New British Airways Benefit

British Airways will offer members $75 off flights in exchange for 7,500 miles.  I don't like this offer for three reasons.  First, I expected the discount to be in British Pounds rather than US Dollars.  Second, a penny per point is a lousy point value, cash back cards offer twice that value in cash.  Third, 7,500 miles is a free one way flight up to 1150 miles long. British Airways miles are a great value for short point to point trips. 

I'l Keep Saving For A Trip On The 787

Star Alliance Cut Round The World Ticket Prices

The Star Alliance Round the World booking tool is one of the best day dream distractions on the internet.  I haven't booked a ticket yet, but now I am tempted because Star Alliance just lowered the fare prices and added a new short business class route. The ticket requires circling the globe and making 3 to 15 stops.  There are some tricks to maximizing value, like starting your trip at a major US gateway (positioning flights in the US are cheap) and you just have to start and end in the same country to save distance (start in LA and end in New York).  Also the Cook Islands are hardly out of the way when going from LA to New Zealand.

SWISS AVRO100 in Star Alliance Colors

I did book the Star Alliance Europe Airpass a few years ago and bounced around the continent for two weeks,  It is priced per segment, so I avoided connections and kept the costs very low.  It's a flat rate based on segment length, an outstanding value verses buying the flights at market rates.

Looking For A Cheap United Fare

United's new status requirements include a spend and mileage (or segments) requirement.  The spend requirement is 10c per mile, too expensive to buy status outright, so I thought cheap fare flying would be over for me.  Work trips have been my only flights so far this year and they are averaging 16c a mile, so I want to balance out the ratio with a few cheap flights.  Unfortunately flights aren't that cheap out of Denver right now, so I'm grounded for the moment.  I'll keep searching and it will keep the miles and points game fun too. 

I'm Willing to Fly Regional Jets or Props if the Fare Is Low

EBACE 2014

The European Business Aviation Convention & Exposition (EBACE) is next week, but I am unable to attend.  I thoroughly enjoyed the conference last year and have few photos from it that I haven't used yet.  Enjoy a fun Friday picture of a Gulfstream IV used by PPG; the jet wasn't part of the conference, just one of the many private aircraft at GVA.

PPG's Gulfstream IV N827GA at GVA

Antonov 124 at IAH

I spotted an Antonov 124 (I think) in Houston.  A rare sighting for me, so I thought I should share.

Antonov 124

Budapest Airshow & WIZZ AIR Flyover

The Budapest airshow goes right down the Danube in the center of town and WIZZ AIR's A320 did a cool low lever fly by.  Enjoy some pictures and video from WIZZ AIR.

Photo from WIZZ AIR

Photo from WIZZ AIR

Photo from WIZZ AIR

Photo from WIZZ AIR

Photo from WIZZ AIR

And a video:

Spirit Airlines Educates Potential Customers

Spirit Airlines just launched an outstanding marketing campaign focused on educating potential customers about how flying Spirit is different than other carriers.  The campaign called Spirit101 is a response to their industry leading (though still rather small) complaint count.  Spirit explains the unbundled fare idea to better set expectations for first time Spirit customers.  Only a cramped seat and a small personal item are included in the ticket price, so customers need to expect fees for optional extras.  Setting this expectation well in advance will change customers' mindsets and should reduce complaints while providing an experience that meets expectations.  Enjoy the video below and learn something about Spirit Airlines too.

The Best and Worst Airlines for Spending Frequent Flier Points Observations

Southwest and Air Berlin have the best award seat availability and US Airways and Avianca the worst according to a study published in the Wall Street Journal.  This study is meaningless for point and mile collectors because the survey methodology is flawed.  The study “looked for two seats on each airline's 10 busiest long routes and 10 busiest short routes on 14 different round-trip dates between June and October.”  For example, Southwest’s busiest short route is Dallas to Houston, but they run 46 flights a day between the two cities, so an open seat is likely to be found, though not always at a preferred time.  The study assumes simple point to point awards, so connections are disregarded even though they are more difficult to book and more useful to passengers because it increases redemption options.  The study also does not factor in awards with partners, a valuable and often used feature of frequent flyer programs.

