Category: Lifestyle

Carscoops 

Hundreds of vehicles have been damaged or destroyed after a fire ripped through a parking garage at Luton Airport in the UK last Tuesday evening, prompting flight delays for most of the day.

The fire is believed to have broken out on level three of the multi-story parking garage. Footage shared online reveals that the blaze started with a Range Rover, reportedly a diesel version. The woman who filmed the Range Rover on fire says a fire extinguisher was used to try and put out the flames but the SUV exploded before witnesses could retrieve a fire extinguisher from another floor.

The blaze started at approximately 8:45 p.m. local time and quickly spread. While speaking to BBC News immediately after the fire, Bedfordshire chief fire officer Andy Hopkinson said there was no evidence to suggest that the fire was “anything other than an accidental fire.” He noted that the parking garage did not appear to have sprinklers installed and added that the site’s open sides would have allowed the fire to spread quickly.

Over 100 local firefighters responded to the blaze and many flights scheduled to Luton had to be diverted to Cardiff, Manchester, and Liverpool. Footage shared online by Lad Bible shows that at one stage, a fireball ripped through the parking garage and prompted a partial collapse of one of the floors.

While speaking with the BBC at the time of the fire, the chair of Luton Rising which owns the airport, described the response as a “major operation.”

Read: Fire Beaks Out At $38M Tesla Megapack Storage Unit, Could Burn For Days

“We are working extremely closely with the operator to ensure it’s business as usual for the airport as quickly as possible,” he said. “Disruption is likely to continue until traveling to the airport becomes normal again and passengers should check with their airline.”

A full investigation of the fire is ongoing but Hopkinson added that the fire may have been started by an electrical fault with the Range Rover’s 12-volt battery system. Despite this explanation, many social media users took to X to make unsubstantiated claims that the fire was triggered by an EV, The Autopian reports.

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The Points Guy 

At a time when frequent flyer programs are making it harder to reach status and pulling down benefits, at least one airline is bucking the trend.

Southwest Airlines announced Monday that it will lower the requirements to reach the A-List and A-List Preferred elite tiers of its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program.

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Starting in 2024 (so for the 2025 qualifying year), passengers who take 20 one-way flights — or 10 round-trips — will qualify for A-List, dropping from the current requirement of 25 flights. Alternatively, passengers can still also qualify by earning 35,000 tier qualifying points.

For A-List Preferred, the requirement will drop from 50 one-way trips to 40, while earning 70,000 tier points will continue to automatically qualify travelers for the higher status level.

The airline will also speed up how many tier points members earn from everyday spending on their Southwest co-branded credit cards. Every $5,000 spent will earn a bonus of 1,500 qualifying points, down from the current rate of 1,500 points after $10,000 in spend. That change, which takes effect on Jan. 1 and has no cap or limit, is in addition to the Rapid Rewards points that cardholders earn from spending.

Southwest is also adding a new perk for A-List Preferred members. Starting on Nov. 6, those status holders can get two free premium drinks on every flight with drink vouchers that will be loaded into customers’ accounts and accessed through the Southwest app.

Finally, the airline will make a major change to Rapid Rewards redemptions this coming spring by introducing a new option to use a combination of points and cash. The exact timing and other details — like points valuations — are still being determined, an airline spokesperson said.

Overall, the status qualification changes, along with the changes to qualification point earning, stand in sharp contrast to other airlines’ program changes in recent years, such as Delta’s controversial revamp of the SkyMiles program, which made status significantly harder for many customers to achieve.

The reasoning behind it is a change in the typical profile of customer that Southwest would consider to be a frequent flyer, said Jonathan Clarkson, Southwest’s vice president of marketing.

“There’s been a shift from business to leisure travel” following the pandemic, Clarkson said, “so these changes are more in line with what we’re seeing from those leisure passengers.”

“There’s also more spend on our co-branded credit cards, so these changes seemed to make sense” as a way to reward further spending at all levels, he added.

