Be careful, Marriott’s new promotion isn’t quite as generous as it has been in the past
Marriott's latest global promotion is now live and it's one of the best Marriott promotions that we've seen for a while. It isn't, however, quite as generous as a similar promotion that it has run in the past, so this is a gentle warning not to expect too much.
Deal: Earn 10 Amex points/dollar (or 10% cash back) on IHG bookings
Rakuten is back with another good cash back offer with which you can earn 10% cash back or 10 Amex Membership Rewards Points per dollar on most IHG (InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc...) bookings. It's not clear how long this offer will last for so don't wait too long if you have an IHG stay that you need to book.
Review: JAL Sakura Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
I found myself in the JAL lounge for two reasons. Reason 1 - Qatar Airways (the airline I was flying with) doesn’t allow passengers who are traveling on a ‘Business Lite’ fare to use their lounge in Bangkok. Reason 2 - Because the Cathay Pacific lounge had closed for the day and I had to find somewhere else to do some work before my flight.
This is the new IHG One Rewards Diamond fast track offer (targeted)
IHG One Rewards is targeting select members for its latest fast track to top-tier elite status promotion which is running through 24 March 2024. The promotion requires targeted members to stay just 8 nights at any of IHG's properties around the world before the promotion's end date, and that will then earn them top-tier Diamond elite status.
Status Match: Get SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus status with just one premium cabin award flight (beware surcharges)
Yesterday, Virgin Atlantic launched a very generous status match promotion targeted at British Airways flyers, but overnight, a slight change to the airline's usual status match rules may have made Virgin's status match for other airline elites a little bit more interesting.
Generous Virgin Atlantic status match for British Airways elites
It's probably not a coincidence that just a few days after British Airways made a mess of announcing how it plans to align all BAEC members' elite status years, that Virgin Atlantic has published one of the more generous status matches that I've seen. Unfortunately, however, if you've status marched to Virgin Atlantic in the past, you're not invited to the party.
Emirates will finally resume service to Adelaide this year
It's easy to forget that the fallout the airline industry felt from the coronavirus pandemic is, to some degree, still with us, but the fact is that a significant number of routes that were operating before the pandemic have not yet been restarted, so it's always nice to hear when one such route returns.
BIG NEWS: Hilton & Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) agree a new partnership
Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) have announced a new partnership which as the press release puts it, will 'dramatically expand the luxury experiences offered by Hilton' and will see SLH properties participating in the Hilton Honors program.
Decoding the British Airways move to align Tier Point earning years
Yesterday, British Airways announced that it would be changing the timeframe in which members of its Executive Club program earn Tier Points (elite qualifying points) and to say that the messaging coming from the airline has been poor would be a gross understatement. It has been a mess.
British Airways aligns elite status years and the results are as clear as mud
One of the stranger things about the British Airways Executive Club has long been the fact that a member's elite status year has been based on when they joined the program and not on a standard program year shared by all other members. My elite status year, for example, ends in December, while Joanna's ends in March and that can make things awkward. Apparently, this won't be how things work for much longer.
American Airlines will offer a new service to Brisbane later this year [Updated for schedule update]
American Airlines has announced that it plans to operate a seasonal service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Brisbane from later this year signalling the arrival of a new longest non-stop route for the airline, and over the weekend, the airline added the flights to its schedule.
11 reasons to love the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (most are reasons why I hold it right now)
I hold considerably more credit cards than I can fit into my wallet, so only a few of my cards come with me wherever I am and wherever I go. Some cards have a home in my smartphone wallet but not my actual wallet, and some have to make do with a space in my desk drawer until such time that they're called into action. One or two, however, never leave my side.
Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Qatar Airways sends 'Business Lite' passengers with elite status to one of the many 'Miracle' lounges in the airport, but as I knew that Cathay Pacific wouldn't turn me away and would probably offer a considerably better experience, that was the first lounge that I went to (I tried the JAL lounge later).
Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners & transfer times [2025 Edition]
American Express Membership Rewards offers Amex cardholders the opportunity to earn one of the four big transferable currencies in the miles & points world – Membership Rewards Points – and these points can be transferred to a variety of other loyalty programs affiliated with major airlines and hotel chains.
British Airways is celebrating the Lunar New Year with surprise upgrades & new menu items (very limited time)
Apparently, 10 February is the Lunar New Year, so in honor of the 'year of the dragon', British Airways is adding a few new things to its menus (for a limited time), and on select long haul routes, some passengers will receive a surprise upgrade into Business Class.
