Weekly Review: March 17, 2018

Earlier this week I returned from my quick journey to Africa via Munich, London, Lisbon, Luanda, and Sao Paulo, which was quite an adventure. Over the coming two weeks I have some (boring) domestic travel, and then in April I’ll be headed to the Seychelles with Ford, which I’m really looking forward to.

On the points & travel front, this has been a crazy week. Perhaps the most “excitement” came from United’s horrible handling of dogs, though there was plenty of other news as well. That wasn’t the only crazy news story related to aviation — we also saw an Emirates flight attendant (tragically) jump from a 777, hundreds of millions of dollars of gold fell out of a plane in Russia, an Alaska pilot sued the airline over claims of getting raped on a layover, and Southwest kicked a two year old off a plane. This week we also saw the introduction of a new credit card from Iberia, Aeroplan introduced a new bonus on points transfers from hotel programs, Radisson announced a new promotion, and more.

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

Featured Stories

Chase Sapphire Reserve For Couples: Authorized User Vs. Separate Accounts

There are many great benefits to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card — it offers perks like a $300 annual travel credit, triple points on dining and travel, the ability to redeem points for 1.5 cents each towards the cost of a travel purchase, a Priority Pass membership with guesting privileges, a Global Entry fee credit, and much more.

One question I get pretty often is from people wondering if they’re better off adding their spouse as an authorized user on their Sapphire Reserve Card, or if they’re better off having their spouse use their own Sapphire Reserve Card. On the surface you may think the obvious answer is to add your spouse as an authorized user, given that the authorized user fee is $75, and the annual fee for the primary account holder is $550. However, the math isn’t quite that straightforward.

A Tale Of Two American Airlines Flight Attendants

The only thing consistent about service on US airlines is that it’s inconsistent. American is my primary US carrier, and I’ve spent plenty of time noting how inconsistent service can be — I’ve had international flights with incredible service, and I’ve had international flights with terrible service. Typically it seems to me like an entire crew is either good or bad, which doesn’t make sense, since flight attendants are mostly bidding on “trips” independently. Perhaps it’s often a case of a good attitude being contagious, and vice versa.

On Monday night I flew from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles in business class on American. The flight was operated by a 787-9 with American’s B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats. I’ll have more on the seats as such in a separate post, but in this post wanted to talk about the service on the flight.

Flash Sale: $30 Off Frequent Traveler University In New York Or Washington DC

The Frequent Traveler University events provide an opportunity for miles and points enthusiasts to spend a weekend diving in to the nitty-gritty details of various programs and opportunities, meeting people with shared interests, and generally geeking out over travel.

They’re fun events, and I’ve enjoyed presenting and socializing at several of them over the past few years (and I say that as someone who generally dislikes socializing). The Seattle FTU event was just a few weeks ago, and I had a great time meeting many of you and hearing so many miles and points success stories.

FTU travels to a variety of locations, and most events have been in the US. This year, there will be a pair of international events as well, with weekend events in Brisbane, Australia, and London, United Kingdom. Additionally, dates have been announced for events in both New York City and Washington D.C. this summer, and there are some great discounts available if you act quickly.

TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos

Today Is The Last Day To Buy Starpoints For 35% Off
New Iberia Credit Card With Big Sign-Up Bonus
10 Best Credit Card Offers For March
LifeMiles Now Lets You Buy Elite Qualifying Miles For Award Flights
Why The Real Annual Cost Of The Chase Sapphire Reserve Is $150
The Best Downgrade Option For The Chase Ink Preferred Card
Register Now For Chase Freedom Second Quarter 2018 Bonus
Buy Aeroplan Miles (Indirectly) For Just 1.46 Cents Each
IHG Acquires 51% Stake In Regent Hotels
Great Deal: Earn 300 Starbucks Stars For One Purchase With Chase Pay
Choice Privileges Is Offering A 30% Discount On Purchased Points
Chase Sapphire Reserve For Couples: Authorized User Vs. Separate Accounts
Experience Getting Approved For The Chase Ink Business Preferred
Chase Freedom Q2 2018 5x Points Bonus Categories Revealed
Radisson Rewards Is Offering Up To 120,000 Bonus Points For Stays This Spring
Get A 25% Bonus When You Convert Hotel Points Into Aeroplan Miles