US Airways Does Better Than It Looks

The study also doesn’t factor in point value.  Southwest does great in this study because it will sell you any available seat for points.  The value received could be atrocious though because Southwest charges a fixed multiple of the cash fare.  Most other carriers charge a flat rate for domestic flights, regardless of distance, connections, or cash fare prices.  The flat rate model could be of great value to customers because it can multiply the value of their miles.  Airlines also have to limit flat rate award seat availability to maximize revenue, lowering their ranking in this study even if it increases value received by customers.

Partner Awards Add Flexibility And Value

The final flaw is assuming two coach seats on the same flight in the peak summer travel season.  Miles are most valuable (cash price of award / miles price of award) for international premium cabin awards.  This study also overlooks the intangible benefits of miles, like bringing the unattainable into reach.  Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal experience would only be available to most people with Star Alliance airline frequent flyer miles, so there is no value equation if the numerator is priceless.

Go Anywhere With Miles

Marriott Plus Points Social Rewards

Spam your friends for 2,000 Marriott or 500 United points each month.  Sign up for Marriott's new Plus Points program and earn points for posting about Marriott. Participants can earn up to 2,000 Marriott points per month.  Marriott points can be transferred 4:1 to United miles with the Rewards Plus program discount, the ratio improves the more points are transferred.  Marriott rewards points have a poor value, so I will be transferring my points to United, but waiting for the price breaks.

Earning Methods

100% Bonus US Airways Purchased Miles - Again

US Airways is offering 100% bonus on purchased miles this month.  They run this promotion every other month because it does really well.  They collect money up front in exchange for something later.  I trust their redemption costs are less than the miles price they quote, plus they benefit from the float on the cash.  People can buy a business class ticket to Europe or Asia (100,000 miles) for $1,750 plus taxes and fees.  That's a good price compared to advertised prices for US Airways and their oneworld partners.  I recommend against putting down money without a plan to use the miles quickly because US Airways runs this promotion all the time and award price changes can happen at any time without notice and reduce the value of the miles.

US Airways' Airbus Collection at CLT

Southwest AirTran Miles Program Merger Update

Rapid Rewards will be the single frequent flyer program for the merged AirTran and Southwest (the 737 will be the single aircraft and Southwest will be the single brand too).  The AirTran A+ program's final day will be November 1, 2014.  To ease the IT transition, AirTran is sending emails offering 750 Rapid Rewards points (about $10.71 in flight value) to confirm their guess at what your AirTran and Southwest numbers are.  Keep you eyes peeled for the email and free points.

Southwest And AirTran Moving Closer

Window Seats - From 9 to 4

Good luck grabbing a window seat for your flight. The Boeing 787 has only four windows for the flight deck, the older MD-80 has nine. Just an interesting comparison for Friday.

4 Flight Deck Windows on the 787

9 Flight Deck Windows on the MD-80

Last Flight of a Lufthansa 737-300

Lufthansa Cargo today posted a link to their flight radar map showing all the Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo flights in air.  I clicked on a few flights and then found LH9924 from Bangor to Tulsa.  This is the final flight for the aircraft D-ABXY because Lufthansa sends their old 737's there to be scrapped.  It's sad to see an aircraft's final flight after years of faithful service.  I flew a Lufthansa 737-300 last year from FRA to GVA and the aircraft felt up to the task.  Sorry to see this one go.

Last Flight For This Lufthansa 737-300

Frontier Moves to A La Carte Pricing

Frontier was sold last year to the company that turned around Spirit Airlines and then sold it for large pile of money.  Frontier’s parent company seems to be trying that model again by making Frontier into a new Spirit.  They will still not offer perks to people buying tickets purchased anywhere but flyfrontier.com, but now those tickets come with less.  The full fare Classic Plus is unchanged and now there is only one other option, Economy.  The Economy ticket price includes your flight and one personal item that will fit under the seat. Then, you pay for the add-on choices you want, such as:  1st Checked bag – from $20 (just $15 if you join Frontier’s Discount Den), Carry-on bag – from $25 (just $20 if you join Frontier’s Discount Den), 2nd Checked bag – from $30, Ability to choose your seat starting at $3 on every flight.

