Earn 1,000 Bonus Points for Starwood Hotel Stays in April

Excellent promotion from Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG).

Earn 1,000 bonus SPG points for each stay during the month of April at any of the Starwood brands worldwide, including Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Aloft, W and St. Regis properties. No minimum stay required, the offer can be combined with other active promotions, and is valid on current reservations booked prior to the promo start date. Best of all, the bonus can be earned multiple times throughout the month; one bonus for each stay! Click here to read more and register for the promo.

(Note: The offer is softly targeted for readers of Flyertalk, but is transferrable to friends as well).

Air Traffic Control Recording From Recent SFO incident

Check out this summary of the March 27th near-miss aircraft incident near San Francisco International. Following the summary there is an audio recording link of air traffic control (with normal moments of silents between communications), and comments from aviation experts which question how serious the incident actually was and speculation as to who was at fault. Hats off to the flyertalk forums for providing this information.

Travel Tool for Star Alliance Members Booking Award Travel

By Mike Grasso

If you accrue miles with a Star Alliance carrier such as United or U.S. Airways, you probably have a goal at some point to cash in those miles. Today I'd like to recommend an amazing resource (hat off to the Flyertalk forums) I've used for quite some time enabling a quick and easy search for award seats.

First, a good reminder that you are not limited to redeeming with the airline you bank your miles with. Generally you can redeem with others within the alliance. For example, you have a mountain of miles with United Airlines which can be used on Singapore, Lufthansa, and Continental, to name a few. But how do you know award availability on these partner airlines? Often, your "sponsoring" carrier may have website limitations showing award availability of Star Alliance partners. So here's the workaround (other than just calling the airline):

-Join ANA's Mileage Club (free).

-Visit the award availability page.

-After logging in, select the "Use Star Alliance Members" button

From here, you can search award availability for most Star Alliance members worldwide. This is particularly useful when trying to build a complicated itinerary, or one in which you desire some creative routing's. This tool is good preparation, homework if you will, before contacting the airline directly to book your award ticket. Too often phone reps don't take the time to search all possible options (ie: something as simple as routing from Oakland, if no seats are available from San Francisco).

A word of caution though: Although results showing availability are generally accurate, there may be a few instances when they are not bookable. For an interesting, long discussion on this problem, read this Flyertalk forum on StarNet blocking. In sum, use the ANA award availability page as a tool in your award search, but realize occasionally availability and bookability may be slightly off from each other.

Full URL for award availability tool linked above:

https://aswbe-i.ana.co.jp/p_per/sky_ip_per_en/preAwdSearchLogin.do

30,000 Feet: Frequent Flyer - Join the Club

Check out this short PBS documentary on -really- frequent flyers who do it for the love of flying, the love of miles, and occasionally the love of the cities they visit - even if for 30-minutes. Filmmaker Gabriel Leigh (Cal-Grad!)does marvelous work here discussing how to maximize earning potential and the resulting payouts, such as first class seating and lounge access.

Meanwhile, Randy Peterson, founder Flyertalk, a popular online community of frequent flyer enthusiasts, describes how people who take the time can learn the tricks to reap the most benefits, often with minimum ongoing financial investment. Sounds like some of the spam messages I get in my inbox everyday! But - Randy is absolutely right! My own experience as a "mileage runner" and member of Flyertalk have taught me the tricks of the trade, how to cash-in on obvious and not so obvious travel opportunities, and how to help others do the same. OK, OK, - I'll save my story for another day. On with the show!

Reclining Your Airline Seat: How Do You Do It?

On occasion I've referenced particular threads of interest over on the Flyertalk forums. The Flyertalk community is full of spirited conversation about the latest trends, deals and gossip in the travel world, with side rants on almost any popular topic known to man. Last week, I found a lively discussion about the etiquette of reclining a seat in-flight. Although there have been other threads on this topic in the past, for now at least, this one has focused on self disclosure of reclination habits and observations of how others do it. If you fly enough, you know what we're talking about here. Here are a few excepts (some of the more comical ones) from the thread:

-From a passenger sitting behind Passenger 1A: "He brought his seat forward. Then whipped into recline mode......then forward to look out the window. Then.....slammed into recline...."

-"They have control of the seat....you have control of the air vent for your seat, which oddly enough if placed to its full fwd position and turned to max flow blows right on a fully reclined seat. They turn around and complain tell them if they put their seat up a couple of inches it shouldn't bother them."

-"I always have these nightmares about someone in front of me reclining quickly and snapping my laptop screen off."

-"If they are being aggressive or frequent with their seat reclines, I will ask them to be a little more considerate of my knees. Likewise, I have no problem saying something to the parent of the child behind me who insists on kicking the back of my seat."

Read the entire thread here.

Mileage Runs: Who and Why?

By Mike Grasso

Imagine yourself crawling out of bed at five in the morning to catch a 7 AM trans-continental flight, arriving on the East coast with just minutes to spare before you make the trek back home. At its simplest form, this is a mileage run. Although likely fatigued from the all day journey, tomorrow will be better, particularly since you earned a whopping 6000 miles (or more) for your efforts.

