The Upgrd Podcast

Upgrd 58: American Airlines and OneWorld Awards

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:30:57 +0000

This week we continued our series on redeeming miles for awards - this time on American Airlines and its partners in OneWorld. We discuss:

The unfortunate news of someone joining the mile high club by themselves
The flight attendants in trouble for photos then ended up on a porn site (nsfw) and a prostitution ring
American Airlines Awards including
- American Airlines Awards
- AAdvantage All Airline Awards (Partner Award)
- OneWorld Award

Send in your questions and let us know what you would like to hear on a future episode!

Upgrd 57: LOT o' Mail

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:34:21 +0000

This week we answer some frequent flyer questions, both our own and from listener mail. In addition we tried something a little different, recording the whole discussion from the time people joined the call. We discussed:

Damian joins us to discuss his very recent experience in LOT business class
Standby on United Airlines
US Airways open to merger - anyone want an airline?
United Airlines finalizes 787 order
Program options for Qantas travellers
International Star Alliance partners and domestic USA lounge access
and Ben's additional prediction of the possible demise of DEQM

Upgrd 56: Asiana, Aeroplan and Star Alliance Awards

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:28:35 +0000

We continue our discussion of Star Alliance Awards this week looking at Aeroplan, Asiana, ANA and using your American Express Membership Rewards miles for redemption. In addition we discuss:

ANA's website and using their Star Alliance award search as a "tool" for your award booking
Aeroplan's award chart and using American Express miles for awards
Asiana's award chart to Europe
Continental's connection to Amex
and our own Matt's recent wedding and award to Asia - congrats Matt!

Please feel free to leave a comment or question below.

Upgrd 55: United, US Airways and Continental Awards

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:03:24 +0000

This week we continue our award redemption series by discussing Star Alliance carriers including United Airlines, US Airways and Continental Airlines. In this episode we discuss:

American Airlines new stand by policy
JAL's final decision to stay with OneWorld
Delta and US Airways proposed swap slot
United Airlines award levels, website issues, and evil StarNet blocking
US Airways award levels and availability
Continental's award chart and how they match up with United

In addition Fozz, Matthew and Gary discuss the awards they have booked - despite StartNet blocking. Please share your award stories with us in the comments below.

Upgrd 54: Award Bookings

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:40:27 +0000

In this first podcast of a series on airline award bookings we discuss the basics of how we use our miles and an overview of different award types. In future podcasts, over the next few weeks, we will discuss specific reward programs and alliances in greater detail.

In addition we discussed JAL's decision between SkyTeam and OneWorld, although that dicussion seems a bit dated now. Please send in your recent award redemptions stories and questions for our next few airline award booking shows.

Upgrd 53: BMI Diamond Club Gold Status

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:46:49 +0000

This is probably the shortest elite status podcast ever but we covered some listener questions about BMI Diamond Club. Since we recorded this last week there have been some changes - Fozz will be posting some updates on his blog about this soon.

This week we discuss BMI, their frequent flyer program, and why so many Upgrd contributors have BMI Gold status as one of their "backup" programs.

Please send in your comments about BMI's program or anything we missed or has changed.

Upgrd 52: Planespotting

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:55:56 +0000

This week we are joined by Phil from nycaviation.com to discuss planespotting in and around the airport. NYCAviation is an airline news and resource organization geared towards enthusiasts. for the past 6 years, they have looked to serve those with a passion for aviation even far outside New York both on and off of the internet. We discuss:

The recent Hawaiian airlines flight that turned back due to a passenger comment card
Matthew's recent blog post about theft in the air
Phil's experience working for a charter airline and the effects of long days in the air
Planespotting do's and dont's and what nycaviation.com is doing to promote the activity and work constructively with airports and law enforcement to make it more effective for everyone.

Please leave your questions or comments below.

Upgrd 51: Psychic Predictions

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:07:46 +0000

This week's frequent flyer podcast covers some news and our predictions for 2010. If last year's predictions are any indication only thing I can predict with certainty is how broken our crystal balls are. We discussed:

Continental CEO forgoes pay until profitable http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6798733.html
Our travel goals for 2010
Our guess as to whether or not double elite qualifying miles (DEQM) will be back and how many times it will be offered.
Our predictions for upcoming changes to frequent flyer programs and the airlines.

Please send in your predictions or add them to the comments below.

