fan of what Bilt Rewards has been building, and this latest double points offering is another example of them making their credit card a valuable one to have in your wallet. Hyatt […]

Win A Flighty Pro Lifetime Membership!

As a road warrior I’m constantly looking for new tools to help me keep track of my travel. Delays and cancellations are probably as bad right now as I’ve ever seen them. But, travel problems are always lurking, keeping me from getting where I need to go. Over the years I’ve collected a number of tools that help me figure out when things are likely to go sideways. Many of them are arcane websites with crappy technology or involve flipping through multiple screens just to get one bit of data. […]

American Airlines Eliminates 24-Hour Hold On Reservations For Paid Tickets

American Airlines has eliminated the option for customers to place a flight on hold for 24 hours prior to ticketing. While the big 3 airlines (American, Delta, United) have grown more alike over the past 10 years this was one of a very few areas that American differentiated themselves in a positive light from their competitors. Now, that seems to have come to an end. Why American Airlines’ 24-Hour Hold Policy Was So Critical In the absence of a 24-hour hold, American will still allow a full refund within 24 […]

The Hope That Followed 9/11

For as long as I can remember I’ve written a blog post about 9/11. Some years I’ve flown on 9/11, other times I’ve recalled the memories of that day while surrounded by loved ones. As I sit here on a rainy morning more than two decades after one of the most impactful days of my life, my thoughts are focused on the hope that sprung up in the days and months that followed 9/11. The day itself, and many afterwards, were dark days. We were excused from work that morning […]

Triple Points On Gas And EV Charging Through October 31st On Bilt Rewards Mastercard

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Bilt Rewards is a quickly moving from the being the new kid on the block to the popular kid people want to hang out with. They launched with the ability to earn points for paying rent without any fees. Those points were redeemable for some of the most valued travel partners, such as American Airlines and Hyatt hotels. Since then, they’ve added the Bilt Rewards Mastercard, a no annual fee card that […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 - September 22, 2022:
Kerrigji, when I hit that screen it gives me the option to [...]

kerrigjl - September 22, 2022:
Interestingly, can't type anything in the "say hi" field despite restarting the [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Yeah, if the award hold went bye-bye there would be a lot [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Definitely a bummer, Von!

Billy Bob - September 15, 2022:
I'm freaking out here - I thought that five-day hold in award [...]