The rules are simple: Fly as far away as you can, for the least possible amount of money. It makes no difference whether you embark off to Sarasota, Florida or Hilton Head, North Carolina, because a true mileage run means you will probably never leave the airport of your arrival city. Just enough time to visit the airport facilities and enjoy a fresh cup o' joe, before boarding begins for your return flight home.

A complicated question asked so many times of me: Why? Why do people do this?

Some view it as a necessity. Frequent travelers who find themselves just a few thousand miles short of maintaining their elite status need to find a way to earn some quick elite-qualifying miles before year end. A mileage run is perfect for them. A simple flight from point A to point B and back allows one to fancy their elite status for yet another year. The banking of useable miles, the ones used to redeem for free award travel, may be less of a priority for this type of mileage runner.

Some regard mileage runs as an opportunity to visit cities while creatively building off-the-beat routings, maximizing mileage potential. For example, San Francisco to Washington D.C is available non-stop, earning 4,820 miles round-trip. Instead, consider San Francisco to Seattle, to Washington D.C, earning 5,956 miles round-trip. For the clever and so-inspired, you could add stops in two other cities enrute to D.C, without adding a substantial cost, to accrue even more miles. These types of mileage runners seek to bank as many useable miles in their frequent flier account, enabling them to redeem for more frequent free trips in the future. (It's important to note that since the focus of the trip is to visit the city - meaning a stay of 1 or more nights is involved, some in the industry do not consider this a true mileage run.)

Finally, a smaller group of travelers view mileage runs as a sort of hobby, sometimes spending hours composing an exciting itnerary that includes four stops - in each direction, including visits to small regional airports that most would simply fly over. These extended mileage runs last upwards of 24 hours, and often include a red-eye flight. The exaustive journey yields huge mileage payouts, and provides avid travelers a chance to see parts of the country - at least the airports, they might not otherwise fly to. Some find themselves volunteering-for compensation on oversold segments, esentially paying for the cost of the mileage run.

But let's face it, if you have an aversion to flying, mileage runs are no friend of yours. But, if you find yourself a bit short of a status level (December 31st is the last day to accrue miles for next year's status), or you want to try your own mileage run, I highly recommend visiting the Flyertalk Mileage Run Forum (it's where I started many years ago), where a community of like-minded flyers can offer expert advice and recommendations on putting together a run that works for you.

San Francisco to Rome $498 "all in" Summer 09'

Right from the Flyertalk forums comes this thread on flights from the U.S to Italy for less than $500 bucks from the West coast, and less than $300 from the East coast. The only way to make this hot deal work is to price it through a third-party side such as Priceline or Kayak, then choose AirOne and/or AirOne and United as the carrier. Initially it prices much higher, but after you make your selection, it reprices downward.

This takes a little work and patience, but in the end you wind up with a smokin' hot, unbeatable fare to Italy.

May 27-June 2, 2009 SFO-FCO (Rome) prices at $498 including all taxes and fees. Operated by United Airlines the entire route. This fare will not last long! Click here to book

Leading Hotels of the World $19.28 Promotion - Tomorrow

(Repost)

Celebrating their 80th anniversary, Leading Hotels of the World will be offering $19.28 rooms at select properties worldwide. Choose from a grand selection of luxurious properties throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America, The Caribbean, and right here in North America. A little work is required however, in order to secure a $19 hotel room that would otherwise sell for over $400-$500.

Here's what you do: Set your alarm clock for...early; 5am Pacific time, October 1, 2008, room inventory will open up at the discounted price for a total of 80 minutes only. Be ready to input the city, country and date(s) of stay. Promotional stays are valid November 1-December 15 only, and you are allowed a maximum of two nights at participating properties. Complete information and pre-registration here.

As with other short-spanned hotel promotions lately, space is limited - and participating hotels are not looking to fill every room at the discounted rates. So, mark your calendars now, wake up early and give it your best shot. Last month, Affinia Hotels was offering a similar limited-time only promotion, and I was able to secure a wonderful hotel in midtown for Manhattan for $88 bucks - normally priced at $325.

Leading Hotels of the World $19.28 Promotion

(Thanks to Kaz @ Flyertalk)

Celebrating their 80th anniversary, Leading Hotels of the World will be offering $19.28 rooms at select properties worldwide. Choose from a grand selection of luxurious properties throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America, The Caribbean, and right here in North America. A little work is required however, in order to secure a $19 hotel room that would otherwise sell for over $400-$500.

Here's what you do: Set your alarm clock for...early; 5am Pacific time, October 1, 2008, room inventory will open up at the discounted price for a total of 80 minutes only. Be ready to input the city, country and date(s) of stay. Promotional stays are valid November 1-December 15 only, and you are allowed a maximum of two nights at participating properties. Complete information and pre-registration here.

As with other short-spanned hotel promotions lately, space is limited - and participating hotels are not looking to fill every room at the discounted rates. So, mark your calendars now, wake up early and give it your best shot. Last month, Affinia Hotels was offering a similar limited-time only promotion, and I was able to secure a wonderful hotel in midtown for Manhattan for $88 bucks - normally priced at $325.