Clarkson noted that the airline was not concerned about the possibility of its ranks becoming over-inflated, a problem that other airlines — like Delta — experienced in the wake of the pandemic.

“We’re always judicious with these changes, we don’t think that it would cause a problem,” he said.

Airline frequent flyer programs have become increasingly important parts of their business models, both in terms of customer retention, as well as generating revenue through credit card partnerships with banks.

Southwest’s changes come at a time that mainline carriers are leaning more heavily into “premium leisure,” rewarding big spenders who may travel less but spend and engage with the brand more.

Southwest, which does not have a premium cabin and brands itself as more of a hybrid mainline-budget airline, appears to be expecting to find value in leaning into its brand and rewarding customers who travel often, not just those who spend the most.

For now, for those who tend to fly Southwest a lot, 2024 has a lot to look forward to.

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Carscoops 

This story includes a fictional illustration that is neither related to nor endorsed by Alfa Romeo.

We all know that Alfa Romeo plans on expanding its lineup in the next few years, but no one could imagine a minivan being among the brand’s future models – until today. Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, head of design at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, hinted at a possible return of the Autotutto minivan during a recent interview.

Mesonero Romanos was speaking to Autocar about the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar and somehow the conversation led to the Autotutto. For those not familiar with the term, it was used for a series of Alfa Romeo-branded all-purpose light commercial vehicles that remained in production between 1954 and 1983.

The design boss described the Autotutto as “beautiful” and said: “By the way, you wouldn’t be surprised if this returned one day”. What makes things more interesting is that the original Autotutto was also mentioned a little while ago by Alfa Romeo’s CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato. While those remarks are not a solid confirmation that the brand is working on a successor of the classic van, they do open the door to the possibility of such an offering.

More: Volvo EM90 Electric Minivan Makes Early Appearance In China

Luxury minivans are becoming quite popular in China and other Asian markets, prompting premium automakers like Lexus and Volvo to enter the segment. Alfa Romeo could take advantage of modular underpinnings by the parent company Stellantis for cheaper R&D costs.

A possible candidate is the next generation of the Citroen Spacetourer, Peugeot Traveller, Opel Zafira Life, and Fiat Ulysse siblings. In any case, Alfa Romeo’s take would need to distinguish itself in terms of styling rather than being another case of rebadging and offer a far more luxurious and tech-filled interior than the aforementioned LCV-based passenger vans. Finally, a fully electric powertrain with a decent range would be in line with Alfa Romeo’s EV-only future.

So, could Alfa Romeo offer the most luxurious and sporty-looking version of Stellantis’ next-generation vans? The answer to that question likely remains hidden in the drawers of Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and it’s probably too early for a potential project to get the green light for production. Until we get more information on the matter, you can check out our purely fictional rendering below.

This rendering was created by Thanos Pappas for CarScoops with the help of Vizcom.ai

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The Points Guy 

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

In recognition and support of World Food Day on Oct. 16 — a day celebrated globally by several mission-driven organizations to end world hunger and food insecurity — United Airlines, Chase and Visa have joined forces to reward United Visa cardholders who donate to nonprofit organizations that provide hunger relief to communities in dire need. The principal goal is to inspire cardmembers to support nonprofits that are dedicated to the fight to end world hunger.

Between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30, eligible United MileagePlus cardholders are eligible for bonus miles when they donate:

5 miles per dollar for the first $500 in total donations
10 miles per dollar for the next $1,000 in total donations

Cardmembers can earn miles on a maximum of $1,500 in total donations per card. The maximum donation would earn 12,500 miles worth $181.25 based on TPG’s valuations. Eligible cards include the United Gateway Card, the United Explorer Card, the United Quest Card, the United Club Infinite Card, the United Business Card and the United Club Business Card.

The information for the United Club Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The eligible organizations for donations include Capital Area Food Bank, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Feeding America, the Hawaii Foodbank, the Houston Food Bank and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

You can visit united.com/helpendhunger for more details on this limited-time offer.

