Earning Miles For Buying Food Aboard Airplanes

On my recent Air Canada trip, I noticed an offer to earn Areoplan Miles for buying food on board.

The offer good through April 30, 2014 gives your 25 miles for spending between $10 and $19.99 (exclusive of taxes) in one purchase. Spend more than $20 and earn 50 miles. To earn the credit, you must give your Areoplan number to the flight attendant at purchase. That's the major downside of this promotion. Asking to the flight attendant's to enter the number seems cumbersome and must slow down service.

I think this promotion is a smart idea. US-based carriers should consider this type of promotion, as it might increase on-board purchases. For instance, the guy sitting next to me spent $9 on his meal and quipped to the FA that he should have spent a $1 more to get the 25 miles.

Yes, I know if you use the airlines credit card that you are flying, you can earn extra miles. However, why not extra bonus miles for spending XXX dollars. It might justify the parent in economy buying his three kid snacks on the plane. Or give a points addict, like me, a reason to spend more.

Just a though....



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Canada & Mexico To Open More Direct Routes

The Toronto Star is reporting that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Mexico City with a plan to open up more direct airline routes between Canada and Mexico. 

Sergio Alcocer Martinez, Mexico’s undersecretary for North America, said "the new air agreement would greatly expand the current one between the two countries, which is more than 50 years old. It would allow more direct Mexican flights to Canadian cities, beyond the current routes to Montreal and Toronto."

For Mexico to give greater access to Canadian Airlines, the Mexicans are going to want something in return. That something is the lifting of requirement that Mexicans get a visa for entry into Canada. The visa requirement was added in 2009 to combat an increase in "bogus asylum seekers."

The lack of direct flights from Mexico to Canada was a shock to me. A few months ago, I was trying to connect a trip from Mexico City to a visit with a friend in Calgary. However, there are no direct flights between the two. My only option was to do a connection in Dallas, Phoenix or Vancouver etc.:

Each of these trips take 8+ hours or a full business day. 

Carlo Dade, director of the Centre for Trade and Investment Policy at the Canada West Foundation put it correctly.  “If I have to make two connections to get down to Mexico, am I really going to do that deal? Am I going to open a plant? Am I going to schedule business meetings? It’s a pain and has an impact on business.”

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