Hilton’s free night certificates will now be usable every day of the week
Three of Hilton's co-branded credit cards have, historically, allowed cardholders to earn free night certificates that could be used at any Hilton property in the world...but only on weekends. Now, however, it looks like Hilton is turning a temporary, pandemic-induced enhancement into a permanent enhancement and making the certificates considerably more valuable.
United Airlines announces new routes to Spain, Germany, Italy & more
United Airlines likes a good teaser more than most and it was back to its old ways yesterday in a social media post that suggested that we should expect new routes to far-flung parts of the globe. Well, the teasing is now over as United has just announced its latest plans for 2023.
IHG announces that it will open new Paris property in 2023
IHG announced the launch of the 'upscale' voco brand back in 2018 and we're told that to date, the brand has expanded at a faster pace than any other brand in the IHG stable. In 2023, that expansion is set to continue with the opening of the voco Paris Porte de Clichy.
Austrian Airlines adds more Premium Economy seats to its 777s
Austrian Airlines updated its 777 aircraft to include a Premium Economy cabin back in 2018 and now, just 4 years later (keep in mind that for two of those years the travel world was at a standstill), the airline has confirmed that it will increase the size of its Premium Economy cabin by 67%.
Radisson Rewards is introducing dynamic awards & more
It has been a long, long time since I last considered myself to be a fan of Radisson Rewards and outside of the occasional good points sale/promotion, I had stopped engaging with the program in any meaningful way some time before it split in two and became ever more cumbersome to use than ever before.
Delta makes earning elite status more expensive & adds new choice benefits
In the miles & points world, it's often a bad sign when you read of a loyalty program announcing that it is "enhancing" benefits, as no one running any of the major loyalty programs appears to know what that word means.
The Hawaiian Airlines credit card now offers more free checked bags
I have to confess that this really isn't a critical piece of news that you all need to know but as we have quite a few readers from Hawaii and the West Coast, this seemed like something we should share - the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® now offers cardholders more free checked backs on select flights and that could be a money saver.
Hyatt is adding 31 existing European properties to its portfolio
It was only yesterday that I noted that Hyatt has been on a European announcement spree of late with its La Zamba property opening in Spain, news that Bulgaria will be getting Inclusive Collection resorts, the opening of the new Thompson in Madrid, and the signing of a luxury UK property, and just as I thought that the announcements would dry up, Hyatt now tells us that it has signed a deal to add 31 existing European properties to its portfolio.
IHG has opened a new Kimpton in the Mediterranean
IHG has announced the opening of its latest property in Spain with the Kimpton Aysla Mallorca now accepting guests. We're told that the property "emulates a sanctuary of luxury and wellness" and that it has "a strong and exclusive commitment to active leisure and local contemporary art" (no, I don't know how a hotel can have an "exclusive commitment to active leisure either).
You can now use points to pay for your whole JetBlue Vacations booking
Historically, members of JetBlue's loyalty program have only been able to use points to save money on the flight portion of a vacation deal but as of today, TrueBlue points can be used to save on the cost of a whole vacation package.
Approved for the credit card I didn’t really like (I was sure I had been rejected!)
Part way through last month, I mentioned that although I have never been the biggest fan of the World of Hyatt Business credit card, my thinking had shifted slightly and I was now tempted to apply. Well, I took a couple more weeks to think things through and after deciding that the card would be a useful addition to my portfolio, I finally submitted an application last Friday. What happened since is an example of why you shouldn't give up if an instant credit card approval isn't forthcoming.
Hyatt is adding a beautiful luxury UK property to its portfolio
Hyatt has been on a European announcement spree recently with its La Zamba property opening in Spain, news that the Inclusive Collection is coming to Bulgaria, and the opening of the new Thompson in Madrid. Now, that announcement spree continues with news that Hyatt is adding a new luxury UK property to its Destination brand.
Save time by using British Airways ‘overnight bag drop’ at Heathrow & Gatwick
Air travel is noticeably less fun when the hours before a flight are spent in a seemingly never moving line waiting to drop off your checked baggage instead of relaxing in a lounge or at the gate and when it comes to long lines, London's two primary airports can be especially bad. Fortunately, some British Airways flyers may be able to save themselves from the lines by using the airline's 'overnight bag drop' option.
British Airways will fly the new Club World suite to Singapore & Sydney
Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of...