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Well+Good 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes doing bodyweight exercises like squats or lunges, it feels like I can go on forever. This is decidedly not actually the case, as anyone who has felt the burn in a long segment can attest. But I’ve found that if I add even a little bit of weight to these moves, like in an at-home full-body dumbbell workout, my ability to keep on going gets diminished so much faster. How can a dumbbell change the game so much?

Because adding in an external load—of any amount of weight—challenges your whole body in a way that holding just your own weight does not.

How dumbbells strengthen your whole body

Progressive weight training, or gradually adding more weight, is the tried-and-true method to build muscle on whatever body part you’re targeting. You can turn to a machine, barbells, kettlebells, or other tools for this end, but dumbbells are a great option if you want a multi-faceted workout.

When we think of dumbbells, we might immediately picture bicep curls, but these classic weights are a tool that can do so much more than that. “Using free weights allows you to work various muscle groups,” Vince Sant, lead trainer and co-founder of fitness platform V Shred, previously told Well+Good about when to use weight machines vs. free weights. Dumbbells can challenge your whole body, even beyond the muscle group you’re actively trying to work, by “strengthening stabilizer muscles,” Sant says. “This also helps strengthen your body overall, even if you don’t realize it.”

So adding weights to a bodyweight move that you think might just be working, say, your quads and glutes (like a squat) actually challenges the small muscles supporting your joints (including your spine) throughout your body. That’s because the weights are threatening to throw your typical center of gravity off balance, and it’s up to your body to keep yourself stable while also doing the targeted muscle move.

Finally, dumbbells allow you to put together compound movements, like a squat with a press, which transform an isolated exercise into a full body exertion.

“There are a lot of benefits of doing compound movements, such as working more than one muscle at a time,” trainer Andrea Somer previously told Well+Good. “Compound movements improve how all the muscles in the body work together to produce and control force and stability. They also involve more muscle tissue and require more oxygen.”

Common mistakes people make when using dumbbells at home

The freedom that a free weight workout provides is both the blessing and the curse, because there is room for more mistakes. The biggest pitfall is not using good form.

“One thing to look out for with free weights is a higher risk of injury due to having to control your own form,” says Sant. Machines often provide support via a bench or backrest. Since the free weight requires on you to maintain your own balance (back to those stabilizer muscles), not engaging your core or swaying your back to shift the load are common mistakes.

You also want to make sure you’re picking the right weight. If a weight is too heavy, you will fatigue before the end of the set, and you’ll likely compensate for the struggle by sacrificing your form. The benchmark for the correct weight is that the last few reps of your set should be challenging, but not to the extent that you have to sacrifice that form. Here’s what to look for if you think you need to go up in weights, according to what personal trainer Bianca Vesco told Well+Good:

You can get through all of your reps pretty easily.
You’ve been using the same weights for months.
You have no problem zoning out during your sets.
You’re never sore or fatigued.

Try our at-home full-body dumbbell workout

Another big perk of dumbbells is that you can use them for a workout in your own personal space. The key to making a dumbbell sweat sesh a full body workout is making it balanced, meaning you work multiple major muscle groups, and incorporate different types of motions, such as pulling or pulling, pressing or pushing.

Want to give it a go? This workout from trainer Sara DeBerry for Well+Good’s Trainer of the Month Club delivers a conditioning session for your lower body, upper body, and core in just 20 minutes. A dynamic warm-up has you practicing the moves that you’ll do with dumbbells in the working sets, which allows you to activate your muscles to make the most of the exercise. The meat of the video is two working blocks, which each have two sets of three moves. The first is front-racked squats, curls into Arnold presses, and finally the bodyweight core move, the bear crawl. The second contains deadlifts with an alternating reverse lunge, plank rows with a push-up, and then a core/cardio burst with a broad jump, shuffle back into mountain climbers.

If you’re ready to challenge your whole bod with the help of some dumbbell friends, remember to select a weight that will allow you to sustain 45 seconds sets while maintaining good form, and get after it.

