:: The Weblog of Gary Leff

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"New Location, Update Your Bookmarks and RSS Feeds!"

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/

- Posted 4:04pm | Comments (0) | Link

"Where did your emails go?"

I've been asked a lot recently, "Where did your emails go? Why did you stop writing?"

I still write -- as often as before, with advice on frequent flyer miles and amazing offers -- but you have to come to my website in order to read it.

The URL is http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/ ... Bookmark it!

- Posted 3:56pm | Comments (0) | Link

"Myths and Reality in Obtaining Airline Upgrades"

James Wysong's newest column is on ways to get an upgrade. His advice:

Become a member of that specific airline’s frequent flier mileage club. You can be a member of many different airlines’ clubs.

The flight is oversold in economy, but there are empty seats in business and or first class.

Sometimes being an elite member of a frequent flyer program helps. Some agents will use frequent flyer status to determine whom to upgrade. But remember, this is about getting the plane out full and not a perk of the loyalty program. Sometimes people will be bumped up seemingly at random.

Operational upgrades may be done a few hours before the flight (you check in, and are given an upgraded boarding pass). Don't check in too early, say more than three hours in advance, because you may miss out on the chance to be upgraded. The airline isn't likely to call you back to give you a new boarding pass.

Operational upgrades are also done at the gate. The master at these upgrades is Flyertalk's PremEx. Here, it's best not to pester the gate agent. Go up, lay your boarding pass on the desk (which will show your elite status, if you have it) and say something like

I'm traveling with you ["Full Fare" if applicable"] to [CITY] today and I'm quite happy with my [Seat X], but if you should need to move anyone up, I'd be happy to help out. My name is X and I'll be sitting right over there...

Don't board right away, either. An agent isn't likely to come onto the plane to find you to move you up, they're likely just to pick someone else instead.

And just because an agent tells you "first class has checked in full" don't take it to mean your chance for an upgrade is over. Often a first class passenger will be connecting from another flight, and they may well misconnect -- meaning that the first class seat that has already checked in will actually become available.

You are dressed smartly or in business attire. Jacket and tie for men and a dress/suit for women.

You are traveling alone. Sorry, if you’re with kids, it’s almost an automatic disqualifier.

Always be willing to move when asked. I know of a man who refused to move because he was seated on the aisle. What he didn’t realize was that the seat they were offering him was in first class.

Be early. Your chances of sitting up front diminish quickly when you inquire at the last minute.

Use the right card. Many times the credit card you pay with has a redeemable mile feature usable with several different airlines.

The American Express Centurion Card comes with elite status on Delta, USAirways, and Continental (which also provides upgrades on Northwest). That card can get you upgrades directly via your automatic elite status.

But other than those two cards, the point of 'choosing the right card' is really 'accumulating the right miles' and looking at what opportunities there are to use your miles for an upgrade -- often at the time of booking -- but just as with elite upgrades, there may be minimum fare purchased requirements and the rules likely differ from domestic to international flights.

When you book the ticket ask about upgrades and prices. There is a fare called Y-UP fares that cost a little more but increases your upgrade chances immensely.

But don't also forget to inquire about the price of a first or business class ticket -- sometimes it's less than you might imagine. I searched for a colleague's trip to Bucharest yesterday. Most business class fares were $5000, but both Continental (with intra-European flights on KLM) and Alitalia offered $2500 fares. That's a relatively small premium over coach for the days she's traveling.

- Posted 3:43pm | Comments (0) | Link

"What would an America West-USAirways Merger Mean for Frequent Flyer Mileage Redemption"

Keith Alexander speculates on what would happen to frequent flyers in an America West-USAirways tie-up.

He quotes Randy Petersen saying that USAirways members could finally relax about the future and stability of their miles.

Separately, if the combined corporate entity remains as USAirways, and its existing partnerships continue, then America West flyers will gain access to international awards like they've never known before through USAirways' membership in the Star Alliance. Currently, America West's premium international redemption options are hugely limited.

Of course, this is all speculation. If a merger were to go through, and if it were to cause the combined entity to exit the Star Alliance (after all, America West is a significant competitor to United on the West Coast of the U.S. and to the best of my knowledge America West management hasn't commented on its position vis-a-vis Star) then USAirways frequent flyers would have their redemption options slashed dramatically.

This is all speculation -- on both sides, of course -- but it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.

- Posted 3:42pm | Comments (0) | Link

"Mother's Day Flowers"

It's one of the times of year that all the programs push their flowers and gifts mileage partners. America West just sent out an email offering 20 miles per dollar with FTD, with Butterfield Blooms, with Gift Sense, and from the San Francisco Music Box Company.

