Use British Airways Miles On The Ground

British Airways miles (Avios) can now be used to buy experiences on the ground.  There are dozens of tours, excursions, boat rides, and other fun activities you can do around London and pay for with miles.  Denver is less lucky and only has airport transfers available.  These could be good value too at 1-2c a mile in the few I priced out in cash.  Even better, there are no fuel surcharges or UK air duty taxes to pay on these redemptions (taxes and fees turn a free round trip to London into a $400+ trip).  Avios can also be used for car rentals and hotels, but that isn’t terribly noteworthy.

Speedbird 787

Made Starbucks Gold

I made Starbucks Gold last week.  Now for Star Alliance Gold; it will be much more challenging.

Starbuck Gold Status

Jet Suite Flash Deals

Private jet carriers aren't always able to sell every leg they fly, so Jet Suite and others try to sell empty legs online to the proletariat.  This could be an amazing bargain if the cities and dates align, or it could just be funny.  Take the flight from Van Nuys to Burbank.  It's a 20 minute drive and about 9 miles.  There was also a flight for 4 from Las Vegas to Salt Lake for $536, that's cheaper than Delta's last minute prices. I signed up for text alerts in case there's something from the Denver area to anywhere; I think it would be fun to fly private, the destination won't matter (but it will need to be more than 9 miles away). 

Jet Suite's Suite Deals

Clear Free Trial Coupon

Use code CHDENKA for a two month free trial of Clear, a short cut through airport security lines.  Sign up at clearme.com.  Global Entry might be the better deal because it comes with PreCheck, but if Clear is at your home airport, it's worth a trial.

Clear Is Available at SFO

Qantas Apologists

The Sydney Morning Herald has the best travel section I have found.  Their largest weakness is a fondness for the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (Qantas), no matter what.  Qantas recently devalued their frequent flyer program, but it's a good thing according to their article.  American Airlines has the best intra-Australia awards (10,000 coach or 17,500 first one way) and British Airways is great value for short direct trips (starting at 4,500 miles), but the story only suggested Virgin Australia as an alternate option. I enjoy SMH articles, but it would be nice if they think outside Australia for points programs and say a negative thing about Qantas once a decade.  

I Really Like the British Airways Dreamliner

NTSB Reminds Pilots To Land At The Right Airport

More funny than insightful, the NTSB is warning pilots about "Landing at the Wrong Airport."  Flight crews are recommended to "confirm that [pilots] have correctly identified the destination airport before reporting the airport or runway is in sight."  Sounds pretty basic, but someone thought this bulletin was needed.  Other gems the NTSB could publish include Adding Enough Fuel, What Runways Look Like, or Why Altitude Is Important.

Don't Land at the Wrong Airport

Southwest Airlines' New Slim Seats

Southwest has caught the industry wide craze for slim seats.  Lucky for Southwest flyers, they are installing comfortable models on their 737 fleet. United, American, Lufthansa, Austrian, etc. are installing a different style with the magazine holder above the tray table and all padding removed.  Add in free TV in flight (bring your own fully charged device) and Southwest looks like a great way to see the country.  

New Southwest 737 Seats