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Even With Gustav, It's All About Sarah Palin For Political Media

Until Gustav began heading toward the Gulf Coast, there was one topic of conversation among the media who have arrived here in St. Paul for the start of the Republican National Convention:  Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

John McCain’s choice for his running mate so startled the national press corps (not to mention one of his closest advisers, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who was strongly promoting his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman for the post), that Palin was not just the top subject of conversation, she was the ONLY subject.

On Saturday night, I attend a “salon dinner” hosted by Microsoft and The Atlantic that featured media insiders and politicos at the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis.

The carefully crafted guest list of about 30 included both Minnesota senators (Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Norm Coleman) as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, NBC News correspondent-at-large Luke Russert (left with public television’s Judy Woodruff), Woodruff's husband Al Hunt of Bloomberg, political newsletter editor Charlie Cook, New York Times columnist David Brooks, journalist Ron Brownstein, McCain’s chief of staff Mark Buse, RNC chair Mike Duncan, “Meet the Press” executive director Betsy Fisher, “All Things Considered” host Michele Norris,  and NBC political director Chuck Todd, among others.

Private conversations were banned at the dinner. Instead, James Bennet, editor of The Atlantic, moderated a one-speaker-at-a-time conversation, no small task given the guest list of folks accustomed to making their views known just about wherever and whenever they wish.

Bennett succeeded, and while a second ground rule was that the evening was to be off the record, I can tell you that one-hour and 50-minutes of the two hours concerned Palin. And suffice it to say that the sense of the table among media types might be described as “bewildered,” while McCain confidant Graham did yeoman service defending the selection of the neophyte governor.

I’ll leave it to the political bloggers and columnists to weigh in on Palin’s prospects and credentials. But I can tell you skepticism reigns among the Washington chattering class. At a one o’clock brunch hosted by General Motors at the hip, Minneapolis art-hotel, Chambers, I drifted past clumps of journalists and politicos sipping Bloody Marys. Without fail, almost all the snippets of conversation were about Palin, even as convention organizers were meeting to turn the direction of the Republican convention around from a celebration to a hurricane watch.

You can bet that when the Republicans and the media fly home from the Twin Cities at the end of this week, and when the news of Gustav begins to subside, Sarah Palin is going to come in for a very close inspection.

What a Difference A Day Makes As Gustav Upstages the Twin Cities

Even before the Republican convention began here where I live in St. Paul, MN, it lost its position as the country’s lead story thanks to Hurricane Gustav.

Wolf Blitzer relinquished his CNN catbird seat at the Excel Energy Center Sunday as the hurricane rapidly became the main story of the day. And it turns out Anderson Cooper was in the right place—waiting once again in New Orleans for the weather. Sunday night’s network news found Brian Williams in New Orleans, and NBC promised Katie Couric would be there Monday morning, as well.

This afternoon the Republicans announced that Monday’s convention kick off would be canceled, that there’d only be a business gathering of delegates for two hours tomorrow. Their prime-time debut relinquished, the convention folks took a wait-and-see approach, hoping against hope that the hurricane might somehow deal only a glancing blow and allow the party to begin in the Twin Cities.

And make no mistake, Republicans came to party. Outside my window, I see a 125-yacht, the Mimi from Stilllwater, MN, tied up on the Mississippi River, a lovely, white craft that sleeps 18 plus a crew of 12. And on the train tracks also outside the window of my loft, rows of private train cars house delegates who are shuttled between the trains and the nearby convention center in luxury buses.

“For four days, the eyes of the entire world are going to be focused on the Twin Cities,” said Jeff Larson, CEO of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Host Committee for the convention.

That was BG, Before Gustav. Twin Cities hotels are bursting with 45,000 visitors. The media has spent millions setting up elaborate sets—Chris Matthews’ high-tech, outdoor set has a prime position in Rice Park, the lovely center of old St. Paul. Restaurants and clubs are hoping for a surge in business; everyone wants a piece of the $150 million its estimated Republicans and the media horde might splash all over St. Paul and Minneapolis.

And just last week I watched armies of city workers hurrying to re-paint curbs, plant mums in hundreds of planters, and pick up litter wherever it could be found. Both St. Paul and Minneapolis were ready for their close ups, ready to show the country that they are more than just flyover cities.

“This is the biggest single opportunity we’ll get to tell our story, short of the Olympics,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said long before anyone thought of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.   

I ran into St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, an affable Democrat, on the street this morning as word began to spread that maybe the Republicans might alter their convention plans. Rumors swirled that the convention might even be cut in half, with only two days of action. Coleman said he was sure the convention would go on, but that was this morning, when he had no idea how much a back seat the convention would take in the news cycle.

The president and vice president cancelled plans to come to Minnesota. Louisiana and Mississippi delegates charted an aircraft to go back home lest they be accused of fiddling while their hometowns drowned.  Even candidate McCain said he might deliver his acceptance speech not from St. Paul but from the Gulf Coast.

I have a long list of parties—some private, some public—scheduled for the upcoming week. Who knows how many will actually occur?

