What is the most devalued airline frequent flyer program in north america?

Travel enough and you're bound to sign up for a loyalty program or two.  It might be for an airline or a hotel chain, something that offers free upgrades or even free travel if you visit often enough.

Over the last several years quite a few airlines have been hit hard by the global recession.  This has especially been the case in North America, where competition has become tougher than ever with the introduction of low-cost carriers like Spirit Airways.  This has resulted in scaling back on the offerings of many frequent flyer programs, and begs the question: what is the most devalued program out there?

I can't say that I know the answer, but an article recently went up on boardingarea.com that does.  The lucky winner?

Air Canada!

So perhaps all those flyers out there still clinging to their program might look elsewhere soon, because this program is starting to smell pretty bad.

Check it out!

What's Your Favorite Boarding Pass?

Just as parents have favorite children, travelers should have favorite boarding passes.

Think about it.

Remember when you were a kid on summer break.  It was ridiculous hot out and you spent happy afternoons eating watermelon, making flower necklaces and building forts in the woods.  Then, overnight and with some mystery, the carnival would arrive.  Colorful tents and rides were unpacked from enormous trucks with half a dozen wheels, followed closely by accordion-like music that was piped through air thick with the sugary scent of cotton candy.

You begged your parents to go, and when they finally took you to exchange your allowance for that golden ticket it was like a whole new world was suddenly at your fingertips.

As an adult, the carnival doesn't hold the same sort of wonder and mystery (small print: though if you want to be tempted again, "Water for Elephants" and "The Night Circus" are both very enticing reads).  You've eaten the cotton candy, seen the bearded lady, and while you have vague memories of being spun around in circles and enjoying it, your stomach now equates those same rides with a bad hangover and acts accordingly.

Luckily, your allowance has grown a bit.  You can now look further afield and realize that in many ways the world is now your carnival, and your boarding pass is that golden ticket.

So the question of the day: What's your favorite boarding pass?

Perhaps it's a first?

• First flight
• First time up front
• First round-the-world flight
• First jaunt on a private jet

Or perhaps the start to your honeymoon, sabbatical or a brave move to another country.

Regardless of which it is, just looking at that boarding pass evokes memories of what followed.

For me, my favorite boarding pass is a bit of an oddity.  I've used electronic boarding passes as much as paper, some very basic and others feats of artistic wonder.  This one though, this one was something else.

It was Cairo airport, October 2011.  Mo, Addy and I were waiting at our gate for a flight to Asmara.  Having had a seven hour layover, Mo and I had left the airport to take a felucca cruise of the Nile and a shopping trip to the Khan el Khalili.  We had met Addy at CAI on our return, grabbed snacks in the food court, and were now impatiently awaiting our flight.

Countdown to Eritrea.  Not sure I've ever been so excited to get on an MS flight...

It was a night flight and possibly I was a little tired.  At least, that's my excuse.

"I can't find my boarding pass," I said.

I had started by subtly searching my bag and flipping through my passport.  Obviously it was here somewhere.  Usually I put the glorified pieces of paper in a safe place.

The Phase 1 search had failed, so I moved on to Phase 2:  In a less than subtle fashion I yanked everything open, dumping random necessities on the seat beside me and established empirically what I already knew instinctively.

My boarding pass had been stolen by an Egyptian mummy while I was in the bathroom and was even now being sold on the black market for replacement bandages and a scrawny cat.

Shit!

"It's somewhere," Addy said.  "Look again."

I looked again.  The Phase 3 search was remarkably similar to Phase 2, but everything was already sitting out in front of me.

"Nope," I finally said.  "Definitely not here."

I don't think in all my years flying I've ever lost my boarding pass.  It's just a silly piece of paper you tuck away, show upon request, and move on with life.

It was embarrassing losing it, but it was just a piece of paper.

Shoving everything back into my bag, I grabbed the paper copy of my ticket and my passport and walked up to the gate agent.

He was a tall man, sharply dressed with dark hair and enviable eyelashes.  Egyptians definitely won the lottery for perfect eyelashes.  Beside the point.