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Carscoops 

Cryptocurrencies have taken a bit of a hammering over the last couple of years, but many younger investors have built their wealth this way, and now Ferrari is letting them buy supercars using blockchain tech.

Ferrari dealers in the U.S. are already taking crypto payments and the service will be rolled out to Europe in early 2024, followed by other regions at a later date due to demand from wealthy clients, the brand’s marketing boss told Reuters. Bitcoin and ether are both accepted by dealers, as is the stablecoin, USDC.

Crypto doesn’t exactly have a great reputation for stability, so Ferrari’s chosen payment processor, BitPay, will immediately convert the digital currencies into traditional money to prevent dealers getting stung by price fluctuations. It’s also BitPay’s job to make sure the crypto payments aren’t the proceeds of criminal activity or being used to launder money or evade taxes.

“This will help us connect to people who are not necessarily our clients but might afford a Ferrari,” Ferrari’s Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Enrico Galliera, told Reuters. “Prices will not change, no fees, no surcharges if you pay through cryptocurrencies.”

Related: Tesla Stops Accepting Bitcoin As Payment Due To Environmental Concerns

This isn’t the first time an automaker has accepted crypto payments. Tesla announced it would accept Bitcoin payments in 2021, but then reversed that decision citing concerns over the amount of fossil fuels used in Bitcoin mining. Ferrari’s Galliera says that cryptocurrencies have increased efforts to reduce their carbon footprint though new software and by replacing fossil fuel-derived energy with renewables in the mining process, and claims that accepting digital currencies does not derail Ferrari’s own green plans.

Earlier this year Electrek reported that Tesla could be about to take crypto payments again. Code was was spotted on Tesla’s retail website suggesting that Bitcoin would be reinstated as a payment method.

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Carscoops 

Alpine’s R&D team is back at the Nurburgring testing its mystery hardcore A110, and this time it’s roped in F1 driver Esteban Ocon to help out Renault/Alpine’s chief test driver Laurent Hugron with the driving.

The pair spent a couple of days at the ’Ring with the same track-focused prototype we’ve seen a few times before, but this time our spy photographer didn’t only reel off a load of images, he was also able to time the A110 around the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) track while Ocon was behind the wheel.

Our multi-tasking snapper’s stopwatch showed 7:18.77 minutes, making it faster than the late, great Porsche Cayman GT4, but slower than the still-kicking and even greater GT4 RS. Porsche’s test team recorded 7:28 in the regular GT4 in 2019, and 7:09.3 in the GT4 RS two years later, and cut that time to 7:03.12 with the help of some Manthey Racing parts this summer.

Of course, we’ll have to wait for Alpine to publish its own figures to know if there’s more to come from the hot A110, which could be badged RS or Trophy-R, just like the old Renault Megane, itself a one-time Nurburgring record holder. The current A110 range-topper, the A110 R, weighs just 1,082 kg (2,385 lbs) and there’s talk of the new model coming in below 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs), which would make it far lighter than the 1,415 kg (3,120 lbs) Cayman GT4 RS.

Related: Alpine A110 Prototype Spied With More Aggressive Aero

Alpine test driver Laurent Hugron (left) and F1 driver Esteban Ocon spent two days at the Nurburgring

But then the GT4 RS generates 493 hp (500 PS) from its 4.0-liter flat-six, so even if the Alpine does weigh in at 1,000 kg it is going to need at least 350 hp (355 PS) to match the Porsche’s power-to-weight ratio. The most Alpine has so far extracted from its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is 296 hp (300 PS), and you get the same number of horses in both the A110 S, GT, and R, the R’s upgrades being more about cutting weight and improving the suspension and aerodynamics.

The new Alpine flagship will go further again in every area, and our spy photo team spotted that this prototype was equipped with a slightly different rear spoiler and brake calipers than seen on previous test cars. Alpine hasn’t released any teasers about the car’s impending arrival yet, but we have a feeling it’s not too far away. It won’t be cheap, though. The £89,990 ($110,000) A110 R already commands a stiff 45 percent premium over the A110 S, and this new model is guaranteed to be more expensive again.