Upgrd 50: The Big Five Oh

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:07:47 +0000

As 2009 comes to a close we record our thoughts on the year and review our predictions from January. Due to the holidays we were unable to get everyone online at the same time. So Matt, Matthew, Fozz, Mike and a special guest recorded when we could. So be prepared for people coming in and out of the conversation.

We are not recording again until the later in the first week of January, so look for the next Upgrd podcast shortly thereafter. In the mean time make sure you check out the first episode of The Crew Lounge which will be online shortly after the new year.

Thank you to all our readers, listeners and guests for making 2009 a great year!

Upgrd 49: The Big Announcement

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:50:36 +0000

This week we are joined by Sara from theflyingpinto.com blog and Bobby from upupandagay.com. Both are bloggers working in the airline industry who have a special announcement about a new Upgrd podcast coming up soon. We also discussed:

Craig Ferguson's recent rant against Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines recent announcement about new benefits
The 787 first flight
Tipping shuttle drivers
The importance of "please" and "thank you"
The new podcast format and content

Send in your topics for the new show!

Upgrd 48: Blogging for Nuts

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:59:10 +0000

Last week we recorded episode 48 where we discussed some recent blog posts including:

Matthew's recent bumps
Josh finally finding good food
Machu Pichu
Damian's upcoming cruise trip report
and Fozz's trip to the night club

No recording this week, so please check out the discussion regarding Continental's system wide upgrade announcement and other news in the blogs.

Have you ever booked a flight just to get the miles?

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:10:39 +0000

I know the title is absurd as we all know the answer is "why else would you book a flight?". Marketplace, from American Public Media, is looking for "frequent fliers who have booked travel towards the end of the year for the sole purpose of bumping up their elite status".

I am guessing we can send a few readers and listeners their way. If interested in participating, they have a survey at http://bit.ly/4S0eKs

Upgrd 47: Captain Steve

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:42:15 +0000

This week we are joined by a 767 pilot who answered all our questions about airline operations, international flying, and general aviation questions. We discussed:

Fozz's recent appearance on a local CBS news segment
Matthew's blog post on United's rumored aircraft purchase
Captain Steve's thoughts on crew layovers, ways to beat jetlag, crew meals, flying the 757 and 767 and more...

Please leave any questions for Captain Steve below and I will forward them on.

Upgrd 46: 425k Club

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:00:02 +0000

In this week's frequent flyer podcast we are joined by Gene Gibbs, a pension actuary and very frequent flyer. Any by very, we mean 425,000 miles per year. Listen in as we discuss:

Matthew's recent airline bumps and compensation
Josh's comprehensive post on American Airlines laptop power
United Airlines and Continental Airlines reciprocal upgrade announcement
Gene's travel patterns and comparison of Delta, United, and American
Why Gene is reducing Delta travel next year
and more...

Please leave feedback, questions, or ideas for future episodes below.

Upgrd 45: Alaska Airlines and MVP Gold

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:19:52 +0000

In this week's airline podcast we are joined by our or BoredRoom blogger Alex to further discuss Alaska Airlines and their MVP Gold Elite program. We discussed:

Recent blog posts including well done airline steak, the Star Alliance Megado, and airline club membership
UA not renewing Mesa? Good/Bad/Neither?
Redeem CO miles for SQ first?
Alaska Airlines aircraft, first class cabins, meals, Board Room club, and more
Seattle airport concourse changes and the fate of the United Dungeon err Red Carpet club
And some very late breaking news (at the very end of the podcast) that has Ben in a fluster

Please leave any comments on Alaska Airlines, their Board Room, or other in-flight services below.

Upgrd 44: Generic Title

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:27:32 +0000

In this week's podcast we caught up on some listener mail and discussed recent news. In addition we discussed:

Continental's recent comments on possibly merging with United in the future
A discussion of some recent blog posts
Whether or not to take a bump this holiday season
An introduction to Star Gold for Continental elites
and more...

Please send in your listener questions and leave any other comments below.

Upgrd 43: Club World City Service and Star Alliance Europe

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:58:59 +0000

This week we recorded our podcast shortly after Ben arrived on BA 4 - the new Club World Service from JFK to LCY. Ben was comped a round trip by British Airways as a travel blogger to report on this new offering. In addition we were joined by Damian, a frequent United and Lufthansa traveler based in Frankfurt. We discussed:

Amenities and service of the Club World Service on British Airways
Arrivals in London City Airport
US Airways recent downsizing to hub only flying
Star Alliance awards in Europe
Lufthansa's denied boarding compenstation
and more...

