Still in germany ..

Unbelievable but I'm stuck in Germany again.

Or is it still stuck in Germany? I honestly am not too sure about that but here's what's going on,
and how it relates to this blog.

As mentioned in previous posts i am an elite member with Lufthansa, which pretty much mainly
means I spent a lot of money with them. Over the past month or so one of Lufthansa's
contract airline called "CityLine" began to strike occasionally which caused massive flight cancellations and delays.
Well, sadly today became part of the stranded passengers when my original flight out of London City Airport
was canceled but it was not notified. When I reached the airport and was notified that the flight was canceled
and that was going to be driven to London Heathrow Airport for another flight. The main problem
with this situation is not that i missed my flight or the discomfort of having to be driven for an hour to another
airport i intentionally tried to avoid, but that my connecting flight was due to depart two hours after my original flight arrives
which is also the last flight of the day to this destination is going to depart before i land, standing in for the night and of course
making me miss all my plans for the next day.

Now here's how the story relates tell her to our blog. Probably the biggest perk of being an elite with an airline is what is called soft product -
these little things you get which are not exactly listed anywhere but you get used to expecting them.
Unfortunately many times and frequent traveling you find yourself stranded, missing a connection, waiting for a night for a piece of luggage
that just didn't make it, begging for your flight to be changed see can be accommodated differently due to changes to your own schedule
and many other situations where being an elite is usually a big help.

These are the main advantages are received during this trip for being an elite - and please their in mind that I am not in the top status
with the airline this has happened to me on... first when I arrived to London City Airport and notified the flight was canceled and was
offered a meal voucher worth 16 pounds I could use at any restaurant or stolen the airport (which i used to buy several
sandwiches which would come useful later).. it is important to note that "regular" passengers have also received a voucher that only for 3 pounds.

Later, when i have missed my connection to my continuing flight, i was greeted at the aircraft door (so did many other passengers - my connection
was massively late) and given a voucher to the local Sheraton hotel at the airport - and a 35 Euro voucher to use for room service. Now, everyone
have received a Sheraton voucher - but the difference is that all the "gold" members (and passengers in business class) received such while economy
or no status passengers have received a 15 Euro voucher (and accommodation at the hotel). If i would have been a top status passenger (in
Lufthansa those are called "Hon Circle Members" and require you to fly 600,000 flight miles in two years) i would have received a better
hotel and much more in terms of $$ voucher. I believe same goes to passengers in First Class.

Both situations would have been quite livable - but of course, as mentioned it helps to be gold. It helps mainly in situations like these
where you just need the extra "perk" to get you through an annoying situation - instaead of having to wait in line for 40 minutes
with the other 190 passengers who needs attending to at the moment.. (important to note that on my flight there were over 20 gold members
who received the same treatment like me, and several "Hon" members who received a better treatment and a car ride directly to the airport.)

As always, your comments are appreciated -- and i would love it if you visit my website Frequent Flyer Tips

until later...

David.

Airline alliances and the advantage of sticking to one - maximizing your elite privileges

In the last decade or so airlines have been assembled (most of the bigger ones) several alliances,

those "Star Alliance", "One world" and "Sky Team". Over the past year or so have begin using Star alliance mainly because of the airlines that incorporates which work best with my geographical area and travel pattern, for example in the past these to fly lotswith United airlines during my travels inside the United States but over the past eight months may travel patterns shifted to flying mainlyout of Israel which therefore makes me fly with Lufthansa.

One of the main advantages for me as a frequent flyer for those two airlines being part of the Star alliance is that I can use my United Airlines miles with my Lufthansa tickets and still enjoy theelite status i had with United Airlines and redeem the miles I have earned on Lufthansa.

This is just one example of the many perks you have when sticking to one alliance, among other things the main advantages of flying within an alliance is that your elite status with one airline within an alliance would usually also give you benefits in all other airlines within for example "Star".Those benefits include among other things access to faster check-in facilities in depending on your elite level meeting business or first class check-in facilities

even if you travel economy, also you might be able to use airport lounges while flying with an airline within the alliance you have the status with even if it is not the actual airline whose frequent flyer program you have the status - for example as a Lufthansa "Senator" which is the equivalent of

being a gold member within the Star alliance I can still access the United airlines lounges when they travel in Lufthansa tickets, enjoy first-class check-in privileges even when flying economy and (hopefully) get other benefits and generally easier travel experience.

