Finnair will launch yet another new US route in 2022
As far as its US network is concerned, it has been a big six months for Finnair. In July it announced a new service between Stockholm and Miami, in September it announced new routes from Stockholm to Los Angeles and New York, and in November it announced a new route between Helsinki and Dallas Fort Worth that's set to launch in February 2022. Now the airline has gone a step further and announced yet another new US Route which will launch in summer 2022.
The United States toughens up testing rules for international travel
As has been rumored for a few days, the United States government has today announced a number of measures that it says are aimed at protecting Americans from the Delta and Omicron Covid variants this winter. Among the proposals are a tightening up of the testing requirements for all travelers entering the United States from abroad.
Reality check: Governments had no option but to ban travel from Southern Africa
We've seen a lot of complaints, anger, and outrage (faux and otherwise) coming from various quarters following the recent decision taken by a significant number of nations to ban travel from southern Africa, but a lot of it seems to be coming from people missing a few key points about how the world works and what the bans are actually about.
Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card (details in brief)
Today has seen the launch of the new Chase Aeroplan World Elite Mastercard Credit Card and after a lot of rumors and speculation, we now have confirmation of exactly what the new card offers. I'll write a full review of the credit card in good time but for now, here are the details of what the credit card offers.
It’s time to say goodbye to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® card
I've held the Chase Sapphire Reserve® since the card was first introduced, but after a number of great years during which the card never left my wallet, it's time for us to part ways. The Reserve card has been a card that I've loved for most of the years that I've held it, but the simple fact is that when I take a look at all the other cards that I hold, I cannot justify the Reserve card's place in my portfolio. It has to go.
Hilton has opened the first Warner Bros hotel in the world
Hilton has announced the opening of the WB Abu Dhabi which is the first Warner Bros. themed property in the world. The property has joined Hilton's Curio Collection and is located just steps away from Hilton's Doubletree and Warner Bros World and a very short walk from Waterworld on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island.
Hyatt Regency London The Churchill – Executive Suite & Regency Club Videos
The Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill is my go-to property in central London and on my last visit I decided to take a couple of videos showing what the property offers. The first video in this post is of a Hyatt Regency Executive suite that I was upgraded into and the second is of the part-reopened Regency Lounge on the property's 8th floor.
Lufthansa is introducing a ‘Buy Onboard’ menu on its long-haul routes
Lufthansa has today confirmed that it will be introducing a 'buy onboard' menu of snack options on its long-haul flights to mirror what it already offers in Economy Class on its short-haul routes. The airline has said that this will not impact the complimentary meals and drinks already offered in long-haul Economy Class and Premium Economy but will be offered to flyers as an additional option.
Go to Super Bowl LVI with Bonvoy Moments
Marriott Bonvoy Moments is the heir to SPG Moments and is a program that allows Marriott Bonvoy members to spend their points on sports, concerts, and experiences rather than on hotel stays. Right now (and has been the case in most recent years), Marriott is giving Bonvoy members a chance to use their points to book tickets to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
Emirates has scheduled its A380 to return to Melbourne
It wasn't long after we started seeing signs that Australia was starting to open up that Emirates scheduled an A380 to taker over its route to Sydney and now, in a further sign that airlines are increasingly confident that travel to Oz will be a lot more 'normal' in the near future, Emirates is set to return the A380 to Melbourne as well.
The British Airways Executive Club is still down but here’s a workaround
Last Saturday, British Airways closed down access to its Executive Club and access to all Avios-related functionality as part of a planned outage that was supposed to end yesterday morning. Well, at the time of writing, access to the Executive Club is still down but there's a workaround that may be of help if you're desperate to make a reward booking or to access your account.
Emirates may finally upgrade its 777 Business Class cabins
This week's Dubai Air Show had already given us a couple of pieces of good news (here & here) when we heard Emirates confirm that it will upgrade over 100 of its aircraft with its new Premium Economy cabin, but a more important piece of news (for premium cabin flyers) that came out at the same time was the news that Emirates may finally upgrade its sub-par Business Class cabins.
