The news that Air Canada is restricting elite status to those who fly at least 10,000 miles on Air Canada metal got me thinking about my habit of crediting 38K miles each year to British Midland (bmi). Even before...
Air Canada’s Aeroplan Restricts Elite Qualification
As Nick blogged about earlier today, Air Canada and Aeroplan have modified their elite qualification requirements. Starting next year, travelers crediting to Aeroplan need to fly at least 10,000 miles or five segments on Air Canada metal in order...
British Midland International CEO Talks About Future of bmi and Diamond Club
In a wide-ranging interview with Air & Business Travel News, British Midland International (bmi) CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer shared further details on the future of bmi and its Diamond Club mileage program. What is the vision for bmi? The vision...
Air New Zealand Adds Credit Card Surcharge
Paying with a credit card just got a bit more expensive on Air New Zealand. Starting on December 15th, Air New Zealand will charge NZ$2 per person per one-way journey for domestic flights paid for by credit card, $5...
My Thoughts on Avianca-TACA and Copa Joining Star Alliance
As Fozz reported, in a ceremony in Miami earlier today, Star Alliance announced that Avianca-TACA and Copa will join Star Alliance by mid-2012. Avianca and TACA merged last year, though the two airlines still operate separately and are not formally...
A Visit to Singapore Airlines’ Remodeled SilverKris Lounge in San Francisco
Earlier this week I had a chance to stop by the newly remodeled Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge at SFO. It reopened last week after being closed for refurbishments the last few months. The new lounge is sleeker and better...
United’s Dulles Dilemma
With the Continental/United merger now a reality, the future of Washington Dulles as United’s main East Coast hub bears discussion. The current UA facilities at IAD, though functional, are unseemly when compared to leading airport concourses across the U.S. and around the world (and even...
British Midland to Serve Tripoli, Libya
When it comes to picking a travel destination, not only am I attracted to places off the beaten path, I am attracted to places prone to violence or relegated to "axis of evil" status. Libya has fascinated me for...
Ethiopian Airlines to Join Star Alliance
A third carrier from the African continent is slated to join Star Alliance by the end of 2011. Ethiopian Airlines, which flies to 59 destinations (including 39 in Africa), will give Star Alliance passengers a major boost in African...
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Star Alliance Lounge Access for $249 from US Airways
US Airways is offering lounge memberships for only $249 (+ $50 initiation fee for new members) through September 29. The membership will be good for one year and is a substantial discount off the $450 regular price (discounted by as...
BA Chief Confident LAN Will Stay in OneWorld
British Airway’s Chief Executive, Willie Walsh, said this week that the LAN/TAM merger is not a threat to OneWorld. He argued that "LAN are very much core members of Oneworld," and that the new Latam Airlines company already sees the...
United Torpedos My Lufthansa Award Flights
I got a call from 1-800-United1 yesterday while I was on another line and sent it to voice mail. A recorded message was left and I figured it was just an upgrade notification for my flight to SFO on Friday....
Partner Blackout Dates on United Airlines
Beyond the scope of StarNet blocking by United, some Star Alliance airlines simply do not make award travel available on specific dates, usually around major holidays or in high tourist season. While UA is very cautious about releasing any...
Time to Invest in a Lifetime Continental Presidents Club Membership?
I’m at the point of the year again where I’ve reached a fork in the road. I’ve re-qualified for 1K status on United, so my elite benefits are safe through at least January 2012, but now I must decide...
Earn Star Alliance Gold Status for 20,000 Miles on Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines, Star Alliance’s latest addition, has an interesting mileage program. Some parts of it are attractive, others…not so much. The Good Star Alliance Gold status after 20,000 miles This is the lowest rate required for any airline in...
The Future of BMI’s Diamond Club = Miles & More
A little more light was shed on the future of British Midland and their Diamond Club mileage program at the Lufthansa Investor Day in Frankfurt on Monday. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, BMI’s CEO presented this. There’s a lot of info packed...
SkyTeam bolstering its lineup: Tarom and China Eastern to join
SkyTeam, which added Vietnam Airlines to its alliance last month, will soon add two more members to the team. Romania’s Tarom Airlines will join later this week and offer an alternative to SkyTeam’s already robust presence in Europe. Tarom also...
New United Mileage Plus website is here: book Star Alliance awards online (sort of)
Last week, I shared an e-mail I received from United about a new Mileage Plus website coming soon. Much to my surprise, when I logged on to UA this afternoon I saw this: I am amazed that this happened...
Maximizing Your Chances to Effectively Use Your Miles
Scott McCartney has a decent Middle Seat column today in the WSJ on how to maximize your chances to redeem frequent flyer miles. A couple sections particularly caught my eye: On the airline side, road warriors suggest checking alliance...
Circumventing United Airline’s StarNet Blocking
Award inventory is shared among Star Alliance carriers in what is known as the StarNet system. United Airlines, in an attempt to save money and funnel travelers to flights on UA metal has instituted a system of StarNet blocking...
