Economy Class & Beyond

Should I buy an Iberia upgrade for a long haul flight?

by

Earlier this month I wrote about Iberia offering auction pricing to upgrade my flight. Well it seems Iberia want to offer me something different now, with an Iberia Upgrade: Well, what should come through the email box but this: So the new option: Cabin Upgrade from Economy Class to Business Class aboard an A330 for €500 all in for one segment (MAD-ORD). Upgrade is for … [Read more...]

Low Cost Hotels continue the Free WiFi push – Premier Inn to offer Free WiFi

by

The low-cost value end of the market can be cut-throat - with Travelodge and Premier Inn two of the bigger chains fighting it out in the United Kingdom. Premier Inn is making a slightly different play. Whilst Travelodge offers 30 minutes of WiFi free, then £3 of WiFi for 24 hours of access - Premier Inn will be offering a two tier offering of WiFi. The basic offering will … [Read more...]

Uber comes to Birmingham

by

Uber has launched services in my local city - Birmingham with a fanfare. The "Shared Ride" company will be going up against the Black Cabs and Private Hire cars that currently operate in the city. Prices seem "reasonable", with Uber quoting the following: Birmingham New Street Station to Selly Oak – £5-7 The Bullring to Edgbaston – £4-6 City Centre to Birmingham Airport … [Read more...]

Iberia’s bidding for upgrades… how does it work?

by

In the near future, I have in my life a segment on Iberia. Iberia Airbus A320 taxing at Barcelona Airport - Image, Economy Class and Beyond. Well - it was a good idea at the time. Sadly, I won't be aboard this little Airbus A320, but aboard an A330 for a transatlantic hop. However, going through Iberia's Manage My Booking took, I found something rather interesting - that I … [Read more...]

Delta to offer Starbucks coffee network-wide

by

As Delta continues to strip away frequent flyer benefits (or make them harder to find, book, or anything useful). Delta is switching over coffee brands. The Atlanta based airline will offer Starbucks Coffee on all its flights - in what Delta calls "(its) effort to partner with high-quality, like-minded brands in an effort to enhance the overall traveling experience for … [Read more...]

Aer Lingus says yes to the higher IAG Bid: What are the stumbling blocks?

by

There's been a lot of press over Aer Lingus considering a takeover by International Airlines Group - owner of British Airways and Iberia - with the most recent bid valuing the airline at €1.3 billion - and the airline accepting it today (27th January 2015). Aer Lingus Airbus A330 at Chicago O'Hare - Image, Economy Class and Beyond. So Aer Lingus has finally said yes … [Read more...]

Three things you need when travelling…

by

Becky over at The Girl and The Globe asked a question on Twitter last night: Have you ever been worried about making travel preparations? What were you/are you nervous about? — Becky (@thegirlandglobe) January 21, 2015 An intresting question. Whilst I am getting forgetful (like booking a hotel 3 days before travelling), there are actually three things I worry about before … [Read more...]

Marriot backs down from banning personal WiFi hotspots

by

In a not too surprising move, Marriott International is to back down from its FCC request to block personal wifi devices (such as MiFi's, Personal Hotspots on phones). The company released the following statement Marriott International listens to its customers, and we will not block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi devices at any of our managed hotels.  Marriott … [Read more...]

Gogo ceases issuing fake certificates – and why it matters

by

Note from Kevin: Parts of this article were first published on Runway Girl Network at http://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/2015/01/13/gogo-no-longer-issuing-fake-google-ssl-certificates/. I encourage you to visit Runway Girl Network for unique analysis in the Passenger Experience field. For those of you who use Gogo in the air will notice that YouTube is accessible again (as I … [Read more...]

A Hotel Tonight? It’s worth shopping around…

by

On my way home from my epic Tier Point run, I had this idle idea of actually staying at a hotel and crashing for a while in peace and quiet. Not the worst idea in many respects I think we can all agree with the flying that I've done recently. For a giggle, I fired up Hotel Tonight on the phone to see what it could pull in the Heathrow area. My "preferred" (well, that's a … [Read more...]