So I’ve been a bit slow to jump on board with the whole K-drama thing. My life has enough drama without having to add more in Hangul, no less! It’s one thing to have drama; it’s another when you’re having drama and you don’t understand it! However, I can get into Korean standup. Funny stuff and subtitled! Here’s a skit that addresses how men are put down upon in “modern” society and how to deal with it. Or maybe just to make better girlfriend choices. The second couple in the skit are (according to the internet) a real-life couple. Yikes.
A is for Alaska…
Alaska Airlines, that is! They’re in the news because they’re looking to buy out the airline of hipsters, Virgin America. Don’t know how mood lighting and a Banana Republic clad cabin crew will work out with the more prim and corporate Alaska Airlines. It’s unfortunate because Virgin America was truly an option out of SFO. If you needed to fly to JFK or LAS, you weren’t stuck on the bus (Southworst) or on the sucky legacy airlines.
Like they say, nothing’s worse (for the passenger) than good economic times for airlines.
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Blogging Challenge AtoZ
So to get the creative juices flowing again, I’m going to try the A to Z challenge in April. Basically, you write a post each day (except Sunday) that corresponds to a letter in the alphabet in numerical/alphabetical order. So on the 1st, it’s “A” and so forth. I saw this challenge on Dimsumdolly’s blog and decided I would try it too. So let’s see how far I can get.
The Party’s Over (on AA)
Well, the lemmings have followed each other off a cliff. AA has pulled a “United” by devaluing their award chart and later this year, accrual of Redeemable Miles. What AA has NOT done is to institute a spend requirement for status, like UA and Delta have done. Mixed blessings, huh?
I’ve been Executive Platinum for two years. And despite having to fly to LAX to go anywhere in Asia on AA metal, my upgrades clear (without having to book W class fares) and as one of my friends says, experiencing flight crews that don’t hate their passengers. Still, this devaluation has got me thinking about alternatives based on my travel patterns. Maybe KrisFlyer?
Lounge
It’s hard to go from the JL first lounge to economy class on the airplane. The lounge has real food, real booze and the infamous curry rice. A lot of yum there. Compare that to the mystery food in economy. Result? Eat dinner in the lounge.
iPhone test
I’m testing out the iOS app for word press. So far it looks like it works. So let me show you a picture of something really neat.
Trade In
A few posts back, I wrote about Apple starting a trade in program for older iPhones. Well, I was able to trade in my unlocked 4 for $100 store credit which went to my unlocked 6S. If the 4 I was trading in was SIM locked, it would have been worth only $50!.
Blitzkrieg 2014
1-7 Amazing. If soccer was this exciting all the time, I’d consider being a fan…
The Party’s Over (on UA)
So the other shoe had dropped. As predicted (because Delta Airlines did it), UA Mileage Plus will become a revenue-based mileage program.
Here’s a link comparing the two programs.
Long story short, the more expensive the ticket and shorter the distance, the better it is. Which means that if you plan to fly SFO-HKG, you will get less miles under the new scheme than under the current miles based program.
For example, let’s look at a $1100 ticket to Hong Kong. If you buy and fly under the current program, It’s 13,800 miles round trip. Double that amount because of elite status, and it’s a total of 27,600 RDM.
Now, under the new scheme, an $1100 ticket purchased by a 1K will get you a whopping 12,100 miles. For the same ticket. What a rip off! And if you’re lower status than a 1K, you get even less miles for your flight.
By imposing this new scheme, the concept of Mileage Runs (most miles for lowest price) is dead. And as a result, the last reason for travelers (who spend their own money on tickets) to remain with UA is gone.
Thanks Jeff! That’s a change that we (AA) will all like!
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AWOL
A lot has happened since the last post.
I finally divorced United Airlines. This has been a long time coming. First, there was the gradual devaluation of 1K status. Then there was the announcement that Mileage Plus was going to a revenue model (like Delta). Even if you flew 100k BIS (Butt in Seat) miles in a calendar year, if you didn’t spend US$10,000 on said miles, you get no status. So much for loyalty. The final straw was the devaluation of the Star Alliance partner award chart, where tickets I regularly redeemed for went up from 40 to 120%. I miss my access to Star Alliance flights, but after UA jacked up the prices for these flights (cos they don’t want to pay for them and would prefer to keep their flyers captive on UA metal), it wasn’t worth the grief anymore.
I am now an Executive Platinum on American Airlines which means I will be flying OneWorld carriers going forward. So far, it’s been a mixed bag. In January, I flew British Airways in Premium Economy to Istanbul via LHR. If I needed a reminder of what I left behind on UA (old planes, older FAs), all I need to do is fly BA. Yes, it was that unimpressive. My next trip was to PVG on AA. It was pleasant enough, with my SWUs clearing despite me being on an el cheapo ticket. The hard product in C is 15 years too old though. Regardless, it beats steerage any day. The next trip will be on Cathay Pacific for a run to Hong Kong. This is a reunion of sorts because my first trip overseas was on CX. Am looking forward to their lounges in HKG.
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