Air France news: More US flights & more US routes to get new Business Class
Air France has issued a reminder of its network plans and things are looking good for transatlantic flyers. We have a new route, a restarted route and more flights on the way (all previously announced), and the airline is promising to roll out its newest Business Class product on more North American routes this summer.
How American Airlines & Alaska Airlines reciprocal upgrades work (includes details of a new change)
Reciprocal upgrades have been available to American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan elites since 2021, and as a very recent change to the upgrade rules has improved the upgrade benefit for Alaska's flyers, this seems like a good time to recap how these upgrades work.
Comparing the five Marriott Bonvoy consumer credit cards (2025)
Since Amex and Chase both launched new mid-tier Marriott Bonvoy credit cards back in 2022, the number of Bonvoy consumer cards open to new applicants has stood at five. This article compares the annual fees, the earning rates, and the key benefits that these five cards offer in what is an easily digestible format to make it easier to see which Bonvoy card will work best for you.
6 of the best credit cards for dining, takeout & delivery services
A wide variety of cards offer bonuses or cash back for spending on dining, takeouts, and food delivery services, so I've pulled together a selection of five cards that I think offer some of the best returns available on dining expenditure. With no-annual-fee cards sharing this list with ultra-Premium cards, there should be a card that fits most people's wallets in this selection.
Delta confirms that it will restart its New York – Tel Aviv route (albeit later than planned)
All three of the major US carriers suspended their routes Tel Aviv following the horrendous incidents we saw in Israel in October last year, but now these routes are starting to come back.
IHG will soon offer EV charging at all its properties in the US & Canada
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8 best credit cards for supermarket & grocery spending
This article takes a look at 8 of the best mainstream credit cards you can hold if you're looking to maximize your return every time you go to your local supermarket or neighborhood grocery store.
Air New Zealand ‘pauses’ its Chicago flights from the end of March
Throughout the winter 2023/24 season, Air New Zealand has been flying between Auckland and Chicago three times per week, and the same thrice weekly service was expected to be offered though the Northern Hemisphere summer. That plan has just gone out of the window.
Big Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart changes now in progress
Last week, we covered the changes that Alaska Airlines has made (and is still to make) to how Mileage Plan elite status is earned and the benefits that elite status offers, but the really big changes that the airline is making to its frequent flyer program come in the form of the changes to its partner award charts.
United brings back Los Angeles – Shanghai & boosts Los Angeles – Hong Kong
The main route news out of United Airlines yesterday was the announcement that the airline would launch new services to Marrakesh, Cebu, and Medellin, but there was other promising route news too as the airline confirmed its plans to bring back its route between LA and Shanghai and told us that it would boost capacity on its route between LA and Hong Kong.
Emirates has opened its refreshed Hong Kong lounge
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Marriott will get a new hotel in Hong Kong next year (and Accor will lose one)
Marriott has today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Victoria Park Hotels to bring the Autograph Collection brand to Hong Kong in 2025 and if I'm reading things right, this move will see an Accor hotel rebranded as a Marriott Autograph Collection property at some point next year.
United Airlines launches new routes to Africa, South America & Asia Pacific
Yesterday, United Airlines used its various social media accounts to tease its audiences about three new routes that the airline is launching in 2023 and in the past hour, we've finally had confirmation of what those new routes will be.
Why does my iPhone lie to me? (a genuine question)
How were the pyramids built so accurately? Did the city of Atlantis really ever exist? Are we alone in the universe? Who killed JFK? Why do intelligent people watch 'reality' TV? These are just some of the great mysteries that have puzzled scholars, scientists, and academics for years, but they all pale into insignificance compared to the biggest mystery that faces me.
British Airways will return to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok
British Airways has still not quite restored all of the routes it operated before the pandemic (primarily because it still hasn't replaced all of the 747s that it retired), but a recent update from the airline has told us that two of its Asia routes will be returning before the end of the year.
Something I just learned: New aircraft don’t always come fully equipped with what an airline wants
I've never really paid any attention to what an aircraft has or doesn't have when it's first delivered to an airline as, frankly, I don't really care. As long as it has whatever cabins we've been promised and is airworthy (sadly, not something that's always guaranteed if it has been made by Boeing), that has been good enough for me, and that's probably why the aircraft on one of my more recent flights caught me by surprise.
United Airlines adds two minor (but useful) benefits for Silver Elite members
Today, United has announced a couple of very minor extra status benefits for those of us who sit towards the bottom of the MileagePlus food chain, and if you have Silver status and fly with a few of United's Star Alliance partners, these may turn out to be benefits that have genuine value.
Delta has scheduled its new Los Angeles – Brisbane route
United Airlines serves Brisbane from San Francisco, American Airlines has announced a new route to Brisbane that will launch in October, and now we know that Delta will start giving Brisbane a little more attention by launching a new seasonal route between the West Coast and the capital of Queensland.
The Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas joins the World of Hyatt
Hyatt has now confirmed that effective 1 March 2024, the Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has joined the World of Hyatt while it's still in the middle of its renovations, and it has been added to the program as a Category 3 property costing 9,000/12,000/15,000 points per night on off-peak/standard/peak dates.
Why I think Hyatt is publishing weak promotions (and why I think it can get away with it)
The latest World of Hyatt promotion goes live tomorrow and as promotions go, this one is weak. Very weak. And this appears to be the continuation of a recent Hyatt trend. Prior to last year, Hyatt had been known for offering promotions that offered real value (yes, even before the pandemic forced hotel chains to be nicer to everyone), but in the past twelve months, things seem to have gone noticeably downhill.