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok review
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Chase Ultimate Rewards: Transfer partners & transfer times [updated 2025 edition]
Chase Ultimate Rewards offers holders of select Chase credit cards the opportunity to earn one of the four big transferable currencies in the miles & points world – Ultimate Rewards points - and these points can be transferred across to a variety of other loyalty programs affiliated to major airlines and hotel chains. In this article, we take a look at these airline and hotel partners.
Promotion: Earn 50% more miles on select Singapore Airlines bookings (+ more)
Singapore Airlines is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its KrisFlyer program with a series of promotions that include bonus miles on flights, extra ways of earning elite status credits, and discounts on shopping purchases made with miles.
Which credit cards are best for overseas everyday spending?
There are increasingly more and more credit cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees when you use them abroad, and that's a trend that has been very good for those of us who like to travel. But when it comes to general everyday spending when you're outside of the US, most of these cards don't offer a great return. So which cards do?
Complete guide to the Marriott Bonvoy elite breakfast benefit
One of the benefits that comes with Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status is complimentary breakfast, but Marriott has made the benefit so complicated that you need a definitive guide to understand it. Here is your guide.
Qatar Airways 777-300ER Business Class (non-Qsuite) review
The famous Qatar Airways Qsuite is probably the best-known Business Class seat in the world, and it was a seat that was originally introduced on the airline's 777 aircraft a number of years ago. In this article, however, the Qatar Airways 777 that's being reviewed has not had the Qsuite installed so, a little surprisingly, I was given a trip back in time.
British Airways has pulled its third daily service to/from Newark
Coming up to two years' ago, British Airways announced that it would add a third daily flight to its Heathrow - Newark route and give New York flyers a 'daytime' transatlantic option that doesn't involve JFK.
Make the most of Rakuten’s $30/3,000 Amex points bonus for referrals
Rakuten is one of my favorite cash back sites because it allows users to choose between earning pure cash back or Amex points in place of that cash back, and as we wrote about how you can choose to earn Amex points through Rakuten yesterday, today seems like a good time to write about the referral bonus that Rakuten also offers.
Qatar Airways Platinum Lounge Doha International Airport (South) review
If you're flying on a 'Business Lite' fare with Qatar Airways, your ticket will not get you access to the best known Business Class lounge in Doha - the Al Mourjan Lounge. Instead, the airline will relegate you to one of its lesser lounges, and the lounge to which you're relegated will depend on your elite status.
Earn 1,000 Etihad miles on each Hyatt stay through March
Hyatt and Etihad have announced a new promotion in which members of the Etihad Guest program can now earn 1,000 bonus miles on Hyatt stays made by the end of March. Award stays count in the same way as revenue stays, so this could represent an easy way to top up and Etihad account or to simply keep and Etihad balance alive.
Save on a Sixt+ rental car subscription with this targeted offer
Apparently, Amex wasn't satisfied with publishing just four rental car offers because after putting out deals for Hertz, Alamo, Avis and Budget, it has now launched a new targeted offer for spending on a Sixt+ subscription.
Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha mini review
In the middle of a recent set of flights with Qatar Airways, I found myself (unexpectedly) staying at the Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, and while the stay wasn't long enough for me to justify calling this report a 'full review', what you'll find in this article should be more than enough to let you know what the property is like and what it offers.
Aer Lingus has moved in with American Airlines in Chicago
Historically, Aer Lingus has operated out of Terminal 5 at Chicago O'Hare but as of 24 January, the airline has moved out of the international terminal and is now sharing a terminal with American Airlines.
UK now won’t lift airport liquids restrictions until 2025
By June of this this year, all the UK's major airports were meant to have new scanners which would have meant the end on the liquid restrictions that have been in place since 2006 (yes, we've been putting up with this nonsense for nearly 2 decades). That deadline is now in tatters.
Do I give American Airlines long-haul Business Class another try? (opinions please)
It wasn't just the American Airlines AAdvantage program that I turned my back on a few years ago, the airline itself started to see a lot less of my business, and in a couple of months' time, it will be four years since I last flew internationally with American Airlines (5 years if you don't count one flight taken during the pandemic).