This was the first podcast edited and uploaded at 35,000 feet. I hope the upload worked! If there are any issues with the audio, please leave a message and it will be fixed once on the ground.

Upgrd 42: US Airways Dividend Miles

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:57:49 +0000

This week we are joined by Mark, a frequent US Airways traveler to discuss the US Airways Dividend Miles program. During the podcast we discussed:

Delta's recent mishaps when landing and generally when "situationally unaware"
A new segment "Your Hometown, Your Airline" where we recommend an airline mileage program based on a particular city. This week we discuss the best airline programs for flyers in Boston.
Mark describes US Airways elite levels, elite requirements, and benefits of elite status
What not to do when taking photos on an airplane

Got any US Airways stories or program information that we missed? What do you think of the Hometown Airline segment - keeper? Leave a comment below.

Also please take our survey on airline clubs.

Upgrd 41: Free Upgrades for Everyone

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:19:23 +0000

Well, not really, but United Airlines is sure trying to give you that impression. Episode 41 is a combination of an episode that we recorded last week, and a second brief recording this morning regarding the new change at United - eliminating the 500 miler requirement for domestic upgrades. In last week's recording we discuss:

American Airlines double EQM along with the reduced requirement for using E-VIPs for Executive Platinums
United allowing Z fares to be upgraded with miles next year
Is Thanksgiving a good time to get bumps?
Our blog posts on the newly lunched upgrd.com
and more...

This morning we discussed the new change to UA's upgrade policy and whether or not it changes our airline affiliations.

Upgrd 40: Live From San Diego

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:43:37 +0000

At long last, our "live" recording. This episode is available as both an audio podcast an online as a video. As usual Ben and Hunter do not agree, what is your opinion? We discussed:

Our first class upgrades flying to San Diego
Hunter's opinion on OneWorld's low ranking compared to Sky Team
A reflection on our lessons learned in the first 39 podcasts
Our new website
and more

Upgrd 39: Thai Airways Land Of Miles

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:27:00 +0000

From the bitten off more than I can chew department comes epsiode 39 about Thai Airways. We are again joined by David who happened to be in Thailand as we recorded this a few weeks ago. Aplogies for the late upload as our live recording in San Diego and new website was a little more than I could handle this past week.

We discussed:

Earning miles on Thai
Redemption on Thai
The "Gold Envelope"

The San Diego recording and video will be up soon.

Upgrd 38: Airline Nostalgia

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A 50 minute flight with a full catered meal and dessert? Are we talking about some far off international carrier? No of course not, unfortunately though you will need a time machine.

Listen in to our semi-historical talk about our earliest flight memories as we are joined by veteran traveler Todd, a meterologist at an east coast University. We discuss:

United premier travel plus - devaluing status? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125296377430509937.html

CO's old flights to/from BOS/DEN on the A300. Carved roast beef at your seat.
Flying TW's L-1011 BOS-ORY service, and being the only one in F.
TWA 747 BOS/JFK/BOS repositioning flight where upgrades were free and easy.
Almost never missing an upgrade on Eastern Shuttle in the 80s thanks to their "Executive Traveller Program."
Knowing how to get an F seat on the "all coach" Eastern Shuttle. Sometimes they put an L-1011 or A300 on the LGA/BOS service, and savvy flyers would enter the L2 door and turn left instead of right. An F seat was yours for the taking!
American Airlines 747 with piano

We will be live streaming from the San Diego Film Festival next weekend, make sure you join us and send your question live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/upgrd (Link will work Saturday, September 26 at 4pm PST)

Upgrd 37: First Class Mail Bag

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's frequent flyer discussion we answer some viewer mail and cover some recent news. Unfortunately when we recorded last week, Continental's new redemption award chart had not yet been released, so some of our commentary is stale already. Outside of this we discussed:

San Diego Film Festival / Facebook page
Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/upgrd
For "Upgrd - The Movie" do we get Clooney to play Hunter? In the mean time check out Up In The Air http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/upintheair/large.html
Hijack? In 2009? 9/9/9 http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/09/mexico.hijacking/
Delta's new BE - are tray tables worth getting upset over? http://blog.delta.com/2009/08/31/update-flat-bed-seats/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06mWF2yq6c
VX is a business airline? http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/grossman/2009-09-09-virgin-america_N.htm
UA spiffs up cabin. Yawn... http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4507496/
Get the lice out http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/07/delta-flies-empty-planes-transatlantic
Do any of you bother with plastic bags and 3 ounce containers anymore? http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-09-08-liquids-ban_N.htm

Remember to take advantage of discounted festival passes for the San Diego Film Festival. We will be recording live on September 26th with more details to be posted on our Facebook page. Also, follow us on twitter.

