TRAVEL / FREQUENT FLYER TIPS

According to a new press release today from Delta:

Beginning next summer, you’ll be able to enjoy access to Economy Comfort seats on all domestic Delta mainline flights and two–class regional jets. These seats will be located in the first three to five rows of the Economy cabin and will allow you to stretch out with up to four inches of extra legroom.

Who gets it?

- All Diamond, Platinum, Gold Medaliion members on purchase.

- All Full fare tickets regardless of Medallion status

- Silver members at purchase for a feee or on check in for free.

More info here: Delta expands Economy Comfort to Domestic Fleet

This is as good as it has ever gotten in terms of bonus points from the Starwood American Express cards.

From now until August 22nd, new signups for either the personal or business cards will get a total of 30,000 Starpoints as long as you spend $4,500 within the first 3 months.  I value Starpoints at about 2.5 cents each, so this is worth about $750 just for getting a credit card. And the annual fee is even waived the first year.

There has never been a better deal and it will be only be offered for a bit over 3 weeks, so don’t wait.

And, as always with Hotel Magician, you can get $20 back as an Amazon Gift Card when you sign up and are approved for a personal Starwood Preferred Guest credit card from American Express and $50 back as an Amazon GC when you signup and are approved for a Business SPG Amex.

Links are:

Starwood Business American Express Credit Card (SPG)

Starwood Personal American Express Credit Card (SPG)

Remember you must be a NEW cardmember to get the bonus and you can get one bonus from each “flavor” – personal and business.

This just in from American Airlines:

American Airlines is partnering with the American Red Cross to help the victims affected by the March 10, 2011, earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami in the Pacific.

If you would like to join us in supporting the disaster relief efforts by making a cash donation, American will reward your generosity with an AAdvantage® bonus mile offer. Through April 15, 2011, AAdvantage members can earn a one-time award of 250 AAdvantage bonus miles for a minimum $50 donation, or 500 AAdvantage bonus miles for a donation of $100 or more to the American Red Cross.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.

https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_corpmicrosite&s_company=americanairlines-pub&JServSessionIdr004=2faeg1alg1.app294a

Here’s the link to enroll with Delta (you CANNOT do this if you don’t register and wait a day or so for it to appear in your account with Delta):
https://www.delta.com/pet/gofarther/pet/main

These can be from your own MR account or from a friend’s although they say it needs to be your own account. Experience, including my own, is that these will post nearly instantaneously.

Once you register, you’ll earn a 50% mileage bonus on all the Membership Rewards® points you transfer into your SkyMiles account by December 15, 2010.
And if you transfer 50,000 points or more, you’ll also receive 25,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs). That’s enough to give you Medallion status and benefits like waived baggage fees, unlimited upgrades, preferred seating, and more.
Not a SkyMiles member? Enroll now, it’s fast and free.

Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms or call 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276) for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice. To modify your receipt of valuable offers from American Express, please visit americanexpress.com/choice.
Terms & Conditions

Offer Eligibility:
To participate in this offer, eligible members must register online at delta.com/gofarther. If you are not yet a SkyMiles member, enroll now or call 1-800-323-2323. Offer available to U.S. residents only. This offer is non-transferable and is only eligible for the SkyMiles member receiving this communication directly from Delta Air Lines.

Point Transfer Details:
Membership Rewards program enrollees will receive one mile for every eligible Membership Rewards point transferred. Allow up to 1 to 2 business days for Membership Rewards points to be transferred to your SkyMiles account. Transferred points cannot be transferred back to the Cardmember’s Membership Rewards program account. Cardmembers must transfer a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points per transfer. There is no limit on the number of transfers.

