Dots, Lines & Destinations » Podcast Dots, Lines & Destinations

How do you build a new airline loyalty program? We've got a couple guests this week from Aeroplan to talk about how their team pulled it all together.















Mark Nasr and Scott O'Leary are travel junkies, too. So letting them design the new Aeroplan loyalty program for Air Canada was bound to yield slightly different results than anything else on the market. But that's probably a good thing in the end.







Not a lot in the way of show notes, other than Scott's incredible FlightMemory page.







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* Some extra inside information, like their favorite sweet spots on the new award charts







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

How do you host a massive casino opening party in Las Vegas in the midst of a pandemic? It definitely isn't easy, but it can be done.















The timing is certainly challenging for Circa, opening as the first new build casino/hotel in Las Vegas in years. But the company is pushing forward with the plans and the festivities were pretty incredible. We've got Michael Traeger back on the show to talk about his experiences there as well as some other Vegas news like:







* How people are skipping the mask rules* Slowing down the bourbon pace* Flying in British Airways First Class these days







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* Heading out to the Grand Canyon for a very pandemic-appropriate experience.







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

The whale tail statue that caught a runaway train in Rotterdam is ridiculous and incredible, almost to the point of disbelief.















Also in this episode:







* United Airlines updated its mobile app for good reasons, but also with some side effects* Southwest Airlines announced routes for O'Hare and Colorado Springs, mostly to its hubs* SAA won't die, with another round of government funding on the horizon* The JAL 777s are on the way out, as are ANA's. And Delta's are gone, too. Is there a future for these planes as cargo haulers or with another airline?* BER finally opened. For real. With planes and passengers and everything.* The Airbus factory in Mobile has tours on November 14th * A slimmed down Rouge returns to service, but everything didn't go perfectly* KLM's government funded rescue package is at risk







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* A UK airline scored financial support from the government, a virtually unheard of accomplishment







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Yes, you should subscribe to this show in your favorite podcast app. But probably not to the "deal" the Miles and More program just launched for bonus points earning while flying. Like most such schemes, it rarely will prove valuable to consumers.















Also in this episode:







* Singapore Airlines is coming back to NYC nonstop. And this time really to New York City.* Cathay Dragon is dead, long live Cathay Pacific* Spirit Airlines is relaunching its FreeSpirit frequent flyer program* Delta Air Lines and WestJet received tentative approval from the US DOT for their proposed JV/ATI, with a few strings attached* American Airlines doesn't want to carry certain motorized wheelchairs any more, which sucks for the passengers and might not be legal* An awesome Delta A220-300 photo







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* What are United's planes really worth, and why is it okay that some are scrap-worthy?







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

It is earnings season again, and this time around we're talking through the billions and billions of dollars burned by Delta and United to start.















Also in this episode:







* Fleet changes cost money, but are the values being allocated fair?* New routes from United into the Caribbean and Central America* American Airlines is giving up on 2021 already, at least with respect to elite status in the loyalty program* Is the 737 MAX really ready to fly again?* Eastern Airlines has its eye on Bolivia and Argentina* Some fun with Euro notes







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* Drama in the South China Sea, as the disputed Pratas Islands take center stage







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

We're about more than just airplanes, especially these days. But don't worry too much; air travel still dominates the conversation this week.















Among the topics in this episode:







* Southwest Airlines adds new service across town from its Midway and Hobby hubs, joining MIA as it further pushes into legacy hub operations* Alitalia might have finally died(ish), but not really* The Vatican invested in Hertz and barely escaped without losses* Alaska Airlines firms its plans to join Oneworld on 31 March 2021* IATA says you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to catch COVID on a plane







For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:







* Alaska Airlines' conversion from stored credit to points: Was it worth it?







And plenty more. Enjoy the show!