Frontier Moving Closer to Ultra Low Cost Status

Frontier's Discount Den (sounds like Spirit’s $9 Fare Club): Together with these changes, we are introducing Frontier's Discount Den, a club whose members can receive discount fees on bags and access to ongoing promotional savings opportunities. Frontier's Discount Den members save $5 off their carry-on at time of booking and $5 off their first checked bag at check-in. Membership is free through June 2015 for all EarlyReturns® members, so sign up today. Then, log in to your EarlyReturns account to start saving!

US Airways A319 In American Airlines Colors

I spotted my first US Airways plane in American Airlines paint.  N809AW was in the US Airways fleet (AW stands for America West, the airline that took over US Airways and now American), but recently received a fresh coat of paint.  US Airways is making very fast progress.

US Airways A319 Now In American Paint

Do You Have 5 to 30 Million Dollars?

Four Seasons would like to invite the very rich, but not super rich to take a trip around the world with them on a chartered 757. The $30M mark is when people start contemplating buying a jet (Embraer Phenom 100 or HondaJet for starters) or joining a fractional ownership program (NetJets). So the target market here is couples that can easily afford the $119,000 a person cost, but not quite pay to go private and avoid other people while completely controlling their itinerary. It looks like a decent itinerary, but there are a few stops I could miss, so I won't be going.  Each ticket includes a Rimowa Salsa Deluxe Hybrid Cabin Multiwheel suitcase, a $695 value; so there's lasting value to the trip.

757 Take Off

Earn Airline Miles With Bing Rewards

Bing Rewards now earns now lets you earn airline miles.  Assuming you are a gold Bing member, it's easy and warns you discounted awards, you can earn 100 miles for 385 points.  A $5 gift card to Amazon or Starbucks is 475 points, so you are buying points at about 4c per mile.  That's too expensive for me, but it could be useful to top up an account or reset an expiration date.

Earn American Miles on Bing

Redeem your credits and get 100 points/miles for your favorite frequent flyer, hotel or retail loyalty program. Participating programs include American Airlines AAdvantage®, Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns®, Hawaiian Airlines® HawaiianMiles®, Icelandair Saga Club, IHG® Rewards Club, LifeMiles, My BestBuy™ Rewards, SVM FuelCircle, US Airways® Dividend Miles® and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

US Airways Paint Updates

US Airways is quickly updating the paint on their aircraft to the new American scheme.  It'll happen quickly so enjoy their good looking planes while you can. There are still AirTran and old United schemes flying around, but US Airways updates much faster.

Soon to be Repainted

School Spirit

Go Boise State!

Alaska Airlines Supporting Boise State

Frontier Airlines Flat Tire FFT221

Frontier flight 221 had a flight tire in Austin yesterday.  The flight was scheduled to leave Austin at 6:55 and arrive in Denver before 8:00; instead it landed at midnight.  I've never seen an airplane with a flat tire, this was quite novel.  I was also thankful I was on the United flight to Denver 30 minutes later.

Frontier Airlines A319 

Use British Airways Miles On The Ground

British Airways miles (Avios) can now be used to buy experiences on the ground.  There are dozens of tours, excursions, boat rides, and other fun activities you can do around London and pay for with miles.  Denver is less lucky and only has airport transfers available.  These could be good value too at 1-2c a mile in the few I priced out in cash.  Even better, there are no fuel surcharges or UK air duty taxes to pay on these redemptions (taxes and fees turn a free round trip to London into a $400+ trip).  Avios can also be used for car rentals and hotels, but that isn’t terribly noteworthy.

Speedbird 787

Made Starbucks Gold

I made Starbucks Gold last week.  Now for Star Alliance Gold; it will be much more challenging.

Starbuck Gold Status

Jet Suite Flash Deals

Private jet carriers aren't always able to sell every leg they fly, so Jet Suite and others try to sell empty legs online to the proletariat.  This could be an amazing bargain if the cities and dates align, or it could just be funny.  Take the flight from Van Nuys to Burbank.  It's a 20 minute drive and about 9 miles.  There was also a flight for 4 from Las Vegas to Salt Lake for $536, that's cheaper than Delta's last minute prices. I signed up for text alerts in case there's something from the Denver area to anywhere; I think it would be fun to fly private, the destination won't matter (but it will need to be more than 9 miles away). 

