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News from September 2024
Hyatt has recently acquired Mr and Mrs Smith, a booking platform known for its curated selection of independent hotels. This acquisition allows customers to earn Hyatt points and stay credits when booking properties that are part of the World of Hyatt program through Hyatt channels. Additionally, points can be redeemed at these hotels, although the redemption value is often considered low compared to prevailing rates.
Oman Air’s oneworld Launch Appears Imminent
When a guest at Marriott’s Courtyard Crystal City/Washington National Airport expressed dissatisfaction with the hotel's upgrade policies, the general manager responded by explaining why upgrades are not readily offered to elite members.
Dallas-based 37-year-old food influencer Maria Baradell flew American Airlines coach from Chicago O’Hare to Barcelona on August 18th and made bread at her seat inflight to enjoy at her destination.
Rove plans to introduce a new credit card with transferable points and aims to establish itself as a transfer currency partnering with several banks. The Y Combinator-backed company outlines its card’s value proposition, which includes no annual fee, 2x points on all purchases, 3x points on travel, and 4x points for referrals for 30 days. Referral bonus spending is capped at $2,500 per month per referral, with each additional referral extending the 4x point period by another month.
The U.S. government has seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's Dassault 900 EX for alleged sanctions violations. The business jet, reportedly used by Maduro as his version of Air Force One, was flown by American officials from the Dominican Republic to Fort Lauderdale.
Last week, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced its transition from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, with Air France KLM acquiring a stake. This move included an easy status match for customers, granting SkyTeam elite plus status without requiring proof of current status or residency.
In space, no one can hear Starliner pulse anymore. The cause of the strange pulsing noise in one of the speakers on the Boeing crew capsule, reported by astronaut Butch Wilmore on Saturday, has been identified and resolved. "The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner," NASA stated in a post on X. "The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept. 6."
I promised my private pilot student, Ned, a surprise for today's dual cross-country. He did not expect it to be a journey back to the time of flying dinosaurs.
As credit card rewards remain a primary concern for consumers, the aesthetic appeal of the cards themselves has become an increasingly significant factor. The discussion around this topic reveals that many individuals care about the look and feel of their credit cards, even if they hesitate to admit it.
A United Airlines passenger recently reported finding insects in their premium class meal. The incident occurred on Flight 2679, with the passenger seated in 4B. The passenger, identified as Alexander, shared an image of the meal on social media, stating: "An office w bugs in polaris class food.. Flt 2679 seat 4B."
Soisa Aircraft Interiors, based in Chihuahua, Mexico, attended the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg to promote its new buyer-furnished equipment (BFE) dress cover management program and an organic armrest designed to enhance eco-credentials.
One of the enduring mysteries of the summer aviation news cycle was how the world's largest flying boat would reach one of the country's most land-locked museums. The team responsible for maintaining the A-26K "Special Kay" announced on Facebook that the massive Philippine Mars, which lacks landing gear, will be flown from its current base on Sproat Lake on Canada's Vancouver Island to Lake Roosevelt, Arizona's largest body of water. From there, it will be dismantled and trucked 150 miles to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, where it will join about 400 other...
Twenty years ago, a flight attendant gave a passenger $20, and it changed her life. A Reddit user by the name of "itspritt" posted in the Alaska Airlines subreddit seeking assistance in finding this flight attendant.
The Department of Transportation has urged airlines to revert to the practice of offering meal vouchers during long delays, specifically those deemed 'controllable' such as mechanical issues. This policy is now part of customer commitment documents and incorporated into contracts of carriage, making it enforceable. Policies are also summarized on a DOT dashboard.
Friday night’s Delta flight 112 from Boston to Rome turned back over the Atlantic two hours after departure, diverting to New York, when a passenger reportedly had “severe bouts of diarrhea all over” their seat.
Southwest Airlines has introduced a limited-time promotion offering customers the opportunity to receive two months of free companion travel. To qualify, customers must book one round trip or two one-way flights by September 5 and complete their travel by November 20. Upon meeting these conditions, participants will earn a companion ticket valid from January 6 to March 6, 2025. Registration for the promotion is required.
An Army investigation has revealed that an F-35 pilot with no prior experience in the Apache attack helicopter was at the controls when it crashed at a base in Utah last February. According to KUTV, which obtained a copy of the report, the pilot, a colonel, had only 35 minutes of simulator time in the Apache before embarking on an orientation flight with a Master Warrant Officer qualified in the type.
A well-known luxury travel influencer expressed frustration over a claim that Qatar Airways was the first to outfit business class cabins with suites featuring doors. The influencer had written that JetBlue was the pioneer, leading one of her readers to cite a conflicting report.
Air traffic controllers reported on social media that radar screens in Philadelphia covering Newark Airport "went blank for five minutes" on Labor Day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) subsequently ordered a ground stop at Newark and reduced incoming traffic. Some international flights were diverted, while others were delayed at departure airports nationwide. As of late Monday, FlightAware indicated departure delays of up to 89 minutes and arrival delays of 61 minutes. A ground stop was also implemented at Teterboro.