inFLIGHTout

Visit us over at Blogger

mikegrassosf — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:30:23 +0000

YES, we are still blogging away. Visit us at

www.inflightout.com

See you soon

Passing Picture – Four Points By Sheraton

mikegrassosf — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:26:00 +0000

I snapped this oh-so-friendly reminder not to smoke in the room at this Four Points Hotel near Chicago-O’Hare airport.

Earlier this year, we reported on how Sheraton and Four Points are moving toward becoming entirely smoke-free at properties throughout the United States & Canada.

Hello world!

mikegrassosf — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:10:53 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

Qantas 747 Emergency Landing, No Injuries

mikegrassosf — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:43:00 +0000

A Qantas 747 enroute from Hong Kong to Melbourne made an emergency landing last night in Manila, after a massive hole appeared in the plane.

The incident occured while flying at nearly 30,000 feet, at which time the plane then reportedly plunged, portions of the floor and ceiling collapsed, and oxygen masks deployed when the plane lost cabin pressure.

Still, despite the chaos and terror reported in the sky, the pilot managed to land the plane safely, and without injury to passengers. Read more, and view other pictures of the damage from the Sun.

Alaska Airlines Changes Miles Requirement for Free Travel

mikegrassosf — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:18:00 +0000

On Thursday, Alaska Airlines announced changes to its Mileage Plan account. Unlike recent changes to other airline frequent flyer programs, generally considered unfavorable to consumers, Alaska’s announcement carries less of a sting.

For example, a domestic round-trip Coach Saver award ticket will now require 25,000 miles, compared to 20,000 points previously needed; this change aligns with most other airlines. But, the change begins November 1st, effectively allowing flyer’s to redeem at the lower points level for the next few months.

Also, Alaska will offer Intra-State award travel for only 15,000 miles. Previously only available in Alaska, passengers flying wholly within AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, or WA receive a 10,000 mile reduction in the cost of award resumptions.

Other changes, including a $25 fee for booking award travel with an Alaska partner, will be instituted, but again, not until later this Fall. Click here to read the entire Alaska Airlines announcement.

Custom Luggage Tags for 1000 WorldPerks Miles

mikegrassosf — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:07:00 +0000

Wondering what to do with a small number of Northwest WorldPerks miles in your account? If you aren’t planning on earning enough for free award travel, or you just want to use up your remaining miles, consider a pair of customized luggage tags for only 1000 miles. Simply visit http://www.nwatagyourbag.com/ choose one of several stock photos or upload your own, then enter up to 4 lines of text on your tags. Shipping & handling are included.
Thanks to N301dp at flyertalk for posting this deal.

HIV Travel Ban To Be Overturned

mikegrassosf — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:19:00 +0000

Last week the U.S Senate voted to overturn a law that prevents HIV-positive visitors from entering the United States. The HIV travel ban, which prohibits travel and immigration for HIV-positive people, had bi-partisan support in the Senate, including Republican Senator Gordon Smith who said, “Our government still treats individuals with HIV/AIDS as modern-day lepers, categorically banning these individuals from entering into the US. To fully embrace our global leadership on HIV/AIDS, we must remove our unwelcome mat and overturn this ridiculous ban.”

The United States is one of only a handful of countries that bans travel for HIV-positive people. Other countries include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Russia.

Lifting the ban comes bundled with a $50 billion grant to fight HIV/AIDS funding around the world. Together, the bill is expected to move through the House of Representatives, then to the President. President Bush has previously expressed support for the bill.

Super Shuttle $3 Discount Code

mikegrassosf — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:39:00 +0000

Here’s a $3 off coupon code valid for Super Shuttle. The code works at several airports throughout the country, including all the major airports in the Bay Area. Super Shuttle also awards a minimum 50 frequent flyer miles on U.S Airways, Northwest and Frontier Airlines with each reservation.

Visit www.supershuttle.com and enter promo code: UYR59
Other Super Shuttle coupons can also be found in regional Entertainment books.

U.S Domestic Airfares Up 4.4% Over Previous Year

mikegrassosf — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:57:00 +0000

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics released findings today that show an overall 4.4% increase in the average price of an airline ticket during the 1st quarter of 2008, compared to the same time period in 2007. In the Bay Area, San Francisco actually saw a 6.7% decline in fares, while Sacramento’s increased by 6.2%.

Q1 2007 to Q1 2008 average fare by market
$317.88 to $331.72 (U.S Domestic Average Fare)
$240.23 to $244.46 (Oakland)
$263.07 to $279.36 (Sacramento)
$421.90 to $395.54 (San Francisco)
$261.02 to $268.03 (San Jose)

Double Starpoints At Select Starwood Properties

mikegrassosf — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Another great post from *wood highlighting a double points promotion at 28 Starwood properties celebrating their 1st year anniversary in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts portfolio. The promotion runs through October 31, 2008, and requires registration prior to booking.