This usually comes to be especially important for passengers who mainly fly economy on long routs. Many times I noticed at the check-in area passengers who fly economy will have silver or gold luggage tag from an airline like Cathay Pacific will because they fly two or three time a year long distances and the economy cabin can enjoy the benefit of business class check-in at the lowest level of the elite tier in their frequent flyer program whenever they fly in other airlines for example and this case the Lufthansa.

Quicker security lines and check-in experience is not the only benefit of having an elite level within one alliance.

Other benefits include among other things the ability to earn more miles for each trip what is usually called "elite bonus", access to special phone lines which usually provide lesser hold times and also reduced fees on award ticket redemption.

Of course the main part of any frequent flyer program is the ability to use the miles you earn for award tickets or upgrades. (i usually go for upgrades even though there is always a debate of whether or not this is a smart use of the miles - more on that in the future).

The reason I mention of the beginning of the post that it is usually beneficial to remain with the one alliance for you travel is because the vast majority of passengers do not fly enough to earn elite status in more than one carrier while still maximizing the potential of being an "elite". Extremely well-traveled passengers on the other hand to fly frequently (once a week or so) are usually members of frequent flyer programs in different alliances while still maintaining an elite status year after year which offers them elite perks coverage wherever they fly no matter the alliance (meaning having a gold status for exemple with 2 or 3 alliances), that these cases are quite rare and reserved to those of us who really have no life and travel the time.

Please bear in mind that while i use Star Alliance and Lufthansa in my examples, this is just one alliance and one airline - and it may not be the one for you and used just to demonstrate the idea.

By the way your requests for posts in a specific topic or question and all other comments are always most welcome.

Also it would be happy to receive requests for detailed reviews on any specific airline I have experience with.

Until later, the

David.

P.S. - more articles are available at http://www.frequentflyertips.com

Stuck In Germany (Introduction)

I am not yet completely sure why it started writing a new blog, I honestly never get attached to the entire blog thing
even though I have been using the Internet for about as long as they live.

They name is David my name is David C., and I'm a very frequent flyer. I'm one of those people you see at airports
with a suitcase filled with airport stickers and you "think that must be nice, he gets to travel so much in standard business class lines"
or someone just use explicit to describe your feelings about the person who gets at the check-in counter before you, pass a security screening before you
and usually just looks important while typing on his Blackberry.

Well, life is not that sweet. Yes being a frequent flyer especially in international routes as many perks; they travel off in (too often),
I get to film a fridge with produce that usually costs much more where he live (Tel Aviv, Israel) like coffee from Zabers, cheese from Germany,
and a crazy amount of the LaSource soaps from hotels around the world (what do you do with all those shower caps?)
But while I'm not trying to make you pity me life is not that fun.

As I'm writing this blog post I am currently stuck at the Hilton in Düsseldorf Germany due to the cancellation of the Lufthansa flight that was supposed to take me home
after a three-day business trip due to pilot strike, and no this is not as very as you think. This is the second time in a month I find myself in a hotel after a pilot strike
(by the same airline) which usually cost among other things time lost, meetings missed, and angry girlfriend and mainly stress.

Being a very frequent flyer is not as easy as it sounds, we get treated well by the airline we spend way too much money with them
and are rewarded for it even though it is less and less with each passing year that at the end of the day regardless the delays, irregular schedules,
being away from home for long periods of time, sleep deprivation and yes - an angry girlfriend most of the time it is worth it.

My name is David, one when home I live in Tel Aviv Israel, but most of the time he can find me in an airplane seat somewhere between
Tel Aviv and London, Paris, New York, Germany (lots of Germany), Hong Kong and any other place in a business takes me.
Yes, I'm a marketing consultant.

My name is David, and I'm addicted to air travel.

In my blogg I will share with you stories from my recent travel, tips on the best methods to use to get the most out of your frequent flyer program, selecting a frequent flyer program
and maximizing the benefits you deserve for spending your money with one airline, including tips on upgrades, booking tools, maximizing mileage, earning mileage not only from
spending time in airline seat (what we call "bis" - or butt in seat) but by other means, share trip reports with you and give thorough reviews of airlines, Airline programs, airports
airline lounges and anything else related to air travel.

Welcome to my blog, have fun and your comments are always highly appreciated.