"Can I help you?" he asked, looking bored.

"Sorry," I began, using the word that really should be declared a Canadian national treasure given how often we use it, "but I seem to have misplaced my boarding pass.  Would you mind printing me another?"

I pushed the copy of my ticket and my passport onto the desk, looking hopeful.  Not that I really felt I should need to, this was a simple request.

"You'll have to go to the check-in desk," he replied.

I paused.  I was in the gate area while check-in was on the other side of security.  He couldn't be serious.

"Um..."

"We can't print boarding passes here."

Apparently he was serious.

Noting my confusion, he beckoned one of his coworkers, speaking to him in rapid Egyptian Arabic. They glanced at me, then away, then back again.

"Come with me," the second man finally said, waving me after him while taking my ticket and passport in his hand.

Glancing over my shoulder at Mo and Addy, I shrugged and hurried after him.

The gate area was small and about three quarters full.  We passed rows of plastic chairs, some passengers watching us while others discussed what I could only assume was world politic by all the hand waving.  Reaching the security point, I eyed the one metal detector that everyone was filing through.  Unconcerned, the gate agent walked through it and beckoning me to follow.

Bells ringing, I did so, taking the stairs up to the main floor after him.  No one gave us a second glance, but no one would.  This was Cairo and the airport is notoriously lax on security.

We walked to the Egypt Air check-in counter and while I stood to one side the agents discussed.

Then they frowned at their computer screen for a while.

Then they began arguing.

I noticed in all this that there was no point where printing of a boarding pass appeared to be occurring.

Cue the onset of mild concern.  Was it really that difficult to re-print a boarding pass?

Apparently it was.  After ten minutes I still had no glorified piece of paper to wave around when I wanted to get on my flight.

"Come with me," the agent said once more.  I believe that was his favorite sentence.  He still had my passport, so I followed him like a bloodhound.

We walked back through the concourse to security.  I hesitated behind the notably shorter line, but he impatiently waved me on once more, ignoring the bells set off as I walked through the metal detector.  No one stopped me.

We went back up to the desk where several other agents now joined the discussion.  They stood in a pack of four, speaking rapidly as they tried to decide what to do.

Finally, one waved me over and handed me back my passport and ticket.  He also handed me my boarding pass.

"Use this," he said.

Then he handed me a torn piece of paper with the seat number, flight number and Asmara airport code hand written in duplicate.

With that they were done with me.  I in turn was holding the least official and oddest boarding pass I had ever come across.

My favorite boarding pass: CAI-ASM

When we boarded, the agent took my glorified piece of paper and with a very no-nonsense expression ripped it in half.  He gave me my half and kept the other.  No questions asked.  Just like that I was through the gate and onto the ride.

Unlike the theme parks of my childhood, I don't have to be four feet tall to take a global jaunt (though sometimes when a baby is crying in the seat behind me I wish they would impose that rule).  I've also yet to see an airline stamp my wrist, though quite a few nightclubs have (adult carnivals with equally peculiar characters).  All the same, the excitement remains each time the flight is called and I fish out my golden ticket.

Next time you fly, try to remember that excitement you felt as a child.  As an adult, the world is now your carnival.  Rather than treating the boarding process as a test in patience, try instead to savor the anticipation of what is to come.

Quality Entertainment: FlyerTalk

Want to know the menu on an upcoming flight?  Advice on how to navigate FRA?  Trying to decide between SQ or LX for that next big trip (SQ, obviously)?  Debating between the Fours Seasons Singapore and the Marina Bay Sands?

FlyerTalk is a great place to start.

FlyerTalk is a forum for people obsessed with flying, collecting points, and traveling (in brief, it's a pretty loaded website).  It has thousands of members, some of whom post obsessively.  As such, it's a great place to go for a bit of entertainment.

Note I said entertainment, not necessarily information.