United Airlines is set return to Singapore in January
We've had a lot of news from United Airlines in the past few weeks and between the new flights, new routes and route reboots we heard about a month ago and the 22 daily flights that the airline says it will operate to London next year, I failed to pick up on the fact that I hadn't seen United give more than a vague update on the longest route that it served before the pandemic - the route between San Francisco and Singapore.
Emirates will add its Premium Economy cabin to 100+ aircraft
Emirates has used this week's Dubai Airshow to announce that following the success that it has seen with the limited rollout of its new Premium Economy cabin, it is committing to installing the cabin on a further 105 aircraft starting next year.
Qatar Airways & JetBlue now offer reciprocal mileage earning
Earlier this year, Qatar Airways and JetBlue announced that their "strategic partnership" would be expanding with the airlines codesharing on more routes and with reciprocal loyalty program benefits on the way for Privilege Club and TrueBlue members. As of yesterday, one of those reciprocal benefits was finally delivered with JetBlue and Qatar Airways flyers now able to earn points/miles on both airlines.
British Airways will have four more US routes operating by early December
With the US borders once again open to travelers originating in the UK, British Airways hasn't been wasting any time as it moves to increase capacity and get transatlantic services restarted. We've already seen the airline bringing back its A380s to serve four of its US routes and now BA has confirmed that it will have four more US routes back online by early December.
American Airlines announces a new Admirals Club for Austin
In the past 12 months, American Airlines has added an impressive number of routes to its Austin network but with the Austin Admirals Club already short of space before most of the new routes were added, something had to be done about the lounge situation at the airport. Well, something *is* being done and it's something that goes a lot further than the renovation project I was expecting - Austin is getting a brand new Admirals Club.
Hyatt & Exhale will end their partnership from January 2022
Hyatt purchases Exhale Spas back in 2017 and we saw the program added to the World of Hyatt a few months later. Since then, World of Hyatt members have been able to earn and burn points at Exhale Spas around the country, and World of Hyatt elites have been able to enjoy extra benefits at Exhale locations too. Sadly, not for much longer.
Singapore Airlines unveils new 737 Business Class cabin
While yesterday saw Etihad unveiling its new A350 Business Class cabin, today has seen Singapore Airlines unveil the new Business Class cabin that it will be rolling out on its new 737-8 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks and that the airline is expected to retrofit to its existing MAX aircraft too.
The ridiculousness of the US travel bans has never been more obvious
Since the very beginning of this mess, I've been a supporter of most of the measures that we've seen put in place to try to keep people safe and to keep the death rates as low as possible and I, like most people, have done my bit to adhere to whatever rules have been set down. What I've never supported, however, is the belief that the US government's approach to the pandemic has always been based on science. It hasn't.
Citi Adds Wyndham Rewards as its second hotel partner
It was only a few weeks ago that Citi announced that Choice Privileges would become the ThankYou program's first hotel partner since Hilton departed a few years ago, and now here we are seeing Wyndham Rewards being added as a ThankYou partner too.
Etihad unveils its new A350 Business Class seats in Dubai
The Dubai Airshow is currently in full swing and amidst a few impressive fly-bys and a lot of industry talk, a cabin that a lot of us have been waiting to see has made its first public appearance - the Etihad A350-1000 Business Class cabin has finally been unveiled.
Flying to England? Here are two ‘Day 2’ tests that won’t break the bank
I've been flying in and out of England reasonably frequently in the past 12 months so I have first-hand experience of how painful the cost of all the Covid tests needed to get into the country has sometimes felt. Now, however, things are a lot better, and with fully vaccinated travelers now only required to take a 'Day 2' test upon arrival, I thought that I'd take a quick look at two UK testing providers with whom I've had good experiences.
Tell TPG to tell Amex what you think of the changes to the two Platinum Cards
A lot of people have been increasingly unhappy with the direction that American Express has been taking its two Platinum Cards and we've been seeing a lot of comments criticizing the nature of the benefits that the cards offer. Well, if you're one of the complainers, there's an outside chance that you may now have a way of telling the people responsible for the changes what you think.
