News and notes from around the interweb:
- The new LAX celebrity terminal is now open to American Express Centurion Black Card cardholders, the joining fee is waived and cardmembers just pay a per use fee.
- The British Airways AARP discount (up to $200 off and stackable with other sales) has been extended. The new booking window is through January 31, 2018 (had been December 31, 2017) with travel available through December 31, 2018. (HT: Joe Brancatelli)
- It’s amazing how rarely checked bags are stolen (items inside, by TSA, notwithstanding). I remember as a kid staff at airports verifying claim checks when leaving New York airports. This couple was arrested for stealing bags in Phoenix they kept returning to the airport day after day.
Investigators were able to track the two, through the GPS on their rental car. Wylam was reportedly arrested in a parking lot near 40th Street and Bell. Officers reportedly found more than 20 stolen bags in his car.
- Equifax will allow free lock and unlock of credit report for life
- When a couple was videotaped having sex inflight in exit row seats comments on the video were about their legroom.
- Hilton changes its terms and conditions for how 5th night free awards for elites are calculated.
- AT&T is dropping out of Plenti October 31. That’s the only way I earned Plenti points, and I really should look to redeem, but coalition loyalty programs are hard and American Express never made theirs in the U.S. work. They haven’t been able to bring on major merchants.
At the end of August I tried to use the AARP discount to buy two BA tickets. The prices were exactly the same regardless of whether I went through the AARP link to the allegedly discounted fare or BA’s website. I called AARP first and the representative told me that she could see that I was correct and she was also getting the same prices (no discount). She told me that AARP would “reach out” to BA to try to get them to fix it. No further responses from AARP when I tried to follow up with them. Ditto with BA when I contacted them by email and explained the problem. Meantime, the fare went up by $1,500 and then $2,000, so the $200 discount wouldn’t have been very helpful if I had waited for it to be resolved. Don’t assume you are necessarily getting a discounted fare by going to BA through the AARP link.