airlines

Magic carpet ride

You can get “elite” status…with Vanguard

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I’m an unsophisticated investor, but I consider that a good thing. I’d rather do something simple that has a proven track record, rather than go for big bets that are unproven and even more risky. After all, this is my … Read More … Read More

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Plate with fork

The pleasures and sorrows of ordering a special meal in flight

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I’ve talked about how anyone can order a special meal on a flight if it’s one of the rare ones that still serve meals. It just so happens that I had such a flight recently, flying British Airways from Seattle (SEA) … Read More … Read More

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Lunch pail

Why not order a special meal on your flight?

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Long gone are the days where one got served meals on flights by default. These days, you may get served a meal if you’re flying domestic first class, but aside from that, you really only get something approximating a meal … Read More … Read More

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Golden Chains

The problems with airline loyalty

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So by now, I’ve talked about the problems inherent in certain retail loyalty programs. Programs like Starbucks Rewards and Amazon Prime seem like a good deal, but can often force you in making decisions based on the idea that you’ve “already paid … Read More … Read More

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Why not to trust frequent flyer programs

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  If you’re at all familiar with frequent flyer programs, you generally know that you earn “miles” for flying, generally one mile per mile flown. That’s the way it’s always been, as far as I can tell since the very … Read More … Read More

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A tale of two mileage expirations

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  I’ve talked before about the importance of keeping track of your frequent flyer miles. “But it’s too complicated!” is only a valid complaint if you desire to travel less and have it cost more money. Is that you? Didn’t … Read More … Read More

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What is the purpose of a refundable airline ticket?

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  I always want to write about topics that are interesting and useful to my readers, but I also know that everyone is at different places. Some people are working on getting out of debt, so things like investing and … Read More … Read More

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How to plan for award travel when you’re an infrequent flyer

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  While some folks who read this site are avid travelers, zooming around the globe as frequently as a satellite, others may fly infrequently and think that award travel is completely irrelevant to them. Nonsense. Award travel is open to … Read More … Read More

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When to let your points expire

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  I once wrote to not let your airline miles expire.  But there are always exceptions, and I am starting to think that there are reasons worth discussing. Sacrilege? No, just simplification and efficiency. … Read More

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Why bother to keep your miles from expiring

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  Let’s say you have 3,000 miles with Delta, 5,735 miles with US Airways, and 1,326 miles with Virgin America. Redemptions of frequent flyer miles usually start at the 25,000 mark. At this rate, you’ll have enough for an award … Read More … Read More

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