I report none of this to whine. I understand that a hurricane—especially with the memory of Katrina still so vivid--outranks a political convention, especially since everyone already knows the ending of the convention will simply be a McCain-Palin ticket.  I just can’t remember in my 30 years as a journalist when something so predictable, well-planned and major as a political convention was so quickly upstaged.

News is a funny business, and I know there are lots of television talking heads here in the Twin Cities lamenting the loss of their precious airtime. Pull up a chair. Tomorrow Anderson Cooper brings you the landfall of Gustav.

Join Me On a Show Shoot By Winning Northwest's Photo Contest!

Here's the deal: World Traveler, the monthly magazine of Northwest Airlines, one of the major corporate underwriters of my public television series, "Rudy Maxa's World," is giving away two World Business Class tickets to the winner of photo contest.  There will be two winners--one in the amateur category, aonther in the professional category.

And the winners will be invited to accompany me on a shoot for one of my 2009 shows, with hotel expenses covered.  The winners will also be invited to take photos of the destination, and those photos will be featured on the inside front cover of that episode's DVDs, with photo credit, of course.

You may enter photos in these four categories: "Landmark/attractions/objects," landscapes/seascapes/cityscapes," "wildlife/nature," "and "people."

The deadline for entries is October 1st.  Just click here for more detals and instructions on how to enter. 

United To Test Cutting Meals in Coach on Some Transatlantic Flights

Beginning in the fourth quarter of this year on transatlantic flights out of Washington's Dulles airport, United Airlines will begin charging for meals in coach class.  It's a test to see whether passengers rise up and bang spoons on plates or quietly accept the new reality of no more free miles aloft as they have on many domestic coach flights. 

If you own stock in airline catering companies, I'd suggest selling.  Because I can already tell you the result of the test: United will save lots of money and begin extending the no-food-for-free rule across its international route network.  Maybe some long, trans-Pacific flights will be exempt, but even that isn't guaranteed.   

Not that this is shockingly new--several years ago I was surprised while aboard a Northwest, nine-hour, non-stop flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Honolulu that there was a charge for meals.  And that was when they were giving jet fuel away, comparatively speaking. 

What's new about this, of course, is that United foreign competitors have shown no sign of charging for meals.  But maybe it's just in business and first-class cabins where the US airlines feel the need to pile on more perks in order to keep up with foreign competition. 

So remember to BYO meal soon on even flights that last more than six or seven hours.  At least on United, at least out of Dulles, come October.

Mileage Inflation Grows Worse; Act by Oct. 1 To Avoid Increases

Two weeks ago I wrote a blog warning of "mileage inflation" when it comes to frequent flyer miles.  Today I write with even more urgency, as new thresholds and new fees get tacked on many award tickets beginning Oct. 1. 

In short, in the last couple of weeks, things have gotten even worse for folks hoarding their miles for a dream vacation.

• American Airlines has tacked on a $5 processing fee for anyone requesting an award ticket except for members at the “platinum” level of its  flyer program.
• US Airways' award ticket booking fees now range between $25 and $50.
• Want to use your miles on American to upgrade to flights between North America and Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, or Venezuela on a discounted coach ticket?  That'll cost you $150 as of Oct. 1.
• Also on American, an upgrade using miles and a discounted coach ticket will require a $35 fee EACH WAY on flights between North America and Europe, India, Japan, China, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay as of Oct. 1.
• Further mileage inflation means on American, you'll have to redeem 50,000 miles for a "free" business-class ticket or, more likely, 100,000 miles to secure an "Aanytime" business-class ticket domestically.  A one-way upgrade on a domestic discounted ticket that used to cost 15,000 miles is now 15,000 miles plus $50 or more as of Oct. 1.

But there’s more. As of the end of September, American will offer no more miles + cash options for buying tickets. And American isn’t alone. Almost all airlines other than Southwest and JetBlue are applying a dizzying array of new rules and new charges to their frequent flyer programs.

Why?

Well, US Airways says, “With fuel costs higher than they’ve ever been, we’ve had to look at ways to offset our increased operating costs. Increasingly, airlines are charging for ala carte services such as checked bags, seat assignments, and award travel in order to offset these increased costs.”

Why not just increase fares?

“Unfortunately, due to the highly competitive nature of the airline industry, even a small fare increase can be impractical,” answers US Airways.

Translation: If airlines simply raised fares, passengers visiting a third-party web site that compares fares (such as Expedia or Priceline) will see sky-high fares from almost all carriers other than Southwest, JetBlue, and other lower-cost carriers. The Uniteds and Deltas of the world would be at a huge competitive disadvantage. So by sprinkling a wide variety of extra fees all over the place, they can increase revenue with less transparency.

Now, this isn’t necessarily evil or ground breaking. After all, hotels often charge for breakfast, wi-fi service, admission to a health club, and so on. Those are certainly “add ons” that increase the cost of a guest’s stay. But in the case of the airlines, they presented mileage reward programs as simple, easy-to-understand propositions. You earn X number of miles, we give you a free ticket.