United opens up bookings for its new Washington – Amman service (awards available)
October was a busy month for United Airlines from a route scheduling point of view with the airline announcing 22 daily flights to London and 10 new flights and five new destinations for Europe and the Middle East. One of those new destinations was Amman, Jordan, and today United's new route between Washington D.C and Amman finally went on sale.
Odd: Are IHG free night certificates a little better than I thought?
I have an IHG free night certificate that's expiring at the end of the year and as I was performing a few random searches to see what I could and couldn't book with it last night, I stumbled across something that I'm pretty sure I've never seen before - the free night certificates can sometimes be more useful than points.
Air France introduces a new route between the US and the Caribbean
It was back in August that Air France first mentioned that it would be adding a couple of new (and a little unusual) routes to its network and as the dates for those route launches approach, I thought that I'd follow up my earlier post on Air France's routes to the US with a reminder that we'll soon be able to use Air France to fly from the US (and Canada) to the Caribbean.
Virgin Atlantic reduces service and removes the A350 on its Los Angeles route in December
If you're booked to fly with Virgin Atlantic to Los Angeles this December it may be time to check your seat reservations, and if you're considering booking Virgin Atlantic Business Class for travel to/from Los Angeles in December, it may be time to consider other options because the airline will not be flying its A350 to LAX for a period of 31 days.
Air France brings back a US route and will offer up to 122 weekly flights to the US this winter
With the United States having finally opened its borders to travelers originating in the Schengen Area, Air France has announced that it will ramp up its transatlantic operations to levels not seen since before the pandemic. The airline has confirmed that it will operate to 11 US destinations and will offer up to 122 weekly flights this winter season and that's great news for flyers.
Is one of the best World of Hyatt award redemptions effectively dead?
Up until now, most of the research that I've been doing around the World of Hyatt program since seasonal pricing was introduced hasn't thrown up anything that's hugely negative or anything that was totally unexpected. That was until I started trying to work out just how far out I'd have to book to be able to reserve the amazing Alila Venata Big Sur at no more than 35,000 points per night (Category 7 peak rate). What I've discovered is more than a little disappointing.
Alaska Airlines will launch a new service to Miami next year
Alaska Airlines has been busy announcing new routes for most of this year with Mexico, California, Montana, Chicago, and Austin all benefiting from the airline's expansion. Its latest service announcement is probably its biggest of the year with Alaska Airline confirming that it will return to Miami for the first time in over 10 years with a non-stop service between Seattle and Miami next year.
Flying Virgin Atlantic from Los Angeles? Here’s what you need to know
Following a 20 month hiatus, travel between the UK and the United States will be restarting on Monday (8 November) and if what we're hearing is true, there will be a flood of people crossing the Atlantic in the coming weeks. If you're one of those people and you plan on flying with Virgin Atlantic out of Los Angeles, the information in this post may useful.
Purchases of United Airlines miles will now code as United Airlines purchases (apparently)
Earlier, I reported that United's latest mileage sale ends later today but it was something that I noticed in the terms and conditions that stuck out a lot more than the sale itself. According to United, purchases of Mileage Plus miles will now be recognized as United Airlines purchases and code as such with the credit card companies.
Heathrow Airport is now charging a drop-off fee (How to pay & How to avoid)
In what can only be described as a pathetic nickel & dime move, Heathrow Airport has finally started to charge the £5/$6.85 drop-off fee that it has been threatening to introduce for well over a year. This post takes a look at who has to pay the fee, how the fee can be paid, and how travelers arriving at Heathrow by car can avoid paying the fee.
Hyatt completes the purchase of ALG Group (~100 new properties coming to the World of Hyatt)
It was back in August that Hyatt confirmed that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Apple Leisure Group for $2.7 billion and we were told to expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter of this year. Well, true to its word, Hyatt has now announced that the deal is done and that approximately 100 new properties have now been added to its portfolio.
Hawaiian Airlines will restart its Sydney Route next month
In the wake of Qantas starting to reboot a variety of long-haul routes and Singapore Airlines saying that it will operate Vaccinated Travel Lanes from Sydney and Melbourne, Hawaiian Airlines has confirmed that it will join the party and will bring back its Honolulu - Sydney service in mid-December.
My first look at the World of Hyatt post devaluation (has value remained?)