Worrying – Alaska Mileage Plan says it’s bringing in a “simplified award chart”
At some point in the past 24 hours, a new message has been uploaded to the Alaska Airlines airlines award chart page and miles & points fans of a nervous disposition are not going to like it. The wording seems innocuous but those of us who have been around this hobby for some time will recognize that something bad may be heading our way.
American Airlines handled my self-inflicted 500-mile upgrade issue very well
As I'm usually more than happy to call out airlines when they're acting poorly (or like imbeciles) it's only fair that I give credit where credit is due when an airline does something well. In that spirit, I'd like to point out how helpful the agents at AAdvantage customer services were when I caused a minor issue for myself that need never have arisen.
Aer Lingus has announced a surprising new route …to Cleveland
If you sat me down and asked me to name as many transatlantic routes as I can (both existing and potential), I'm not sure that the Dublin to Cleveland route would appear in my first thousand guesses. That, however, is exactly the route that Aer Lingus has now announced that it plans to fly.
Will Marriott devalue Bonvoy Platinum Elite status?
It's not much of a secret that there are few things that Marriott likes more than a good old-fashioned devaluation so following the news that Bonvoy Platinum Elite status is now being handed out as a credit card benefit, speculation has been growing that the benefits associated with Platinum Elite status will soon be cut. So, is a devaluation imminent?
Double dip Avios & ALL points with the new Qatar Airways/Accor partnership (but be careful)
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Accor Live Limitless (ALL) have announced an expansion of their partnership that will allow travelers to earn the currencies of both loyalty programs on just a single booking.
Virgin Atlantic delays (slightly) the introduction of its new A330-900neo aircraft
Virgin Atlantic was excited to announce that it will join the SkyTeam alliance in 2023 earlier today but what it hasn't come out and told its flyers is that it won't be launching its new A330-900neo aircraft on the originally published schedule - the inaugural flight has been pushed back by a couple of weeks.
A tier point run to get me home – 930 tier points in a single trip (the reasoning & the cost)
When it comes to my travel plans, I like to be organized and I like to plan ahead and that's why even though we're not yet into October, I've already spent a couple of months contemplating my travel options for 2023. It's also why I've already made a number of bookings for travel deep into next year. One of those bookings is a tier point run and in this post, I'll explain what a tier point run is, why I've decided that a tier point run is necessary, and what I've booked.
Big news: Virgin Atlantic will join SkyTeam in 2023
Big news in the world of airline loyalty - Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will join the SkyTeam Alliance next year and this means that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members will soon have access to more routes and more elite benefits when flying with other SkyTeam airlines.
How to edit or disable Hilton’s two-factor authentication
Hilton seems to be using two-factor authentication a lot more of late and that may or may not suit all the Hilton Honors members out there. If you're in the position of needing to change or disable your two-factor authentication settings, this article will show you just how easy that is to do.
Delta enhances its European summer schedule (in a good way!)
Delta has announced that next year's summer season will see it relaunching a number of routes that were suspended while we dealt with the pandemic, relaunching a number of routes that the airline hasn't operated for years, and launching at least one completely new route (albeit not a very interesting one!). Most importantly from my point of view, Los Angeles will finally be getting a little love.
Marriott will open a new luxury EDITION property in the Italian Lakes
Lately, Marriott has been making a lot of announcements regarding its plans for new properties but the one that piqued my interest most was the announcement of a new luxury property that will open in the Italian lakes in 2025.
The Ritz-Carlton™ credit card just got better (I didn’t see this coming)
Yesterday was a big day for announcements in the world of Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards with news that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™️ American Express® Card has been refreshed and the news that two new mid-tier cards have been launched. There was, however, one other piece of Bonvoy credit card news that didn't get any fanfare at all and for some, it was the best news of the day.
Hyatt has opened a new property in Spain (and it may turn out to be a fantastic place to use points)
It was as far back as December 2020 that Hyatt let us know that it planned to add a number of properties to its European portfolio by the end of 2023 and it's one of the hotels mentioned in that announcement that has just opened its doors in southern Spain.
Hyatt is losing one of its smaller “London” properties
Recently, I've been checking rates at some of the lower category Hyatt properties within easy reach of Los Angeles and London (I'm contemplating a year-end mattress run) and a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that, rather mysteriously, the Hyatt Place West London Hayes wasn't offering any rates past the end of October.