The FTD offer says "Elite Members" but the offer was sent to me by America West, and I do not have elite status with that airline. I do have some experience with FTD offers originally targeted for elites, and everyone has always been able to earn full mileage with the offers regardless of status.

The best mileage offer has been around for a couple of years, FTD offers 30 United miles per dollar spent. The offer mentions United 1K members but everyone has been able to take advantage of it regardless of status.

- Posted 3:42pm | Comments (0) | Link

"Just completed my Free Digital Camera offer"

I just completed my marketing offer for the free digital camera. It was the easiest offer from Gratis Networks yet -- Napster.

You sign up for a 14-day free trial. You do have to download their software (and when you're asked whether you want to restart your computer, it's important to say NO or else you may not get credit). Then a couple days later credit for the offer shows up on the free electronics offer website. The best part is that you can cancel online -- you don't even have to speak to a live person. I printed out the page saying I had cancelled, but I also got an email from them anyway. Then I uninstalled the software. Easy, free, a great way to complete a requirement.

The other easy one that I see up at the moment is EFax. You cancel via live chat with them. It's a free offer, so you aren't out any money. And the good part of the cancellation process is that you can copy the entire live chat into Word or use some other method to save the whole conversation, so you have a record of the cancellation just in case.

As a quick refresher, the various free electronics offers require you to complete a marketing offer and refer friends who complete marketing offers as well.

When you sign up you'll be asked whether you want to participate in several 'optional' offers. Answer no to each one of them.

Then complete an offer like Napster or EFax -- which cost you nothing. Naturally you don't want to join Columbia House...

(For additional context, these are the same folks that offer the free iPod which I got myself almost a year ago.)

- Posted 3:41pm | Comments (0) | Link

"EVA Offers Online Meal Selection"

EVA is introducing online meal selection for premium class passengers, and throwing in 500 bonus miles for using the feature by September 30.

“The option to pre-select from a menu of delicious main courses adds to the comfort and convenience of an already exceptional inflight experience,” said K.W. Nieh, Executive Vice President, EVA Air. “EVA’s goal is to continually find new ways to upgrade and enhance services, and we believe this new feature is one our passengers will especially appreciate.”

EVA is making its online pre-selection process more delicious by posting mouth- watering pictures with descriptions of the tasty entrée choices. Passengers outbound from Taiwan will have a wider selection of menu choices. But airport handling restrictions prevent EVA from offering this service for destinations like Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Paris, Auckland and Japan.

- Posted 2:08pm | Comments (0) | Link

"Devaluing the Paypal Debit Card"

New Paypal debit card users will receive 1% cashback, down from 1.5%. Current debit card members will be grandfathered at the 1.5% rate.

Eligibility for the PayPal Preferred Rewards Program will become easier, however:

Under the previous guidelines, only qualified eBay sellers designating a preference for PayPal in their eBay listings were eligible for the program, but beginning today eligibility will be expanded to include all merchants who promote PayPal as their preferred online payment method, whether operating on eBay or off.

- Posted 7:10am | Comments (0) | Link

"Change to Mailing List Version of View from the Wing"

Well over a thousand people currently receive each day's postings by email. I can't tell you how great it makes me feel that so many folks opted for that. This site is a labor of love and I really appreciate all the great feedback that I get.

I hope that you like the new format of the website. I really do, and appreciate the work that the tech folks put into it. I find it much more readable, and also easier to work with.

One consequence, though, of moving from a home grown system to Movable Type is that I no longer have the ability to send out each day's content by email. Everyone has still been getting the content because I've manually been double-adding the entries into the old system in addition to the new one. I'm going to stop that shortly.

Alas, in order to get the site's content, you're going to have to come to the site.

There are a few things that'll make it easier however.

First, the RSS feed has been much-improved. Scroll down to the bottom on the right to grab the feed that's best for you.

Second, I do have the ability to notify the list of subscribers of new posts. I will do this sparingly, but I will make sure that everyone knows when I post amazing and important deals. To sign up (and join the over-a-thousand strong list) just enter your email in the box to be notified, also on the bottom-right of this site.

You can also read View from the Wing on your mobile phone at winksite.com/gleff/blog.

And please do let me know what you think of the new format, as usual comments are open.

- Posted 3:43am | Comments (0) | Link

"10,000 American Miles for Earthlink Still Available"

The standard American Airlines offer for Earthlink internet is 6,000 miles after three invoices.

Reader John points out that if you go to Earthlink directly, add internet service to your shopping cart, and enter promo code 1018865 the cart will display 10,000 American Airlines miles which will be awarded after six invoices.

