United unveils 5-route Chicago expansion, more flying on 80 routes

Less than a week ago, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby vowed to “draw a line in the sand” against American Airlines, its top competitor at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and one that’s been adding flights at a fast pace since last summer at the Midwest hub. The very next day, American added three more…

Southwest launches assigned seats, revamped boarding process

For loyal Southwest Airlines flyers, it’s the first day of the rest of their lives. Tuesday kicks off a new era for the Dallas-based carrier: It’s the day the airline officially bids farewell to its famous first-come, first-served seating policy and one-of–a-kind boarding process. From this day forward, Southwest will have assigned seats on every…

What Hilton’s CEO says about devaluations, new elite status and personalized stays

“I’ve never been more excited about the business than I am today,” Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, told a group of journalists in a recent roundtable interview conducted at the reborn Waldorf Astoria New York (“the hotel that literally invented luxury in the [hospitality] world,” he’d said). Over the interview, Nassetta gave snippets…

Atmos Ascent vs. Atmos Business: Which card should you get?

If you want to collect Atmos Rewards points to use for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights, you may be interested in applying for one of their cobranded credit cards. The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card and the Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card are two mid-tier options to consider. Even if you…

How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to various airline and hotel loyalty programs, including Marriott Bonvoy. Though Marriott Bonvoy isn’t one of the most valuable Chase transfer partners, it is one of the most well-known hotel loyalty programs. It can be daunting the first time you transfer Chase points. But don’t worry: It’s relatively…

Check your email: Major airlines, including Delta and United, gifting status

Some lucky folks are getting a nice surprise when they check their email or log in to their airline loyalty account — they’ve been gifted status. We are getting reports that members of both Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus are being gifted elite status or having their existing status extended — even when they haven’t…