While we accept that all frequent flyer programs are, presumably, skewed to favor the airlines rather than the passengers, Aussie carrier Qantas has just announced a raft of changes to their loyalty program which actually sound good.
Among them is a program called "Anyseat," which is a solution to that problem of never being able to book a "frequent flyer seat" on the flight you wanted. Now, even if you want to use your points for the most heavily-booked flight on the schedule, you can--it just costs you more points. Exactly how many points is hard to determine and you can find out by trying to book it.
Along with Anyseat, Qantas is making the use of points plus cash to redeem flights much more flexible. And, you'll now be able to use points to pay for the taxes and charges component of the flight as well. Add the ability to earn points by shopping at a much longer list of retailers, and it's all sounding pretty friendly. They're like that Down Under.
Large European LCC EasyJet--the one that enjoys charging extra for everything--has found another way to take the "low cost" out of "low cost carrier, "although it says it's a new way for customers to save money.
The EasyJet Plus card is a kind of loyalty program that works in conjunction with the Speedy Boarding scheme. Until now, passengers who wanted priority boarding would pay between £2.50 and £7 per flight ($5-$14), or up to £9 ($18) a flight if they also wanted a dedicated check-in counter. With EasyJet Plus, you pay £100 ($200) per year (£125 in the first year) to get Speedy Boarding at no cost. Well, no cost apart from the astronomical charge per year.
You need to fly once every two weeks just to break even. Commentators are suggesting business travelers will benefit the most. Your best bet? Pick an airline that doesn't have so many extra fees.
We fly a lot; you probably do, too. But like us, you've probably got a stack of frequent flyer numbers and can't remember which ones you've used recently. While you're tying up loose ends for this year, it's smart to double check that your miles won't expire come 2008.
Points you may have in your JetBlue account expire after just twelve months, so if you haven't flown with them this year, it's crunch time. Your best bet is to buy something with your JetBlue AmEx, if you've got it. Using a mileage-earning credit card is a great way to keep your points active on other airlines, too.
I would like to donate my DeltaSkymiles to a military service person. How can I do that?
Glad you asked. It's not that hard as it turns out. Most major air carriers have a means of transferring their miles to just about anyone you'd like. Delta prefers you go through the Skymiles website while many other carriers give you the choice of phone or web transfer.
If you don't have a specific soldier in mind, charities like Fisher House can send those miles to where they are most needed. The foundation provides free tickets for wounded military personnel to be with their families while undergoing treatment. Other charities also deal in miles, the Red Cross, UNICEF and the Boys and Girls Club included. Check the links below for more information.
Virgin America's first flight is still a week away, but the airline of the geek (see: MP3 players, on-board Doom, and Linux) is already promising innovative ways to reward its passengers.
Just how will they do it? Members of the eleVAte Frequent Flyer Program -- yes, camel cased to the extreme -- receive five points for every one dollar spent, instead of for every mile they fly. That means a $418 round-trip ticket from San Francisco to New York will earn 2,090 points.
Virgin America's approach actually rewards passengers for spending extra dollars on those high-cost, last minute trips. Just 4,900 points (or $980) can equal a free ride. A mileage program that actually rewards you for spending more money -- now that is a cool thing. Finally we will be rewarded for paying $400 to go from SFO to LAX at the last minute.
There aren’t any blackout dates either, or so they claim -- time will tell. We remember JetBlue claiming the same thing, yet you can hardly ever find a seat when redeeming points on JetBlue.
While Virgin America promises no blackout dates and says eleVAte -- camel case again -- reward points can be redeemed for any unsold seat, we think you'll be lucky if you can find one, at least for a while.
The hottest ticket these days isn't for the Police, it's for a seat on one Virgin America's first cross-country flights -- at least for us travel dorks.