Qatar Airways 787-9 Business Class review (Ascent seat)
The best known Qatar Airways Business Class seat is the Qsuite that you'll find on the airline's A350 and 777 aircraft, but because the 787-9 isn't wide enough to accommodate the Qsuite in a 1-2-1 layout, some of the newest aircraft in the Qatar Airways long-haul fleet have an entirely different seat. They have the Ascent seat from Adient Aerospace. and that's the seat that you'll see in this review.
A look at seven of the major hotel best rate guarantees (what they say & what they offer)
The rules of the various best rate guarantees offered by the major hotel chains and the compensation these guarantees offers can vary significantly, so what you'll find in this article is a look at each of the key guarantees currently published and some of my thoughts on what they offer.
Reminder: RewardsPlus is currently running a special promo for United & Marriott top-tier elites
As we covered the Marriott/United partnership yesterday, now seems like a good time to for a reminder that top-tier Marriott Bonvoy and with United MileagePlus elites are being offered a limited-time promotion which allows them to earn upgrades in the other's loyalty program.
My day to forget as Qatar Airways service standards hit a new low (a 3-part saga!)
I've recently enjoyed a short but very useful trip to Bangkok, and it was Qatar Airways that flew me there from Europe. Reviews of the Business Class cabins that I flew in are on their way (all four were different), but before I move on to those, I'd like to share the experiences that I had with the airline's ground services in Oslo, in the air, and in Doha - they weren't good!
Delta is launching a new elite status match promotion [Update: now live]
It’s possible that Delta may be seeing (or is predicting) a significant decrease in the number of SkyMiles elite members, and that its 2023 devaluation may (finally) be the straw that broke the camel’s back for a lot of its frequent flyers. I say this because it looks like Delta is going fishing for new SkyMiles elites in 2024 with a promotion that's coming at some point this month.
Two small things that airlines do that I really wish they didn’t
For most people, truly bad experiences with airlines are not a common occurrence, and so while an airline stranding us somewhere overnight, losing our baggage for days, or cancelling our flight at the last moment, are all examples of highly stressful situations, these aren’t the things that annoy me most.
A look inside the refurbished Intercontinental Bangkok (classic room, spa, pool + more)
In May of 2022, the InterContinental Bangkok closed for a much needed refurbishment and a little over a year later, in June 2023, the property reopened with renovated rooms and public areas as well as a refreshed Club Lounge. On our recent visit to the Thai capital, I stopped by the InterContinental Bangkok (not to be confused with the new InterContinental Bangkok Sukhumvit) to see what effect the refurbishment has had, and you can see the results of the refurbishment below.
This is how much top-tier airline status costs me each year
I gave up on the AAdvantage program and Executive Platinum status as soon as American Airlines introduced Elite Qualifying Dollars and the concept of a minimum spend requirement, and since then, I've been using the British Airways Executive Club as my primary airline program.
How the Marriott Bonvoy & United Airlines partnership works
In recent weeks we have highlighted Marriott's recently enhanced partnership with Singapore Airlines and its partnership with Emirates, so it makes sense to now cover the more major of Marriott's airline partnerships - it's partnership with United Airlines MileagePlus.
Marriott’s Madi Paidi Autograph Collection property in Bangkok (newest Marriott in Bangkok)
Having only opened its doors in September 2023, the Madi Paidi Bangkok is Marriott's newest property in Thailand's capital and it's the first Autograph Collection property in the country. As TFM was in the hotel's neighborhood taking a look the new InterContinental Bangkok Sukhumvit, we decided to drop by the property to see what is has to offer.
The Hyatt Place London City East deserves credit for choosing to be better
Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties are usually functional rather than sexy and economical rather than indulgent, so it’s not altogether surprising that we don’t often hear anyone singing their praises. In this article, however, I’m going to make sure that one Hyatt Place gets the credit that it deserves.
How the Marriott and Emirates partnership works
Marriott's partnership with Singapore Airlines was making news a couple of weeks ago, but that's not the only airline partnership that the hotel giant has. There's Marriott's strong partnership with United Airlines and as I'm about to discuss, there the partnership with Emirates as well.
The hotel points game is alive and well, you just have to play harder
At the risk of sounding old, I'm going to say that the miles & points game was a lot easier 15 years ago. Back then, most travel loyalty programs still had fixed award charts, international flight upgrades weren't rarer than unicorns, hotels didn't (usually) play games with elite benefits, and 'Bonvoy' wasn't a verb.