My experience with FlyerTalk is mixed.  There are some very knowledgeable people on it, but there are also some very authoritative people who don't seem to have a clue what they're talking about.  Wading through these is time consuming and at times frustrating, especially when you are yourself looking for an answer.

That said, post a question and you will get a response.  Just be sure to take that response with a grain of salt.

Check it out!

Airport Experiences: YTZ (Billy Bishop Airport, Toronto)

Did you know Toronto has two airports?

Everyone knows YYZ (Pearson International Airport), that big one in the upper left corner that has the honor of hosting a slew of airlines while acting as Air Canada’s hub.  It has lovely glass walkways that seem to go on forever, questionable artwork that is likely more meant for entertainment than deep thought, and a slew of shops in which you can buy the usual overpriced but Canadianized snack food.  Familiar to Torontonians and foreigners alike, if you’ve flown through Toronto chances are you flew into YYZ.

My point? 

Not about YYZ, I assure you.  That would be like writing a commentary on Coke.  Drink it and make your own opinion.  Better yet, ask your neighbor as for sure they will have an opinion you can steal, origionalize, and claim as your own.  Instead, let’s talk about YTZ, that other Toronto airport.

Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ), often referred to as the “island airport” by Torontonians, is a small airport located on an island directly across from Toronto’s downtown core.   It caters mostly to business passengers traveling to destinations within a few hours of Toronto.  Flights are on prop planes as the runway is too short to land jets on, however the popularity of the airport has recently brought the viability of jet travel from YTZ into question.

 For those not in-the-know:

FlyerTalk: http://www.flyertalk.com/the-tarmac/porter-airlines-wants-to-take-on-air-canada.html

Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/mayor-ford-asks-for-report-on-billy-bishop-expansion/article11516617/

Assuming we’re all educated now, for kicks let’s look at the airport itself and the implications of an expansion.

YTZ is easy enough to get to, being located in the downtown core, however it isn’t directly connected to the mainland.  As a result, it has the dubious honour of offering one of the shortest ferry rides in the world.  Having ridden that ferry more times than I would like, I’ll say that in Lena-years this ferry takes ages.

Passengers arrive at the ferry terminal where they cue on the upper floor for up to fifteen minutes (they promise, but I’ve absolutely waited longer than this) before being loaded and carried the short distance to the terminal (schedule: http://www.torontoport.com/Airport/Getting-To/Ferry-Schedule.aspx).  Luckily, there are check-in facilities at the ferry terminal, including both machines and agents, so those rushing for the flight and just missing the ferry aren’t completely without hope (I wouldn’t recommend showing up less than 1 hour before your flight unless you are drunk already, have a bottle with you that you plan to polish off before security, or enjoy the wild ride that is the potential anxiety of missing your flight).

Once across, passengers have a quick walk to the main check-in counter, which I have never once seen even moderately busy.

 

From there, passengers usually have a short but very exacting security check before proceeding to the departures lounge.  Of note for frequent flyers, there is no priority line (gasp!).

The lounge is downstairs, offering a setup reminiscent of cubicles in an office with chairs set to face each other in small sets of four.  WiFi is free, and if you need computer access there is a somewhat austere business centre in the back.  Also on offer are drinks (water, pop, juice, hot chocolate, coffee, espresso maker, tea) and snacks (mixed nuts and cookies).  There is no charge for these, and there is also a small shop attached that offers more substantial options for purchase.  Another note for frequent flyers, all passengers have access to this area and there is long Star Alliance lounge (Elitist snob nightmare!  Gasp #2!).

 

 

 

The airport offers only a handful of gates, and the walk is delightfully short to any plane you might be catching (girls, keep your heels on, this is a non-running shoe necessary airport).  When the flight is called, passengers file through glass sliding doors and down a brief hallway to one of several desks where tickets and IDs are checked.  Boarding proceeds from there.

 

So overall, what are the key pros and cons?

