I just finished two weeks of heavy travel, going to FTU in Washington, DC; two mileage runs to Indianapolis; BAcon (BoardingArea conference) in Colorado Springs, and a visit to my family near San Francisco. In short, I’m glad to finally be home for a while. But during these trips, I reflected on my upgrade success this year on United Airlines, … [Read more...]
Maximizing My Elite Baggage Benefit
May 6, 2013 By 8 Comments
Some of the things I do are a little weird when compared to other frequent travelers. For example, I find a ton of value in elite status just from the free checked baggage benefit. I know lots of people say never to check a bag. I often don't, just to save time. But I do check bags often enough to stand out and have only twice had a problem when … [Read more...]
Do Professional Titles Get You Better Service?
April 30, 2013 By 58 Comments
After I completed my graduate education, I started booking all of my reservations as “Dr. Scott Mackenzie” instead “Mr. Scott Mackenzie.” I don’t make a fuss if some people say “Mr.” anyway, but I earned the new title and think it’s only fair to include it when the option is available. My interest is whether such a change … [Read more...]
Kimpton Status Match Lasts through 2015
April 24, 2013 By 8 Comments
I just recently got my new Inner Circle membership card from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. Imagine my surprise when I looked closer at the card and found my status match doesn't expire until February 16, 2015! When I discussed my status match last month, I described how I thought I could earn 11 free nights while paying for the 15 nights I … [Read more...]
How to Access Domestic United Clubs with Elite Status
April 18, 2013 By 11 Comments
Finally, I'll spend some time today talking about how to access the United Club if you have Gold status. No, not Premier Gold status with United's MileagePlus program but Gold status with another Star Alliance carrier. As I mentioned earlier this week, one of the features that distinguishes United Airlines and US Airways from their international … [Read more...]
