Hilton Makes Major Changes to Its Loyalty Program
Hilton has announced sweeping changes to its loyalty program, letting members combine points with family and friends and use those points to shop at Amazon.com.
The program will also get a rebrand. It will now be known as Hilton Honors vs. HHonors.
In fact, the entire company is getting a new identity and logo. Once known as Hilton Worldwide, it will just be Hilton from now on.
Hilton says the rebranding is evidence that the company has become more “simplified and streamlined.” The company recently spun-off its real estate and timeshare businesses.
But the changes that affect consumers the most come in the form of a revamped loyalty program. The program has 60 million members.
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More Airlines Join the TSA PreCheck Program
The Transportation Security Administration last week gave travelers more reasons to join the agency’s PreCheck program.
The agency announced 11 new participating domestic and foreign airlines for the PreCheck program, bringing the total number of airlines offering the expedited security perk to 30.
PreCheck, which costs $85 for a five-year membership, eliminates the need for approved passengers to remove their shoes, light jackets, laptops and quart-sized bag of 3.4-ounce gels and liquids at security checkpoints at participating airports.
Among the international airlines joining the list are Emirates, Avianca, Canadian low-cost carrier Sunwing Airlines, Aruba Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, which becomes the first U.K. airline to join the TSA program.
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A New Plane Seat Could Make the Middle Spot the Rommiest
The middle seat on an airplane is one of the most miserable positions to be in on a commercial flight. You’re pinned in on either side, fighting for elbow room, and have neither the pleasure of resting against the window, or the ease of going to the bathroom without bugging the entire row. But a design called the Side-Slip Seat could make the middle seat the widest in the row, according to Co.Design.
Created by Molon Labe Designs, the row of seats slides together and apart on a track. The configuration allows a set of three seats to slide together to the width of just two. This means you can have a bigger aisle during boarding, which can help passengers move in and out easily (preventing one overhead bag kerfuffle from slowing the whole process down), and provide wheelchair access.
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