by Kirsten on January 6, 2011
Southwest Airlines
has had some flack in the past regarding their currently structured rewards program. Considered a bit lack-luster and hard to achieve the end result of a free flight, they have completely revamped their program, effective March 1, 2011!
After taking a look at some of the changes, tell me what you think by leaving a comment below! Do you think the program is any better? I am excited to see how it plays out, but sometimes these programs become too complicated and cumbersome to seem worth it. Your thoughts?
Take a look at some of the changes you can expect:
- Every seat on every flight, every day is a rewards seat. If there’s a seat available, you can redeem your points for it.
- No blackout dates. We’ve done away with blackout dates, which means you can fly when you want. Every day is now eligible for reward travel.
- Your points don’t expire.** Plan your getaway for next week or next year. Either way, it’s no problem since your points no longer have an expiration date.
- Earn points for every dollar you spend. The amount of your fare now determines how many points you earn. And since you can also earn points with our Partners, that free flight won’t be far behind.
- Redeem for International flights and more. Free flights are just the beginning. With the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase, you can now redeem your points for International flights, cruises, hotel stays, car rentals, gift cards, and access to exclusive events.
Here are some screenshots of the new benefits:
Check out the new program terms here at Southwest.com!!
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and opinions below!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on August 17, 2010
The time has come again. JetBlue
is offering an amazing deal, so amazing that it’s just too good to pass up for those who are ready to do some traveling. The All-You-Can-Jet pass, which was super successful in their past offering, is back again!
For those who are unfamiliar, here’s the deal. For $699 you can purchase their AYCJ-7 pass that allows you to travel any day of the week, to any destination within JetBlue’s skies. YES, you can travel AS MUCH as you want for only $699 during a one-month period!
The time-frame that you can travel is between Sept 7 and Oct 6, one full month. Can you imagine the possibilities? It is a HUGE steal! For those that want to save $200, you can also purchase their AYCJ-5 $499 pass but you won’t be able to travel Sunday-Thursday (no Fri and Sat flights).
So what is the catch? Well, not much, but here are some rules and guidelines:
- domestic taxes and fees are already included but international and Puerto Rico taxes and fees are not
- you must book each flight 3 days in advance
- you cannot share tickets with family and friends – it’s only for you!
Not bad right?!? Should you take full advantage of this offer, you can become famous like a few other travelers last year. They went crazy with their flying!
This baby is like the Eurail pass of the skies! Yippee!
Visit JetBlue for more information and to book your pass (starting August 23, 2010).
Love,
KO
by Kirsten on August 13, 2010
Just another sign of changing times, this last Tuesday major airline Delta announced that it will allow passengers to book flights on Facebook via their “Ticket Window”. This is a first for any major airline to utilize social networking in this fashion, but I bet it won’t be the last.
Most airlines are already utilizing Twitter and Facebook for news, announcements, and specials, so this takes it another step further. Delta also recently designed their website, Delta.com, and in combination with the new Facebook feature, it is said to be an overall effort to interact directly with their customers via the web.
What concerns me about this shift in customer service is the lack of human contact we receive. When functioning correctly, it could be a very fast, efficient way to get immediate answers and help, but when failing it could cause major problems in terms of customer satisfaction. There still is something to be said about a human voice that you can ask questions to, receive answers, and elevate a call to manager when need be.
Spirit Airlines recently announced that they may be charging to speak to a live person, in the airport or on the phone, and I would hate for other airlines to follow suit.
JetBlue and Southwest have been very successful at dedicating staff to directly respond to complaints and customer concerns via Twitter. Not only is it used for negative issues, but they also love to hear and will respond to compliments as well!
Next on the list for Delta is more user-friendly changes to their website, as well as an iPhone application that will allow passengers to check-in for flights, check flight status, review schedules, review your frequent flier account, and utilize the electronic boarding pass feature in select cities amongst other features.
How do you feel about this shift in customer service and electronic based communication? Are you a fan? What are your concerns if any?
Love, K.
by Kirsten on August 4, 2010
Just another reason to not travel with Spirit Airlines, they decided to yet again introduce more useless fees, even more infuriating than the last. The last fee hike they implemented was for assigned seating, costing you anywhere from $8 to $20 extra, including the horrid middle seat. In addition, they also started charging for soda and water, charging you $3 for the luxury of hydrating yourself.
But this time my friends, it is getting ugly.