The new InterContinental Bangkok Sukhumvit (our first look)
The InterContinental Bangkok Sukhumvit is IHG's the newest luxury property in Bangkok and following a soft opening that started on 1 December, the property will be celebrating its official grand opening tomorrow, 23 January 2024. Over the weekend, TFM was shown around the latest addition to the InterContinental brand, so this is where I'm going to share the pictures that were taken on the tour.
Interesting: Two Starbucks locations have joined Priority Pass in the UK
Mostly, the restaurants and cafes that partner with Priority Pass are names that most people haven't heard of, but as I was looking through the list of recently added eateries on the Priority Pass website (I had jet lag and couldn't sleep!), I noticed that two Starbucks locations at airports in the UK have recently signed up.
InterContinental London – The O2 (a mini review)
Towards the end of December, I had a one night stay at the InterContinental London O2, and while that one night wasn't quite long enough for full review of the property, what follows should give you a good idea of what you can expect when you stay.
This is why you should have one of the two Chase Sapphire cards
Chase issues the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit cards and if you like to travel, if you enjoy playing the miles and points game and if you like being able to earn valuable points with relative ease, you should probably have one of these cards in your wallet...but not necessarily because of what these cards offer on their own.
British Airways A321neo Club Europe (Business Class) review
Club Europe is the name that British Airways gives to its short haul Business Class cabin and on this trip, I was traveling between London and Cyprus which, at over 2,000 miles, is one of the longer routes on which Club Europe is offered.
It's also a route on which BA often operates its largest short haul aircraft - the Airbus A321neo - so as we haven't reviewed this aircraft before, this trip gave me chance to put that right.
A big issue that I have with Hyatt’s US expansion plans
Nowadays, an easy, almost lazy, way to criticise Hyatt is to complain about the size of its footprint compared to the large footprints enjoyed by Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. But that overlooks the fact that Hyatt has been working hard to add more and more properties to the World of Hyatt program, and that overall, it has been doing a pretty good job of expanding its footprint where it can.
Cash upgrades are not affecting British Airways Avios earnings on pre-devaluation bookings
Back in October last year, British Airways changed the way that Avios are earned as it moved from a model where the number of Avios awarded is based on a combination of the fare class and the distance flown, to a model where the number of Avios awarded is based entirely on the cost of a fare.
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge Heathrow Terminal 3
Recently, I found myself flying out of Heathrow Terminal 3 for the first time in quite a few years, and this gave me the opportunity to revisit the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge that I haven’t reviewed since 2017.
Ok … so this was new!
If you fly with any kind of frequency, you’ll eventually encounter most situations that you’ll read about in the frequent flyer forums online. Missed connections, unplanned overnight layovers, aborted landings, violent turbulence (keep your seat belts fastened!) and storms closing airports are just some of the things that you’ll probably experience at some point during your travels.
Throwback to August 1992 when American Airlines operated to three ‘London’ airports
Aeroroutes has published a fun post in which it shows what American Airlines operations between the US and London looked like almost 32 years ago. Back then, TWA was still around, American Airlines still had the iconic polished airframes, 10-across seating in Economy Class was still a few decades away, reality TV wasn’t a thing, and to be a ‘celebrity’, you actually had to do something of note. Halcyon days!
I’m giving away my Hyatt Club Access Awards (expire end of February)
As a Hyatt Globalist member, the Club Access Awards that I have earned over the past two years are not of any real use to me as my status gives me access to Hyatt’s clubs/lounges anyway and, up until now, they have just gone unused. Now, however, thanks to the gifting option that’s live on Hyatt’s website, I can give them away to someone who can use them on a future stay … so that’s what I plan to do.
Details of the new Marriott Bonvoy/MGM Rewards partnership (brace for disappointment!)
Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Rewards have finally announced the details of their upcoming partnership that is set to go live at some point this year. The partnership covers benefits offered to each program's members when they stay at Marriott and MGM properties, the assimilation of four MGM properties into three of Marriott's brands, and the creation of the MGM Collection.
Qatar Airways customer service is not always what it should be
I'm a big fan of Qatar Airways because my onboard experiences have always been pretty good. Some flights have been noticeably better than others, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to say that I've never had a bad in-flight experience when traveling with the airline (the fact that I'm always in Business Class probably helps!)
The British Airways First lounge at T5 has been given a minor refresh
I haven’t passed through the British Airways First Lounge at Heathrow T5 since mid-October last year, but since my last visit the lounge has undergone a minor refresh.
