Get a free Clear security pass for three months!

by Grant Martin on

We finally found a way to give Clear security a trial run without having to pay any of their fees. Previously, we uncovered a deal to get access to the fast-track airport screening service, but it only worked if you were in an elite tier of a hotel rewards program. Now, it’s available for everyone.

The key is that you have to be a member of Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), the rewards program run by Starwood, the mother chain of The Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels and the like. But enrollment is free and no credit card is involved, so you only need to quickly sign up. You can do that here.

After you get your membership number, just go to the SPG promo page, drop in your ID and bounce over to Clear for the balance of your application.

The crux of the application process is in giving up your personal information to Clear. While they swear that their system is secure (with, only a hiccup or two,) some people aren’t really comfortable with giving up more personal information to another third party. They’re not taking just your home address either – you’ll need to give them fingerprints and a retina scan once you get to the airport.

Your trial membership courtesy of SPG lasts for three months and you can sign up until the end of February.

Only after your application is complete will you be able to show up to the airport with your Clear card, scan your retina and zip through the ID check line – only to get into the x-ray line with everyone else.

Fine. But will it save you time? Often times when I’m in the airport the first class & elite line is just as short as the clear line, so in many cases it may not shave off minutes. But if things are backed up and the clear lane is open, it could save your trip. I’ll let you know how it goes when I give Clear a test run next week.

Starwood Preferred Guest program integrates flight bookings

by Grant Martin on

Many business travelers hold a variety of memberships across the travel industry — a Priority Club membership for points towards Holiday Inn stays, a Skymiles number for miles towards Delta flights, an Emerald Club membership for National rental cars. All of these come in handy for that one time that you’re actually on vacation and want to reap some benefit for all of those days on the road with the company.

If you’re anything like me, you also might accrue your points unevenly; I have a zillion miles on NW but only a few Hilton Honors points because usually when I travel places I stay with friends. Similarly, others might have many hotel or car rental points because their trips are longer or they don’t fly places. Airlines realize this and want you to waste your miles in any way possible, so often craft up ways to purge miles irresponsibly (see our recent article on silly frequent flyer mile auctions).

In that guise, Starwood Hotels’ member program Starwood Preferred Guest has cooked up an engine to use their SPG points to book plane tickets in addition to hotel stays. The nice thing is that the number of points required is tied to the price of the ticket — it isn’t poorly determined by route or demand — so prices are somewhat tied to the open market.

The not-so-nice thing is that it isn’t a super value for your SPG points. Most SPG members I’ve lurked over are finding that it’s just more fiscially responsible to book expensive hotel rooms with points and pay for plane tickets with cash (or sell your SPG points for cash which, ooops, is illegal).

But hey, if you’re rife with miles and aren’t too anal retentive about them, this could be a way to get a few free plane tickets. Check out SPGflights.com for details on the promotion.

Hotel of Twists and Turns

by Iva Skoch on

Many travelers have heard of the Bilbao, Spain, Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry. But not many know of Gehry’s first hotel project, El Hotel Marques de Riscal, owned by the winery of the same name.

Gehry is well-known for his dramatic, twisting, turning, sweeping designs, including the “Dancing House” in Prague and Seattle’s Experience Music Project building. Now, his characteristic lack of right angles will make finding your room a challenge in the vineyards of Spain.

The hotel is operated by the Starwood chain, and features all the latest immenities, plus Gehry-designed windows that tilt outward, rooms with undulating wall fixtures, and furniture that matches the style.

Maybe your breathlessness at the design can be soothed by their multitude of spa treatments, including “wine therapy.” Yum!