Spirit Airlines has now begun charging you to place your carry-on bag in the overhead bin, at the whopping price of $45 each way! The next thing on their list? Charging you to talk to a human being. (Check out my past article about airline fees including the announcement of Spirit’s carry-0n bag fee.)
They now plan to implement a fee structure any time you speak to a human being whether over the phone or at the airport. With the Internet available for most help, they see it as a luxury, and not a necessity to be able to talk to a customer service rep. Should you feel the need, then you can pay for it. We aren’t sure how soon this is going to happen, but their CEO, Ken Baldanza, said it is something they are looking at in the near future.
What’s with all these fees? And are they trying to get people to never fly their airline? Actually, the opposite is true. They believe that with their rock bottom fares, that they can give people the option to pay extra only for the things they want. I guess I can see their logic, but I still have a hard time swallowing it.
What do you think of these new fees? Are they totally ridiculous or do you feel their logic makes sense? Would YOU still fly Spirit Airlines?
Love, K.
by Kirsten on June 22, 2010
Southwest is celebrating their 39th year in business, and what does that mean?!? $39 fares!! Fares will range from $39-$119 each way depending on how far you travel (the further the more expensive, duh!). Flights up to 450 miles will cost $39, flights 451-1000 will cost $79, and flights 1001-and beyond in miles will cost $119.
These fares are valid today and tomorrow only, so act fast! These fares are valid for travel Sept 8 – Nov 17, 2010.
These are the types of situations I recommend taking advantage of. Perhaps you have a place you haven’t visited yet, but have always wanted to. New York, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Antonio? The possibilities are almost endless! With travel fares increasing, this is a sure way to save!
Happy Travels!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on June 16, 2010
A favorite fashion sample sale site of mine, Gilt, recently announced their partnership with Virgin America.
Flying in style just got better. Now you can earn 500 Elevate points when you make your first purchase on Gilt Groupe.
Gilt Groupe offers up to 70% off on the latest in women’s and men’s fashions and furnishings from top designers. Membership is free. Join today and go from runway to runway in style.
What a great idea! I keep telling you, fashion and travel are always related – here is another instance of how! A perfect way to get some extra points at Virgin, which helps you earn free flights – just by doing a bit of major discount shopping. Sign me up!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on June 14, 2010
As much as I would like to say I know all the special tricks of the trade when it comes to booking travel, it would be one big fat lie. The worst part of booking your trip is figuring out the best time to book your airfare. The old rule of thumb used to be to book as far in advance as possible, and the closer you get to the day of departure, the higher the fare would be. Unfortunately, this is no longer true, and I would advise you to not follow this advice. I have seen prices drop by a few hundred over the course of a couple months as I approached my date of travel, so keep that in mind!
So, what advice can you follow? Well, I wish it were that easy. There are many factors that influence the price of your airfare including the time of year you are traveling, if it is high season at your destination, how far in advance you book your flight, the days of the week you plan to travel, the time of day you choose to travel, choosing a nonstop flight versus a flight with layovers, and the day of the week you book your travel. Seem like a lot? You are right, it sure is!
Case in point: I am planning a trip to Chicago for the end of July, flying out of San Francisco. My boyfriend already has his flight as his company booked it well in advance, and got a rate of about $350 roundtrip. This was about two months ago. Right now, we are about six weeks out from our date of travel, and the current rate is about $450 RT. I have seen the price fluctuate as low as $389 and go back up to $500 in the last couple weeks. I have yet to make my purchase. With the research I have been compiling, I am going to wait another two weeks or so, as many flight gurus seem to believe that between 4 weeks out and less is the best time to book. Anything less than fourteen days away and you will see your flight price skyrocket. (Unless you go for last minute travel, perhaps the day of or before your departure date).
Here are some ways you can find the best time to fly:
- Use Kayak.com for price comparison across all airlines. Make sure to use the flexible date feature to see if you arrive or leave a day or two after your original dates of choice for a better rate. Als0 utilize the feature of checking nearby airports to determine if you can fly to a different airport nearby. You may have to commute a bit longer to your hotel, but you could be saving hundreds of dollars. Well worth it.
- Go to Yapta.com to set up fare alerts. You can tell the system when and where you are traveling, and it can set up emails to alert you when a good fare has popped up!
