Welcome to our week in review around the web, where we recap some great posts from around the ‘net. Read on for everything from a discount on Alaska Airlines to the dangers of drinking the wrong stuff (and how hard it is to know what could be tainted). Enjoy!
Best ‘Frequent Miler’ Posts & Resources (Best Of Blogger Series)
You might know him as the Architect of Extreme Stacking or the King of Kiva, but in this new “Best of Blogger Series”, William Charles has dubbed Greg “the Godfather of MS”. Here, the good Doctor of Credit points to some of his favorite Frequent Miler posts. He also asked Greg The Godfather for a list of his favorites, and between the two of them they highlighted some of the best Frequent Miler resources on the web. Check out the list and see what you may have missed.
Beyond sound bites: Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary on the Future of European Aviation
There’s no doubt that the European market has had an incredible impact on aviation worldwide. The rise of European low-cost-carriers and their expansion to markets far and wide has heated up competition to the point where it’s often cheaper to fly to Europe than it is to fly a few states away. In this post from Wandering Aramean, Seth Miller summarizes the future of European aviation from the perspective of the CEO of Ryanair, complete with video clips. It’s part of a series that gives us a glimpse of things to come.
FoundersCard Adds New Discounts on Alaska Airlines
I’ve long been intrigued by FoundersCard. Those who enjoy spending time in Caesar’s casinos may enjoy this (fairly pricey) membership for the Diamond status it afford in Total Rewards. However, that’s far from the only benefit of membership. In this post, Scott Mackenzie at Travel Codex reviews a new benefit that may only be available for a limited time (or it could be extended) — a discount on Alaska Airlines (or Virgin America). This could certainly help make FoundersCard a more attractive value proposition if it can be repeated (based on my reading, it looks like it can — though I’m not certain). If you’re an Alaska flyer, don’t miss this.
I Just Took a Free Private Jet Flight. Here’s How I Did It
Last month, JetSmarter ran a promo offering a free 3-month membership if you could show them a million frequent flyer miles in your accounts. At the time, I wasn’t sold. Between the penalty for missing a flight ($1,000), the non-disparagement clause in their membership agreement, and a report of a writer being threatened with a $2K charge if they didn’t post a positive review within 5 days of travel, I’ve been skeptical. Then, at FTU Minneapolis, I met a couple of JetSmarter members who had paid for full memberships and sounded thrilled with the service (one of whom I believe continued to offer praise in the comments on this post from VFTW). Gary of View from the Wing and Summer of Mommy Points took advantage of the free membership and each posted reviews of a flight they shared this week with JetSmarter. Between their comments and those of members I’ve met, I think I was wrong about JetSmarter. Check out Gary’s review (and Summer’s, too) for more on the Uber of private jets.
Jet.com limiting you to 8 gift cards during AMEX Offer promo period
If you were quick with your mouse when the Jet.com offer came out, you may have it synced to a number of of your Amex cards. If that’s the case, and you had plans to buy gift cards, this post from Miles per Day includes the details on limits that have been instituted based on the Amex Offer. And from the details posted, it looks like they are serious about it.
Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know
There’s no doubt that vacation is a time to let loose and relax, and for many people that means enjoying an adult beverage or two. If you’ve been following the news over the past week or so, you’ve no doubt heard of the tragedy in Mexico due to what is suspected to have been tainted alcohol. But did you know how common this problem is around the world? I was shocked at the estimate of just how much potentially dangerous moonshine may be on the market. This post from TravelSkills reminds us the importance of exercising caution, and the difficulty in knowing which sources are safe.
That’s it for this week around the web. Check back soon for this week’s month-ending last chance deals.
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