UMTravels

Yes, I had lunch with Brad Tilden, and a room full of other Alaska Airlines MVP Gold members — maybe a hundred to hundred and fifity people, at least twenty were Alaska Air personnel.  Presentations — and then most of the time was a question and answer session. Some of the answers:

• Coming by early summer is a tie-up with Kenmore Air that serves the San Juans and Canada for earning and redeeming miles
• Coming soon a tie-up with Icelandic Air for earning and redeeming miles
• By spring the $99 Companion Certificate for Business Card holders will be electronic
• In Newark, there is now a shuttle past security to get between terminals to use the Continental President’s Club
• Possible second Board Room at Sea-Tac in the North Satellite — would be upstairs like the British Airlines lounge the South Satellite. In VERY early phases to see if it makes sense
• Los Angeles terminal location change to same terminal with partners now early 2011, along with new Board Room
• Wi-Fi in entire fleet by end of year, in the -800’s by late spring (announced publicly). $4.95 and up for flights, and no freebie for Gold members
• Paperless check-in with your cell phone (announced publicly)

And the lunch was pretty good as well. Nice salad, salmon in a berre blanc over pilaf, scoop of ice cream over berry cobbler. Too bad there wasn’t any wine.

And yes, I brought up the prayer card, unfortunately to my seat mate who was an enthusiast Salvation Army solider who loves then. I stress I’d like to see them more ecumenical rather than just Psalms.

So a little work in the morning, the lunch, a nap (not used to large mid-day meals), a little more work and a steak for dinner.

Iceland here I come — I’ve been looking at going back but it irked me to fly that far and get no miles (unless I wanted them on Lufthansa, which doesn’t do me a lot of good).

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