Baldauf

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The Points Guy 

In terms of airport lounges, American Express is undeniably a trailblazer.

The card issuer opened its first Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas in 2013, and it has since welcomed cardmembers into the blue doors of 26 more outposts.

While airlines have long operated branded clubs for their frequent flyers, Amex was the first of the major card issuers to build a proprietary network of airport lounges.

Now, 10 years later, Amex is facing some growing competition from Capital One and Chase. But despite that, it’s still planning another exciting decade of expansion and growth.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Centurion Lounge, TPG spoke with Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, to hear her reflections on the past decade and her take on where things are headed next.

Local yet worldwide lounges

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Over the past 10 years, the Centurion Lounge network has undergone two pivotal changes.

The changes started when the issuer revised its design philosophy for its clubs. Instead of simply building luxurious spaces in major airports, Amex has focused on integrating local elements into each of its lounges, Hendley said.

This transition started to become apparent toward the end of the decade in recently opened spaces in New York, Charlotte and Los Angeles. However, it’s something that has been on the Amex team’s mind since the start.

“Every lounge is different. Every lounge now has a touch of the local experience,” Hendley said as she explained the transition toward a more locally influenced design philosophy.

In her mind, this local design is one of the key differentiators from airline-branded lounges, and it’s something that cardmembers are especially excited about, she said.

In addition to infusing local touches in lounge design, Amex also made a strategic decision in July 2021 to integrate all existing Centurion-branded worldwide lounges into the broader Centurion Lounge portfolio.

For years, Amex had two different “flavors” of Centurion Lounges. Those in the U.S. were typically newer and nicer, while those outside the U.S. (except for London and Hong Kong) had generally seen better days.

In order to quickly grow the Centurion Lounge network, Amex folded these 12 international outposts into the Centurion Lounge network with a full rebrand and renovation, Hendley added.

Currently, the issuer operates 27 lounges worldwide, with plans to add a couple more in the coming years. (More on that below.)

The beginning of a new segment

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Amex was already thinking about a redesign and expansion in the early days, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the issuer started facing some real competition with the opening of the first Capital One Lounge in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

While Amex enjoyed an eight-year monopoly, the airport lounge wars are now more ferocious than ever, with issuers building bigger and better outposts.

Capital One recently opened its second outpost at Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Chase unveiled two new locations in Boston and Hong Kong in recent months. These competitors also have a long list of additional locations opening in the coming years.

As the credit card wars take on a new dimension (the airport), Hendley is mostly unphased by the competition.

“The customers love the product of the lounges, and that we’re just going to continue doing what we’re doing, continuing to innovate, continuing to grow, to continue to put the customers at the front of what we do,” she said.

Hendley hasn’t been into a Capital One or Chase lounge yet. However, her team has been busy doing some competitive research into what works and what doesn’t for the competitors.

Crowding concerns

Ask about the current state of airport lounges, and almost all frequent flyers will mention overcrowding as a key concern nowadays.

Perhaps it’s because Amex actually built lounges that people want to visit or because The Platinum Card® from American Express is more popular than ever. Still, there are no two ways about it: The Centurion Lounge is often the busiest club in the airport and possibly in the entire city in which it resides.

Over the years, we’ve seen countless pictures and videos of long lines entering the club, with disgruntled cardmembers being turned away or told to wait in line until space has become available.

Overcrowding is partially a structural issue since there’s a finite cap on how much space Amex can lease for lounge expansions. But Hendley shared that “if you have to wait, on average, it’s about 10 to 15 minutes. Most of our customers are understanding (of the wait).”

That said, Amex has revised the lounge access policy a few times during the past decade to cut down on overcrowding. Most recently, the issuer removed complimentary guest access from the Platinum card, but Hendley declined to comment on how much this is helping Amex combat overcrowding.