I’m not “done with Bonvoy” but my Marriott strategy has definitely changed
The Marriott Bonvoy program has been on a downhill trajectory for some time (some would say it's been on the decline ever since it gave up the pretense of keeping all the good parts of the SPG program) and with the removal of award charts and the move to dynamic pricing, we've finally reached a point where I've had to sit down and think seriously about whether or not it's worth persevering with the program at all.
Delta is refreshing its Premium Economy dining service and amenities
Delta has confirmed that as of today, 20 September 2022, customers flying in its Premium Economy cabins (Delta Premium Select) can expect to find an improved dining experience onboard and that starting next month, Premium Economy flyers will start to see new handmade amenity kits waiting at their seats.
American Airlines will launch new Business Class suites in 2024
American Airlines has today announced that it will be fitting new Business Class and Premium Economy seats on aircraft that it expects to be delivered in 2024 and that select existing aircraft will be getting new premium cabins too.
Quick tip: You may be able to book British Airways awards further out than you realise
British Airways opens up award space further out that a lot of other airlines but even if you know that BA will start opening awards up to 24 days before the likes of American Airlines and Delta start to do the same, you may not find that award space if you're not being careful with your searches.
Qatar Airways brings back the A380 on yet another route
The Qatar Airways CEO doesn't like the Airbus A380 and had everything gone to plan his airline's Whale Jets would have never flown in its livery again. Things, however, haven't been going to plan and that's why you'll find a number of Qatar Airways A380s operating at this very moment and that's why the airline has just confirmed that yet another of its routes route will soon be served by the world's largest passenger aircraft.
United Airlines has a new route and a new partnership with Emirates
We've known for a few weeks that United Airlines and Emirates were going to be announcing a closer working relationship but it was only in the last 24 hours that full details finally emerged and, to be frank, they're a little underwhelming. A new route that is being born out of this relationship may interest some readers but on the whole, anyone expecting something exciting will almost certainly be disappointed.
Three examples of how hotels can make it hard for you to use points
Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of...
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad is now open
Marriott has confirmed the opening of its latest hotel in New York City - the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad - which is situated in the heart of Manhattan between the Empire State Building and the Flatiron Building.
American Airlines transcon A321 Business Class review (JFK-LAX)
American Airlines operates a sub-fleet of A321 aircraft which it has configured especially for a select number of high-profile domestic routes on which there is strong demand for a premium product that's considerably better than what passes for 'First Class' on most domestic routes.
El Al brings back plans for non-stop flights to Australia
It wasn't very long ago that EL AL's route options were incredibly restricted thanks to the political situation in the Middle East. With various Arab countries refusing to give the airline permission to pass through their airspace, flights to a number of destinations to Israels's east were uneconomical or logistically impossible. Recent events, however, have started to change this.
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 First Class review (Intra-Island)
Hawaiian Airlines uses its Boeing 717 aircraft for the majority of its intra-island routes and as I was flying within the Hawaiian Islands last week, I had a chance to take a look at the First Class cabin that the airline offers on some of its shortest routes.
[Updated] British Airways reacts to the chaos at Heathrow with an improved flexible booking policy (temporarily)
Following the decision by Heathrow Airport to attempt to limit the number of passengers that pass through its doors this summer, British Airways has temporarily updated its flexible booking policy to make it easier and cheaper for customers to change their plans.
Air New Zealand will boost capacity to Los Angeles (temporarily)
Air New Zealand has announced that it plans to temporarily boost the number of flights that it offers to one of its key destinations - Los Angeles will see more Air New Zealand flights from mid-August.
Indirectly, British Airways is now a Citi ThankYou transfer partner
An important change that took place in the miles and points world earlier this year had the knock-on effect of making Citi's ThankYou points a little more valuable and it's that knock-on effect that I'll discuss in this article.
A quick look at the new Virgin Atlantic A330neo Premium cabin
Virgin Atlantic recently unveiled its impressive new Upper Class (Business Class) cabin that will debut on its new A330neo aircraft and at the same unveiling, the airline also gave us a look at what the Premium (Premium Economy) cabin will look like on the same aircraft.
American Airlines A321neo Economy Class review (Flying to Hawaii)
The Airbus A321neo is one of the youngest aircraft models in the American Airlines fleet and if you're traveling between the West Coast and Hawaii with American, this is probably the aircraft you'll find yourself flying.