Upgrd 36: First Class Can of Coke

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

The big news of the week is another double elite qualifying mile (DEQM) promotion started by American and, thus far, only matched by United. In this week's frequent traveler podcast we discuss the promotion and:

Delta's JFK T3 experience ... again
Delta's SkyClub
American and United's Double Elite Qualifying Miles Promotion - register now to earn status more quickly
Swiss first class pajamas
Ben needs help from a foodie

Upgrd 35: Everything Everywhere

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week we are joined by Gary Arndt from the Everything Everywhere blog and This Week in Travel podcast. Gary has spent over two and half years traveling the world and has some great insight and stories from the Pacific. Together we discuss flying in the Pacific, travel news, and:

The Continental Express overnight nightmare - again
Are some people taking the Jetblue all you can fly pass too far?
Flight delays
Gary's long list of airlines flown
Gary's recommendation on islands to visit in the Pacific
Fun stories of traveling overseas
and more...

Don't forget to take advantage of discounted festival passes for the San Diego Film Festival. We will be recording live on September 26th with more details to be posted on our Facebook page. Also, follow us on twitter.

Upgrd 34: First Class Amenities

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's episode we discuss first class amenities, pajamas, and all sorts of good stuff up-front. However, without Ben our conversation lacked some details. So please help us out and post your favorite amenities and photos. In addition to the main topic we discussed:

Continental's join date to the Star Alliance on October 27th
Continental's half-hearted compensation for stranded passengers
Frustrated airline tweets and how people are expressing their concern online
and more

Upgrd 33: Stay Classy San Diego

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week's episode is a quick one. We didn't have much on the agenda and the heat was sweltering so we kept it short. Join us as we discuss some news including:

Southwest's offer for Republic (at the time of recording)
Jetblue's $599 flight pass
Continental's regional flight that kept passengers stuck on board overnight
and more.

In addition, we discuss the San Diego Film Festival coming up at the end of September. Book your mileage run now to meet us there for a live recording and other events. You can get a discount on an all access pass to the Film Festival by using the discount code UPGRD. Make sure you RSVP for the recording on Facebook.

Upgrd 32: Match Game

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week we revisit elite status matching on the different airlines. Generally status matching is a one time event, so if you are going to match proceed carefully. In addition to airline status matches we discuss some recent airline news including:

New pet relief area at American's JFK hub
New pricing plans for GoGo Wifi Internet - finally some plans for the mileage runners out there
More turbulent news from Continental with an unlucky patch of rough flying
Air Koryo's 1 star ranking
Our upcoming live recording at the San Diego Film Festival. Register now (using code UPGRD) and mileage run in for a live upgrd recording.

Our main topic covers status matching on the following airlines:

US Airways buy up to preferred program
American Airlines Challenge
United Airlines
Delta
and others

Please leave a comment below on any points we missed.

Upgrd 31: Friends Don't Let Friends Fly Coach

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

I should rename this episode: "the one that made my computer crash". But I think I already did that. Please join us for this (late) edition of Upgrd where we discuss the news and playing travel agent for friends, work, and family. In addition we discuss:

Pet Airways
Matthew's Trip Back
and more...

Upgrd 30: El Airline

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week we are joined by David a frequent traveler on El Al to discuss the inflight service and amenities as well as their frequent flyer program. We hope that this will be the first of many podcasts covering international airlines to broaden our coverage of airline programs worldwide. This week we discuss:

Matthew's trip to Israel - including the Airbus scare that caused some passengers to deboard
El Al's onboard food and catering
King David lounges
Upgrades, not dogs and more ...

Upgrd 29: Alaska...Mystery

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's frequent flyer discussion we discuss the details of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program. In addition we discuss:

The Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge
Status and earning levels on AS
Upgrades and their first class product
And news including Delta's loads on LAX-SYD, the red dress kerfuffle at Delta for flight attendants of size, and US Airways continued reduction in services - this time the closure of the LAS lounge

Please leave comments or questions below!

Upgrd 28: Lounging Around

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's discussion we cover airline news, Star Alliance and Red Carpet Club domestic lounge access, and Ben's tour of beautiful LAX airport. Also we discuss:

Delta's recent fine for the way it handled denied boarding and compensation
Viewer mail on credit card earning for hotel stays, an EWR flyer's question about where to credit miles after reaching Platinum on CO, and questions about the United Mileage Plus Dining program
A review of RCC member access to other star alliance clubs while traveling domestically on UA
and more...

