Safety Strap to Blame for Helicopter Crash, The Best Business Cards, Pilots Spot a UFO and More
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you might have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you might have missed this week.
The NYC Helicopter Crash May Have Been Caused by a Safety Strap
Preliminary reports state that one passenger’s safety tether was wrapped around the emergency fuel shutoff lever of the helicopter that crashed into New York City’s East River earlier this month. It’s possible this caused the engine to fail, leading to the fatal crash.
The Best Business Credit Cards of 2018
Check out TPG’s list of the top business credit cards this year, based on which sign-up bonuses are most valuable.
China Eastern Flight Dumps 30 Tons of Fuel to Make Emergency Landing
The pilot of a China Eastern flight from Shanghai (PVG) to New York (JFK) dumped 30 tons of fuel before diverting to Anchorage (ANC) after a medical emergency was declared on board.
Listen to Pilots Describe a UFO Sighting Mid-Air in New Mexico
Audio obtained from the Albuquerque Center Air Traffic Control Communications recorded on February 24, 2018, appears to show not one, but two pilots spotting an unidentified flying object directly over their two aircraft.
Uber’s Upfront Pricing Can Be Way Off, But You May Get Around It
We’ve known for a while now that Uber has been charging riders based on what it thinks they will pay, not a fare based on distance and time. Uber confirmed that it had been overcharging riders with its “upfront pricing,” which uses machine learning to estimate how much customers are willing to pay for a ride. Read on for the full details.
Parents Warned Southwest of Child’s Severe Allergy — Flight Attendants Still Served Peanuts
Despite parents alerting flight attendants that their child had a severe allergy to peanuts, a Southwest Airlines flight still served peanuts and the nine-year-old had a severe reaction while onboard.
In other news…
Great Lakes Airlines Suspends Operations
Great Lakes Airlines suspended all remaining passenger flights this week, citing a lack of pilots. The airline operated almost 18,000 flights from Denver International Airport in 2017.
Air New Zealand Enhances SkyCouch With Extra Functionality
Air New Zealand offers the SkyCouch, a unique product that allows families with small children to spread out in a row of economy seats by turning the entire row into a small “bed.” Now, the airline has introduced an infant harness and belt that will allow the children to lie flat while the plane is in the air.
Spanish Airports Won’t Be Able to Charge More Than €1 For Water Bottles
In a win for travelers, Spanish airport authority Aena will forbid operators of vending machines and stores in Spanish airports from selling water bottles for any more than €1.
Get a 20% Bonus When You Transfer Hotel Points to Etihad Guest
For a limited time, you can transfer hotel points, including World of Hyatt, IHG and Hilton Honors points, to Etihad’s Guest program with a 20% bonus. However, this bonus isn’t all that great, and it’s most useful if you need to top up your Guest account or if you have points in a hotel account that are close to expiring.
Featured image by Jaromir Chalabala / EyeEm via Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn a $200 statement credit after your first Delta purchase within the first three months. Offer ends 7/28/21.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $200 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Offer expires 7/28/2021.
- Limited Time Offer: Plus, get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable 15.74%-24.74%. Offer expires 7/28/2021.
- Accelerate your path to Medallion Status, with Status Boost®. Plus, in 2021 you can earn even more bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) to help you reach Medallion Status.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.