USA Today has a good summary article highlighting some of the recent changes impacting frequent fliers of the major carriers.
A Few Choice Highlights
- Continental Airlines said Friday that it is reducing the number of miles it awards fliers on many short flights and lowering the bonus miles it gives to many of its most-frequent fliers.
- Last month, US Airways ended bonus miles for its most-frequent fliers.
- In August, Delta Air Lines began an "award travel fuel surcharge." SkyMiles members redeeming trips online now pay $25 for a domestic ticket; $50 for an international one.
- Starting Sept. 15, Northwest will begin charging $25 to redeem a domestic frequent-flier ticket, $50 for a trans-Atlantic ticket and $100 for a trans-Pacific ticket.
- Continental says that on March 1 bonus mileage will drop from 125% to 100% for Platinum Elite members and from 50% to 25% for Silver Elite members. Fliers who annually earn 75,000 miles achieve platinum status, and those who earn 25,000 miles reach silver status.
- Beginning Jan. 1, for tickets bought on or after Nov. 15, Continental will stop giving a minimum of 500 points on flights shorter than 500 miles. Fliers will instead earn the number of miles flown.
- Denver-based Frontier Airlines, too, will stop awarding a minimum 250 miles on most short routes on Sept. 15. Fliers will earn the number of miles flown. Exceptions: Flights between Denver and four Colorado cities — Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Durango and Aspen — will earn 250 miles.
- United Airlines also stopped giving a minimum of 500 miles in July, and US Airways eliminated its mileage minimum last year.
Airlines need to go back to business school and re-learn the concept of building customer loyalty and how it affects profitability.
Better late than never. A snippet from the email has all the information you need:
To thank you, our elite members, we’re offering you 500 bonus Starpoints® per eligible night in September 2008. These bonus Starpoints are in addition to any bonuses for which you’re already registered.
Simply register by September 15, 2008, at http://SPG.com/thankyou500 and start collecting bonus Starpoints for all your September nights. Feel free to forward details to your friends and family so they can take advantage of this offer, too.
We know the airlines aren’t giving us any point perks so get ‘em while you can.
For those who travel on the Monday to Thursday schedule, the idea of being out of town Sunday night can be both disheartening and de-moralizing. However, it does come with a few upsides: 1) airports are usually less crowded; 2) flights are less full, making it easier to get the elusive space-available upgrade; and 3) the added rest of not waking up at 4 AM on Monday helps you make it through a busy Monday out of town.
Starwood has just added an incentive to travel out on Sunday with added Starpoints for Thursday through Sunday stays. Register for the promotion here.
Terms and Conditions
Now through September 30, 2008, earn 1,000 bonus Starpoints for Sunday through Thursday stays at participating Starwood hotels and resorts.
*Participation dates vary by hotel. In addition, stays at Four Points® by Sheraton hotels will receive 500 bonus Starpoints rather than 1,000.
View participating hotels in: United States Canada Caribbean Hawaii
Happy travels.
We’ve received a few SPG promotions recently. This promotion targets travelers to the Chicagoland area. Register here and start collecting your bonuses.
Terms and Conditions:
Come back to Chicago this summer – we’ll make it worth your while!
Register now to receive:
- 1,000 bonus Starpoints for every 1-night stay
- 2,500 bonus Starpoints for every 2-night stay
- 5,000 bonus Starpoints for every 3-night stay
Up to a total of 25,000 Starpoints!
Just register now and your points will be awarded automatically. Valid for stays now through September 30, 2008, seven days a week at hotels in downtown Chicago, at the airport and throughout the Chicagoland suburbs.
Don’t miss this special bonus Starpoints offer. Simply register now, and be sure to book online to get the best rates!
Might not apply with special rate codes, so let us know your experiences with this one.
There’s not much to say other than register especially if you’re already staying at a Marriott hotel between July 1st and August 31st, 2008. You’ll earn 10,000 Marriott Rewards points for every third paid stay you make at Marriott.
Term and Conditions:
- Marriott Rewards members who register for this promotion will earn 10,000 bonus points every third paid stay, when their first paid stay and subsequent paid stays are made between July 1 and August 31, 2008, at a participating Marriott property – up to a maximum 30,000 points.
- Registration is required.
- Registration ends June 30, 2008.
- This offer is not transferable.
- Nights spent while redeeming an award are not eligible for credit.
- A stay is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity.
- Only one room per hotel is counted towards a member’s nights or stay.
- Members electing to earn miles are not eligible for this promotion.
- All Marriott Rewards program terms and conditions apply.
- Visit MarriottRewards.com, call 1-888-MARRIOTT, or call your local Marriott Rewards Guest Services office for complete details.
I don’t know why Marriott and other hotels do not automatically sign up frequent travelers for these promotions. Just imagine what a nice surprise it would be to see bonus points on your point statements without having to go through the tedious process of registering every quarter for the special promotion. Perhaps they are testing to see if you still care.