Delta announces a huge order for an aircraft that Boeing has threatened not to build
After two or three years of rumors, Delta has used the Farnborough International Airshow to finally announce that it plans to throw Boeing a lifeline by ordering up to 130 of its 737 MAX aircraft. As with most aircraft orders that get announced at airshows, this order may or may not be fulfilled in the way that it's currently being presented but because this order involves the MAX 10, there's actually an outside chance that the order will not be fulfilled at all.
A look at the American Airlines Admirals Club at LAX Terminal 5
As I found myself passing through LAX last week and, for once, using Terminal 5 rather than Terminal 4 or the Tom Bradley International Terminal, I took the opportunity to take a quick look at the Admirals Club that American Airlines offers at T5.
Qantas is removing its vaccination mandate for international travel
Towards the end of 2020, Qantas was one of the first airlines to introduce a rule that required all passengers to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Now, following the Australian government's decision to allow unvaccinated travelers to enter the country, Qantas has said that it will roll back its vaccination rule.
I got a good look at the new Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seat & Virgin’s surprise
Last night, I was fortunate enough to attend the unveiling of the new Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seat that will debut on the airline's new A330-900neo aircraft so, for once, I didn't have to rely on a press release to get a feel for what a new seat is going to offer.
2,500 bonus miles for checking in early with Etihad
In anticipation of a very busy July, Etihad has been trying to improve the check-in facilities that it offers at Abu Dhabi International airport and it has brought back a check-in option that we last saw back in December. This time, however, that check-in option also comes with a bonus offer.
Air Canada & Emirates announce a new partnership (reciprocal benefits on the way)
Air Canada and Emirates have announced a new 'strategic partnership' that the airlines say will create more options for customers when traveling on both of the carriers’ networks and which is expected to improve the customer experience for members of Aeroplan and Emirates Skywards.
This is breakfast in the British Airways Galleries First Lounge at Heathrow (currently)
When I dropped by the British Airways Galleries First Lounge at Heathrow T5 a couple of weeks ago, it was my first visit in a number of months and I noticed that the food service had changed since the last time I visited. Not really a very notable thing but as I ended up taking a few pictures, I thought that they may be of interest to anyone who may be visiting the lounge in the coming weeks.
Virgin Atlantic confirms that it will launch flights to Tampa
Following a few weeks of rumors, Virgin Atlantic has now confirmed that it plans to launch a new service between London Heathrow and Tampa later this year as it continues to grow its post-pandemic route network.
Singapore Airlines will add flights to Los Angeles & extend Vancouver service
Singapore Airlines has announced that it expects its SIA group capacity to reach 81% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year and to help with that aim, it has confirmed that it will be increasing its frequencies to Los Angeles and Paris and that it will be extending its Vancouver service into the winter season.
Marriott Bonvoyed my Suite Night Awards too
Most people with extensive experience with Marriott know that Bonvoy Suite Night Awards are not as valuable as Marriott would like everyone to think. Sometimes, they can be utterly useless. Still, having Suite Night Awards in your account is better than not having any at all so when Marriott appeared to have extended the validity of some of my SNAs to the end of this year I was pleased. Surprised, but pleased.
Star Alliance’s EVA Air will launch two new routes to Europe
As things stand, EVA Air offers flights from Taipei to just four European cities - Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Vienna - but following an announcement earlier today, two more cities will soon be added to that list.
Dear “My Hyatt Concierge”, you’re fantastic!
There are a few obvious reasons why Hyatt Globalist status is so nice to have - excellent suite upgrades, waived resort fees on cash bookings, 4 pm late check-outs, free parking on award nights, etc... - but none of these is the reason I've got extra love for the World of Hyatt program right now.
My first-world lounge problem when traveling as a family
I'm flying over to London at the end of this week to catch up with some friends and to attend the unveiling of Virgin Atlantic's new Business Class seat for its A330 aircraft. On my outbound journey, I'm traveling alone but when I return home, I'll be accompanied by four other members of my family and this has thrown up a very first-world problem for me.
SAS flies for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States
SAS, the Scandinavian airline, has been in financial turmoil for some time and had announced a plan to restructure its business earlier this year in an attempt to get its house in order. Now, however, with its pilots out on strike, the airline has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States.
