News and notes from around the interweb:
- Accor hotels status match to Qatar Airways Privilege Club Accor Platinums get Qatar Gold, which is oneworld sapphire – lounge access, including American Airlines business class Flagship lounges even when flying American or Alaska domestically. Accord Diamonds get top tier Qatar Platinum, which yields first class lounge access on oneworld partners (e.g. Qantas First Class lounges).
Qatar status requires taking one flight. By the way anyone who owns 50 shares of Accor stock gets Gold status.
- Taiwan’s China Airlines orders 16 Boeing 787s One Mile at a Time‘s Lucky finds this odd, but it really is not odd at all. Taiwan is making all the moves it can to strengthen ties with the U.S. as China becomes more aggressive. It’s a geopolitical move, not just a commercial one.
China Airlines is the second Taiwanese airline to order the Boeing 787, as EVA Air has both Boeing 787-9s and 787-10s in its fleet. …I always find it a bit odd when airlines order both the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787s. …I assume there were some advantages of going with Boeing here, whether it be price, financing, or delivery timeline.
- Citi AAdvantage Executive cardmembers earn 4 AAdvantage miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases through December 31, 2022. Still just 1 Loyalty Point per dollar though. So I’d probably still put American Airlines spend on my Amex Platinum card. And the Platinum card has trip delay coverage!
- A Canadian doctor has filed a human rights complaint over the government lifting its air travel mask mandate he believes everyone owes an accommodation to those vulnerable to Covid-19. Many similar claims have been pressed in the U.S. to keep young children masked in schools.
- Male pilots and cabin crew can now wear skirts actually I’m surprised the Richard Branson-founded carrier hasn’t made this mandatory.
- New mileage-earning game for United co-brand credit card customers
Anyone who wants a mask can wear a mask – no accommodation needed. They can even choose their protection level – all the way through N100.
If their sincere believe is a second mask is needed on another person, they can simply wear a second mask over their own – even turn it inside out if they desire to have the same configuration as if another person was wearing it.
Sorry, why would Virgin make it mandatory for male crew to wear skirts?
Is there a cut-off date for the Accor-Qatar match? Ideally I’d like to wait until my Safar Gold expires at the end of March and keep that Flagship access rolling for another year
The United mileage-earning game appears to be targeted. Said my Chase Mileage Plus Explorer card wasn’t eligible.
Skirts may provoke a little pushback from certain categories of customers and calling them bigots might not help enough. Boots, latex and whips, on the other hand, can bring really huge success if applied properly.
Are you correct in saying that buying 50 shares of Accor gets you Gold Qatar Airline Status or, as inferred, that receiving Qatar Gold requires Accor Platinum?
Is buying Accor stock for status worth it (assuming the Qatar status match)?
Nevermind, just read T&Cs – I thought it was permanent status in the Shareholder program which potentially made it a closer call.
@ Dan Sjolseth and @Chris
The Accor shareholder benefit only gets you Accor Gold, which only matches to OneWorld Ruby. You need Accor Platinum to get Qatar Gold which gets you OneWorld Sapphire.
>Male pilots and cabin crew can now wear skirts
Ah, yes. The disgusting Virgin Atlantic. I can do no better than quote travel columnist Judith Woods, in the Daily telegraph today:
“Truthfully, I don’t care if my moustached pilot wants to sashay around in tights and heels in his downtime. So be it. But I do not want to get involved. Just. Make. Everyone. Wear. Trousers.
What Virgin Atlantic declares to be inclusive and welcoming for employees sounds like a stressful nightmare for passengers, plunged against their will into a gender dysphoria psychodrama. I simply want to board, take my seat and be politely served by staff in trousers who can theoretically save me from a fireball in an emergency.
Call me a grump, but I do not want to see the crew prancing about like extras from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and living their best lives – not when I am paying through the nose to live mine. Anybody got a number for British Airways?”
I am with Judith.
>>> By the way anyone who owns 50 shares of Accor stock gets Gold status.
Does anyone know if this works with Accor ADRs (ACCYY)? Fifty shares/ADRs of ACCYY at $4.44 (today) plus commissions would be roughly $250 which wouldn’t be a bad price for what could be a lifetime elite Accor Gold status (3rd of 5 levels) while holding an appreciating stock asset. We stay at Fairmont hotels occasionally so this would provide regular room upgrades along with late check-out (or early check-in) and complimentary wi-fi. Oh, and a welcome drink!
Yeah I’ve been Accor Gold for awhile from stock purchase and I like it. Also connected accor with QR. Did Alaskan Gold for OW Sapphire with QR. Have Safar Silver now. Slowly getting my QR Qmiles/Avios act together, and will attain QR status with my next QR flight. As much as I love EK, I’m enjoying my options with QR.
As for VS, I was going to buy PIA status and do the PIA match to VS. Just to get Skymiles status. Not because I want to fly VS any more than required. (VS has been different on gender for many years.)