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Marriott is introducing the “Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy” brand

a living room with a table and chairs
Marriott has today put out an announcement to say that it's expanding its portfolio beyond hotels, resorts, timeshares, and home rentals and that it plans to offer apartment-style accommodations in locations around the world.

Hyatt has opened a new Unbound Collection hotel in NYC…and I’ll be avoiding it

a building with a balcony and a balcony
Hyatt has confirmed that Grayson Hotel has become the first Unbound Collection property to open its doors in New York City.

United announces changes coming to MileagePlus in 2023

the side of a plane with blue writing on it
As of next year, United's MileagePlus program will be bringing in the elite qualification criteria that it had promised to introduce before the pandemic put a halt to the program's plans. Unfortunately, that means that the lower elite status thresholds that flyers have been enjoying for the past few years will soon be nothing more than a pleasant memory but on the upside, there is at least a little bit of good news coming out of MileagePlus today.

The British Airways Avios calculator appears to be returning some odd results

a close up of a seat
The British Airways Avios calculator can be a very useful tool for anyone wanting to see how many Avios and Tier Points they'll earn from whatever bookings they're making or planning but right now, I'm not convinced that it's showing the correct information.

British Airways website not working? This workaround may be able to help

a group of airplanes parked at an airport
Over the weekend, British Airways was, once again, having serious issues with both its desktop site and its app and as this is becoming a common occurrence, now seems like a good time to mention that the next time you're struggling to access your British Airways account or check-in for a flight online, there is a small workaround that can sometimes come to your aid.

The Elizabeth Line: A review of the new direct service from Heathrow to central London

a close up of a train
Part of the Elizabeth Line (formerly known as Crossrail) has been open for a few months but it was only yesterday that passengers traveling from Heathrow into the heart of London were able to do so without the need for a change of trains. As I happened to be at Heathrow anyway, I decided to take a look at the new service to see what it has to offer.

Warning: Dormant credit and debit cards are not immune from fraud

a group of credit cards
Most people are probably very aware that the debit cards and credit cards that we use in our everyday lives are targets for scammers and fraudsters who would like nothing more than to get hold of our details and make off with as much of our cash (or the credit card company's cash) as possible. But did you know that even a card that you haven't used for years can be compromised?

United Airlines opens a new Grab-and-Go “club concept” in Denver

a woman standing in front of a refrigerator
Designed to coincide with the opening of the Concourse B expansion at Denver International Airport, United Airlines has today opened a new "club concept" at the airport which allows eligible flyers to get some food and drinks "to go" before heading to their gates to catch their flights.

Coming soon: Earn Avios on Uber rides taken in the UK

a white sign on a grey surface with holes
British Airways has announced that at some point later this month, members of its Executive Club loyalty program will be able to collect Avios every time they make a booking through the Uber app in the UK.

The InterContinental Ambassador program is rolling back some positive changes

a close up of a paper
There aren't many things that you can point to that got better as a result of the Covid pandemic but the rules surrounding some of the benefits offered by the InterContinental Ambassador program can be counted among them. Now, because the world is almost back to how it was in 2019 (albeit, sadly, without the low interest rates!), IHG is rolling back those positive changes.

The Platinum Card® from American Express just got improved (slightly)

a large building with a large sign on it
Quietly and without any fanfare, two slight improvements to two of the benefits offered by the Platinum Card® from American Express have been made. Considering how much publicity Amex normally throws behind "improvements" that don't actually improve the card, it's surprising that more hasn't been made of these changes but, nevertheless, this is genuinely a little bit of good news.

How my iPad “went missing” at Heathrow security

a street with a large awning and a bus stop
Recently, I was catching an early flight out of London Heathrow, and because I got to terminal 5 before the security lane at the First Wing opened, I decided to use the priority security lane at the north end of the terminal rather than waiting for the First Wing line to open. In hindsight, that was a poor decision.

The inevitable British Airways Executive Club devaluation is on its way

a silver knife on a gray surface
It has been rumored for some time and now, thanks to a press release from Iberia, we know that the British Airways Executive Club will take its first step towards being a revenue-based program at some point in 2023.

