Intelligence – February, 17 2010

Intelligence – February, 17 2010

Points.com has partnered with Chase Card Services and now U.S. cardmembers can transfer their Ultimate Rewards loyalty currency to those of other Points.com loyalty program partners. Ultimate Rewards was launched in May 2009. Visit http://www.ultimaterewards.com …

The Safeway GroceryMiles program has ended as of Feb. 28, 2010. … As of March 14, 2010, Southwest is launching nonstop service from Denver to Boise, Detroit, Hartford, Ontario and Washington, D.C. (Dulles) …

Lufthansa is examining the possibility of launching service to Iraq starting with Baghdad and the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The flights should begin this summer. Lufthansa’s partner, Austrian Airlines, currently serves Erbil but Lufthansa has not flown to Iraq since 1990 …

Continental Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Cleveland and Green Bay, Wis. as well as Norfolk, Va., beginning May 2, 2010. Continental will also offer daily summer seasonal service between Portland, Ore. and Anchorage, Alaska from June 10 through Sept. 6, 2010 …

Carlson Hotels has announced that it plans to open the first Regent brand hotel in Indonesia in 2011. The 110-room Regent Bali will be located on Sanur Beach …

American AAdvantage members can now earn up to 4,500 miles when enrolling in LifeLock identity theft protection. LifeLock also partners with Choice Hotels, Delta and US Airways …

Wyndham Hotel Group announced that its Ramada and Days Inn brands will be introduced in Singapore when the Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park and the Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park open. Construction begins this year and the hotels are expected to open in 2014 …

Air Canada is adding routes between Toronto and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. on April 6; to Kentucky, Memphis, Portland, Maine and Syracuse on May 17 and on June 17, the airline will begin flights to Portland, Ore. and San Diego …

Oman Air now flies to Sri Lanka and members can earn double miles on Oman Air Holidays in Sri Lanka for departures through March 21, 2010 …

Bangkok Airways and Etihad Guest are now partners. Etihad Guest and Bangkok Airways FlyerBonus members can earn and burn on either airline …

News from Delta is that SkyMiles Gold members will get unlimited complimentary upgrades on award tickets sometime this year, but the date has not been announced …

airberlin topbonus now partners with Russia’s S7 Airlines and topbonus members can earn double miles on all S7 flights until April 15, 2010 …

Rumor has it that Virgin Blue and V Australia might join the SkyTeam alliance …

Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns members will soon be able to take advantage of seven new destinations from Denver: Green Bay, Wis. on April 19, Branson, Mo. on April 20, Madison, Wis. and Newport News-Williamsburg, Va. on May 3, Grand Rapids, Mich. and Long Beach, Calif. on May 14 and Santa Barbara, Calif. on June 4. On April 5, 2010, Frontier Airlines will end operations to Fargo, N.D. and Tulsa, Okla …

Accor A|Club members can now convert their A|Club points to airberlin topbonus miles.