Please leave feedback below or through the Contact Us link at the top of the page.

Upgrd 27: Primarily Here For Your Safety

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's show we talk with Sara, a flight attendant who regularly blogs at theflyingpinto.com. We asked many questions including listener submitted questions such as:

How does scheduling work?
How has the job changed since you started?
What are your best airline jokes?
Funniest / strangest passenger stories?
Anyone join the Mile High Club on your flights?
Do you get many gifts from passengers?
and many more.

Please leave feedback and questions for future episode below or using the contact us page on this site. Be sure to subscribe in itunes to get automatic downloads to your MP3 player.

Upgrd 26: Pedal To The Metal

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Vroom vroom! Once you've enjoyed your hots nuts at 30,000 feet and are at your destination, which car rental company should you use? This week's show discusses car rental companies and their elite programs. Including:

The differences in the elite programs between Hertz, Avis, National, and the others
Which program we prefer and recommend
Straight from the early jungle bus scene in "Romancing the Stone", Matthew discusses how he gets around on the ground.

Also we chat about the new Delta Airlines - Los Angeles to Sydney - service starting July 1. Who will be the big losers with all the overcapacity in this market? What do you think?

Don't forget to subscribe in itunes, and take our survey.

Upgrd 25: Dot Bomb

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week, we discuss the state of airline websites for booking round trip tickets and frequent flyer awards. As many have complained before, the airline websites are still a mixed bag of old and new technology searching for a unified user experience and accuracy of pricing and results.

We discuss:

The general user interface problems with most of the legacy carrier's websites
Other websites you may use when trying to book award inventory
Our strong difference in opinion on which site is most usable - our use of one website so frequently has altered our perception of what makes a site "good"
Some general news including the sub $4 price that many US based airline stocks are at currently

Are there any US Airways or Alaska Airlines mileage program experts out there that would like to participate in one episode? If so contact us today!

The next two episodes will be covering car rental programs, and hopefully an interview with a flight attendant. Send in your questions for both!

Upgrd 24: Fifty 50

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's frequent flyer discussion, we talk about the mid-tier (50,000 mile) elite level of the major carriers in the U.S. We know many of our listeners maintain this status and want to know some of the differences of the programs including:

Free upgrades vs coupon or sticker paid upgrades
First class seat count and how it affects your choice of airline for upgrades
Whether you should choose a program based on your location only
Does a program like Delta or Continental, with their current 75,000 mile top tier, make it easier to get to the next level

We also discuss Continental's recent comments that a merger is not out of the question anymore, and recent Delta Airlines changes.

New flash player below to make it easier to listen. Just click the play button (if you have flash installed in your browser).

Upgrd 23: You've got questions, we've got even more

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This week we discussed a number of listener questions about frequent flyer and hotel programs. In addition to written questions received via email and on the upgrd.com site, we recorded a few questions in person at a recent SFO dinner. Some questions include:

Is the standby option (via a different routing) some sort of 1K only perk?
Which hotel program is best for someone residing in Canada that might not be eligible for US based credit card pomotions?
What to do with United SWUs?
Where to post miles after crossing 100,000 elite qualifying miles?
Ben answers "How to get travel credits instead of a free ticket" in denied boarding situations on this blog
and more...

Please write additional questions for our next Q&A discussion. Also, a new survey will be up at upgrd.com/survey shortly.

Upgrd 22: Box of Chocolates

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 30 May 2009 10:04:04 +0000

Join us in this week's frequent flyer discussion about the Priority Club hotel loyalty program. We try to answer the "how much is a point worth" question specifically in relation to a much cheaper stay on priceline. Also we discuss:

United twares and other twitter nonsense
Irate United 1Ks
SkyAmerica - destined to failure before it launches?
Priority Club promotions
Value of PC points
Intercontinental Ambassador and Royal Ambassador program

Please email questions or leave a comment below.

Upgrd 21: Continental's Rising Star...Alliance

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

This week we are fortunate enough to be joined on our frequent flyer discussion by Scott O'Leary, Managing Director, Customer Experience, for Continental Airlines. Some of you may know him as CO Insider from Flyer Talk.

Our contributors had a number of questions for Scott, but to keep things to a sensible timeframe not every question made it. Some topics we discussed:

Continental Airlines award availability
Starnet blocking!!!
Will CO ever have SWUs?
737-900 on LAX-HNL
Hot nuts, not-dogs and more...