- Posted 3:25am | Comments (0) | Link

"Getting Upgrades at Hotels"

The Bay Area's ABC TV station ran a piece on getting hotel upgrades. The sum total of their advice: ask.

That's actually good advice as far as it goes. More than anything else, style and mojo matter. I'll usually say something at checkin like, "I've heard really great things about this hotel, so I'm pretty excited. I was hoping you might have a room with one of your special views?" More often than not the person at the desk will try to comply. It really doesn't cost them anything. It makes me happy. And it avoids putting them in the position of either disappointing me in person or getting an earful (I'm not rude, but many guests are).

If I have a reason to explain that a particular stay is 'special' I might send a fax to the hotel's reservations manager a few days before my stay. I'll write something about how I understand I may not be entitled to it, but it's my anniversary/wife's birthday/Arbor Day and I was hoping for a nice room as part of the celebration. A fax is better than a call because a call depends on who you get on the phone, whether they have time to deal with you, and whether they even remember to do something after the call. A fax will go to the right person's desk and serve as a reminder. It's not a silver bullet, but at nice properties seems to work more often than not. And it's one step in the process.

I'll likely also have mentioned my upgrade request with my reservation. So combined with the fax and the checkin ask one is likely to hit.

Being entitled to an upgrade of some kind helps as well. If you travel alot, focus your loyalty on a single chain and earn elite status. (Know the details of what the chain offers to elites when selecting a program.)

Even if you don't travel enough to earn status, many hotel programs offer a low tier of status just for getting their co-branded credit card. The Marriott Visa comes with Silver status. The Hilton Visa and America Express come with Silver status. If you spend $20,000 on the Hilton Amex in a year you get Gold status. The Starwood American Express comes with 'preferred plus' status, which is basically Gold without the bonus points. The Priority Club program doesn't offer status with their credit card, but their even their top tier can be had without staying a single night -- just earn 60,000 points in a year (12,000 can be earned opening a checking account, points can be purchased, bonus points count, points can be transferred in from other programs).

Comments are open: how do you secure the best rooms at a hotel?

- Posted 4:06am | Comments (1) | Link

"New Hilton Alarm Clocks"

Via Tripso.com, Hilton is introducing alarm clocks with an iPod plugin and related sweepstakes.

The clocks are supposed to be especially easy to set. Unfortunately this probably won't solve the need to make sure the alarm clock isn't already set when you check in -- there's little worse than being woken up in the middle of the night because the last guest thought it would be funny to boobytrap you by setting the alarm to go off at 3am.

- Posted 3:55am | Comments (0) | Link

"IRS To Tax Foreign Pilot and Flight Attendant Wages"

The IRS is apparently seeking to tax Latin American airlines for wages paid to flight attendants and pilots during the time they spend working over US airspace. (Link via Today in the Sky.)

Critics of the move point out that other countries might respond by doing the same to U.S. airlines.

Anyone with thoughts on why the IRS is focused on Latin American carriers -- and not European or Asian carriers -- feel free to offer them in them in the comments.

- Posted 10:01am | Comments (0) | Link

"Amusingly Named Mileage Offer"

One of the more amusingly named mileage offers (via Free Frequent Flyer Miles) has to be The Danny Schurman Homeselling System:

This written guarantee will give you the assurance that if your home doesn't sell within 120 days, we will give you up to 2500 Airmiles.

This may be of limited interest to those readers in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

- Posted 7:44am | Comments (0) | Link

"Completely off-topic: committing a crime with impunity in a small part of Idaho"

I just an an really interesting piece to be published in the Georgetown Law Journal (shocking itself, it's also a good read) that argues there's a 50 square mile area in the U.S. where felonies can't be prosecuted: the portion of Yellowstone National Park which is in the state of Idaho.

The Constitution's 6th Amendment requires that juries be picked from the same district and state in which a crime is committed. Federal law sets the district governing all of Yellowstone as Wyoming -- logical, as the park is 91% in the state of Wyoming. The districts of Montana and Idaho exclude the park.

So juries must be chosen from the District of Wyoming to prosecute crimes committed in the park. However, if the crime is committed in that part of the park that is in Idaho, juries must be chosen from the state of Idaho. And only that 50 square mile area of the park overlaps both requirements. The problem is that no one lives there so it is impossible to form a jury.

Naturally the article deals with potential objections, and points out that some crimes may have federal (firearms violations) or multistate (conspiracy) elements so it's not a certainty that legal violations would go unpunished. And crimes with a penalty of less than six months' imprisonment do not require jury trials and so would be unaffected.

But an interesting constitutional challenge nonetheless, and one that may warrant a change to federal law.

(Hat tip to the Volokh Conspiracy.)

- Posted 3:58am | Comments (0) | Link

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