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Recent Comments:
Top ten hotel rooms with a view {Gadling}
Nov 12th 2010 3:52PM Very nice selections.
I use 30 different rotating header photos of hotel room views for my Views from a Corner Suite blog: http://www.rockcheetah.com/blog/
I think you have inspired me (as well as the others commenting on your post to expand my rotation to 60 images when I get some time...
Again, well done.
Forfeited U.S. Airways miles are a reminder to keep your frequent flier account alive {Gadling}
Nov 8th 2010 5:56PM Tom, I'm bot "blaming" US Airways. I am simply pointing out how in my personal situation, by applying this policy, that they lost a loyal, and lucrative customer.
Please note that when I originally joined the Mmbership Miles program, miles did not expire - they changed the rules along the way.
US Airways is well within its rights to modify and enforce its policies and I fully comprehend the impact of banked miles on a carrier's balance sheet.
They simply implemented a customer-hostile policy that fundamentally confuses loyalty with continuity of travel.
In essence, they created the following scenario:
1) We will reward you for flying us
2) We will take back that reward if you don't fly often enough
3) You must pay us if you want to keep the reward
I am fine with the policy - that is their decision. Implementing new policies always runs a risk of alienating existing customers who may be negatively impacted.
I am one of those customers and as a result, I have decided to take my business elsewhere.
So did US Airways punish me for not flying on a miles-eligible ticket for 18 months. Yes.
Am I punishing them by not flying them for the remainder of my personal customer lifecycle? Yes.
No surprises, no blame, it's just business.
I have 500,000+ miles banked on other airlines, so by my calculations, It would seem that I am inflicting more pain on US Airways than they inflicted on me. I don't really believe I have won, but US Airways has definitely lost.
Forfeited U.S. Airways miles are a reminder to keep your frequent flier account alive {Gadling}
Nov 8th 2010 12:24PM US Airways pulled 39,000 miles from me last year. Why didn't I fly them for 18 months? I did, but my company used special tickets that were not eligible for FF miles.
I used my discretion when booking the itinerary, but the company used the most inexpensive method available to buy the ticket.
I should probably point out that I was at the top tier in their program in 2005 when I was flying a roundtrip on US weekly for 6 months.
TripIt tells me that I have taken 26 trips comprising 42,000+ miles so far this year.
I figured since US pulled my miles, they were not interested in my business, so I have not flown US Airways since. There seem to be a number of other airlines that are quite interested in my business.
As a former elite member, pulling the miles was the stupidest possible move for US, and like Scott, I was not interested in paying ransom for them.
I do have to admit their policy was extremely effective - they made absolutely certain that I will never again be a loyal US Airways flyer.
They made the choice unilaterally, and I am supporting them 100%.
SkyRider airplane seats lack legroom, resemble saddles {Gadling}
Sep 13th 2010 1:38PM Why use a saddle seat? Thinking the dehumanization of air travel should just take the leap to its ultimate conclusion - The FedEx PeoplePak:
http://www.rockcheetah.com/blog/humor/skyrider-airline-saddle-seat-fedex-peoplepak-next/
JetBlue and Gadling are giving away two All You Can Jet passes {Gadling}
Aug 27th 2010 4:50PM Would definitely clear my calendar and try to fly to every on e of Jet Blue's destinations - basically attempting to cover their route map within 30 days.
Obviously a significant planning challenge, but a potentially great story for my Views from a Corner Suite blog http://www.rockcheetah.com/blog/
Considering JetBlue offers free WiFi - I can work from the plane.
Also the potential for doing something interesting in each destination.
Hotels sued for enabling peeping tom {Gadling}
Jul 16th 2010 10:14AM PLEASE DO NOT ADVISE PEOPLE TO OBSTRUCT THE PEEPHOLE!. That form of ridiculous overreaction creates a significant personal safety risk for hotel guests.
Peepholes provide a critically important security feature for travelers. True, they may potentially be tampered with by a peeping tom, but that risk is much lower than opening a door with an obstructed peephole if there is an intruder or a fire in the hallway.
Hotels guests should check the peephole when checking in, and hotel housekeepers should do the same as a standard practice when cleaning the room.
If there is a problem with the peephole, change rooms.
Blocking the peephole, especially permanently with gum endangers not only the person initially blocking the peephole, but all others staying in the room thereafter.
Hotels do need to improve guest security procedures - especially revealing room numbers and names at the desk, providing both pieces of information on key packets and providing guest room corridor security cameras.
Guest security and life safety needs to be the top priority for hotels.
Here is my blog post on the topic from last year: http://j.mp/ML56p