Please send us questions for our upcoming Q&A episode. Also, please take our survey if you have not already.

Please accept my apologies for the audio quality. The computer, with the main recording crashed, and I had to use a backup that included many room noises that normally would have been muted.

Upgrd 20: Please Stand By

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:45:09 +0000

Welcome to this week's frequent flyer show discussing stand by options when flying. We discuss options when you want to take an earlier or later flight on your day of travel. In addition we discuss:

The disturbing Continental 3407 NTSB recreation video
The poor American Airlines AAdvantage award redemption change
Confirmed standby and routing changes when standing by
and other recent news

We would appreciate your feedback in our first listener survey so we can learn more about your flying habits. The survey is only 9 questions and should be very quick to complete.

Please leave a comment, we want to hear from you!

Upgrd Podcast 19: Genius

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:08:08 +0000

This week we are joined by Gary Leff, Flytalk Talkboard President, and View From The Wing blog writer. During this week's frequent flyer podcast we discuss Gary's just completed five carrier Star Alliance first class award. In addition, we banter about:

FlyerTalk TalkBoard and why Gary and Ben participate
Matthew's unlucky win
Viewer mail including award booking on American to Europe, and award booking tools to Europe for Delta
A brief discussion on Avis and Hertz's elite renter programs. Let us know what car rental program you use and we'll cover it in an upcoming episode
And, as always, Hunter questions the existence of life, the universe, and being a Delta elite

Please leave comments and questions below!

Upgrd Podcast 18: Number 1 Fan

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:15:45 +0000

After a short break we are back with our next frequent flyer podcast. This week we are joined by Josh, a frequent contributor to our podcast and upgrd.com website. Josh has some good information on:

The American Airlines Business Extraa program - find out how you can get even more points from American
The new 737-800 cabin on American Airlines that we briefly discussed last time

We also discuss:

LAX
Hunter's non-love from Delta
and a special shocking request from Hunter for our listeners

Write in below!

Upgrd Podcast 17: Not Necessarily The News

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:03:04 +0000

In this week's first class podcast we talk about:

Ben's trials and tribulations in economy (gasp!)
Video of American Airlines new 737 seats
United's new policy for passengers of size
Clarification on Ben's "always have upgrade instruments available" claim

We are taking next week off, so check back in two weeks for our next episode. Please leave comments below.

Upgrd Podcast 16: You'll love the way we advertise

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:04:00 +0000

In this week's airline podcast, we are joined by guest contibutor Gray from his Wing and a Prayer blog. We discuss:

Gray's recent trip to Uzbekistan, including how you get there on Star Alliance
Matthew's 95,000 United miles accrued already
A free op-up on Emirates

Our main topic is our opinion on current advertising from the airlines, including some of these recent (and not so recent) ads:

Delta "Change"
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhNW_3AIek0
- 80s cheese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k4v3EQ6lZk
American "We know why you fly"
- Airline with best tear jerkers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rts3ezaXQBs
- Ummmm...someone trying to be creative? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-A5fTVBCcU
United - "It's time to fly" Gershwin
- Too cheap to hire real actors? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vWCKlseus
- They don't make em like they used to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeXrMRf25U8
Contintental "Work hard, fly right"
- An entire campaign around pseudo meals? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUQaGkgsYEM
- Take away http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjaFRiWCUMg

Which ads do you like? Let us know below!

Upgrd Podcast 15: Battle of the Lounges

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Listen in to this week's frequent flyer podcast where we discuss:

Continued discussion of the double elite qualifying promotion and our current progress
We start discussing how we can rate our flights. What criteria do you think we should use?
Price comparison of the major airline lounges
Amenity differences between carrier lounges
Are they worth it? We chime in, but what do you think?

Please leave a comment or quetion below.

Upgrd Podcast 14: Unimerican vs Deltinental

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Catchy title, eh?

In this week's podcast we discuss the two major frequent flyer program structures between the big four airlines. Both United and American have similar programs, as do Delta and Continental. In addition to the frequent flyer comparison we cover:

Ben's taunting of the air marshalls
Comparison of the pros and cons of using stickers/coupons to upgrade versus free upgrades
Difference in mileage requirements for top status
International upgrade coupons and their limited fare classes on some airlines
And, shockingly, Ben and Hunter disagree about some things..

Please leave a comment below!