Jet Suite's Suite Deals

Clear Free Trial Coupon

Use code CHDENKA for a two month free trial of Clear, a short cut through airport security lines.  Sign up at clearme.com.  Global Entry might be the better deal because it comes with PreCheck, but if Clear is at your home airport, it's worth a trial.

Clear Is Available at SFO

Qantas Apologists

The Sydney Morning Herald has the best travel section I have found.  Their largest weakness is a fondness for the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (Qantas), no matter what.  Qantas recently devalued their frequent flyer program, but it's a good thing according to their article.  American Airlines has the best intra-Australia awards (10,000 coach or 17,500 first one way) and British Airways is great value for short direct trips (starting at 4,500 miles), but the story only suggested Virgin Australia as an alternate option. I enjoy SMH articles, but it would be nice if they think outside Australia for points programs and say a negative thing about Qantas once a decade.  

I Really Like the British Airways Dreamliner

NTSB Reminds Pilots To Land At The Right Airport

More funny than insightful, the NTSB is warning pilots about "Landing at the Wrong Airport."  Flight crews are recommended to "confirm that [pilots] have correctly identified the destination airport before reporting the airport or runway is in sight."  Sounds pretty basic, but someone thought this bulletin was needed.  Other gems the NTSB could publish include Adding Enough Fuel, What Runways Look Like, or Why Altitude Is Important.

Don't Land at the Wrong Airport

Southwest Airlines' New Slim Seats

Southwest has caught the industry wide craze for slim seats.  Lucky for Southwest flyers, they are installing comfortable models on their 737 fleet. United, American, Lufthansa, Austrian, etc. are installing a different style with the magazine holder above the tray table and all padding removed.  Add in free TV in flight (bring your own fully charged device) and Southwest looks like a great way to see the country.  

New Southwest 737 Seats

United Recommending Seats

United is now recommending seats online; a helpful feature for infrequent flyers.  I would like them to add where missing windows are located on seat maps, but Seat Guru knows.

United Suggests 7A and 7F

Brussels Airlines to Start Flights to Antarctica

Brussels Airlines, the Belgian national airline, announced today the opening of a new scheduled flight route between Brussels and Antarctica during the winter season.

A first in the history of aviation. As part of its new commercial strategy, Brussels Airlines adds Antarctica to its network to offer an even wider choice of destinations from its hub, Brussels Airport. Between October 27, 2014 and March 29, 2015, it will be possible to visit this continent with its unique landscapes. The new destination is announced just after the addition of 11 other new destinations earlier this year: Ajaccio, Athens, Bari, Bastia, Cagliari, Figari, Krakow, Malta, Montpellier, Sevilla and Warsaw.

The Antarctic continent, previously unknown to the general public, contains an immeasurable wealth: its fauna and flora consist of many fascinating species. In addition, it is a beacon for scientists from around the world. Tourists have the choice between many activities: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, taking a sea cruise or visiting the Princess Elisabeth base, the Belgian scientific polar research station in Antarctica.

Brussels Airlines will operate one flight per week (Sundays) between Brussels Airlines and Antarctica with an Airbus A330. In order for its operations to proceed as efficiently and safely as possible, the airline has invested in the construction of a runway on which the aircraft will be able to land on its wheels. The flight makes a technical stop in Luanda (Angola), one of Brussels Airlines’ 19 African destinations. The intermediary landing is necessary to refuel the aircraft and provide new catering, but also to do an exchange of cabin crews. At the occasion of the opening of this new route, the uniform has been adapted and features (faux) fur to deal with the cold temperatures upon arrival.

Brussels Airlines is working closely with a renowned hotel chain to open a hotel in Antarctica to accommodate its passengers. There is a real demand for this destination, both for tourists and for scientists. Brussels Airlines will be the first company to offer scheduled flights between Europe and Antarctica during the winter season, which is paradoxically the least cold period of the year on the continent.