TRICKS: Redeeming Miles

Flash Sale: $30 Off Frequent Traveler University In New York Or Washington DC
FlyingBlue Reveals New Award Pricing Calculator

TRAVEL With Ben (Lucky)

Update On Our Search For A New OMAAT Contributor
My Puzzling First Experience With Uber Express POOL
A Tale Of Two American Airlines Flight Attendants
Did We Have Luck Talking Our Way Into Angola?
Our TAAG Adventure Is Off To A Rough Start — “NO PHOTOS!”
Uh Oh: Our TAAG Flight Has A “Technical Fault” And We Can’t Enter The Country
My First Shorthaul Lufthansa Flight With Wifi: I Have Mixed Feelings

REVIEWS & Trip Reports

Review: Singapore Airlines New Business Class A380 Singapore To Sydney
American 787-9 Business Class In 10 Pictures
Flying TAAG Angola’s New 777 First Class
TAAG Angola’s Old First Class — My Worst First Class Flight Ever
The Best Meal I’ve Had On An Intra-Europe Flight
Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge Singapore Airport
Review: China Southern Business Class Lounge Guangzhou Airport
Review: China Southern Business Class A320 Guangzhou To Singapore
Review: China Southern Business Class A380 Los Angeles To Guangzhou

NEWS & Updates

Crew To Passenger: “Would You Jeopardize Your Holiday For A B***job?”
United Has Gone To The Dogs: Flight Diverted After ANOTHER Pet Is Loaded Incorrectly
OMG: United Charters Private Jet For A Dog
Thai Airways Sets Passenger Size Limit For New Business Class Seat
Silvercar Is Expanding To San Diego
Niki Comes Back To Life As Laudamotion
Hyatt Place Wants To See If They Can Get Away With Not Offering Free Breakfast
Alaska Airlines Is Making Changes To Their First Class
Insane Reader Story: Silver Airways Calls Cops On 16 Year Old For Taking Picture
$370 Million In Gold & Diamonds Falls From Cargo Plane, Litters Airfield
Oy: United Just Sent A Dog To Japan On Accident
Update: United Accepts Responsibility For Tragic Dog Death While Backing Flight Attendant
Why United Won’t Really Introduce Premium Economy On Domestic Flights
Three Times As Many Animals Die On United As All Other US Airlines Combined
No LUV Here: Southwest Airlines Kicks Toddler Off Plane
Emirates Flight Attendant Jumps From Aircraft To Her Death
Alaska Co-Pilot Says She Was Drugged & Raped By Captain During Layover
More Details Emerge About The Alaska Pilot Who Allegedly Got Drugged & Raped
Heartbreaking: United Kills Another Dog (This Time In The Cabin)
This United Gate Agent Is A Treasure
South African Airways Plans To Shrink Their Way Into Profitability
Emirates To Launch Flights Between Barcelona And Mexico City
Why I 100% Blame United Airlines For Dog’s Death, Not Fellow Passengers
FAIL: Swedish Airline Flies To Wrong Destination Due To Miscommunication
Swiss Is Introducing Buy On Board In Shorthaul Economy, With A Twist
US-Bangla Q400 Crashes On Landing In Kathmandu
Angola Is Introducing Visa On Arrival For Visitors From 61 Countries
Amex Is Reducing Merchant Fees — What Does That Mean For Consumers?
American Admirals Clubs Are Getting Avocado Toast
The Amazon & JetBlue Partnership Is Being Scaled Back
United Paves The Way For Their Next Polaris Cut

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!