Here are some bits from the travel, points, and miles world this week that you might not have seen.
Opening a Bank Account with a Selfie
Yep, with HSBC and Barclays now in the UK, you can open bank accounts by taking a selfie and uploading it to them for verification. For HSBC, it is only business accounts right now but they have signaled that they want to expand it beyond the UK and business accounts. It would be really nice to see Chase bring something like that to the US to combine with their fantastic cash bonuses for opening new accounts! – Link
Samsung Note 7 Banned on Multiple Airlines
Because some of the new Samsung Note 7 phones have burst into flames, Samsung had issued a worldwide recall of 2.5 million devices that is estimated at costing the electronics giant between $1 – $5 billion! Because of the dangers that a random phone could have this problem (even though the number has been very small), airlines around the world are issuing bans on using this particular phone on the aircraft. While many airlines are banning their use aboard the planes, the FAA has only issued a strong urging about it and not an outright ban. – Link
Wells Fargo Fires 5,300 Employees in Light of 2 Million Fraudulent Accounts
This was a big one. Federal regulators this week released the report and news that Wells Fargo employees had set up about 2 million fraudulent accounts (bank and credit) to take advantage of sales bonuses. Wells Fargo has also been given a $185 million fine for these practices, which included having some of their customers be hit with fees for insufficient funds when the employees moved the money around different accounts. – Link
WOW Air Brings Flights to Miami
For those that want to escape the heat of Miami in the summer, Iceland can be your new destination next year as WOW Air has announced they are bringing their services there. WOW is the airline that has the fantastic $99 sale fares from the US so this could be a great, cheap way to get to someplace cooler – for less than a ticket to NY! Just remember to check those fees that they assess on, well just about everything! – Link
Citi Credit Card Locking Feature
It happens – we sometimes misplace our credit card(s) or leave it/them at a store. Now, Citi gives you the ability to “lock” your card so it cannot be used until you find it. This sure beats calling in and getting a new one, with new numbers to update everywhere, issued! Login your account to learn more!
That’s it for today’s roundup! Hope you have a great weekend!