Etihad is the first airline to restart non-stop service to Beijing
When Etihad flight EY888 landed in Beijing this morning at 05:25 (local time) it was a significant occasion. After all the turmoil that the past two years have thrown up, EY888 signaled the start of the first regular non-stop international passenger service to Beijing by a foreign carrier since the Chinese capital's authorities announced that services could resume.
Etihad brings back Abu Dhabi stopover deals – 3 offers available
As the travel world continues to recover from the shock of the past two years and airlines start to see demand claiming back towards levels last seen in 2019, Etihad has brought back its stopover deals for travelers transiting through Abu Dhabi.
Alert: 700 British Airways employees have voted to go on strike
With European airports already struggling with the increased demand in travel and with UK airports currently being hit particularly hard, it looks like things may get a lot worse for some passengers once the summer holidays are upon us.
Good news: The Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX is reopening
Unsurprisingly, the Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX closed down almost as soon as the travel world came to a screeching halt in March 2020 and it has remained closed ever since. The oneworld Business Class lounge at LAX which Qantas also operates reopened late last year but until now, there has been no sign of the First Class lounge reopening. That's about to change.
Qatar Airways will reduce select services to support flights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
This coming winter, Qatar is set to be the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup which will see tens of thousands of football (soccer) fans descending on the Middle Eastern state to support their national teams. For Qatar Airways, this represents a considerable challenge as it now has to work out how to transport all of these fans from and to their home countries.
Four US British Airways lounges are now part of the Priority Pass program
In a move that's more than a little surprising, four British Airways lounges in the United States have joined the Priority Pass program and can now be accessed by holders of a wide variety of US-issued credit cards.
Oman Air confirms that it will join the oneworld alliance…eventually
OK, I admit it. I didn't think that this would be a post that I'd find myself writing.
The rumors that Oman Air was looking to join the oneworld alliance have been going around for some time (they date back well before it was ever suggested that Alaska Airlines would join oneworld) and I never really thought anything would come of it.
JetBlue secures permanent London Heathrow slots & adds a new Gatwick flight
JetBlue has made a number of announcements today that see the airline firming up its position at London Heathrow, expanding the service that it offers between New York JFK and London Gatwick, and slightly improving its customers' ground experiences at London's two biggest airports.
Is this easy path to oneworld Sapphire status now dead?
Historically, those of us who are in a position to book premium cabin flights for travel between Europe and Asia have had a very easy path to oneworld Sapphire Elite status courtesy of one of the world's best airlines - Qatar Airways. Now, however, it's starting to look like that path may have been shut down.
Korean Air will restart its Las Vegas route next month
From 1 July, Korean Air will bring back services thrice-weekly services to Milan Malpensa, and Vienna, while from 10 July it will also start to operate three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon Airport and Las Vegas.
Etihad confirms its return to Heathrow Terminal 4
Like all the pre-pandemic residents of T4, Etihad had to move into temporary accommodation as the pandemic ran roughshod over the travel industry and demand for flights plummeted, but with Terminal 4 now scheduled to reopen next week, the carrier has confirmed that it will be shuttering its operations in Terminals 2 and 3 and heading back to its original home.
This is the kind of nonsense Marriott Bonvoy needs to cut out
There are a number of serious issues with the Marriott Bonvoy program and a lot of them are a result of Marriott allowing various brands and individual properties to plow their own furrow and to pick and choose what aspects of the Bonvoy program they want to adopt.
United Airlines adds new plant-based items to menus on select routes & in select lounges
Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of...
Good news: British Airways reduces surcharges on Iberia bookings
For quite a few years, there have been a number of reasons why it has been a good idea for flyers to have an Iberia Plus account as well as a British Airways account despite the fact that BA and Iberia are sister airlines and share the same rewards currency. Quietly and without any apparent notice being given, British Airways appears to have removed one of those reasons.
Chase & British Airways improve the Travel Together companion voucher
Earlier today, I wrote about British Airways improving the Companion Voucher issued by UK-issued American Express cards and while that news probably wasn't particularly interesting to US-based readers, the follow-up news that Chase and British Airways have improved the Travel Together benefit that comes with the British Airways Visa Signature® card will probably attract more attention.
Capital One improves lounge entry benefits on multiple cards
Over the past year, Capital One has been causing waves in the travel segment of the credit card world with the changes that it has been making to some of its products and the benefits they offer. Now, with yet another positive move announced, Capital One has improved three of its cards even further.
