Welcome to the Miles, Points and Travel Hacks Weekly Round-Up
for the week of December 4th

Each week we sift through all of the posts, blogs, PR, hyperbole and rumors, boil it down and share the best stuff with you. Sales and more sales everywhere, but great deals are few and far between. But, there’s an internet that needs to be fed with new content. So, let’s get going.

Fine-ally – United’s Polaris Branding Launches

Back in June we wrote about United announcing the rebranding of their premium cabin service under the Polaris name. All of the major carriers are working hard to upgrade and differentiate their First Class and Business products. For example, Delta announced new Delta One Suites in August. United set a December 1st date for the official launch, so we put a little reminder in our calendars and waited for the date to arrive. Well, United made good on their promise. They held an event at Chicago O’Hare airport and invited all of the travel and mainstream media to come check things out. There was a new Polaris lounge experience, new seating on the plane, upgraded catering and cushy pillows, blankets, sheets and little extras all across the board. We’ve read several reviews that go into depth on Polaris and recommend you read this excellent one from the folks at LoungeReview.com. It looks like Delta and American have some work to do and we’ll be the beneficiaries of their efforts.

The Finer Things

When we wrote our article about Caviar service in International First Class, we also included some good information on the Champagne that was served along with the Caviar. When you say Champagne, the very first name that pops into everyone’s head is Dom Pérignon, of course. Emirates is singular in their offering of the 2005 vintage, and Singapore has bragging rights to their unique combination of both Dom Pérignon and Krug. So many choices. How can a lover of champers possibly keep up?

Well, Dom Pérignon has come up with La Malle Plenitude; a collection that should wow the most jaded of bon vivants. The pre-auction estimates are€ 60,000 and limited to only five collections. Here’s the details:

• Ten bottles of vintages in the First Plénitude (P1) 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995
• Ten bottles of vintages in the Second Plénitude (P2) 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1985
• Three bottles of vintages in the Third Plénitude (P3) 1983, 1975, 1969
• Producer: Dom Pérignon
• Champagne/France
• Original filling quantity: 0.75 l
• Fill level: < 1 cm
• The bottles have been stored directly in the Dom Pérignon cellars
• The bottles have been personally chosen by Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy
• La Malle Plénitude will be produced in a strictly limited edition of five. Each trunk is fully customizable, with the buyer able to determine finishing and details. See Additional Information for further details
• The eventual owner of each trunk will receive an exclusive visit to the winery’s historic abbey and cellar in Hautvillers, France (normally closed to the public)
• The trunk will take six months to produce from the day the order of customization is placed
• Due to an export prohibition of alcoholic beverages to certain countries, the purchase will be confirmed only after successfull verification of all data
• Object is taxed regularly. 19% VAT is added to the purchase price for deliveries within the EU.
• Expert estimate: € 60,000
• This item contains alcohol and can only be purchased by individuals that meet legal age restriction criteria
• This object is sold through the European office

Fine-al Notice

Twenty Five years ago, on December 4, 1991, Pan Am ceased operations. Lots of people were heartbroken, and with good reason. Pan Am was one of those airlines that symbolized the best in global air travel. Juan Trippe founded Pan American World Airways in the 1920’s and he was responsible for many innovations that made global air travel a reality. “These included the development and production of the Boeing 314 Clipper, which opened trans-Pacific airline travel, the Boeing Stratocruiser which helped to pioneer the pressurized cabin, the Boeing 707 which launched the jet age, and the Boeing 747 which introduced the era of jumbo jets.” (source: Wikipedia)

TZ’s own Michael Trager is a collector of Pan Am memorabilia and contributing author, Brian Cohen is another fan. Check out Brian’s excellent article on Pan Am.

Time For A Quickie?

Delhi to New York in 5 hours? Boom Technology says, “It could happen.”

US to Stockholm for $212? Norwegian says, “It’s happening.”

Hong Kong to anywhere (on earth) in Business Class for 35,000 miles? GOL Smiles says, “We’re making it happen.”

That’s all for this week. If you hear any rumors, whispers or wisps of detail about anything travel related, please let me know – steve@travelzork.com