Business Travel Tips

InterContinental Hotels Group introduced a Best Price Guarantee policy offering guests the first night free if they will be able find a lower price on a competing web site for the same hotel, type of accommodations and rate restrictions on the same dates.

Below are the requirements for a valid Best Price Guarantee claim.

- You have to make a reservation directly on an IHG website and have a valid confirmation number.
- You search for a room on an IHG Web site and specify “Best Available” as your price preference.
- You must book the lowest available hotel room price through the Best Available price search.
- You find a lower price on a “competing Web site” — a web site that sells a hotel room from the IHG Family of Brands — within 24 hours of your IHG reservation for the same type of accommodations — same hotel, the same type of rooms, same dates and length of stay, and same number of guests. 
- Competing website must have same rate restrictions for nonrefundable or refundable room.
Find out details on this page.

United and Continental announced details of the new United Mileage Plus program for 2012. The two airlines’ frequent-fliers programs will merge into a program under the MileagePlus name, with the OnePass program, currently in place at Continental, that will cease to exist at the end of 2011.

Among the most-notable changes coming for 2012:

- United’s MileagePlus will offer four levels of “Premier” elite status: Premier Silver: 25,000 Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or 30 Premier Qualification Segments (PQS), Premier Gold: 50,000 PQM or 60 PQS, Premier Platinum: 75,000 PQM or 90 PQS, Premier 1K: 100,000 PQM or 120 PQS.

- Reduced elite bonuses. With 50,000 – 99,999 miles per year Elites flyers will receive less than 100% mileage bonus. Flyers with 50,000 miles will earn a 50% bonus and flyers with 75,000 mileswill earn a 75% bonus.

- Class of service bonuses: Full fare will earn a 25% bonus, discount business 50%, Full-fare Business and First (on two-cabin aircraft) will earn 75%, and First (on three-cabin aircraft) will earn 150%.

- New upgrades: 1Ks will upgrade 96 hours out; 50,000-mile flyers at 48 hours out; Premiers at 24 hours out.

- Premiers will get economy plus seating only 24 hours in advance.

Details of new MileagePlus frequent-flier program are available at mileageplusmergerupdates.com.

Beginning Jan. 16, 2012, Singapore Airlines will add A380 service on the New York (JFK) – Frankfurt – Singapore route.

The new daily A380 service will replace existing daily Boeing 747-400 flights currently operating on this route.

In a press release Singapore Airlines says the switch will increase seat capacity by 25%.

New York (JFK) will be Singapore Airlines’ tenth global destination to get the Airbus A380 and second U.S. airport.
Singapore launched A380 service at Los Angeles (LAX) earlier this year.

AirFrance is offering great deals on flights between US and Europe.
In order to grab these deals, you have to book by September 28, 2011. Travel period: through October 28, 2011.

Below is a sampling of discounted fares to Europe AirFrance is offering. Fares are each-way based on a round-trip purchase and do not include taxes and fees.
Boston – Paris $303
Chicago – Paris $342
Los Angeles – Paris $478
Miami – Paris $439
New York – London $278.
New York – Milan $360
New York – Nice $385.
New York – Paris $377
Seattle – Paris $397
Washington – Paris $310
Details can be found on this AirFrance’s web page.

Hyatt Gold Passport offers 5,000 bonus points every three nights spent at any Hyatt hotel worldwide from September 15 through November 15.
The promotion is based on cumulative nights stayed, that means it rewards both one night stay and extended stay.

To participate in this promotion, you must be a Hyatt Gold Passport member and register for this promotion on this page.

You can earn bonus points even if your account preference is set to earn miles. A maximum of 30,000 bonus points — after 18 nights stayed — may be earned during the promotion period.

To receive bonus points you must be a registered guest physically occupying the room to which you are registered and pay an eligible rate.
Hyatt Gold Passport members will only receive eligible night credit for their room, regardless of the number of paid rooms.