The one key change to earning United MileagePlus elite status in 2024
Over the past couple of weeks, we have gone over some of the changes that have been brought in (or announced) for 2024 by Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and American Airlines, so it's only fair that we also look at the one key change that United's MileagePlus program has introduced for the 2024 elite year.
The BA First Wing security lanes are closed. This is what it’s like now.
As we reported last week, British Airways has, without any real warning, closed the two security lanes that are attached to the First Wing at London Heathrow T5 while works are done to install new scanners. Since then, I’ve had a chance to try out the alternative arrangement and as promised in last week’s article, here’s an update on what eligible passengers can expect.
The Marriott Bonvoy & Singapore KrisFlyer status match offer
When you look into the Bonvoy program closely, you'll find that Marriott has relationships with considerably more airlines that any other hotel loyalty program and that with some airlines, like Emirates and United Airlines, it even has a reciprocal benefits agreement (of sorts).
The four changes to Southwest Rapid Rewards for 2024
Back in October 2023, Southwest announced three ways in which it would be changing the elite status experience for its flyers in 2024 and one new option that it's introducing for all Rapid Rewards members, so before we get any further into the new year, here's a look at what those four changes are.
Connecting through Heathrow with British Airways? Check your bookings!
If you're traveling with British Airways and connecting at Heathrow Terminal 5, you may need to check your booking to make sure that everything is still in order because thanks to a small change that the airline has made, some passengers will need to be rebooked on to an alternative connecting flight.
British Airways closes its top-tier elite security lines at Heathrow (temporarily)
Access to the 'First Wing' at London Heathrow Terminal 5 is one of the big perks of British Airways top-tier status as it offers First Class travelers, Executive Club Gold members, and Oneworld Emeralds a sea of tranquillity amidst, what can be, an ocean of stressed-out passengers, screaming children and security lines that go on for miles.
New: Spend Avios on experiences with Qatar Airways (shows, concerts, sporting events, etc…)
Marriott Bonvoy and a few other programs have been giving allowing members to spend their points/miles on experiences (tickets to concerts, sporting events, etc...) for some time, and now Qatar Airways has joined in with the unveiling of its 'Privilege Club Collection'.
American Airlines announces positive changes to the AAdvantage program
American Airlines has put out a press release addressing its plans for the AAdvantage program in 2024 and surprisingly, the news is actually good. Benefits are not being enhanced away, elite status is not being made harder to earn, award charts aren't being decimated, and there's no suggestion that the airline plans to hold the members of its frequent flyer program in the same contempt as Delta holds SkyMiles members.
Keep your seat belt fastened (even when the fasten seat belt light is out)
In the wake of the recent serious incident on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 where a deactivated exit door blew out leaving behind a gaping hole in the fuselage and a cabin that depresuried in seconds, this is a quick reminder that it's almost always a good idea to keep your seat belt fastened, even when the fasten seat belt light is out.
Generate up to 10,000 Avios, Miles, Points from just 0.49 cents each [Targeted]
Outside of credit card welcome bonuses, one of the easiest ways to boost a miles and points balance without going to much effort and without spending any money that you wouldn't have otherwise spent is to make use of the various shopping portals which are operated on behalf of the major loyalty programs.
Reminder: Hilton is offering up to 25% off in its Europe, Africa & Middle East sale
We've recently highlighted the latest Europe sale from IHG and the latest Europe, Africa, and Middle East sale from Hyatt so it's probably only fair that we remind readers that Hilton was the first of the big hotel chains to launch an EMEA sale and that it's still a sale that you can book.
Booking an IHG stay? Get up to 12% cash back with these offers
The dawn of a new year usually sees a rise in the number of people planning and booking travel, and with IHG currently running a winter sale for stays in Europe, there's a good chance that quite a few people are considering an IHG property for their next trip. What a lot of these people may not know is that they can currently get up to 12% cash back on their new booking.
Changes to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elite status for 2024
In late 2023, Alaska Airlines announced several changes to its loyalty program that would take effect this year, so as we're now just five days into the new elite qualification year, here's a quick look at what changes have been made (and what further changes are coming) to Mileage Plan elite status in 2024 and beyond.
Four ways Hyatt should have gone further with its World of Hyatt changes
Some aspects of the World of Hyatt program (Milestone Rewards and the Guest of Honor benefit) have been refreshed for 2024 and, on the whole, the changes that Hyatt has made are positive. The fact is, however, that as far as some benefits are concerned, the changes didn't really go far enough.
