Rio Las Vegas guests are robbed while sleeping, hotel currency exchange scams go into beast mode, and are new Visa/Mastercard payments the beginning of the end for credit card perks? This Saturday Selection is a weekly roundup of interesting information from around the interwebs (Links to each article are embedded in the title).
Several guests are robbed at Rio Las Vegas at night.
The Rio Las Vegas is once again seeing a lot of interest as it joins the World of Hyatt and has some of the lowest mid-week rates, making it a great option for mattresses. Having said that, people don’t seem very interested actually stay The event was held in Rio largely because the facility had been in disrepair for years. Do you want to experience torn carpets, dirty furniture, and the unique feeling of leaving your car in the parking lot of an abandoned shopping mall? Then we’ve got some rooms in Las Vegas for you to rent. Masu! Hyatt is funding long-needed renovations to the Rio in the hopes that it will eventually become a place where people can sleep comfortably with their clothes on. The renovated suite is lovely, But recent headlines don’t help Hyatt’s quest. Recently, there have been a number of robberies at hotels where thieves sneak into guest rooms while they sleep, freeing them from the hassle of carrying their wallets, cell phones, jewelry, and credit cards. The robbery appears to have affected multiple rooms, with one guest saying he lost $10,000 while sleeping one night (quick note: If you have $10,000 in cash, don’t worry about it during your stay) Please do not leave anything in your hotel room except at the White House). We’ve all heard the tagline, “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.” Obviously, that also applies to the worldly possessions you bring to Las Vegas.
Is this a sign of the end for credit card perks?
The U.S. credit card industry is what some might call a “treasure trove.”so much, so much All major international travel programs is looking to earn cash by becoming a transfer partner or co-branding partner with a U.S. credit card issuer. At least some of this is due to increases in “exchange” fees, or the effective fees that retailers pay when you use your credit card to make a purchase. These fees are much higher in the US for example, Europeand the income derived from it U.S. credit card companies will be able to make even greater efforts This is to allow consumers to use credit cards wherever possible. Over the past two decades or so, there have been a series of lawsuits and threats to Congress, all aimed at limiting the amount Visa, Mastercard, and their affiliated partners can charge retailers for the privilege of accepting their cards. (Many of the driving forces behind these efforts were Via large retailers such as Walmart and Costco). Many in the points and miles world have been watching this skirmish with a unique level of anxiety. My fear is that capping interchange fees will put us on a path to disaster. As for our beloved treats. After a decades-long battle, Visa and Mastercard Finally, the half-hearted “old man” cried out. They agreed to lower interest rates by 0.04% over three years, and by an average of 0.07% over the next five years. While it may sound pretty tepid, the deal is estimated to represent a total of $30 billion in exchange fees over the next five years.
Hotels are getting more brazen with the currency conversion game
When staying at an international hotel, a common question we are asked at checkout is: “Would you like to pay in USD or xyz currency?” No matter how many times you choose to pay in USD, you will never be offered a favorable exchange rate or an exchange rate comparable to the rate offered by your credit card when paying locally (preferably with no foreign transaction fees). I know there’s nothing to do. currency. It’s a long-standing practice at many hotels to add 2% to 5% on top of perks paid in US dollars as a way to give weary travelers a little more oomph. Lately, things seem to be getting a little worse…but in a different direction. When he recently stayed at the Waldorf Astorialos in Cabos, he was told that in order for the rate to be processed in pesos, he would have to accept the accommodation’s exchange rate. dollar to pesoThis was well below the official exchange rate (I’ve heard that under Mexican law it’s illegal to post or charge guests in US dollars). Effectively, my bill was priced at a substandard exchange rate, but if I wanted to settle my bill in Pesos, I would be charged an additional conversion penalty…Local currency. now, Details of OMAAT The tale of reddit user Recently, the Aloft Hotel in Playa del Carmen made a similar, somewhat brazen move by advertising its prices in dollars, then saying it could not process charges in USD and adding up to a 15% exchange fee to convert to MXP. I recently discovered something that does the trick. Even if the property is located in Mexico.
Does Alaska want you to pay to see ads?
As a Seattle resident and frequent flyer, Alaska Airlines is unashamedly a home run for me. I see great value in this program, and unlike some, I think this year’s changes to the award chart and the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines will be broadly positive for consumers. But someone in Alaska’s marketing department has cooked up what seems to me to be the following. strange add-on subscription service.They call it “Access to AlaskaAnd as far as I can tell, you’re paying $5 to allow an airline to send you personalized ads based on your search history and weekly fare sales, and then each Get one WiFi flight pass that you can use or lose. month (assuming you can use it, you’ll only pay $5 for this). So Alaska is effectively charging $5 a month to send rate alerts (usually free) and to get a WiFi pass that expires in 30 days. I just don’t understand why they thought it sounded appealing…much less appealing enough to put a (tepid) marketing campaign behind it. Gary Leff makes something differentA smarter pitch: “…Maybe you can earn 100 miles with a subscription and earn another 100 miles when you open a fare sale email every month? Or maybe Delta offers free Wi-Fi to loyalty program members? You can also borrow aviation pages and accept ads in exchange for Wi-Fi.“
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out the podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
