Owner: The Flying Critic Travel Blog URL:http://www.flyingcritic.com Join Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 15:49:15 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A frequently updated travel blog with daily travel photos, airline and travel news, tips and tricks, reviews and more. Site statistics:Click here
Travel Tip: Remain Overnight Connections: Taking The Last Flight In / First Flight Out 2008-05-16 13:36:28 Most air fares allow you to spend the night at a connecting city for free with a remain overnight connection. The trick is you need to find a last flight in to your connecting city that misconnects with the last flight to your final destination. Then you just take the last flight in to the connecting city and continue to... Read more:Travel
, Taking
, Flight
, First
Fare Alert: United removes $130 fuel surcharge until ~8pm Eastern 2008-05-15 15:37:13 RickSeaney.com reports that United
removed their $130 Fuel Surcharge: A short time ago, United REMOVED its fuel surcharges in approximately 18,000 of its markets. Most of those fuel surcharges added $130 to the price of their airline tickets. The fuel surcharge is now ZERO. UPDATE 4PM EASTERN: United Spokesperson Robin Urbanski described this as a “clerical error” and said the... Read more:Alert
, Eastern
United to stop giving 500 minimum miles for flights shorter than 500 miles 2008-05-14 12:23:01 United just e-mailed a new policy impacting people flying short flights
less than 500 miles: To ensure that Mileage Plus miles earned toward elite status and award travel on United are aligned with actual miles flown, we are revising our base accrual policy. Beginning July 1, 2008, for flights of less than 500 miles, passengers will earn redeemable miles equal... Read more:United
, shorter
Travel Tip: Save money on Hilton hotels with the USA Swimming discount 2008-05-14 11:38:41 Most Hilton
hotels (including hotels in the Hilton family like Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, etc.) are offering a 10% discount through the end of the year through a promotion with USA Swimming
. It books as 10% off BAR (best available rate) and is often a few dollars cheaper than the AAA rates. Most of the bookings... Read more:Travel
United Airlines spent $540,000 lobbying in 1Q 2008-05-13 06:51:56 In case you were wondering, UnitedAirlines
spent $540,000 lobbying in 1Q: "The airline lobbied on legislation dealing with funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, pension issues, greenhouse gas emissions, security matters, passenger service and more, according to the form posted online April 18 by the House clerk's office."
Delta nonstop flights to Kuwait start Nov. 7, 2008 2008-05-19 17:16:02 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Delta
is going to start nonstop flights
to Kuwait 4 days a week:. Delta Air Lines plans to launch nonstop flights between Atlanta and Kuwait starting Nov. 7, boosting its presence in the Middle East and Africa to about a dozen destinations, the company said Monday.
Can You Standby for Free on Southwest Airlines? A Travel Tip 2008-05-19 13:44:11 If you are on a non full fare ticket you usually can't standby for free on SouthwestAirlines
. Southwest will typically require that you pay the difference between your discounted fare (called Wanna Get Away) and the full fare price. But there are two other ways that you can standby for free on Southwest. One is if your flight is... Read more:Travel
, Southwest Airlines
Labor Union Problems at American Airlines 2008-05-19 12:34:05 The USA Today reports that AmericanAirlines
' mechanics and bag handlers Union
rejected American Airlines latest contract proposal. Having one union disagreeing with management is hard enough. But American is also in the midsts of negotiations with the pilot union. And the flight attendant union begins negotiations in June. Yikes! With American Airlines' huge loss this last quarter and fuel...
American Airlines will charge $15 for checking your FIRST bag 2008-05-21 09:39:02 And the fees keep coming. Now AmericanAirlines
will charge
you $15 to check your FIRST bag. Elites are exempt. So are international itineraries. But otherwise expect to pay up for checking
a bag. I expect them to increase enforcement of carry-on size restrictions. I also expect United and others to join the race to the bottom as soon as...
How to Transfer American Airlines Miles to Hilton HHonors Points 2008-05-20 17:32:12 Need Hilton
HHonors points for a free hotel stay? Have extra AmericanAirlines
AAdvantage miles? You can transfer American miles to Hilton points. It's easy. And the exchange rate is good. 1 American Airlines mile = 2 Hilton HHonors points. The deal is only good going American -> Hilton. It's a bad deal the other way around at 10,000 HHonors... Read more:Miles
, Points
TSA to allow laptops through x-ray in some new bags 2008-05-22 12:53:49 Seth at TravelTechTalk reports that TSA-friendly laptop cases are coming. The idea is to create a laptop bag that you don't have to remove your laptop from when putting the bag through the x-ray machine. In theory this is good because it takes time to remove your computer from the bag and spending less time near the TSA is a... Read more:laptops
Pictures of the Air France Lounge in Houston (IAH) 2008-05-24 03:17:02 As promised, here are pictures of the Air France
Lounge in Houston
(IAH). You can see why I was shocked that the old KLM lounge was still being used in January when this lounge was empty before my KLM PrivatAir flight. There are several large seating areas with table space, power, snacks, and magazines at every seat: There is a... Read more:Pictures
Frontier cancels 50% discount for infant seats 2008-05-23 18:48:02 Frontier airlines announced today that it will be canceling their 50% discount for infant seats starting June 10. Now parents will have to either have their infant be a lap child or else pay full price for the infant's seat. Read more:Frontier
What is the worst airline lounge in the world? 2008-05-23 18:34:26 Gary at View from the Wing asks what is the worst airline lounge
in the world? He offers the Alitalia Boticalli Lounge in Milan as a possible contender. I agree that is an awful lounge. It's even worse than the 20 year old KLM lounge that I posted about (and that has thankfully been replaced). Here is a picture of...
KLM Lounge is Houston Has Been Closed and Replaced 2008-05-23 18:02:22 I'm happy to report that the KLM lounge that I just posted about WAS closed and replaced by a new KLM Crown Lounge. I visited the KLM lounge in January and this new lounge opened in March. Thumbs up to KLM for getting rid of that horrid old lounge and opening a new one. Read more:Houston
, Closed
, Replaced
KLM Lounge in Houston (IAH) Should Be Closed 2008-05-23 15:47:24 Some airline lounges are amazing. Others are horrid. Like the KLM lounge in Houston
that I visited in January. It is small and old. It should be closed. Use the nice Air France lounge that is less than a minute away. Between the SkyTeam lounge sharing rules and the fact that both KLM and Air France are wholly owned subsidiaries... Read more:Closed
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