Marriott Bonvoy is giving members ‘soft landings’ this year
If you had Marriott Bonvoy elite status in 2023 but didn't earn enough elite night credits to retain elite status 2024, you may be expecting to lose that status after your benefits run out at the end of February. That is, after all, what usually happens (when pandemics aren't ravaging the planet).
Is this an unethical use of one of Hyatt’s new benefit changes?
After considering one of the recent changes made to the World of Hyatt program, I can see a way to use the change in a way that could benefit our household but that isn't in the spirit of how the benefit is supposed to work, so I'm now considering the ethics behind using the change/benefit in this way.
Hyatt & Chase really need to address this frustrating issue
One of the major selling points of the World of Hyatt credit card is that cardholders can earn 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 of spending charged to their card. For big spenders, this can offer an easy pathway to World of Hyatt elite status without the need for many Hyatt stays while for the rest of us, these nights can make earning or retaining status slightly easier.
Threadneedles Autograph Collection hotel review (London)
This review of Threadneedles is based on a single night stay, but because the property isn't particularly large and because it's more a of a boutique hotel than a major tourist hotel, that was more than enough to give me a very good idea of what the hotel is like and what it offers.
Marriott Bonvoy changes to suite night awards for 2024
With the deadline for Marriott's Annual Choice Benefits approaching (7 January) and with the default option for those not meeting that deadline being 5 Suite Night Awards, this seems like an opportune time to remind TFM readers that Marriott Suite Night Awards will be getting a new name and will work in a slightly different way this year.
The promised changes to the World of Hyatt are now live
Hyatt announced a few key changes to the World of Hyatt program back in November last year and now that the new year has come around, those changes are in full effect. Fortunately, this set of changes hasn't brought about much to disappoint most Hyatt loyalists, but with Milestone Rewards and Guest of Honor benefits now looking very different to how they looked last year, now seems a good time to go over just what these changes are.
2024: Another year in travel, miles & points coming up
So, here we go again. Another year has past and another begins and that means that, for a lot of us, the the quest for the miles and points that make that our travels more comfortable and more affordable begins all over again.
Etihad is very deliberately suppressing partner award availability (take a look)
Some of the better value flight awards that are still available in the miles and points world are Etihad premium cabin awards booked with Aeroplan or American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Right now, however, it looks like Etihad is working hard to make sure that these awards aren't available to be booked and it's not even being subtle with how it's doing this.
American Airlines applies for a new Tokyo Haneda route
Following United's announcement (yesterday) that it has applied to the DoT to operate a service between Houston and Tokyo Haneda, American Airlines has now stepped up and confirmed that it has applied to operate a new service between New York JFK and Haneda.
JetBlue has a transatlantic problem (fares, offering, frequency, etc…)
We're now two years into JetBlue's transatlantic expansion and while we've seen the airline launch routes to London, Paris and more recently, Amsterdam, I'm not convinced that JetBlue's transatlantic offering is as compelling as a lot us hoped that it would be when it was first launched.
ITA Airways will fly between Rome and Chicago in 2024 (Business Class awards available)
ITA Airways (Italy's Alitalia in a new guise) will be operating between Rome and Chicago from April next year and seats for this new route are already on sale. From a miles & points perspective, it's good to see that Business Class awards are also now available with surcharges starting at just $5.60.
Which key credit cards offer hotel elite status?
Frequent visitors to this site may have already seen our article coveringing hotel loyalty programs that offer lifetime elite status and our article that looks at whether or not lifetime elite status with hotel loyalty programs is a worthwhile thing to pursue, so a natural progression from those articles is to take a look at the credit cards that offer cardholders elite status with some of the major hotel chains as part of their overall package of benefits.
An Amex upgrade offer I was surprised to see in my account
I tend not to apply for a lot of credit cards every year so without the regular influx of points from juicy welcome offers, I'm always looking for other ways to boost my various account balances. Chase and Citi don't really make things very easy, but American Express has come to my aid on quite a few occasions by offering me a bonus to upgrade one of my cards.
Just 7 days to book before the British Airways devaluation
For flights booked from 18 October 2023 onwards, British Airways will be offering members of its Executive Club program considerably fewer Avios that it currently does as it transitions part of its rewards program to a spending-based model.