Flight Schedule (in local times):

Route	Departure	Arrival
Brussels – Antarctica (via Luanda)	10h45	7h45 (+1)
Antarctica – Brussels (via Luanda)	9h15	6h15 (+1)

WestJet Moves to Metric Time

CALGARY, April 1, 2014 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced it is changing the way it displays its flight schedule, switching from its current system of "a.m." and "p.m." to metric time effective immediately.

740 Miliminutes View

"This has long been a source of confusion for a number of our guests," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. "Some are used to the traditional 'a.m.' and 'p.m.' designations while others live their lives on the 24-hour clock, particularly those with medical, military or law enforcement backgrounds. The confusion stems from the fact there is no one universally-accepted way to express time and as a result, unfortunately, sometimes guests miss their flights.

"We hope that by converting our flight schedule to metric time, it will simplify things for our guests and ensure they arrive for their flights with lots of time to spare," said Richard Bartrem.

Visit westjet.com/metrictime for more information.

Germans Like To Strike

Germans sure do enjoy strikes.  Recently the airport security workers went on strike, now Lufthansa pilots are striking.

As a result of strike actions, which the German pilots union “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) has announced at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings from Wednesday, April 2nd 2014, to Friday, April 4th 2014, Lufthansa will reduce its schedule significantly.

Flights of the Lufthansa Group Airlines Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines are excepted from the strikes and schedule adjustments.

Check currently cancelled flights under http://f.lh.com/Pkf4(prelimenary state: cancellations will be completed until approx. 18:00h).

Grounded

The 747 Looks Great

The 747 is my favorite Boeing product (the Saturn V was a group effort, so I don't count is as a Boeing product) and it looks better than any other airliner moving people today.

Lufthansa 747-400 Top

British Airways 787 Dreamliner

The 787 Dreamliner looks outstanding in British Airways colors.

New Boeing 787 Dreamliner in British Airways Service

Denver Airport Is A Zoo

I enjoy puns, even bad ones.

Frontier Airlines Jets at DEN

US Airways and TAM leave Star Alliance

"US Airways and TAM leave Star Alliance." That's a depressing email subject from TAP's frequent flyer program.  I knew it was coming, but it feels like time just flew by and now my flight options are curtailed.  Even worse, US Airways had just created a pleasant experience for coach passengers so flying them wasn't a chore like when they first joined the Star Alliance.  Avianca and Copa can cover for TAM, so no major loss there.

Sun Has Set On US Airways' Star Alliance Partnership

An Introduction to Miles & Points Programs

How the game works  

• Points programs were started in the 1980’s to generate customer loyalty and increase revenue.  Today they are the most profitable parts of airlines generating revenue from selling miles to partners.  The goal of these programs is to drive incremental revenue for the program. 
• These programs are also very valuable to consumers, if the game is played well.  The two sides of the game are earning points and redeeming points.  Points can be earned cheaply or expensively and spent on high or low value awards.  Most people don’t put any though into their points, but if you see points like a currency, then you can gain significant value from the points game.  Points and miles should be viewed as a currency with a value (proposed valuations post) and this mindset will help clarify points based decisions.  Before spending points do the math on the value because it may be cheaper to pay in cash in some cases. 

US Airways Jets at CLT

Earning Points & Miles

• Flights and Hotel Stays:  The first way to collect points is by flying on a plane or staying at a hotel.  Airline earning is based on distance traveled (mostly) and hotel earning is based on total spend.  Bonuses are given for status members too.  Flights are usually an expensive way to earn points, but there can be some values
• Credit Cards: Credit Cards are the fastest way to collect points.  Most cards offer a sign up bonus, usually 30,000 or more points, and then give points for purchases on the card.  An easy way to boost your mileage balance is to ditch the no rewards card and upgrade to a points card.  Then use your card whenever possible.  The spending will add up and quickly increase your mileage balances.  Never carry a credit card balance because the finance costs outweigh the mileage benefits.
• Other Partners:  Online shopping portals, car rentals, flowers, and hundreds of other partners can earn you miles.  If you can earn miles for doing something you do anyway, take the opportunity.

