Weekly Review: July 13, 2019

Weekly Review: July 13, 2019

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Hello from New York! This week I fly to New York to check out the TWA Hotel, and Ford and I will also be spending a couple of weeks here escaping the Miami summer heat. In early August I’m headed to Greece for a pre-Marriott Bonvoy devaluation redemption.

On the points & travel front, this week Virgin Atlantic revealed their first A350 route, DC’s attorney general sued Marriott over resort fees, British Airways and Marriott got hit with huge GDPR fines, ANA revealed their new 777 first & business class cabins, Delta’s A330-900neo began international service, and more.

With that out of the way, here’s a recap of this week on the blog:

Featured Stories

The 6 Best Domestic Business & First Class Flights

On this blog I often provide airline rankings based on international flight experiences. However, sometimes it’s fun to look at some of the best offerings that are closer to home, including the best domestic first class and best domestic business class products.

So while I’ve shared my thoughts on the best first class airlinesbest first class lounges, and best business class seats, in this post I wanted to share what I consider to be the best domestic first & business class experiences.


Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards (2019 Guide)

Over the past few years, Chase has built what I’d argue is the most compelling transferable points currency and portfolio of cards, with their Chase Ultimate Rewards portfolio.

The Ultimate Rewards program is so incredibly well rounded, thanks to the big welcome bonuses offered by the cards, the valuable bonus categories for spending, and the great perks.

In this post I wanted to take a closer look at the seven credit cards that potentially earn Ultimate Rewards points, and just about everything you need to know about them.


Great Fares In Virgin Atlantic’s New A350 Upper Class

Virgin Atlantic’s new A350-1000 will be their first plane to feature the new Upper Class seats, which look like a significant improvement over their current business class.

Just a couple of days ago, Virgin Atlantic formally scheduled their first A350 flights. The airline will begin flying the A350 6x weekly between London Heathrow and New York JFK as of September 10, 2019.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is excited to experience Virgin Atlantic’s new business class, which is why a fare sale that they’re running at the moment is noteworthy.


One Week at a Time

TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos

Citi Double Cash Card To Earn ThankYou Points
Credit Card Application Rules By Bank
Capital One Spark Miles Business Card Review [2019]
Get $750 In Airfare With This Sign-Up Bonus
Marriott Offering Free Night After Two Stays For New Members
10 Best Credit Card Offers For July 2019
Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card: 60K Miles Plus Annual Fee Waived
Great Fares In Virgin Atlantic’s New A350 Upper Class
Buy Iberia Avios With A 50% Bonus (1.35 Cents Each)
Awesome Amex Offer For Neiman Marcus Purchases
Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards (2019 Guide)

TRICKS: Redeeming Miles

JAL Awards Now Bookable On American’s Website
Redeem Miles For Singapore’s New Suites On A Long Haul Flight
One Day Only: LifeMiles 120% Mileage Transfer Bonus

REVIEWS & Trip Reports

The 6 Best Domestic Business & First Class Flights
Review: Air Europa Business Class 787 Madrid To Miami
Review: TWA Hotel New York JFK

NEWS & Updates

Virgin Atlantic Schedules First A350 Route
EVA Air Flight Attendant Strike Comes To An End
A321 Will Fly Nonstop From Europe To South America
British Airways Faces £183m Fine Over Data Breach
Flyadeal Backs Out Of 737 MAX Deal
Touching Video: A Lion Air Captain’s Last Flight
Qatar Airways’ Silly Platinum Status “Improvement”
Art & Lounge Opens At Heathrow Terminal 4
Korean Air Captain Tried To Drink During Flight, Cabin Chief Got Demoted
Not Cool: American Airlines Forces Woman To Cover Up
LATAM Argentina May Be Forced To Cut US Flights
France’s Controversial New Aviation Eco-Tax
Marriott Faces MASSIVE Fine Over Data Breach
Destination Hotels Joining World of Hyatt
Hotel Fined For Breakfast List Data Breach
Attorney General Sues Marriott Over Resort Fees
British Airways’ Beautiful New San Francisco Lounge
Oops: EasyJet & KLM Planes Collide During Pushback
Marriott’s Hotel Talisa Rebrands As Grand Hyatt Vail
BLADE Introduces Annual Helicopter Membership
British Airways Pilot Strike Imminent
Novel: New Low Cost Carrier To Launch In Iceland
KLM Encourages People To Fly Less, Take Train Instead
AMAZING: Tokyo Hotel Will Have In-Room Flight Simulator
Emirates Adding Wifi Over The North Pole (Sort Of)
Norwegian Founder & CEO Steps Down
Delta’s New A330-900neo Takes To The Skies
Spectacular: ANA’s New 777 First & Business Class
An Interesting Resignation At Ryanair
Air Seychelles’ Surprising New Once Weekly Flight To Israel
Sun Country Slashes Change Fees
Executive In Charge Of Boeing 737 MAX Retires
Rumor: American Airlines To Introduce Free Wifi (Eventually)
Naomi Campbell’s Intense Pre-Flight Routine
Gorgeous New Alaska Airlines SeaTac Lounge Now Open
American Investors Just Bought WOW Air’s Assets
IAG CEO Explains 737 MAX Order


I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!

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  1. Daniel New Member

    Would really love to do a meetup - currently on a RTW-trip and almost in NYC, possible because of you! :)

  2. DanFl44 New Member

    I am in NYC in a few days on the CX New Years fare (thanks to you!)
    Would love it if you can do a meetup! :)

  3. Niko_jas Guest

    @lucky
    So according to LH boss Carsten Spohr, 10euro ($11) flights are "economically, ecologically and politically irresponsible",
    Bloomberg reports him as saying today.
    It would make an interesting article to hear your opinion!
    Obviously he's sniping at Ryanair and their fares, but Ryanair has a newer and more environmentally friendly fleet than LH, so not sure how he justifies getting on his high horse! What's 'sour grapes' in German?!

  4. Mel New Member

    I would love a meet up as I'll be in NYC!

  5. Izz Member

    Ben add me to the list voting for a meetup in NYC while you are in town.

  6. Mark3 Guest

    @Mike O: Good luck. It won't happen.

  7. Oliver S. Guest

    Ben, you should really do a meet up in NYC. You did one on the West Coast, now its time for one here on the East Coast

  8. Mike O. Guest

    Hey Ben,

    I was wondering what's your current email address. I sent you an email, but maybe it got lost in your spam folder.

    Hope you are well.

    Cheers,
    Mike

  9. R B Guest

    Any chance of a meet-up in NYC while you are in town?

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Daniel New Member

Would really love to do a meetup - currently on a RTW-trip and almost in NYC, possible because of you! :)

0
DanFl44 New Member

I am in NYC in a few days on the CX New Years fare (thanks to you!) Would love it if you can do a meetup! :)

0
Niko_jas Guest

@lucky So according to LH boss Carsten Spohr, 10euro ($11) flights are "economically, ecologically and politically irresponsible", Bloomberg reports him as saying today. It would make an interesting article to hear your opinion! Obviously he's sniping at Ryanair and their fares, but Ryanair has a newer and more environmentally friendly fleet than LH, so not sure how he justifies getting on his high horse! What's 'sour grapes' in German?!

0
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