Bonus Award Information:
Members will receive a 50% mileage bonus on all miles transferred from the date you register through December 15, 2010. Bonus miles will be posted 4 to 6 weeks following the end of the promotion. Members will also receive 25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) toward Medallion status when you register for the promotion and transfer 50,000 points or more from the date you register through December 15, 2010. MQMs will be awarded to qualifying members within 4 weeks of the end of the promotion. MQM bonus limited to one time per registered member during the promotional period. May not be combined with any other Membership Rewards offers between October 4 and December 15, 2010.

Medallion Benefits:
Preferred Seating and Medallion Complimentary Upgrades are subject to availability and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Complimentary Upgrades for Economy Award reservations and Pay with Miles will be upgraded to First Class beginning at the eligible Medallion tier window based on availability. Excess, oversize, and/or overweight baggage fees may apply.

Taxes and Fees:
Enrollment in SkyMiles is required. Airline tickets are subject to availability. For each conversion of points into the SkyMiles program, a fee of $0.0006 per point, with a maximum fee of $99, will be charged to your Card account. We charge this fee to offset the federal excise tax we must pay on such conversions. The fee may be more or less than the actual amount of the excise tax we pay on any individual conversion. We may offer you the option to redeem points to pay this fee.

Miscellaneous:
All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits, respectively. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. Taxes (and if applicable, fees) for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award Travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Stated destination count includes those served by Delta and its worldwide codeshare partners. Offers and benefits subject to change without notice. Offers void where prohibited by law. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Other restrictions may apply. Please refer Delta customer service representative to 973615; American Express Representative to R981:0002.

© 2010 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

London’s West End is one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic theatre scenes. Boasting more than 50 theatres, offering a mix of heart-rending musicals, epic musicals, hard-hitting drama, and untapped amateur gems, the West End is a veritable mecca for theatre enthusiasts worldwide.

Perhaps the one downside is the ticket prices. London is notoriously expensive, and the theatre is no different. However, happily there are a number of tips and tricks to ensure you get the best deal.

One of the best ways to save money is to attend a preview show. Many productions put on preview performances ahead of their official opening, and tickets are often on sale at substantially lower rates. These previews are designed to give the cast an opportunity to acclimatise to a live audience. Consequently, the shows may be a little ‘rough around the edges’ , but this can merely add to their authentic appeal. You can snap up premier tickets by contacting theatres or ticket agencies directly.

Another trick of the trade is to pick up tickets on the day of the performance. These tickets are often discounted and are available from ticket booths at select points across London including ticket booths in Leicester Square and at Canary Wharf DLR station. The benevolent souls who make these fantastic deals possible are the Society of London theatres, who simply hate to see empty seats. Tickets of this kind are generally sold at a 50% discount.

Whilst ticket agencies are often the quickest and most efficient way of securing theatre seats, you also need to pay for the privilege in the shape of service charges and postal costs. These can see your costs shoot up and make what originally seemed like an affordable cost begin to appear prohibitive. One answer is to by-pass these agencies and go straight to the theatre box office. Simply find out which venue the respective show you want to see is playing at, and buy your tickets direct. Despite London theatre performances taking place in the afternoon and evenings, most box offices are open from the morning.

Another cunning ploy for keeping your costs down is to book as part of a group. Most theatres offer cheaper deals for group bookings. To find out which, visit the box office and request more details, since minimum group sizes and rates of discount vary depending on the show.

Finally, if you’re planning on more than one London threatre trip over the course of time, you should consider joining clubs and mailing lists. There are a number of groups that offer special deals and discounts. Many ticket agencies similarly have mailing lists with regular news from the theatre world as well as ticket discounts.

Paul Joseph is a London-based writer and author. He has written for national magazines and newspapers including the Independent. He also writes for a blog called theatres.tv, which offers information and tips about London theatre.

Need a place to stay in London? Check out HotelMagician.com’s London hotel deals

Awesome deal from insider-only hotel deals site Jetsetter – $25 for YOU — THIS WEEK ONLY: http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/18403266azzeecm4lhyk

You may have seen our earlier review of Jetsetter. If so, you know we like it.