On 26 October, seasonal pricing was introduced to the World of Hyatt program meaning that while no properties moved hotel categories on that date, Hyatt stays from March 2022 onwards can now cost up to 25% more than they currently do. With Hyatt's seasonal calendars now live, I've taken a look at a few regular Hyatt properties and a few well-known and higher-end Hyatt properties to see what the calendars show and to see if I can answer three key questions that have been on my mind.
American Airlines just made Lifetime Elite status a little more valuable (in one way)
American Airlines recently ripped up the rules surrounding elite status qualification for the AAdvantage program and introduced a whole new system through which its flyers can earn elite status. For some, the fact that the new system will probably create more low-level elites means that Lifetime Gold and Lifetime Platinum status has just been devalued (more competition for benefits). For others, however, Lifetime AAdvantage Elite status will have just become more useful.
How to transfer Citi ThankYou Points to airline loyalty programs (2024)
Like all the major transferable currencies Citi ThankYou points are relatively easy to earn (if you have the right credit cards) and because they can be transferred to an impressive number of airline loyalty programs, they're a key element to most people's miles & points strategy.
This was my ‘panic’ American Airlines award booking
On Monday afternoon, I wrote that I was looking at different ways in which I could spend the 170,000 AAdvantage miles that were sitting in my account and I mentioned a number of options that I had been considering. At the time, I had no idea which option (or options) I most wanted to go for and I was prepared to keep thinking things through for a few more weeks. A tweet that I saw on Monday evening quickly changed all of that.
All British Airways 777s will have the new Club Suite by the end of 2022
British Airways has issued an update on the progress that it's making with retrofitting its new Club Suite to its long-haul fleet and while the news out today is mostly good, some information that's missing from the update may point to a longer rollout timeframe than was originally envisioned.
JetBlue LaGuardia expansion starts this Sunday
It was back in April that JetBlue first told us that it was planning to leverage its new partnership with American Airlines to help it significantly increase its presence at New York's LaGuardia airport, and now the airline has confirmed that we'll start to see that expansion roll out from this weekend.
United Airlines Business Class 787-9 Dreamliner review (LHR-SFO)
Earlier this year, I booked a fantastic Business Class deal that should have seen me flying to Los Angeles with SWISS and back to Europe with United but with airlines playing around with their schedules as much as they were, my booking got changed multiple times and I ended up having to fly with United in both directions. That wasn't ideal, but it gave me a chance to try out three of the airline's long-haul Business Class cabins and this is a review of the first cabin in my itinerary.
Could the United States ban travel from the UK again?
On 8 November, the United States is reopening its borders to travelers originating in the Schengen Area, China, India, Ireland, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, and, of course, the United Kingdom, and while this is certainly a move to be welcomed, anyone taking this as a sign that US travel bans are a thing of the past could be being a little optimistic.
United Airlines announces 22 daily flights to London in 2022 (1 new route)
Yesterday, a low-key United Airlines teaser appeared to suggest that it would be announcing at least one new international route at 08:00 today to go alongside the 10 new flights and 5 new destinations that the airline announced on 14 October. Well, 08:00 ET has now passed and we now know what United's teaser was all about.
IHG Rewards extends elite statuses through January 2023
It was the last week of April 2020 when IHG announced that it would offer elite status extensions through January 2022 and now that Hilton (in September) and Marriott (yesterday) have both announced that members of their loyalty programs will continue to enjoy their elite statuses into 2023, IHG has followed suit.
Heads up: United Airlines will add yet more international routes
United Airlines launched a big teaser earlier this month which gave us all a lot of clues as to what new international routes the airline was planning to announce. Those new routes were promptly revealed just a day later but now United is suggesting that its news doesn't end there.
The new World of Hyatt award calendars are now live
As most people reading this will probably know, the World of Hyatt introduced peak and off-peak pricing yesterday, 26 October, and while the new pricing system doesn't affect stays made before the end of February 2022, all of Hyatt's properties are now displaying their respective award calendars for all bookable dates from 1 March 2022 onwards.