Upgrd Podcast 13: Grounded

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's frequent flyer podcast we discuss first and business class amenities while on the ground. In addition we discuss:

Delta's report card on delayed and stranded passengers
Ben's joins us from Manila to discuss his OneWorld award including first class flying on Cathay Pacific
Service on American makes Ben consider jumping ship
Credit card churning for miles
Arrival lounges for first and business class passengers
and more...

Please leave a comment or question below!

Upgrd Podcast 12: People up here are getting cookies!

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's podcast, Hunter joins us to provide first hand experience with Delta airlines. We continue our "food up front" discussion, from episode 9, and discuss first class meals including:

Meal times and flight distance requirements for first class
How meal choices are taken and (perhaps) sorted for first class passengers
Delta Airlines Royal Crown room changes
Delta's inflight coach food menu and cocktails
Snack boxes
Delta's international upgrade program (or lack thereof)
and, of course, more talk about hot nuts!

Please leave us a comment below!

Upgrd Podcast 11: Lucky 11

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

After a long week of traveling, podcast number 11 is finally edited and ready to go. We met in Las Vegas for a meeting of Flyertalk members and recorded this podcast "live" at the Encore hotel on the strip. We discussed:

Las vegas (of course!)
Sky kits
The TSA's new ridiculous policies
Ben's note to the Captain
Ben and Matt's upcoming walk-off challange
Listener mail - Go for Global Services on United, or continue to split premium travel between United and Cathay Pacific to Asia?
Show and tell - Please tell us how you keep cables organized in the comments below.

Please leave a question or comment below!

Upgrd Podcast 10: Doo Wop

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In this week's travel podcast we discuss the Continental Airlines Do (meetup event) that just took place. Ben discusses the events and activities that occurred including a mystery flight around the state of Texas.

Since this is episode 10, we are taking a few extra Dear Ted listener questions this week including

upgrd.com member portishead's question on the relative value of miles in other programs
Nate from Orlando's question about which airline program to use now that he has moved to Orlando
Josh, a previous Dear Ted writer, provided a number of great travel gear links including a travel bag with airline buckle, power adapter for American Airlines, and other useful tips.
And we ask in this week's poll, how far would you go to attend a frequent flyer meetup?

Next week we are recording together in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 21st. Next week's podcast, episode 11, will not be ready until Monday the 23rd at the earliest.

Please ask questions below or send an email to:

feedback (at) uprgrd.com

Upgrd Podcast 9: Hot Nuts

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

In this week's podcast we begin to look at services provided in the premium cabin, starting with pre-departure drinks and hot nuts on take off. In addition we discuss:

Ben's Priority Club bonus mile bonanza
The newly released air traffic control recording from US 1549
US Airways double elite qualifying mile promotion
Pre departure drink service
Hot nuts after take off - does it make or break a flight? see poll.
Our Ask Ted reader mail asks whether to book upcoming overseas hotels through Priceline for a discount or through one hotel chain for status

Please leave a comment below!

Upgrd Podcast 8: Bag Man

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

In this week's podcast we look at what we travel with both in our bags and the bags themselves. In addition:

Ben reviews his experience on Northwest and some of the changes to Delta's frequent flyer program
Mike and Matt discuss the GoGo internet on American airlines
Should mistake fares be honored?
American's current issue with the number of life rafts on their 767-300 series aircraft
The bags we carry and the equipment in them including noise canceling headphones, aircraft power adapters, computers and other items

What do you carry in your bag? What is your bag? Let us know below with a comment.

Upgrd Podcast 7: With Aplomb

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Sorry for the delay in releasing this week's podcast, let's just say there were some technical difficulties. This week's Upgrd podcast continues our main topic discussion of hotel programs. In addition we discuss:

When/If will airlines offer double elite qualifying miles (DEQM) and will they charge for it this year?
Will new flat beds decrease your upgrade success? (see poll)
US Airways continues to handle the flight 1549 incident with aplomb, Spirit airlines - not so much.
United Airlines staggering loss - can Glenn go any lower?
Our main feature: an introduction to Starwood's guest program, including levels, promotions, and redemptions

Do you think flat beds are going to decrease your chances of an upgrade? How long can Glenn continue with mounting losses at United? Did Matt sell you on switching to Starwood? Let us know with a comment below!