- Find cheap flights from places like CheapoAir, and other online travel websites. CheapoAir currently has a $15 dollar coupon to use off towards your flight by using coupon code NY15! They also have fare alerts you can sign up for to notify you of great deals on your particular flight.
- Check out AirfareWatchdog.com, another great research site
- Most airlines unveil a deep discount on Tuesday afternoons and other airlines will try to match or offer other deals on Wednesday, so keep these days in mind when booking
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also known to be the best days to travel for less as there are fewer business travelers then. Friday and Saturday will usually be the most expensive
- Check fares daily and try to be flexible on the dates of travel, it can be a huge difference in overall price
- If your price drops after booking, make sure to ask for a refund. It doesn’t work all the time, and there may be a fee, but if the fee is less than the refund, it’s worth it!
With average costs for airfares this summer projecting to rise anywhere from 13% to as much as 25% over last year’s low prices, we definitely want to save money where able. July 4 is one of the only dates this summer determined to not be a “peak travel day”, so if you can use that day as an arrival or departure day for your trip, you most likely will save some money!
I will keep you posted of my own Chicago flight finds – and will update you on my fares and finds!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on May 16, 2010
Virgin Atlantic has recently released their “Jet Lag Fighter” app for both the iPhone and the iPad. Fighting jet lag is a common problem when you travel, so much so, that it can take every ounce of energy out of you, at completely the wrong time. I know that when I arrive to a location, I want to be ready to go, even should it mean to going to the nearest outdoor cafe for a cup of coffee, or an afternoon glass of wine.
This new app was released on May 12, 2010, so it’s brand spanking new. A great travel app is well worth the fee should it deliver as promised. Thankfully, this one is only $1.99, so even if it isn’t the greatest, you aren’t out too much money. In the screen shots of the app below, you can see it is designed to tell you how to eliminate jet lag by alerting you when to get more light, get exercise, or avoid light, all things that have a very direct impact on jet lag.
Virgin Atlantic partnered with the advice of Dr. Chris Idzikowski, allowing the user to enter in their flight details which then gives the app the proper information to let it figure out whether you need a sleep adjustment or light adjustment. An app that teaches you how to best get through jet lag is long overdue. I understand there to be a couple other apps out there, but this one is deemed to be superior.
What do you think, will you download this new app? If so, what do you think of it? If you have used it and have some feedback, good or bad, leave a comment below!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on May 10, 2010
In celebration of their tenth anniversary, JetBlue
is offering $10 flights both May 11 and May 12 to a variety of destinations!! You must book quickly before their sale is over!
Remember – Jet Blue is still awesome as they allow you to check your first bag for free! Hitch a ride in the next couple days and you will be paying a fraction of the cost! You can even choose a return date later in the week and still get the low fare for your flight out! This is too good not to pass up!! I would love to take advantage of this and fly to New York!
Love, K.
by Kirsten on April 6, 2010
This was not a planned post today, but I got so worked up this morning while reading two separate news articles, that I had to do a quick write-up. It seems every time I turn around, the airlines are increasing fees for ridiculous purposes. We no longer get food on our flights, we have to pay for snacks and drinks, pay for our checked bags, some make you pay for seat assignments, the list goes on and on. It really ticks me off. I have done all I can to avoid the superfluous fees – bring only carry-on baggage, pack my own snacks and food, and choose airlines where I can still select a seat without the charge. But today I am really upset, fuming to be exact.
So, who makes my shit list you ask? Welcome Spirit Airlines and Ryanair. Congratulations. You suck.
Let’s start with Spirit Airlines as they are one of our domestic carriers in the US. Today they announced a new, confusing fee structure where they will become the FIRST airline to impose fees for carry-on bags. YES, carry-on bags. From the USA Today article: How much will checking a bag in Spirit’s overhead bins cost you? Fliers that do not belong to the $9 Fare Club will have to pay up to $45 each way to put a bag in the airline’s overhead storage bins if they don’t declare their bags until they get to the gate. The fee drops to $30 for customers who “reserve” a spot before getting to the gate – either online or at a ticket counter. Members of the Fare Club pay $20. The carrier also charges for checked bags. This $9 Fare Club idea is just another way for them to make you pay money to try to avoid other fees. Whatever. I am not flying your airline any longer. So, I don’t really care about your stupid “Fare Club”. They say this will help them lower their base fees for the flight. Sure, I really don’t believe this at all.
more about Ryanair charging for bathrooms after the jump