Amex UK improves its British Airways Companion Voucher (2-4-1)
It looks like American Express is starting to feel the pressure from the recently introduced UK Barclaycard Avios cards because it has just announced an unexpected improvement to the Companion Vouchers offered by its British Airways co-branded cards in the UK.
This is why you shouldn’t use PayPal’s currency conversion (a quick reminder)
I like PayPal. I make a substantial number of transactions with non-US entities and PayPal often makes my life easier. There is, however, one aspect of PayPal that I avoid at all costs - the currency conversion system - and I strongly advise everyone else to avoid it too.
British Airways ends its ‘Book With Confidence’ policy
Like pretty much every major airline around the world, British Airways introduced a flexible cancellation policy shortly after the Covid pandemic started playing havoc with everyone's travel plans. The policy was designed to encourage travelers to make future bookings at a time when the travel environment was highly unstable so with the worst of the pandemic apparently now behind us, the airline has chosen this moment to roll back its 'Book With Confidence' policy and to go back to its historic fare rules.
Catching Covid & an unplanned break from writing
It's been a while since I last published an article on TFM so as I slowly get this site back up to speed, I thought that I'd take time (and 900+ words!) to explain what's been going on with me and, just as importantly, to get myself back into the habit of writing again.
Marriott Bonvoy dynamic pricing is yielding some unexpected results
Over the past few days, the Marriott Bonvoy program has moved over to a dynamic pricing model for award bookings, and while some of the results of that move are far from unexpected, some of the things that I'm seeing are a little surprising.
Finnair is bringing its new Business & Premium Economy cabins to the United States
Back in February, Finnair surprised the world when it unveiled a new (and different) Business Class seat alongside a new Premium Economy Cabin. At the time, it was thought that until a significant number of Finnair's long-haul aircraft had been retrofitted with the new cabins, the new seats would be limited to the airline's Asia routes but as it turns out, that's not going to be the case.
Marriott’s move to dynamic pricing is delayed…but only by a few hours
Yesterday was supposed to be the last day that Marriott Bonvoy members could book awards at a variety of high-end properties (and a number of less high-end properties) at the rates set out in the program's award charts, but that's not how things have turned out.
Qantas doubles its flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles (the A380 is coming back!)
Following on from the announcement that Qantas will launch a new service between Melbourne and Dallas/Fort Worth later this year, we now have confirmation that the airline is about to double the number of flights that it offers between Melbourne and Los Angeles and that its A380 will be making a very welcome reappearance on this route later in the year.
Can everyone now get 20% off select IHG Rewards awards? (for a limited time)
Last week, IHG Rewards brought back an excellent sale which sees the cost of awards reduced by 20% for stays of up to 3 nights commencing no later than 25 May. At the launch, the sale was only open to holders of select IHG Rewards co-branded credit cards but we were promised that it would be opened up to all IHG Rewards members within a few days.
Marriott Bonvoy eliminates award charts & moves to dynamic pricing tomorrow
Towards the end of October last year, Marriott dropped the bombshell news that it was planning to make significant changes to how the Bonvoy program works, and now that we're less than 24 hours away from these changes coming into effect, I thought I'd post a reminder of what we should expect.
Qantas announces a new route to Dallas/Fort Worth
Dallas/Fort Worth is the home of American Airlines - Qantas' transpacific partner - so it's a destination that can act as a gateway for Qantas flyers wanting to reach a myriad of other locations within the United States. That's why Qantas already operates flights between Sydney and Dallas and why the airline has now announced that it will also fly to Dallas from Melbourne.
Singapore makes it a lot easier for vaccinated travelers to visit
Singapore has announced that it is making significant changes to its COVID-19 travel rules and that following a review of procedures, it will be discontinuing the use of Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) as well as removing the need for vaccinated visitors to take an on-arrival test.
British Airways is paying out compensation from a recent meltdown
A few weeks ago, BA had one of its bigger meltdowns of recent years when an unspecified IT failure meant that, among other things, BA crews (both air and ground) could not be scheduled correctly which led to the airline canceling most of its short-haul flights on Saturday 26 February.
American Airlines & JetBlue add more reciprocal elite benefits
Today, American Airlines and JetBlue have taken another step towards cementing their alliance (despite the fact that the DoJ is actively trying to break the alliance up) by announcing further reciprocal status benefits for their elite flyers and by confirming that customers flying with JetBlue will finally be allowed to use their Admirals Club memberships to access American's lounges.