Creating one of the world’s largest airlines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines have merged. The new carrier will be called United Airlines.

Members of both airlines’s frequent flyer programs should benefit as the FFPs will merge into one program and mileage balances will be combined – probably in early 2011.

If you have never applied for a Continental credit card for bonus miles, this might just be the time – while you still can.

The combined airline is expected to remain in the Star Alliance network (along with US Airways). Delta is part of SkyTeam while American Airlines is in OneWorld. Mergers have dwindled the US carriers in the various alliances. Delta, Northwest, and Continental were all once part of Skyteam but since Continental moved over to * Alliance and Delta swallowed Northwest, Delta remains as the only US based SkyTeam airline – limiting options for US based flyers.

With this merger, United is looking like a mighty appealing option.

More info can be found at United’s website (http://www.unitedcontinentalmerger.com/)

http://shopping.usairways.com/promotion/DividendMiles/Registration.aspx?PromoCode=JS10&c=eml_solo_jumpstart_00930_04132010

Here’s how to get your jumpstart this spring:

* Register online or call 800-428-4322
* Book your trip on US Airways, US Airways Express or US Airways Shuttle
* Travel between April 13, 2010 and June 15, 2010

Starwood Hotels announced today that Platinum members (those who stay 25 times or 50 nights in a year) will now get comped in-room Internet access.

Details are here

It’s a great move to reward their most loyal guests, but I wonder if comping only the Platinum level is the right move. Gold members (10 stays or 25 nights a year) would still have to pay at a Sheraton, for instance, whereas they could go to the cheaper Four Points where gratis Internet is included anyway. It also rewards only the tier that is most likely to have a corporate bankroll footing the Internet bill anyway….

Comments?

This very interesting email came today from Continental Airlines. Why so interesting? They are announcing System Wide Upgrades for their top level elites similar to the ones offered by American Airlines and United – good on virtually any fare class. Notably, Delta is the biggest carrier not offering this benefit (they have SWUs but they are only available on fare classes costing many multiples of discount coach).

As well, they are launching a new published tier that is linked to a published spend threshold rather than miles flown. Probably a smart move. The email follows:

We are pleased to announce these upcoming OnePass Elite benefits effective for earning Jan. 1, 2010:

System-wide Upgrades

Platinum Elite members who earn at least 100,000 Elite Qualification Miles (EQMs) or 120 Elite Qualification Points (EQPs) will earn four, one-way electronic System-wide Upgrade certificates. These certificates can be used in conjunction with any published fare on Continental, Continental Micronesia or Copa Airlines flights and are not subject to additional fees.

Learn more about System-wide Upgrades.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=A6108&camp=ADHC&campyear=2009&sender=EMAIL_MKTG&language=EN&description=4thTier-SWU

New Elite level — OnePass Presidential Platinum Elite

Presidential Platinum is a new invitation-only Elite tier designed to reward Continental’s top Platinum Elite members with some exciting new benefits. Members who achieve this level will be given all the benefits of a Platinum Elite member, plus top priority in Elite Upgrade recognition and flight standby, a dedicated VIP phone line and an annual fee waiver on the Continental Airlines Presidential Plus(SM) World MasterCard(R) card subject to credit approval. The Presidential Plus card is available to members residing in the mainland U.S. and Alaska.

The initial spending qualification will be $30,000*, and Elite members will be able to track their eligible spending at continental.com starting mid-year 2010.

Learn more about Presidential Platinum Elite status.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=A6108&camp=ADHC&campyear=2009&sender=EMAIL_MKTG&language=EN&description=4thTier-SWU

We look forward to rewarding our Elite members with these new benefits, which will be available for redemption and fulfillment mid-year 2010.

Sincerely,

Mark Bergsrud
Sr. Vice President, Marketing Programs and Distribution

*$30,000 is the inaugural spend threshold for 2010. In subsequent years, this threshold may change in order to preserve the exclusivity of this program.