Delta 777 at ATL

Spending Points & Miles

• Flights and Hotel Stays:  Redeeming for flights on airlines and hotel stays for hotel chains is usually the best value available.  International flights in premium cabins provide the highest value from your miles and the best stories.  With hotel stays, just do the math on the lowest available rate plus tax divided by the number of points for the same room.  If the points value meets your minimum redemption value threshold, then use points, if not, use cash.
• Points have an exponential value until the value plateaus.  2,500 points are worth a magazine subscription, 25,000 is a round trip in the USA, 50,000 is a round trip to Europe, and 100,000 is a round trip to Europe in Business class.  The more points you have, the more options are available, and the more those points are worth.
• Other Rewards:  Merchandise, gift cards, auctions, and a myriad of other things are available to buy with points.  These are usually very poor values.   Programs need these low value choices so the program costs stay low and members who don’t know any better will feel like they got a deal.  You could get a $200 watch or a $2500 trip to Europe for the same number of miles. 

Austrian Airlines Lounge - Free Access For Star Alliance Gold Members

Elite Status

• How to Earn:  Status in a points program makes traveling much more relaxing and rewarding.  With enough miles flown or hotel stays in a year, points programs will award a higher status. 
• The key to earning is crediting your travel to as few accounts as possible.  20,000 miles a year with American, Southwest, and United will not get status in any program, but 60,000 with any will yield Gold status.  The best way to maximize miles is to stay within an airline alliance, for example my Lufthansa flights credit to United.  My American and Delta flights credit to Alaska.  I still can earn miles with American, Delta, and US Airways with credit cards and other promotions, but flight miles are best concentrated in as few programs as possible.
• Airline Benefits:  Most airlines are very similar in their status benefits and tiers.  Silver level gives free checked bags, bonus miles from flights, elite lanes, and upgrade eligibility (unlikely to see many since silvers are at the bottom of the list).  Gold is like Silver, but a little better in most areas.  Top tier status gets most fees waived, top of the upgrade list, special customer service number with great reps, and more perks.  Here are the details for United, American, Delta, Alaska, US Airways, and Southwest. 
• Hotel Benefits:  The first benefits are earning more points per dollar spent and being eligible for room upgrades.  From there, each chain does it differently.  In most cases, club lounge access, free breakfast, free wifi, and welcome gifts are given out at different program levels.  Here are the details for each program: SPG, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG Priority Club, and Fairmont.

Parallel Landing At LAX

Spotting other planes in flight is one of the great joys of the window seat.  Channel 9 on United (live ATC) helps in flight when controllers mention traffic.  Landing at SFO or LAX is also a good bet because they use parallel runways.  SFO flights get very close while LAX has it's runways further apart, you can still have fun watching your plane race another.

American 757 Landing at LAX

I'd Rather Not Fly On That One

As a contrast to the last post, here's one I'd rather not fly, the Uzbekistan Airways 767-300.

Uzbekistan 767 at FRA

I'd Rather Fly On That One

Ever spot a plane you'd rather fly when at the airport?  It happens to me all the time.  Here's an example, the State of Kuwait ACJ320. 

Kuwait Government VIP Transport

Austrian Airlines Business Class Smart Upgrade Auction

Austrian Airlines is setting up an auction that will close 72 hours before flight to sell business class upgrades. The winners are based on price bid, but not told other bids.  The outcome also doesn't factor in fare paid or miles co-pays, so there is a chance of buying a very discounted fare and flying business class for not much more. Interesting way to maximize revenue, but it's not very sporting since you don't know other bidders' offers.  

Austrian Airlines Airbus

25% Off Pacmin Models at the Boeing Store

The Boeing Store is offering 25% off orders greater than $100, so their Pacific Miniatures models are all 25% though March 16.  I have a 737 Pacmin model (Alaska Airlines Spirit of Seattle) in my living room and it's a beautiful piece.   

Full Size 737 Model

737 Updates - PSU

Changing the little things about travel can make a big difference.  The passenger service units (PSU) are one great example.  Below are old and new versions on the 737, the new lights are LED and better for reading while using less power and maintenance.  The air vents are better too by spreading the air more evenly.  Airbus has improved PSU's on the A320 family too.

Old Style PSU

New Style Lights and Air