Frequent Flyer tips

JetBlue is on a promotional tear. Triple points for June flights. A fast track to elite status. Matching points for Virgin America flyers.

The only thing worse than an increase in award prices: an award-price increase with no advance notice.

Want to fly Virgin America as an elite member of the airline’s Elevate program? If you’ve already earned elite status with American, Delta, Southwest, or United, Virgin America will match that status, for three months.

On the heels of news that it will debut “bare fares” in early 2017, USA Today reports American will also add a seating class at the other end of the spectrum.

American’s AAdvantage program isn’t the only loyalty scheme converting to spend-based points accrual later this year. Starbucks, the world’s largest purveyor of coffee-based beverages, has announced plans to make a similar change to its Rewards program, effective some time in April.

At this week’s J.P. Morgan Aviation, Transportation and Industrials Conference, American Airlines chief Doug Parker spent a full 40 minutes detailing his vision for American’s future and expressing full confidence that his airline would come to be regarded as “best in class.” Implicit in his remarks, however, was the recognition that the airline currently falls well short of that goal, and that a key impediment to the company’s success is its strained relations with workers.

Virgin America thinks its new “Flights with Bennies” campaign is cheeky. In name, perhaps. But really, it’s just another refer-a-friend bonus promotion. Which isn’t a bad thing.

Chipotle, the super-popular international burrito chain, has had a bad couple of years. A series of E. coli and Norovirus outbreaks have dampened customers’ appetites for its self-described fresh, healthy fare, depressing sales and the company’s stock price.

If you’re among the privileged few whose pocketbook or corporate travel policy allows you to fly business class, you’re in for an upgrade.

Got an AAdvantage credit card issued by Citibank or Barclays? Then you may be entitled to book American award flights for fewer miles.

I’m not a fan of flash sales. If a company discounts its product or otherwise adds value to a purchase, then it should allow sufficient time for the offer to be widely communicated, thoughtfully considered, and calmly acted on. “Snooze you lose” has always struck me as disrespectful and a bit nasty.

Most elite members of Delta ‘s SkyMiles program probably didn’t pore over the airline’s recent Investor Day presentation. And of those that did, only a handful got as far as Slide 37 in the 56-slide deck. For their perseverance, they were rewarded with an ugly truth: First-class upgrades, already in scarce supply, are set to become scarcer still.

Hard on the heels of its sale on domestic award flights, United is discounting award travel to Asia as well.

Fly between Los Angeles and selected other cities for as few as 5,000 Delta miles each way in coach, 9,500 miles each way in Comfort+.

Two months ago, when Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America for $4 billion, the consensus prediction was that San Francisco-based Virgin would be slowly integrated into Alaska until it was nothing more than a historical footnote. In other words, what customers love about Virgin would be lost in transition.

Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week.

When it comes to lie-flat luxury on planes, transatlantic long-haul airlines like Emirates, Qatar, and Virgin Atlantic dominate the market. But now JetBlue is upping its flatbed seat count on short-haul flights, raising the question: Could the airline be readying for its own transatlantic routes?

For the average flyer, squeezed into a cramped coach-class seat and nickel-and-dimed to distraction, air travel has never been worse. But flush with outsized profits, and under fire for keeping airfares high even as fuel costs have plummeted, the full-service carriers are taking steps to stem the rising tide of anger and frustration.

Although the timing won’t be much help for would-be summer travelers, this United award sale for fall travel has a lot to recommend it.

With around 638 properties in its network, Hyatt is one of the smallest of the major hotel chains.

For years, Marriott has been referring to its periodic systemwide promotions as MegaBonuses. Early on, when the offer was a free night after two paid stays, the name was apt. But recently, the offers have been much less generous; they were more mini than mega. The offers also became more complicated over the years, resorting to a targeting scheme that generated customized bonuses according to members’ stay histories and other factors known only to Marriott.