Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so much)

[Berlin]

Hey everyone, I just received an entirely useless email newsletter from one of the airlines I've subscribed to and thought I see what other members here think. Some newsletters I find absolutely essential to get the latest flight/hotel specials right into my inbox while others are totally useless, at least for my personal needs, but I still always hesitate to opt out again, just in case...

What are others' experiences with this- which ones do you find useful and which ones simply add to the spam in your inbox? Any ones I've missed? Any ones that I just can't make much of which others find great? I can't help but think that some might just be targeted the wrong way i.e. some airlines I hardly ever fly with and don't have status with so they think I'm looking for the cheapest of the cheapest while in reality, the only reason that could sway me to fly with them would be a good J or F deal. Just my few ones I can think of below in no specific order, really keen to get some of your thoughts!

Useful:

• Qantas: Quite often the first time I find out about any flight specials and better even those special promotions
• Qantas Epiqure: I only order there if there's a point promo and it's usual those emails pointing them out
• Hilton Honours and Hyatt hotels: Definitely essential for me, both run point/promo specials all the time and it's nice to find out about them in time
• US Airways Dividend Miles: Definitely worth it, usually where I find out about their often awesome promos
• Malaysia Airlines, Emirates and Cathay: All three mildly interesting, on rare occasions they got some specials on J class deals in there. I personally couldn't care less about any Eco deals as they're just not for me but of course, they will be interesting for others

Not so useful:

• Jetstar. Would really only touch the airline if a really good deal for their so-called business class came up. Unfortunately, you get quite regular spam for their super cheap domestic cough and/or the annoying Friday afternoon specials. Keep unsubscribing and then subscribing at regular intervals and never know whether it's worth the eye sores when those flash orange emails pop up. Probably not but might be useful for some I suspect
• Starwood and IHG: SPG tends to miss specials in their emails and then you find out about it randomly if ever. Not sure if I'm subscribing to the wrong thing? Intercon group is one of the worst in my eyes, they always send me an email "Special promotions selected for you, Mr. Berlin" only to follow from that with stuff that is so totally not targeted at me (destinations I've never been to, specials for target groups like families which is clearly not me etc.) that it's just plain painful
• SQ and Krisflyer: Useless, useless, useless. The most I get from them are really useless "Singapore Airline Holiday" emails advertising some travel packages to Asia in Y class. That's the one where I'm not sure whether you'd get different kind of stuff if you had more spent and status with them.
• DJ and NZ: Utterly useless in almost all cases, I think DJ had J class fares once or twice but that's about it. What they both DO send me though all the time is those annoying flight specials to New Zealand which I will never use as I find these tier-fares (seat only, seat with luggage... ) just stupid. Now, that's just me- I bet lots of people will love these. As with some of the others, I just wish any of them let you choose what you're interested in (like Business only or only Intercontinental trips)- I'd be more than interested to find out about any J class specials over the pacific that NZ might be running. Strangely- these always only show up on their website and never come up in the email newsletters

 

[dalereardon]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

Hi,

Rather than joining individual newsletters I subscribe to bestflights.com.au newsletter - they give you early notice of both business class and economy specials so very useful.

BA had an amazing business and premium economy special that I saw nowhere else last year and I took advantage of that from bestflights.

Dale.

 

[harvyk]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

Probably the most useless one for me right now, QF keep insisting on sending me specials for SYD-MEL vv flights. The kicker, I live in CBR (and QF know it), which means to take advantage of any of the specials I'd need to fly to either SYD or MEL first, then fly the on special SYD-MEL flight (and thus fly over my house again) then I'd need to get back to CBR...

It's not like I fly SYD-MEL that frequently either (2011 was the last time I did, and even then I only did it twice, not my most common flight)

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

Probably the most useless one for me right now, QF keep insisting on sending me specials for SYD-MEL vv flights. The kicker, I live in CBR (and QF know it), which means to take advantage of any of the specials I'd need to fly to either SYD or MEL first, then fly the on special SYD-MEL flight (and thus fly over my house again) then I'd need to get back to CBR...

It's not like I fly SYD-MEL that frequently either (2011 was the last time I did, and even then I only did it twice, not my most common flight)

This is most likely because you have subscribed to red e-mail for either Sydney or Melbourne. In the email, go to the "Red e-mail Update or Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email, and uncheck any cities you don't want e-mails about.

 

[harvyk]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

This is most likely because you have subscribed to red e-mail for either Sydney or Melbourne. In the email, go to the "Red e-mail Update or Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email, and uncheck any cities you don't want e-mails about.

It's because they lump NSW / ACT in as one...

 

[Mattg]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

Probably the most useless one for me right now, QF keep insisting on sending me specials for SYD-MEL vv flights. The kicker, I live in CBR (and QF know it), which means to take advantage of any of the specials I'd need to fly to either SYD or MEL first, then fly the on special SYD-MEL flight (and thus fly over my house again) then I'd need to get back to CBR...

It's not like I fly SYD-MEL that frequently either (2011 was the last time I did, and even then I only did it twice, not my most common flight)

I get this too. They usually have specials ex Canberra too but quite often CBR-SYD is more expensive than the advertised SYD-MEL fare.

 

[Berlin]

Re: Email newsletters by airlines and hotel chains- the useful ones (and the not so m

It's because they lump NSW / ACT in as one...

How much sense does that make for an airline if we're talking about Domestic fares? Sometimes you wonder...