Amex has made it harder to get a welcome bonus on the American Express® Gold Card
Unfortunately, following a recent update to the terms and conditions that accompany the American Express® Gold Card, a significant number of American Express customers who do not yet hold this card, will not be eligible for a welcome bonus should they apply for the card in the future.
United Airlines slightly improves schedules on select summer 2024 transatlantic routes
In the past few days, United Airlines has pushed through a number of updates to its schedules which have seen the airline make (mostly) positive changes to a number of the transatlantic routes that it plans to operate during summer 2024.
Hyatt Place New York/Chelsea review (City View/King Bed room)
The Hyatt Place New York/Chelsea is one of the newest of Hyatt's New York properties with the hotel officially opening its doors in December 2021. The new build property sits part way between Central Park and Lower Manhattan and a few weeks ago, I got to check it out on a layover on my way back to Los Angeles.
Multiple changes made to Qatar Airways & Emirates schedules/aircraft for winter season
Qatar Airways and, to a much lesser extent, Emirates have both made updates to their winter 2023/24 schedules. These updates include flights being added and removed and changes to the aircraft that are set to operate select routes, so if you have a booking with either carrier, this would be a good time to check your bookings and your seat selections.
Now live: Hyatt ‘Bonus Journeys’ 4Q 2023 global promotion
Hyatt latest global promotion (once again called 'Bonus Journeys') is now live, so any stays made between today and the end of November will qualify for the bonus points on offer. As we've seen in previous promotions, holders of Hyatt's co-branded credit cards get the chance to earn a bonus that others don't, but no one will be ending this promotion with an enviable stack of points they wouldn't otherwise have earned.
JetBlue Mint Studio A321neo Paris – New York review
A review of the JetBlue Mint Studio suite (JetBlue's largest Business Class seat) as experienced on the airline's route between Paris Charles de Gaulle and New York JFK.
Two less well known British Airways Gold benefits that I have come to love
Since my move away from AAdvantage, British Airways Gold status has been good to me and I've come to appreciate it for more than just the oneworld Emerald benefits that it gives me. In particular, it's two of the less well known benefits of British Airways Gold status that I have come to appreciate more and more.
The best business credit card for shipping purchases
In this article we take a quick look at what credit cards offer the better returns when they're used to pay for a business' shipping purchases, and we focus on the one card that we think stands head and shoulders above them all.
Reusing pajamas? Is Japan Airlines taking sustainability just a little bit too far?
Impressive First Class cabin and in-flight dining aside, buried within the press release outlining what JAL will be offering on board it's A350-1000 aircraft was a line that caught the eyes of quite a few people.
United Airlines announces new/refreshed Polaris amenities from Therabody & Saks
United Airlines has said that it is undertaking "the largest overhaul since 2016" of United Polaris Business Class. Sadly, this only appears to refer to the amenities offered in the Lounges and in its Business Class cabins and doesn't refer to a much needed return to what Polaris was like when it was first rolled out.
United Airlines delays the return of three transpacific routes
United Airlines probably has the strongest international route network out of all the US carriers and that network was due to get even stronger with the reinstatement of a transpacific route that fell by the wayside when the Covid pandemic hit and two other transpacific routes that were suspended last year. With the latest schedule changes, however, that all changed.
A bit of fun: What’s wrong with this TripAdvisor review?
I don't pay any more attention to TripAdvisor reviews than I do to a person that claims to be able to see into the future or commune with the dead, but because some TA reviews can be fun (I find the ones written by less intelligent people to be the most entertaining), I found myself reading some over the weekend. That's when I noticed a review with a clear mistake that not everyone who reads TA reviews will pick up on. Can you spot it?
Emirates is bringing Premium Economy to São Paulo & Tokyo
It was only earlier this year that Emirates celebrated its first full year of offering a Premium Economy cabin on select routes (it came late to the game), but the rollout has been pretty steady and now we're told that two more of its routes will offer the airline's newest product by the end of 2023.
Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle airport review (a Marriott Bonvoy property)
As part of a recent trip to try out JetBlue's new route between Paris CDG and New York JFK, I spent a night at the Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. This is a review of that property which sits between the airport's two main terminals.
Lufthansa confirms new A320 cabins are coming in 2025
Lufthansa operates somewhere in the region of 80 Airbus A320 aircraft on its short- and medium-haul routes and today, the airline has confirmed (it has been rumored for a while) that a sub-set of these aircraft will be retrofitted with new cabins starting in 2025.
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