Upgrd Podcast 6: Hotels, Motels, and Air Beds

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:10:00 +0000

In this week's upgrd podcast we start our discussion of hotel loyalty programs. Topics include:

How ready are you for a US Airways 1549 type of incident?
US Airways bizarre status buy up program http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/dividendmiles/preferred/buy-up-to-preferred.aspx
Where do you stay when traveling? One hotel chain, or just the cheapest? (see poll for your favorite hotel chain)
An introduction to hotel programs with the discussion of Hilton's program
Listener mail in our "Dear Ted" section asking whether mileage running before a transatlantic (TATL) flight is a good idea with tight connections
Matthew's public transportation nightmare getting to LAX and missing check in

Our poll this week asks what hotel chain you frequent. We want to cover hotel programs that our listeners participate in. See poll to the right.

Upgrd Podcast 5: Zero Niner

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Welcome to the first podcast recorded in 2009! As it is the start of the year, we provide a wrap up of 2008 with a review of our most memorable flying and start afresh with predictions for 2009. We review Josh's decision from last week's poll and discuss other topics.

In our predictions we mention some major carriers that might finally buckle under the current economy. We want to know which of the major carriers will have the biggest downward change in 2009? From selling off major routes, to being bought out, to declaring bankruptcy. Which of the big guys will have the biggest change?

Upgrd Podcast 4: The 29 Hour Transcon

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Happy New Year and welcome to episode 4 of The Upgrd Podcast. This week we discuss some of the trouble's of traveling during bad weather this year and in the past. In addition we answer listener mail, discuss the Swiss sale fare, and touch on mileage running. Topics include:

Mike's ordeal traveling through the Northeast on Christmas eve
Past weather related travel issues during the Denver storm of 2006
Bumps and Voluntary Denied Boarding (VDB's) when traveling during winter or other peak travel seasons
The Swiss (LX) sale fare
Our reader mail section "Dear Ted" includes two questions including: How to extend business trip segments to reach the next status level, and whether or not to change a return flight BOS-LAX (see poll, more below)
Our favorite mileage run software including itasoftware.com and the FareCompare.com tools
Ben's tutorial on using ITA Software to construct mileage runs
and other topics.

In our Dear Ted section, Josh from LA asked if he and his wife should cut their vacation to Boston short by two hours to fly first class in the American Airlines 767-300 series plane with angled lie flat seats instead of their current 757 flight with the old style leather seats. Please vote on the right and tell us your comments below!

Upgrd Podcast 3: New York City!

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:10:00 +0000

This week's podcast is now online (finally!). We discuss:

Listener mail in our "Dear Ted" section: a frequent flyer in San Francisco can't decide whether to stay with American, or switch to United
Delta Airlines introducing wi-fi on their shuttle flights
What's your choice in First class breakfast? Omlette or fruit plate? Vote now on the right hand side of the website.
Public transportation options in and out of the three major New York airports (JFK, EWR, and LGA) including the M60 bus, A or E subway, AirTrain and LIRR train.
Find out which of our contributors causes the most damage to aircraft (hint: it's Ben!)
A review of last week's favorite airport poll
and other tips and tricks

In addition, Matthew discusses a recent trip with Captain Flanagan of United Airlines. Read this Wall Street Journal article and watch this video for more information on a favorite United employee.

Please leave comments, criticism, or suggestions below!

Upgrd Podcast 2: Intro to Alliances and Mileage Runs

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:10:00 +0000

In this week's episode, we start off with a couple of "secret" pieces of information followed by a debate about the best (US)airport. After listening, please vote in our poll to the right.

Our main feature this week is an introduction to airline alliances and mileage runs. We discussed:

Airlines Alliances: including OneWorld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. We covered their composition, strengths, and differences.

Mileage Runs: flying for the sole purpose of accumulating elite qualifying miles or redeemable airline miles. Our contributors discuss tools they use to plan mileage runs and the different variations on how mileage runs are defined.

The podcast is closed out with two news articles on recent United airlines changes including

The ability to purchase elite checkin, security line access, and preboarding
Blocking of award availability on Star Alliance partner airlines

Please leave comments below!

Upgrd Podcast 1: Your Ticket To Listen

mike@upgrd.com (Upgrd.com) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:40:00 +0000

Welcome to the Upgrd Podcast, which will cover everything related to airlines, hotel, and other travel upgrades and elite programs. In this first episode, we introduce our contributors, cover some recent news, and give a brief intro for listeners new to upgrading.

News includes:

US Airways recent reinstatement of elite benefits
OneWorld appointment of Gerald Arpey as CEO
Delta and their confusing MaxMiles promo
The Delta and Northwest program merger

Add the upgrd podcast to iTunes now, by following this iTunes link.

Please leave a comment below with questions, comments, or questions for our next episode.