No more.

OK, I promised in my last blog to tell you when it’s best to use miles instead of cash, how to determine the value of your accumulated miles, and how to sell your miles if you’d prefer hard cash.

Unless you can get a ticket at the lowest number of miles (i.e., 25,000 miles for a coach ticket within the continental US rather than 50,000 or, in the case of Delta, 60,000 miles), many frequent flyers find miles most useful for upgrades. Especially on overseas flights, an upgrade can mark the difference between a comfortable flight and a hellacious one. It’s up to you. If you’re a petite woman, coach may be just fine; if you’re a 6-foot, three-inch tall guy, well, coach is going to be a tight squeeze when flying six or more hours across an ocean.

On the other hand, if you’re flying between a couple of small towns where there’s little competition among airlines and fares are sky high, cashing in miles might make perfect sense.

Here’s a good measuring stick. Figure each mile is worth a penny. That’s how the airline marketers think, and that’s about what you’d receive if you wanted to sell your award miles. (More on that in a moment.) So, 25,000 miles are worth $250. If you’re looking at a $175 ticket (not that there are many of those anymore), why spend $250 worth of miles? If you’re facing an $850 ticket, maybe even 50,000 miles (“worth” $500) is a good trade.

And what if you want to sell your award miles?

First of all, airline rules usually forbid doing that. But it’s not illegal (except in Utah), and frequent business travelers will sometimes sell or buy miles with mileage brokers who match sellers with buyers and take a bit of the cream off the top as profit.

For example, a reader of my blog in June received $1,650 by selling 110,000 American miles to flyfirstclass.com, a web site that advertises 40% to 70% savings on business and first class tickets. That’s a nice premium of 1.5 cents a mile, though the seller also had to pay $41.10 in fees and taxes. Another company, Vancouver-based BizTravelBrokers, also promises top dollar for your miles, as does, California-based AwardTravel.com.

Remember, you’re violating the rules of the airline that issued your frequent flyer miles if you sell or trade them to anyone. (Though you can certainly gift them to another person.) So proceed with caution in dealing with ticket brokers.

The moral of my two postings on the subject of award miles is this: Use them now. And be aware that lots of rules are going to change on Oct. 1, none of them in them in your favor. You can book award tickets for a year out. If you know your travel dates, do that. Now.

Urgent: Mileage Inflation Means It's Time to Cash In Now!

Let me put the bottom line right up top: Your airline miles are being devalued with the passage of time.  Never mind that airlines promised you a free domestic flight for 25,000 miles.  It’s getting more and more difficult to find a flight for 25,000 miles.  And we’re moving toward the day when it’ll take 40,000 or more miles for a freebie.  And even then there may be a fuel or booking charge. 

That’s why it’s time for you to start cashing in your unused airline miles. 

The cost of flying has gone up steadily since the price of oil began moving skyward, and several major airlines are rapidly raising the bar you have to jump over in order to snare a freebie.

To wit:

--A couple of years ago, many major airlines introduced a 50,000-mile award level that allowed you to cash in for a domestic round-trip ticket even if there were no more designated award seats available. 

--This past week, Delta introduced a third tier for award tickets, joining Alaska which did the same three weeks ago.  Beginning in September, Delta frequent flyers might be able to claim a free, domestic, mainland, coach ticket for 25,000 miles.  They stand a better chance if they’re willing to give up 40,000 miles.  But for 60,000 miles, a passenger is guaranteed an award seat as long as there’s a seat available on a flight—the so-called “last seat” option.  Mileage inflation isn’t just hitting domestic award tickes.  Want the last first-class seat available on a flight from North America to Asia?  You’ll have to pony up a whopping 370,000 miles.

--Oh, and those free tickets may not be entirely free.  Beginning Aug. 15^th, you’ll pay a $25 fuel surcharge for your Delta domestic award ticket; international award tickets require $50, and that includes flights to the Caribbean.  US Airways is charging an award “booking fee” of $25 for domestic tickets, $35 for flights to Mexico, and $50 for flights to Hawaii and international destinations. 

--On American Airlines, you’ll pay $50 to book an award ticket within 21 days of your desired date of travel.  If you’re looking for an award ticket within seven days of travel, be ready to fork out $100.  Want to change your routing after an award ticket has been issued?  That’s another $150.

--This week Continental also announced a twist that doesn’t do any favors to many passengers who are saving up miles for a Continental award ticket.  Right now you can surrender 50,000 miles to capture a domestic ticket if there’s a “last seat” available; as of Sept. 3, even that award tier, called EasyPass, will be capacity controlled unless you’re a member of Continental’s “elite” level of frequent flier program.

So the lesson couldn’t be clearer: Start using your miles now.  And while 25,000 miles might still get you a domestic freebie, those days may not be with us much longer.  Remember, you can book an award ticket months out.  If you have firm travel plans months away, book now before additional fees and higher mileage requirements devalue your mileage saving account further.