Huge News: American Airlines reinvents how elite status is earned
Today looks like it's a day for surprises. I didn't expect Marriott to announce the huge Bonvoy devaluation that we've seen, while the cataclysmic changes that I was expecting American Airlines to make to its awards charts never materialized. Instead, what American Airlines announced today was a wholesale change to how AAdvantage elite status is earned.
How did I not know that Gatwick surcharges are lower than those at Heathrow?!
I like to think that I'm fairly up to speed with a lot of the more important information surrounding the topics about which I write, and I like to think that I'm (mostly) completely on top of anything that relates to the cities that I visit frequently, the airlines with whom I fly a lot, and the hotels that I stay at more than once or twice a year. Apparently, that's not always true.
Official: US ends travel bans (Testing requirements & vaccine exemptions announced)
Earlier this month, we were told that the United States would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from regions, countries, and states from where travel has been banned since the early months of the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, this news was greeted with a great deal of jubilation in various corners of the world but until now, we've had no firm idea what the opening would look like, what the specific requirements for travel would be and what exemptions would be permitted. Now we know.
Devaluation coming tomorrow: Book your 2022 Hyatt stays now
Hyatt originally planned to introduce peak and off-peak pricing back in March 2020 but the pandemic got in the way of those plans and the devaluation was postponed. Now, however, the postponements are over and Hyatt's move to peak, off-peak, and standard award pricing comes into effect tomorrow and with some bookings set to cost up to 25% more, now is the time to make any bookings that you think you may need.
Qantas has confirmed 12 international routes will return by January
With Victoria now joining New South Wales in saying said that it plans to open up to vaccinated visitors from 1 November with no quarantine requirements, and with the Australian government under increasing pressure to open up its borders to international travelers, Qantas is pushing forward with getting its global route network restored and it has now confirmed the international routes that it will start/restart in the coming months.
Cathay Pacific eliminates waitlists for standard award bookings
Earlier this year, Cathay Pacific eliminated two types of awards and brought its Miles Plus Cash option online allowing customers to pay for any available seat using a mix of Asia Miles and cash. Now, a little over 6 months later, Cathay Pacific has made a further change to its loyalty program by announcing that the ability to waitlist for a standard award is being removed with immediate effect.
Hyatt peak & off peak pricing will not affect free night awards
Yesterday was the day when we finally had official confirmation that the World of Hyatt would, after numerous postponements, finally introduce peak and off-peak season pricing from Tuesday, 26 October 2021 at 10:00 am CT for stays made on or after 1 March 2022. While clearly devaluation, this isn't as bad as it could have been, and one of the silver linings around the dark cloud of seasonal spring is that Hyatt's free night awards will not be affected by what's on the way.
Marriott has opened the Reykjavik EDITION
At the time of writing, there are just 11 EDITION properties around the world but Marriott has been promising us plenty more, and true to its word, it has now opened the doors to its newest EDITION property Reykjavik, Iceland.
Is Hyatt about to add a new Hyatt Regency in London?
A normally very reliable source has reported that an IHG property in the center of the City of London which has remained closed since the pandemic first brought life to a screeching halt, will reopen early next year. It won't, however, be reopening under its old name. Instead, it will reopen as a new Hyatt Regency.
Uh-Oh! An outlier? An overreaction? Or a sign of things to come?
COVID-19 infection rates in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, are now rising and in the UK's case, reaching levels not seen since January. And while the death rates in these countries aren't anywhere near the highs of last year (because the vaccines, for the most part, are doing their job), this isn't stopping some countries getting spooked at the way some infection rates are trending.
Hilton News: Early upgrade confirmations & digital key sharing on the way
Hilton is introducing a couple of new measures which should make the travel lives of guests and Hilton Honors elite members a little easier. Coming soon, Hilton Honors elites will get advance notice when their space-available upgrade has been cleared by a property and Hilton guests who have downloaded the Hilton app and are a room's primary occupant will be able to share their digital key with those with whom they're traveling.
Is British Airways paying out the wrong number of Avios on Qatar Airways Business Class fares?
