Welcome to this week in review around the web. Today, we look at some customer-friendly policies and outcomes as well as the complexity that can sometimes be involved.
Yes, you can transfer Amex points back to Amex
When initiating a points transfer, you are always reminded that the transfer is permanent and completely irreversible. But is it? Maybe the customer is always right after all….Matthew Klint at Live and Let’s Fly shares experience in getting those points back when you’ve made a mistake. I hope I never need this advice, but if the day comes that I do need it, I’ll be glad that Matthew shared.
Southwest Airlines Will No Longer Overbook Flights
An interesting response to all of the recent controversy. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? On the one hand, I think overbooking is an odd practice. How many times have you shown up at a restaurant with a reservation and been turned away because they overbooked it? How about being denied a table because the staff have to eat dinner at the table you reserved? The idea that airlines can sell you a seat and then sell that same seat to three other people has always seemed strange to me. At the same time, as someone who primarily flies for leisure, I always have my fingers crossed for a Southwest bump opportunity. The couple of times I’ve experienced this, I picked up hundreds of dollars in vouchers for agreeing to arrive just a few hours later. I’ll be sorry to see that opportunity dwindle if not disappear, but I’m sure others will be happy to know that they are less likely to be denied boarding on Southwest. This seems to be what customers want – and Southwest has decided that they are right.
Nordstrom sends me a fake or wrong Fendi bag
Before I learned about miles and points, I was reselling products. People sometimes ask me what they should buy to resell, and my response is usually to tell them things they should not try to resell. Always on that list: designer products. This post from Miles per Day is not at all about reselling, but it illustrates why I avoid designer products — scammers turn it into a he said-she said situation that is difficult for the honest customer or company to win. It sounds like a previous customer may have done something wrong – I hope that Nordstrom does the right thing for Vinh.
Chase Cracking Down on Using Business Cards for Personal Spend?
Doctor of Credit covers a Chase secure message that many users reported receiving this past week, reminding us that it’s complex when you are both a business and a customer – and that it is always best to keep business expenses and personal expenses separated.
4 Ways to Make the Most of a Disappointing IHG PointBreaks List
While there may not be any swanky Intercontinental properties on the new Point Breaks list, there are still some great values to be had if you approach the list from Charlie’s perspective. When a new Point Breaks list comes out, I almost always find a property that fits into my travel patterns and generally find this list a very customer-friendly benefit. You’re not going to score a resort that is ideal for a week-long luxury vacation, but you might save a few bucks on an overnight during a road trip or stay near the airport instead of waking up early to drive over. Charlie has some good suggestions about how to approach the list.
No more guests at some Alaska lounges with Priority Pass
Alaska has been struggling with overcrowding at their lounges for quite some time. Unfortunately for Priority Pass holders, guesting privileges are being limited at a number of lounges. Ian at Points with a Crew covers which lounges are affected by the new policy. While this is frustrating for Priority Pass holders, it’s hard to fault the airline for trying to ensure that the benefit is available to their own customers first. With the widespread availability of Priority Pass and the relatively small size of a number of Alaska’s lounges, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them withdraw from Priority Pass altogether.
That’s it for this week around the web. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.
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