Pros:

1.       Downtown location: I’m not convinced that this airport is a faster experience than YYZ, but it does have a phenomenal location.  Transit from the terminal into the downtown core has gotten better over the last several years, and with a shuttle service to Union Station and a timetable for the ferry I would expect the experience to continue to improve.  On top of that, the landing is hard to beat, coming in parallel to the Toronto skyline.  Honestly, I’ve landed in some phenomenal locations globally and never gotten the city skyline these flights offer.

2.       The airport authority has promised travelers a walkway “coming soon”, placating complaints related to the inefficient ferry they currently use.

3.       Departure lounge: Free food, newspapers and a business area with about two dozen computers.  Wifi is easy to access and doesn’t require a password, making this a great offering for those passengers who don’t typically have access to an airline lounge.

4.       Flights are rarely full.

Cons:

1.       Logistics: (1) The ferry: touted as one of the shortest ferry rides in the world, I’m quite certain I could swim across faster.  (2) Getting a taxi: a harrowing experience where you wait with the masses until someone shouts and waves at you to go to “that cab over there!”  (3) Security: For a primarily business-oriented airport where travelers know the procedures, could the agents be any slower?  (4) Pick-up: there is no area for stopping and no cellphone lot, so coordinating pick-up of a passenger is an unpleasant exercise in patience or non-verbal growling.

2.       No Maple Leaf Lounge: If you’re a frequent flyer, you may have gotten use to a little quiet place where you can have a lowball before or between flights.  The YTZ departure area is advertised as a lounge however it’s a far cry from your average Star Alliance offering.

3.       Routing: YTZ is small and caters to small planes.  As such, the route offerings are limited and the distance they travel often means that a connection is necessary.

In my experience, while YTZ is a great concept it has failed to deliver.  My primary complaint is related to the logistics of catching a flight and the ease of getting home when I land.  It’s poorly done and they are overburdened by the passengers they currently cater to.  I’m hard pressed to understand how they intend to efficiently and effectively bring it more flights and passengers.  An expansion is obviously worth considering, but first I would challenge them to work out the bugs in their current system. 

Judge for yourself, but for my part I’ll stick to Pearson.

Awesome Search Engine: Kayak Explore

Though I use kayak.com all the time to check flight prices, I only recently came across Kayak Explore.  This is a fantastic option when you're itching to fly, but can't quite decide where. 

To use it, choose the city you want to depart from, the month you'd like to depart in, your budget, and the flight time.  It then gives you the cheapest flights available that meet that criteria. 

There are several websites out there that offer a similar idea, but the interface kayak uses is absolutely intuitive and links back to their main search engine.  The inability to choose specific dates or a specific network to fly on (for example, Star Alliance) are limitations, but this is otherwise a fantastic and fun option to help pick where to go on that next frivilous (or serious) trip!

Where to begin...

Stand in front of the departures board at Frankfurt International Airport and be inspired.

From here, the world is possible.  Within hours you could be on a flight to any corner of the globe, perhaps if you're lucky with a glass of French champagne in your hand.  Some of the places are worth visiting for their names alone, others you would be challenged to place on a map, but from this finite list the possibilities are endless.

Sometimes when I'm transiting FRA I'll visit that massive board, watching as the times and places flicker, mumbling the cities softly to myself like the names of past lovers who could tempt me again.  Often I'm joined by students who drop enormous red backpacks at their feet, or businessmen with their smart black rollers and briefcases.  For a moment we're all captured in this place, knowing twelve hours from now we'll be thousands of miles apart.

More than once I've passed here as that weary traveler heading home, my bag a little dusty and my curly brown hair closer to an afro than is reasonable in public. I glance at the rows of ticket counters before peering up to examine my options.  One day I know I'll abandon that homeward-bound ticket.  I'll choose a place on this board, one I've never been to before, and I'll march up to the airline agent, snap my credit card down on the counter and purchase a seat.  I'll just go, because that would be the best way to start an adventure, wouldn't it?

Until then I have more organized trips planned that still manage to surprise and delight.  All the same, if you ever see a girl standing alone under that signboard looking indecisive, do me a favor and tell her to 'just do it!'.  It may not be me, but I like to think that none of us would regret making that leap.