Just when you thought you’d heard the wackiest story of someone attempting to smuggle something through customs, along comes a Norwegian man who attempted to bring 24 reptiles into Norway from Denmark; all strapped to his body!! Customs officials searched the man after finding a tarantula in his bag and were shocked to find 10 albino leopard geckos and 14 baby royal pythons taped to his chest and legs. The man claimed he loved reptiles and was bringing them home to be pets. Obviously, the animals were confiscated and the man arrested.
If you’ve visited the Continental Airlines website recently, you may have noticed Alex, the new virtual assistant in the top right corner. Just type a question into the search box below her and not only will she give you an answer, but she’ll also bring you to the webpage on the site where the answer is found. I spent a few minutes asking some questions and her answers were surprisingly accurate. What’s great about Alex is that she’s available 24 hours a day, she won’t put you on hold and you won’t get charged a fee for talking to her. All good things!
Continental Airlines
I’ve long been a fan of American Express and all the travel benefits the company gives to its cardholders, but lately I’ve noticed some of its most popular perks disappearing.
After November 30, 2009, cardholders will no longer be able to redeem Membership Rewards points for Hertz car rental certificates. I know many members of the program rent from Hertz solely to use these certificates and will find this very disappointing. Certificates ordered before the program ends will expire on June 30, 2010.
If you have AMEX Open, you know the draw for that card is a percentage of cash back on purchases from several companies. Two of the major partners in the program were Delta and Jetblue on which members earned 3-5% back when they purchased airline tickets. The Delta benefit ended earlier this year and I just got word that the Jetblue benefit has also ended. At this point there are no airline partners in the program.
I suppose these changes are due to the rough economic climate but hopefully this trend won’t continue and AMEX will look for new partners to stay competitive and worthy of their hefty annual fees.
October is breast cancer awareness month and Hard Rock Hotels in Biloxi, Tampa, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego and Hollywood, FL are raising money for the cure. During your stays next month, just ask for “pink sheets” to be booked into one of the specially decorated rooms and 25% of your room rate will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The properties will also be selling special pink merchandise and holding pink events to benefit the wonderful cause!
Pinktober 2009 at Hard Rock
Hard to believe in these economic times, but there’s a new travel magazine on newsstands called AFAR. The company is targeting experienced travelers looking to immerse themselves in world cultures and the premier issue is out this month. I found it to be a bit cluttered but I’m always happy to see new products for travelers so I’ll probably give it a try for a year.
$19.95/one year subscription AFAR
JetBlue has announced some improvements to their TrueBlue frequent flyer program that make it more rewarding and competitive with those of other airlines. The changes include:
-Ability to use points for any seat on any JetBlue operated flight
-No blackout dates for JetBlue award tickets
-Points that don’t expire as long as you fly or use your JetBlue American Express card at least once a year
-Bonus points the more you travel
-Oneway Award Flights starting at just 5,000 points
-Six (6) points for every dollar spent when you purchase a flight at jetblue.com
-Up to eight (8) points for every eligible dollar spent when you purchase a flight at jetblue.com using your JetBlue Card from American Express
JetBlue is vague about a start date for these new benefits saying only that they will go into effect this coming fall.
TrueBlue Relaunch
A lot of people have been talking about JetBlue’s All You Can Jet Pass promotion. For $599, you can travel on as many JetBlue flights as you want from September 8 – October 8th. Passes are on sale while supplies last up until August 21st. Domestic taxes are included, but flights to Puerto Rico and international destinations are subject to additional fees. Flights must be booked 3 days in advance and only one flight per day is allowed. A $100 fee will be imposed for no-shows. If you already bought a Jetblue ticket for use during that time period, you can pay the difference and upgrade to the pass.
So, is it worth it? JetBlue flights are mostly domestic and generally inexpensive so if you are only taking one or two short flights it may not be. If you are going to fly 2 flights or more and at least one is a long haul, this might be a great deal for you. If you have the time and a bit of money, this would be a great chance to hop around the country visiting friends and family or just exploring for a month.
JetBlue All You Can Jet Pass
Travel+Leisure magazine has partnered with Hudson News to open a series of retail stores in airports. Stores will sell a variety of travel products including luggage, maps and guide books. The first shop opened last month in Vancouver Airport and plans are in order for additional locations at Orlando, JFK, San Fransisco and Halifax Airports soon.
Members of the Hilton HHonors program can earn a complimentary ticket to a concert when with every stay at a Hilton hotel through September 30, 2009. Participants who enroll in the promotion will receive the ticket as a promo code redeemable on Live Nation after they complete their stay. If you are not yet an HHonors member, you can sign up online for free. For more information and a list of participating concerts please visit:
Hilton HHonors Rock n’ Roll Summer
More than 100 U.S. National Parks are offering free admission on August 15th & 16th. It’s a great way to spend the weekend if you are trying to save money and an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful places in America. Check out this list of participating parks to find one near you:
Fee Free National Parks by State
