I’ve give Starwood a hard time lately, because their points devaluation was a pretty big deal. But they’ve taken a step to give back a lot of value to members with changes to the Cash & Points program. One of the better features of the program over the years has been the ability to combine points and cash at a pretty favorable rate towards award nights. So instead of spending, for instance, 10,000 points on a category 4 hotel you could spend just 4,000 points + $60. This was a better option because you were basically ‘buying’ the difference in points at just 1 cent apiece. However, only some hotels would participate each quarter. Starwood would have to solicit them to do so, and most would opt out except for in their slowest seasons. As…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for June 2007.
Starwood’s Major Cash & Points Benefit Enhancement
I’ve give Starwood a hard time lately, because their points devaluation was a pretty big deal. But they’ve taken a step to give back a lot of value to members with changes to the Cash & Points program. One of the better features of the program over the years has been the ability to combine points and cash at a pretty favorable rate towards award nights. So instead of spending, for instance, 10,000 points on a category 4 hotel you could spend just 4,000 points + $60. This was a better option because you were basically ‘buying’ the difference in points at just 1 cent apiece. However, only some hotels would participate each quarter. Starwood would have to solicit them to do so, and most would opt out except for in their slowest seasons. As…
Starwood’s Major Cash & Points Benefit Enhancement
I’ve give Starwood a hard time lately, because their points devaluation was a pretty big deal. But they’ve taken a step to give back a lot of value to members with changes to the Cash & Points program. One of the better features of the program over the years has been the ability to combine points and cash at a pretty favorable rate towards award nights. So instead of spending, for instance, 10,000 points on a category 4 hotel you could spend just 4,000 points + $60. This was a better option because you were basically ‘buying’ the difference in points at just 1 cent apiece. However, only some hotels would participate each quarter. Starwood would have to solicit them to do so, and most would opt out except for in their slowest seasons. As…
Best Ever Starwood American Express Signup Offer
The Starwood American Express remains my credit card of choice for most purposes, and there’s now a best-ever offer worthy of my ducking into the Thai Airways lounge in Osaka in order to post it — 10,000 points with first purchase and another 15,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 on the card within 6 months. That spending bonus is all gravy, since 10,000 points alone is the usual signup bonus. And as always, first year of the card remains free ($30 thereafter).(Hat tip to boazs)
Double Goldpoints After Second Stay
Goldpointsplus is offering double points starting with your second stay through August 31. Amazingly, no registration is required. Summer is often a big time for hotel promos, which business travel and occupancy rates down. Nice to see a promo from Goldpoints, so if your stays take you to participating properties (mine usually don’t, actually) this will be a nice bonus. Stay at participating Radisson Hotels & Resorts®, Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, or Park Inn® locations in North, Central and South America between June 15 and August 31. If you’re a goldpoints plusSM member, you don’t even have to register; just make your reservations and your Gold Points will double automatically, starting with your second stay.
Tumi Summer Sale
Tumi’s summer sale is back — up to 40% off on discontinued items and colors. Tumi is great luggage, highly recommended, but bear in mind that even on sale it isn’t cheap. And don’t forget that Tumi is in the AAdvantage Mall…
$96 + tax, surcharges: DC, Chicago, or Miami to Guatemala City
It’s on American Airlines. Bummer that there’s $130 in fuel charges and another $60 in US and Guatemala departure/arrival taxes. Brings the total price to around $330. Fare basis is QEA14L5K. 14 day advance purchase required. Valid for travel on or after June 19, completed by November 15. Must purchase by June 20 (unless it’s pulled first.).
An End to One of the Great Award Values
For years I’ve been a huge fan of Cathay Pacific’s AsiaMiles program. AsiaMiles could be used to upgrade flights on their partners, including American and some great upgrade options with British Airways. And there have been some real gems in the award chart, such as just 60,000 miles for a business class award under 5000 miles each way. So a British Airways award from the US East Coast to most of Europe was just 60,000 miles in business, compared to 100,000 miles in BA’s own program. Last year a colleague came to me, about to redeem 100,000 Delta miles for a ‘SkyChoice’ (no capacity control) award to Europe in coach. Instead I suggested he transfer 50,000 Starwood points to 60,000 AsiaMiles and redeem for the same award on British Airways in Business (where availability was…
Frontier Gets Less Friendly
Frontier is adding seats to their planes and reducing legroom (admittedly from a relatively generous 33 inch pitch to a more standard 31 to 32 inches) and adding blackout dates for frequent flyer redemption as well as getting more sophisticated with its capacity controls — they used to offer a fixed number of redemption seats but will now vary those seats, limiting them on popular routes, dates, and times and making them more available when they expect those seats to go unsold. (Their spin is this will increase seats. Whatever. This is not good for customers, at all.)
Southwest Changes their Ability to Change…
Southwest used to recognize that people earn credits in their frequent flyer program based on an understanding of what the program offers, and changes with little notice in effect as dishonest — an implicit promise broken. So their Rapid Rewards program rules said that any change to the program required 6 months’ notice. Still short for my tastes, but superior to their competitors who didn’t require any notice of themselves… Now they’ve announced a change (with six months’ notice…) that in the future changes will only require 30 days’ notice. Shame, shame.