What’s next for Centurion Lounges

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

According to Hendley, Amex is “always” thinking about growing the Centurion Lounge network, but the issuer is notoriously reticent when it comes to sharing upcoming opening and retrofit plans.

Right now, there are just three confirmed upcoming Centurion Lounges — one in Washington, D.C., another in Atlanta and a third in Newark.

The issuer hasn’t confirmed any upcoming renovations or expansions of existing lounges, but it seems like Amex isn’t resting on its laurels.

“As we get into next year, we’ll have more [to share],” Hendley said.

Where exactly Amex will go next is anyone’s guess, but it seems like some of the focus will be on lounge retrofits.

“Even within existing spaces, we’re at the moment working on several of those to retrofit and continue to enhance the space,” she added.

Regardless of what comes next, rest assured that TPG will cover the latest and greatest from Amex.

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Carscoops 

More than 300,000 new electric vehicles were sold in the United States in the third quarter, representing a notable 49.8% increase from Q3 2022 meaning EVs accounted for 7.9% of total industry sales.

Data released by Kelley Blue Book reveals that 313,086 new EVs were sold across the country last quarter. This is up from the 298,039 that were sold in Q2 and the EV share of 7.9% of the market is also up from the 7.2% in Q2.

Tesla continues to dominate the EV market but its share of the market has started to fall. In Q1, no less than 62% of all new EVs sold in the U.S. were from Tesla. In Q3, that figure had slipped to 50%, the lowest level on record. While Cox Automotive notes that the Cybertruck could reverse this trend, there’s no doubt that Tesla is facing stiff competition.

Read: EVs Account For 7.2% Of New Car Sales In The U.S. Between January And July

The data reveals that many car manufacturers reported significant increases in EV sales in Q3 compared to the year prior. Volvo, Nissan, Mercedes, and Hyundai all saw increases of over 200% thanks primarily to the introduction of new and enticing models. BMW also reported sales more than triple what they were a year ago while Audi posted an EV sales gain of 94%.

With the exception of brands like Tesla, Fisker, Rivian, and VinFast which sell nothing but EVs, BMW had the highest proportion of its sales made up by EVs of any mainstream automaker, sitting at 15.6%. This puts it above Audi at 12.7%, Volvo at 12.6%, VW at 12.2%, and Mercedes-Benz at 12%.

Cox Automotive says that the number of available EVs on the U.S. market will double by 2027 and as such, sales are expected to continue to rise.

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Carscoops 

Ford may cut a shift at the factory responsible for building the F-150 Lightning due to an alleged drop in demand for the electric pickup truck.

A letter sent out by the UAW chapter official who represents workers at the Michigan factory responsible for building the truck claims that the firm will cancel a shift and wants to increase production of its combustion-powered pickups. It has been 18 months since production of the F-150 Lightning commenced and already, sales appear to have dropped significantly.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that our sales for the Lightning have tanked,” the official wrote.

Read: Ford’s F-150 Lightning Plant Is Back Online, Targeting Annual Capacity Of 150,000 Units

The Wall Street Journal spoke with Ford about the letter. The car manufacturer declined to comment on the possibility of dropping a shift on a long-term basis but did say that supply-chain disruptions and quality checks mean there will be schedule changes in the short term. The Ford spokeswoman added that it is these constraints that have forced it to temporarily cut a shift impacting 700 workers.

Soon after launching the F-150 Lightning, Ford increased its production plans twice with the intention of building 150,000 examples annually. However, the carmaker reported a 45.8% drop in sales of the electric pickup in the U.S. through the third quarter. This came despite Ford cutting prices of certain F-150 Lightning models by as much as $10,000 in July, reversing price increases it made earlier in the year due to the soaring cost of raw materials.

Ford is aiming to produce 600,000 EVs annually by the end of 2024, some 12 months after it had initially planned to reach that figure. Chief executive Jim Farley said this was because the firm expects the “EV market to remain volatile until the winners and losers shake out.”

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