NowBoarding!  Today’s travel news in 7 minutes or less.

Don’t forget to check out the Miles To Go Podcast where we bring you the latest travel news, tips and tricks each week to help you save money and travel better.

Full Transcript

First up this week is a word to the wise. Live and Let’s Fly lets us know that things are rocky right now at Air Canada and Aeroplan. They attempted a systems integration last week that did not go well. It’s not only a good time to check your existing reservations. It’s also a good time to have a plan B if you were planning to use Aeroplan to book an upcoming trip. That’s why it pays not to procrastinate. I’m famous for waiting too long to book trips and getting tripped up by things like this.

Another cautionary tale this week is via View From The Wing. Hyatt is losing the Ocean Resort and Casino in Atlantic City as part of the World of Hyatt program. This sort of thing happens from time to time. However, this one is a bit more painful.

For starters, the change is happening at the start of 2020, less than a month from now. Second, Hyatt isn’t doing much to help those affected. Other than offering to move award reservations to a paid rate or transfer them to another hotel, people with award bookings are stuck. There are no similar properties nearby. In fact, the next closest hotels are a Hyatt Place and Hyatt House in Mt Laurel, over 40 miles away. I get that Hyatt’s in a bad spot here. But, part of why I continue to patronize Hyatt is because they have continued to stand behind their members where other chains take the easy way out.

I could be wrong here, but I think most customers understand when something like this happens. However, since the matter is completely out of the customer’s control, a few extra Hyatt points in someone’s account seems a worthwhile value to let customers know Hyatt empathizes with them in the situation. Here’s hoping Hyatt finds a solid resolution for customers here.

It’s holiday shopping time, and there’s a gift giving guide for business travelers written by yours truly. Road warriors have different needs than occasional travelers and leisure travelers. Gear has to justify its weight and space in a backpack or briefcase, and you better get solid value for money spent. If you’re hunting for the perfect gift for a business traveler, we’ve got plenty of suggestions they’re bound to love.

God Save the Points shines some light on 5 Marriott Moments you might consider spending your points on. Experiences are becoming a bigger part of loyalty programs, but they’ve been around a while. Heck, it’s 7 years ago since I redeemed my SPG Starpoints to get my wife a tennis lesson with Andre Agassi. Still the single greatest redemption I’ve ever had. Anyway, take a look at these Marriott Moments. The Hotel Danieli in Venice is one of my favorite, which means once again I’m saying Gilbert from God Save the Points has good taste.

Last up this week is a reminder about Kimpton Hotels’ secret social password. Make sure to have the password when you check-in for a Kimpton stay to earn a mystery prize, like free breakfast or a bottle of wine. The current password is “Stay Human”. Thanks to Ben at One Mile at a Time for reminding us of this fun benefit.

That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebookand Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com.