Last week, moneylife published a column I wrote to advise travellers about how to earn more mileage currency in India. You can read it here. You can look up the previous columns here! Live From A Lounge is also present on Facebook, Twitter and available via RSS.
Citibank Premier Miles Card changes and special promo on international spends
For those of you who have picked up a Citibank Premier Miles Card in its earlier shape and size, here is some good news and bad news. Citibank is commonsizing the old and new product, and hence, changing the mileage earning capability on the new card in the following manner: Effective 21st May 2012, Citibank has moved the mileage earning to earn 4 miles per Rs. 100 spent on non-airline categories, up from the current rate of 2.5 miles per Rs. 100. 10 miles per Rs. 100 at airlines continues, but now capped to airline spends of Rs. 5 Lakhs in a calendar year. For spends beyond this, you would earn 4 miles per Rs. 100 spent. It is not clear how will…
Rumors spark about an upcoming Marriott and InterContinental hotels merger
It is the job of financial analysts to spark rumors, and after the big bang talks of US Airways/American Airlines being one entity, here is another analyst looking into the crystal ball. According to analysts at Numis, which is an independent investment banking firm, IHG and Marriott could room together at some point of time because their expansion plans look similar. IHG runs over 4,500 hotels globally while Marriott operates 3,700 properties and the analysts estimate that the combination will lead to 9pc of global room supply. As per a report in the Daily Telegraph yesterday, Asking whether the two could “room together”, analysts at Numis thought that “hotel industry consolidation is inevitable at some stage” and considered a merger…
moneylife: My new column on choosing between Jet Airways and Citibank
This week, I wrote up on how to choose between Citibank and Jet Airways after the public breakup between the two. You can read it here! You can look up the previous columns here! Live From A Lounge is also present on Facebook, Twitter and available via RSS.
Star Alliance Gold Status Match for Star Alliance, oneworld and Skyteam elites
A few days back I wrote about the Turkish Airlines Star Alliance status match, which has been going on for a while now. A lot of people have mailed in enquiring if they could get a Star Alliance status match for themselves. Usually, any alliance will not match members from its own alliance, however, looks like with Turkish, it is different. As per a MP member Jimgotkp who posted on the MP thread I started in this regard, Requested mine last night but was told only *G, ST E+, and OW E get status matches So, this is good news for all those who want to get a *A gold status and do not travel too much. If you are…
Sunday Plastic: The ‘new’ Citibank Premier Miles Credit Card
A couple of weeks back, I reviewed the Citibank Premier Miles Credit Card for all of you. Too bad, as a fallout of the breakup between Citibank and Jet Airways, Citibank is forced to revise the product proposition, and the earlier product is no longer on the market. To help you choose if to go with the Citibank Premier Miles credit card or not, I review the new card product for you below. Citibank is currently offering to switch all existing Citibank Jet Airways Credit Card holders to this card product by June 30. Sign-up bonus: If you are signing on for the card afresh, you will be offered 2 complimentary ticket codes which allow you to book domestic flight…
Reminder: 5 days for Jet Airways 25% transfer bonus
A few weeks back I had written about the 25% Jet Airways transfer bonus that is valid for your Card reward points, if you transfer and receive the transferred points in your Jet Privilege account by May 31st. This is just a quick reminder that the transfer bonus will go out on the 31st of May and if you want to transfer out your points you should do that now! With a few banks that I have experience with, HDFC Bank will take a few days, ICICI Bank will happen within 48 hours and Citibank will transfer overnight, so will American Express. So go on, pick up the phone and make those requests now if you want to receive the…
Burn Notice: Citibank and Jet Airways – friends turning foes!
I did not intend to put out such an attention-grabbing headline out here, but considering I feel cheated and walked over, I might as well. And that too with brands such as Jet Airways and Citibank which I profess all over the place. I’m glad this happened before I wrote my Sunday Review series on the Jet Airways Citibank Credit Card though. The bad news…something I can claim proudly I was ahead of the curve on. The Jet Airways Citibank Credit Card partnership, which is was about 12 years old, is over. Yesterday, a lot of Jet Airways Citibank Credit Card members received the following email informing them of the move: Dear Card Member, We would like to thank you…
If you can’t book Spicejet, don’t lose heart just yet. 7th Anniversary offer to be extended
If you woke up early morning in India like me to take benefit of the SpiceJet 777 fare sale like I did, and are only getting an overloaded server to boot, don’t lose heart. Enough people have cussed them at 0700 IST for them to be able to make up their mind to extend this offer. I’ve been trying to book tickets for a while but can’t get through their first page. Here is the official line on the SpiceJet Facebook page, just in: All the best with making Rs. 777 bookings. More later when I find some information. UPDATE: Spicejet went ahead and extended the promotion for another 90 minutes till 10 AM IST. They claim to have sold…
Spicejet offering tickets for Rs. 777 + taxes on their 7th Birthday!
Spicejet, one of the first low-cost airlines in India, is celebrating its 7th birthday on 23rd May 2012, and is giving out ‘cheap’ tickets on the occasion to those who want to buy. Here are the details. Spicejet is offering tickets to people on 23rd May 2012 for its 35 destinations serviced within India, for a base fare (plus fuel surcharge) of INR 777 only. Airport charges and taxes will be extra. The offer is valid for all tickets booked on May 23rd 2012 between 07:00 am till 08:17 am IST on all direct and via domestic flights, for travel till October 27, 2012. To book these tickets, you need to use the SpiceJet website www.spicejet.com, Spicejet airport counters or…
Jet Airways offering upto 40% bonus miles on purchased miles.
Jet Airways has come out with a new promotion for flyers wanting to purchase Jet Privilege miles on their program. Here is the offer they make: • 500 JPMiles to 2000 JPMiles -> 10% more JPMiles • 2001 JPMiles to 4000 JPMiles -> 20% more JPMiles • 4001 JPMiles to 6000 JPMiles -> 30% more JPMiles • above 6000 JPMiles -> 40% more JPMiles JP Miles are usually priced at INR 1.25 per JP Mile (about 2.3 cents). Using this promotion at the highest end of purchasing more than 6,000 JP Miles per transaction, the cost per JPMile becomes INR 0.90 per JP Mile (about 1.6 cents) accounting for the 40% bonus. The offer is valid till 31st August 2012.…