Air New Zealand will finally launch its long awaited New York service this year
In what now seem like the carefree days before the pandemic and before yet another war took over our TV screens, Air New Zealand was set to launch one of the longest flights in the world between Auckland and New York. Then the world put up the closed sign and the plan was mothballed. Now, with New Zealand taking its first tentative steps towards reopening, the Auckland to New York route is back on the agenda and scheduled for later this year.
Fantastic: You can now link your British Airways & Qatar Airways accounts + combine Avios
Last month, Qatar Airways announced that its Privilege Club frequent flyer program would be replacing Qmiles with Avios as its currency and as of today, that transition appears to be complete. As importantly, not only do flights credited to the Privilege Club now earn Avios but flyers with British Airways Executive Club and Privilege Club accounts can now link those accounts and move Avios between them.
Hyatt’s award costs are going up tomorrow – book now to avoid higher rates
This is a reminder that Hyatt's 2022 award category changes come into effect from tomorrow, 22 March, and that means that we have less than 24 hours in which to lock in the current award prices at 70 World of Hyatt properties that will soon cost considerably more.
Air Canada will bring back flights to Brisbane & Auckland and increase flights to Sydney
With Australia now open to vaccinated travelers and with New Zealand set to welcome vaccinated travelers from over 60 countries in early May, Air Canada has chosen this moment to announce that it's going to increase its services to the Southern Pacific starting from this northern hemisphere summer.
British Airways clarifies its face covering rules…sort of
A couple of days ago, British Airways announced that it would be dropping its rule that requires passengers to wear face coverings onboard all of its flights but then, 24 hours later, we heard that British Airways was telling staff that it was backtracking on that decision and that face coverings would continue to be required. It was hard to know what was going on. Now, finally, we have a bit more information.
Qatar Airways will bring back its service to London Gatwick
At the height of the pandemic, Qatar Airways was the largest airline in the world as it continued to operate a significant number of international routes as other airlines mothballed their fleets. The airline's Doha to London Gatwick route, however, didn't survive those dark days but in a sign that we're continuing on the road back to normality, Qatar Airways has confirmed that it will return to Gatwick this summer.
British Airways backtracks on face coverings policy (mask wearing still required)
48 hours ago, we first started to hear stories that British Airways was planning to remove its rule that requires passengers to wear face coverings on all flights. Less than 24 hours ago, British Airways announced that as of today, face coverings would only be required onboard flights where the relevant authority with jurisdiction over the flight requires masks to be worn. Now, a story has emerged which suggests that British Airways has had a change of heart.
UK drops last travel restrictions + British Airways & Virgin Atlantic drop mask requirements
While guidance has remained in place in some areas, the UK population has been free of domestic Covid restrictions for almost a month and despite a sign that hospitalisations due to Covid may be on the rise, the UK government has announced that all remaining travel restrictions are being lifted and the UK's two long-haul carriers have announced an end to mask-wearing onboard.
If you thought international travel was rebounding quickly, you may need to think again
With numerous nations now having done away with a lot of their day-to-day Covid rules and with more and more nations relaxing or discontinuing their travel restrictions, you could be forgiven for believing that everyone who has been missing international travel over the past two years is now booking trips like crazy. Apparently, however, that may not be the case.
Is this a new annoyance on Marriott’s website?
Ordinarily, I find Marriott's website to be pretty user-friendly and mostly free of the kinds of glitches that cause me to want to rip what remains of my hair out of my head (I wish I could same the same about ba.com!) but in the past few weeks, I've noticed one particular oddity appear three times while I've been performing award searches and I like to know if anyone else has noticed anything similar.
Amex announces a new Centurion Lounge at Atlanta International Airport
Rumors of a new Centurion Lounge at Atlanta's primary airport have been doing the rounds for some time and Amex has even put out a few hints here and there, but it has taken until today for an official announcement to be put out - the Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will open in 2023.
Don’t assume that you know a hotel’s award cancellation window
One of the often-mentioned major benefits of making a hotel booking with points is that points bookings are usually considerably more flexible than the cheaper cash rates on offer. Where a discounted cash rate is often non-refundable once booked, a points booking is usually considered to be cancelable, without penalty, until a few days before arrival. This, however, is not always the case so it pays to read the small print carefully before you make an award booking.
Credit Card News & Offers