Delta is bringing back its 3rd daily flight between Atlanta and London
As things stand, Delta offers a double daily service between Atlanta and London using its Boeing 767-400 aircraft, but once the summer season rolls along, not only will one of these flights be upgraded to a larger aircraft, the route will get back its 3rd daily flight that hasn't operated in seven years.
British Airways says it’s bringing Texas BBQ to its Austin route (for a month)
Come Sunday (3 March), British Airways will have operated its Heathrow to Austin route for 10 years (with the occasional break for a pandemic) and to celebrate the occasion, the airline has adapted the menu on the Austin route for the month of March and has partnered with a famous Texas barbecue institution to produce limited edition bottles of their BBQ sauce.
The IHG European spring sale is now live (up to 20% off)
The IHG spring sale (for bookings at the chain's participating European properties) is now live and runs through to 5 March for stays into 2025. The sale is in two parts. For most IHG properties the sale is offering IHG One Rewards members up to 20% off a property's best flexible rate, while the Iberostar Beachfront Resorts have their own deal with savings of up to 15%.
The World of Hyatt 2024 devaluation (key category movers & a few statistics)
As is usual this time of year (pandemics aside), the World Hyatt has now announced its hotel category changes for 2024 and once again, it's not great reading if you're a Hyatt fan. Yes, the announcement that came yesterday could have been a lot worse, but even so, there isn't much to be happy about with the changes that are on the way.
The Etihad Guest program devaluation in summary
Etihad has announced a number of significant changes to its Etihad Guest loyalty program and on the whole, the news is bad. Most of the changes that have been announced will kick in later this year and these include things like adjustments to mileage expiry rules, increased award booking cancellation fees, and a devaluation in the lounge access benefit for elite members.
Hyatt’s new Bonus Journeys promotion is now open for registration
As was first rumored two weeks ago, Hyatt has today formally announced its latest Bonus Journeys promotion and not only is registration for the promotion now open, but it looks like all the details that were accidentally leaked towards the beginning of the month were correct, so don't expect fireworks!
New York gets a new route to the heart of Tokyo with American Airlines [Updated for schedule information]
Back in November, both United and American applied to the Department of Transport for the right to use the slot at Tokyo's Haneda Airport that had become vacant after Delta decided that its proposed Portland - Haneda route wasn't viable after all, and after a couple of months of lobbying, American Airlines has won the day.
Is the Ritz-Carlton™ credit card going to make a surprising return
The Ritz-Carlton™ credit card has been unavailable to new applicants for almost six years and a general rule says that no major credit card that has been removed from circulation reappears in a similar guise a few years down the line. But could the Ritz-Carlton™ credit card become the exception to that rule?
United Airlines to resume Tel Aviv service next month
Following the horrific incidents in October of last year, the three major US carriers as well as most European carriers took the decision to suspend their services to Israel. Since then, we've started to see some European carriers resume their Tel Aviv operations, but up until now, we haven't had any solid indication as to when the US carriers will follow suit.
Hyatt has opened a new all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean [Updated with new WoH Information]
Hyatt has announced the opening of Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres making it the latest resort to join the World of Hyatt's 'Inclusive Collection'. The adults only all-inclusive property sits on the northeast corner of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and is being opened across three phases.
Qatar Airways 777-300ER Qsuites Business Class review (BKK-DOH)
Having experienced the newest Qatar Airways Business Class product followed by the oldest Qatar Airways Business Class product just a few days before, I was interested to use this flight between Bangkok and Doha to reacquaint myself with the most famous Qatar Airways Business Class cabin - the Qsuite cabin.
How I may use the upcoming Hyatt promotion to help me retain top-tier Globalist status
Officially, Hyatt isn't currently running a global promotion and no global Hyatt promotion has been announced, but thanks to what appears to have been an unintentional leak, we think we know what will be announced in the coming days, and I may be able to use this promotion to my advantage.
The Global Entry app can make international arrivals feel like a domestic arrival (almost!)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) unveiled a new app in September of last year that, we were told, is designed to 'enhance security while further improving the travel experience for CBP’s trusted travelers'. Recently, I finally remembered to give the app a try and discovered that it made my arrival into LAX on an international flight feel as close to a domestic arrival as I think it will ever get.
Review: Miracle First & Business Class Lounge concourse G Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is home to a number of lounges branded with the 'Miracle' name, and as well as being lounges that you can pay pay to access just by walking in, they are also lounges that can be accessed by members of various lounge programs (e.g. Priority Pass), and they are lounges that some airlines send their passengers to if they don't have their own branded lounge at the airport.
The latest Qantas schedules confirm reduction in US flights from Australia
Back in December Qantas gave an indication that it would be reducing the amount of flying that it planned to do to/from the US for the Northern hemisphere winter, so we already had a heads up that there would be cuts on the routes between Australia and the US. The latest schedules, however, show that the cuts to capacity are going to be slightly deeper than we first thought.
Delta delays the resumption of its Los Angeles – Shanghai route (again!)
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Delta operated over 300 flights across multiple routes to two cities in China - Beijing and Shanghai - but since the world began getting back to normal, Delta has been taking its time getting its old routes to China back up and running.
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'.
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