United 787s Flying Again from May 20

by Brian on May 19, 2013

in United Airlines

United announced plans last week to reintroduce Boeing 787 service from Houston to Chicago on May 20. The airline is working with Boeing to modify its fleet of 787s with a battery fix recently approved by the FAA. The FAA grounded the 50 787s in service with airlines including United earlier this year following a series of battery fires. The 787 uses new technologically advanced lithium ion batteries to operate key aircraft systems, which become very hot during flight and need to be properly insulated. It’s typical for new airplane models to experience teething problems and this is not unique to the 787.

In addition to domestic flights, United will reinstate 787 international service on June 10, placing the aircraft on the Denver-Tokyo route. TripBadger is anxious to fly on the 787 one day soon now that it’s back in the air!

A Grounded United 787 at Houston Intercontinental Airport, April 2013

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    Double Take Promotion at Starwood Properties

    by James Andrew Scott on May 17, 2013

    in Deals, Starwood Preferred Guest

    Register Now to Earn Double Starpoints

    Starwood Preferred Guest is offering double Starpoints on all eligible stays from May 1 to July 31, 2013. All you need to do is register for this promotion here. You can also earn an additional 500 Starpoints by booking through spg.com or on their iPhone or Android apps.

    • Only the base two-Starpoints-per-dollar earnings are doubled.  If you have Elite-level status, your extra Starpoint earnings and/or other bonuses will not be doubled.
    • Some properties are not participating.

    Starpoints are more valuable than most other hotel points because they can be exchanged for airline miles on over 30 different airlines on a 1:1 basis.  Free nights start at 2,000 points (weekend stays).

     

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      Review of the Andaz Wall Street

      May 14, 2013

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        Virgin America Status Match Now Extended to June 30

        May 12, 2013

        As we wrote about in December 2012, Virgin America has been offering to match elite status in United’s MileagePlus®, American’s AAdvantage®, and Southwest’s Rapid Rewards® frequent flyer programs. By providing proof of your current United, American, or Southwest elite status, Virgin America will grant you comparable elite status in its Elevate program through June 30, 2013. [...]

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          Enroll in JetBlue’s TrueBlue now for 7,500 bonus points

          May 7, 2013

          For a limited time, earn 7,500 bonus points! If you’re not yet a member of JetBlue’s loyalty program, now is a great time to join. After registering, new TrueBlue members who book and fly a round-trip flight on JetBlue by June 19, 2013 will receive a 7,500 point bonus. One-way flights start at just 5,000 [...]

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            TripBadger Tip: Amtrak Red Cap Service

            May 6, 2013

            Last weekend while traveling from Washington, DC to New York City on Amtrak’s Acela train service, I discovered an amazing Amtrak secret. Amtrak offers free priority boarding and baggage assistance for all customers at 12 stations across the United States called Red Cap service. Dedicated red shirt-clad Amtrak employees are there to help anyone who [...]

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              Review: The Algonquin Hotel in New York City

              May 5, 2013

              Last weekend, I jumped on the Amtrak Acela from Washington, DC to New York City to for a quick two days. For this trip, I chose the Algonquin Hotel located near Times Square to serve as my home base from which to explore the city. The hotel is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection and is [...]

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                Airline Fees Continue to Rise

                May 2, 2013

                Additional fees charged by airlines continued to rise this week. United, US Airways, Delta, and American have all raised the fee they charge to change purchased tickets within North America from $150 to $200. This sizable increase may cause some travelers to think twice about switching flights, I know that would be the case for me. [...]

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                  Amtrak Double Guest Rewards Points Through May 18

                  May 1, 2013

                  Now through May 18, Amtrak  is offering travelers the opportinty to earn double points in its Guest Rewards frequent traveler program for qualifying train travel systemwide. In order to enjoy the promotion, you must be a member of the Guest Rewards program and register through the link on Amtrak’s website. Note, you have to provide [...]

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                    Marriott Announces Changes to Marriott Rewards

                    March 17, 2013

                    Marriott Adds Category 9 Hotels; Devalues Points Marriott has announced some changes to its Marriott Rewards loyalty program which will have the effect of diminishing the value of each Marriott point.  Instead of dividing hotels into 8 categories (of various point values from 7,500 to 40,000 points), Marriott will add Category 9 hotels, which will [...]

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