Airport lounges … is it worth it?

Are you a frequent traveler? Do you like to work when you travel? How do you deal with noise and crowds? Yes. Yes. No well!

I like to wait for my flights in airport lounges. I belong to both Northwest and United, but not all lounges are the same. All the lounges run the airlines have agreements with their code share partners to club members in their partnership to visit their loungers … typically, only if you are flying on a code shared airline. In other words, club memberships are about as complicated as everything else that the airlines do.

But like airlines, not all clubs in all airports are created the same. Sometimes, alcoholic beverages are included in the membership, other times they are not. Some offer very basic snacks, others offer warm and cold hors d’oeuvres. Some include wifi, others make you pay for the services. These aren’t differences between different clubs, but are can be differences that you find in just one club membership.

For me, I like my clubs and quiet space.

United and US Air … courting

It seems that Delta and Northwest have set off a renewed effort by the airlines to merge and get larger in the name of better service.  These mergers also are supposed to make the industry more stable and efficiently operated.  Maybe.  United and others have said that bigger is better.  Maybe.

Perhaps with fewer airlines, the industry will have fuller flights and operate more profitably than they currently do, but I remain skeptical.  Surely, the industry can be more efficient even with the current number of carriers.  On my recent flight from Atlanta to Memphis, the flight was not very full.  How might this change if there are only two or three larger carriers?  Fuller flights, more expensive tickets, and fewer options and times.

Well, one thing is certain, the airlines probably do not want to let Delta and Northwest drawf them.  So, who is American going to merge with?

Delta & Northwest … better service is on the way

As a Northwest frequent flyer, I have been receiving periodic electronic mail assuring me that I will not notice any negative changes or impact to my status as an elite member after the merger … and I believe them.  Why would the merger negatively impact my status, when the airline can do that anytime.  Read the fine print for your frequent flyer program.  The airline can change the rules anytime they want too.

I believe Northwest when they say that I will not lose my miles or status as an elite member and that I will continue to enjoy the high level of service as a loyal customer.  This makes sense for many reasons.  The reason that frequent flyer programs are effective is that we expect to accrue some benefit.  I certainly do.  Federal regulators would also be skittish about future mergers if passengers were completely abused.  The airline would also risk losing a loyal customer, assuming that there is still competition.

I don’t know about better service, but I expect to keep my miles and status … they just may not be worth much after the merger though.  The airlines have never needed a “good” reason to redefine miles programs and the benefits of elite status, so why blame the merger.

Why do awards program work?

I have shameless bought into the awards program.  I overuse my American Express, I only fly Star Alliance and Northwest and their partners, and I always stay in Hilton owned hotels.  Why?  Because I’m a Rewards, frequently flier, and Honors member.  I must say that I’m a fairly loyal member too.  But what do I get from being a loyal member?  Supposedly, you get to redeem points and miles for things.  At least with American Express and Hilton, it’s not a nightmare to redeem your points.  The airlines are another story.

I have lots of airline miles with both United and Northwest.  In fairness to Northwest, I redeem miles in 2007 for two tickets to Cozumel, Mexico.  I only had to pay about $94 in taxes per ticket.  That’s a bargain and I was lucky.  The way that miles work is that the airline provides a number (supposedly) of seats on a number (supposedly) of flights that are available to fliers who want to redeem miles.  In other words, if you want to redeem miles you need to be going somewhere where their are “miles” seats.  There are not always “miles” seats.  I thought that I would use some miles for a trip to Vienna, Austria this summer, but so far, United is not offering any “miles” seats.  So, if I go, I will be paying full price, but I will get more miles!  Maybe, I’ll find what their least popular flights are and take a trip there.  I am sure that there will be “miles” seat on that flight.

So, why am I such a loyal flier?  Oh, it must be because of my elite status … that’s an issue for another day.  Last words, …  Dear Airline Executive, what have you done for me lately.

My favorite airport … kinda

I’m a frequent Northwest passenger and often fly through Detroit (DTW). Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite airports … to fly through. As I think about it, I’ve never visited Detroit, even though I live in Kentucky. I’ll put the city on the list of places to visit.

Maybe because it is newly renovated, I like the airport because it is easy to navigate. There are no weird twists and turns or star shaped designs. There are two primary terminals and the gates are laid out along a nice straight corridor. Gate 1 is at one end of the corridor and Gate 70 is at the other end on the opposite side of the corridor. Easy.  If you are traveling and departing from DTW or connecting through DTW, it’s a good airport to travel through.

My only grievance is the tunnel connecting the terminal. Okay, has no one not had a seizure walking through this tunnel? If you have never been to the DTW airport, this tunnel is filled with bright flashing colorful light and loud futuristic sounding music. STOP. I thought that I was going to vomit walking through this airport on one trip. I had a major headache, bordering on a migraine. Seriously, doesn’t airport management know that lights and sounds can trigger seizures … and it can just be annoying.

Tone it down Detroit.