Petition to Save U.S Airways Dividend Miles

On August 6, 2008, U.S Airways is scheduled to officially end the bonus miles program for Preferred status Dividend Miles members. This change, which we reported back in June, is an unprecedented move by the airline that hugely impacts its most loyal flyers. A core benefit to elite members of most frequent flyer programs is the 25-100% bonus miles for each paid flight. Come August 6th, U.S Airways will rip that benefit entirely from its Dividend Miles program.

Even if you are not an elite flyer of U.S Airways, there is reason to be concerned. Such a drastic move to a frequent flyer program is undoubtedly being monitored by other airlines. If this change slides through without flyers voicing their disapproval, it's likely other airlines, perhaps your airline of choice, will follow in the footsteps of U.S Air.

Now a grassroots effort is underway to stop U.S Airways from implementing this significant reduction in elite benefits. The website www.savedividendmiles.com, provides an outlet for those concerned about the change to go on record. While at this site, you can learn more about the scheduled program change, read an outstanding editorial from Flyertalk founder Randy Peterson about why U.S Airways should rethink their decision, and finally sign a petition demanding the airline rescind their planned change.

HOT! San Francisco to Buenos Aires, Argentina $698 rt - tax included

United Airlines is offering this hot fare from San Francisco to Buenos Aires (EZE). Only $698.
Fly between 14 July and 28 August (best fares were found in July), stay a minimum of 3 nights, earn a bunch of miles, and have a great time in this beautiful European-feel city.

Visit www.united.com search within the above date parameters and/or click on the flexible dates tab. I found available flights between July 22 and July 29th for this fare. This thread on flyertalk mentions users finding the fare even a bit cheaper.
This unbelievable fare is subject to change at any time.

United Airlines Increases Change Fee

By Mike Grasso

In what could result in a domino effect among other mainline carriers, United Airlines has raised change fees for non-award tickets to $150.00. The change appears to be effective immediately.

The news was initially mentioned on flyertalk, and although United has not made a public announcement of the increase, I just confirmed the change in the q&a section of the ual website.

Most mainline carriers, including United, charged no more than $100 (plus any applicable fare change) for making changes to a reservation. With the increase, United is making a bold move, one likely to upset business & leisure travelers worldwide.

But, in February United announced they would pioneer a special $25 fee for checking in a second bag, and despite grumbles from flyers, within weeks most of the larger U.S-based airlines announced a matching the fee. Here, they were successful.

In addition to increasing change fees, in the coming months I expect many airlines to find other creative ways to charge passengers, far beyond the price of the ticket. As fuel costs rise to an all-time high, the industry must find solutions to offset the higher cost of flying planes.

inFLIGHTout now part of 'Boarding Area'

Randy Petersen, the founder of FlyerTalk recently created "BoardingArea," a collection of websites and blogs that appeal to business travelers. The concept is simple, but the content is rich. Randy hand-picked writers who have a passion for travel and are committed to helping the fellow traveler with in-depth news and commentary relating to the industry. I'm happy to report I've been included in the line-up. In the coming weeks you will notice some minor site changes, but the address and content will remain the same. In the meantime, head on over to the Boarding Area http://www.boardingarea.com/BTBloggers.php where you will find my blog and a potpourri of other travel guru's writings.

Freddie Awards: Vote for your favorite frequent travel programs

Frequent travelers from around the world are invited to cast a vote in the 20th Annual Freddie Awards, which are designed to award excellence among frequent travel programs in the airline, hotel and credit card industries. Introduced by InsideFlyer magazine publisher Randy Petersen in 1988, the Freddies allow members to rank airline and hotel programs from their point of view. The awards have grown in stature and importance and are the most prestigious member-generated awards in the industry.

Voters rate hotel, airline and credit card programs in nine categories: Program of the Year, Best Award, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Affinity Credit Card, Best Member Communications, Best Award Redemption, Best Elite-Level Program, Best Customer Service and Best Web Site.
The Freddie Awards are determined by value voting, a system in which voters rate the value of their program choices on a scale of one to 10. Programs with the highest average score and at least one percent of the popular vote in each category are awarded Freddies. In essence, Freddies are awarded for quality, not quantity.

The awards are named after the late Sir Freddie Laker (1922-2006) who attracted fame, and a knighthood in the United Kingdom, for his pioneering marketing ideas within the travel industry in the 1970s.
Vote Now! Freddie Award balloting is conducted entirely online at www.freddieawards.com. Voting concludes on February 29, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. MT.

Free bonus miles points/miles with United, American, Amtrak & Air Canada
Thanks, View from the Wing Blog

Fill out a short survey and/or sign up to receive emails and earn the bonuses below.
250 free United Airlines miles
250 free American Airlines miles
250 free Amtrak points
1000 free Air Canada miles

These promotions are great because most airlines require some activity (air or partner) within a certain amount of time, otherwise they delete your frequent flyer account. Most airlines recognize these registrations as a qualifying partner activity therefore keeping your account active.