Hyatt Place London City East – An in-depth review

a bar with a row of chairs and a beer tap
An in-depth review of the Hyatt Place London City East - one of the newer Hyatt properties in the British capital and the most centrally located of Hyatt's select-service London properties.

Emirates brings its Airbus A380 Whale Jet back to Tokyo

an airplane flying in the sky
Earlier this week, finally Japan caught up with the rest of the world (well, most of it) and fully reopened its doors to visitors for the first time since the pandemic first became a thing. Now, as demand for travel to Japan starts to spike, airlines are rushing to meet that demand in whatever way they can.

Aer Lingus will return to Connecticut after a 3 year hiatus

a sign on a brick wall
Aer Lingus has confirmed that its Dublin - Harford (CT) route will be returning next year following its suspension at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. News of the returning route is the second US announcement that Aer Lingus has made recently following the news that Cleveland will be added to the airline's network next summer.

Delta announces a new tie-up with Starbucks (earn miles & stars)

a sign with a logo on it
Delta and Starbucks have announced a new partnership that allows customers with SkyMiles and Starbucks accounts to earn miles and stars when they buy their morning coffee and when they fly.

Hilton’s free night certificates will now be usable every day of the week

a bed in a room
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

a white airplane with blue writing on it
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

a building with a sign on the top
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

the tail fin of an airplane
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

a beach with a swimming pool and buildings
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

a plane flying through a window
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

a close-up of a credit card
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

a building with a glass roof
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

a swimming pool with lounge chairs and umbrellas
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

the tail of an airplane
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!)

a room with a large wall with colorful furniture
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

a large stone house with a lawn and trees in the background
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

a row of signs in a terminal
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

a seat in a plane
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Worrying – Alaska Mileage Plan says it’s bringing in a “simplified award chart”

a plane flying in the sky
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

the tail of an airplane
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

a plane flying in the sky
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?

a resort with a pool and a body of water
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)

a patio with chairs and a view of a city
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

the seat in a plane
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)

palm trees on a beach
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

the tail of an airplane
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

a dock with umbrellas and a pool in the water
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!)

a row of seats in a plane
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

a city next to a body of water
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)

a pool with lounge chairs and a large body of water
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)

a pool in a resort
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

Hyatt Place West London Hayes
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

a pool with a city in the background
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

a row of seats in an airplane
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

a laptop on a table in a plane
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

a close up of the tail fin of a plane
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

a large airplane on a runway
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

a group of people in uniform
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

a group of lounge chairs on a patio
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The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad is now open

a tall building in a city
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.

El Al brings back plans for non-stop flights to Australia

a large white airplane on a tarmac
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)

a white airplane on a runway
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)

an aerial view of an airport
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)

a large white airplane on a runway
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

a close up of a seat
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

a seat in a plane
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)

an airplane with rows of seats
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

an airplane flying over a city
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

a room with chairs and tables
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

a large white airplane at an airport
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

the seat in a plane
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

an airplane on the runway
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)

tail fin of an airplane
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)

a table with bowls of fruit
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

the tail of an airplane
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

a seat and arm rest in a plane
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

a room with a couch and a table
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

a large airplane parked in front of a building
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!

a building with tables and chairs and a barbeque
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

a sign on the ceiling
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

a large white airplane parked at an airport
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

a plane flying in the sky
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

a large white building with gold domes and a pool of water
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

the tail fin of an airplane
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

a row of chairs in a room
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

an aerial view of a city
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

a woman sitting on a couch using a laptop
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

a plane flying in the sky
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

a row of seats in an airplane
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?

a room with chairs and tables
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

a row of beds in an airplane
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

a plane flying in the sky
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

a room with tables and chairs
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

the side of a plane with blue writing on it
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

a seat in a plane
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

a row of seats on an airplane
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

a large couch in a room
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)

the inside of an airplane with seats and a person in the back
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)

a red caution sign on a pole
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

a plane on the runway
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

the sun shining over clouds
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

chairs and umbrella on a beach
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

a seat in a plane
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

a group of huts on water
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!)

a view of a city from a hill
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)

a beach with huts and a small island
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

a beach with huts and a body of water
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.

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