The title of this post is a question to which I don't have an answer but it's a question that has come to light as a result of the recent changes that Qatar Airways made to how its Business Class fares are structured and how many Avios British Airways now says that Qatar Airways Business Class fares will accrue. If you're flying in Qatar Airways Business Class and crediting your flights to the Executive Club, this is something to look out for.
Has Global Entry dropped an unpublished benefit or was LAX an outlier?
I have to admit that I'm not usually in a particularly observant mood when I get off a transatlantic flight in the United States (I've usually used up all my observational powers during the flight while writing notes for a flight review) so I'm not sure if a Global Entry benefit that no longer appears to be offered at LAX was a benefit that was just specific to LAX or if it was (and possibly still is) available elsewhere. Whichever it is, if you have Global Entry and are arriving at the Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX, your path to the big wide world just got a little more congested.
Qantas announces “Massive Release of Reward Seats” for 2022
We've already seen evidence of Qantas chomping at the bit to get flyers traveling internationally again when it brought forward the resumption of two key routes last week, and now the airline has shown more evidence of wanting to get people back in the air by announcing that it has released more award seats than ever before for travel in 2022.
This apparently pointless status match may not be quite as pointless as it seems
Alitalia, as an airline, may be officially dead, but its spirit is very much alive within the newest Italian flag carrier ITA Airways. Over the weekend, news emerged that ITA is offering an elite status match to just about anyone and on the face of things, this looks like a pretty pointless status match (I'll explain why in a moment). Having thought this offer though a bit more, however, I'm starting to think that it may have its uses.
Amex Centurion Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 3 review
After almost two years of delays (not all of which were Covid-related), the American Express Centurion Lounge at London Heathrow opened its doors for the first time last week so, as I was passing through Heathrow Terminal 3 a few days ago, I thought I would take a look and see what the new lounge has to offer.
Qantas brings forward the return of its Sydney – Los Angeles route
Qantas has said that following the announcement from New South Wales than it plans to open up to vaccinated visitors from 1 November and that vaccinated visitors will no longer need to quarantine, it will bring forward the relaunch of a couple of its key routes. Specifically, the Sydney - Los Angeles and the Sydney - London routes are two that will be coming back sooner than planned.
United Airlines announces 10 new flights and 5 new destinations for Summer 2022
After two days of teasers, United Airlines has now revealed that it plans, what it's calling, its largest transatlantic expansion in history with the launch of 10 new flights and the addition of 5 new destinations in the summer of 2022.
Marriott shares plans for eleven new St Regis Resorts by 2025
Marriott has announced that it has plans to nearly double the number of St. Regis Resorts in its portfolio by 2025. The hotelier has confirmed that it will add a total of eleven new resorts to its existing fifteen St Regis Resorts in the course of the next four years as it looks to expand its high-end offering.
Phew! British Airways didn’t drop the hammer when Qatar Airways refreshed its Business Class fares
The title of this post probably should read "...and breathe" because ever since we heard that Qatar Airways was refreshing its Business Class fare structure for the thousandth time, I've been holding my breath and waiting for British Airways to destroy what is undoubtedly one of the easiest routes to earning valuable elite status. Fortunately, my fears appear to have been unfounded.
United Airlines will announce new routes tomorrow (we have clues)
Early yesterday, United Airlines posted a cryptic teaser on Instagram which suggested that the airline would be making some kind of announcement at 08:00 ET today. Well, the appointed hour has now passed and we now know that the cryptic message was just a lead-in to a new video (just posted) that contains clues to help us all guess where United plans to fly to before the official announcement tomorrow at 08:00 ET.
American Express has opened the London Heathrow Centurion Lounge
American Express has today announced that its long-awaited Centurion Lounge has finally opened at London Heathrow Airport. The lounge is located inside Terminal 3 and American Express has given us a brief look at what the lounge has to offer.
Hyatt unveils a new Unbound Collection property in Florence, Italy
In early September, Hyatt announced that it would be adding six new European properties to its portfolio with two of those properties opening their doors to guests as early as this month. The Tribune Hotel in Rome opened just a few days ago (with no fanfare at all) and now Hyatt has confirmed that the IL Tornabuoni Hotel in Florence is accepting bookings as well.
Aer Lingus is bringing back two of its routes to the United States
In anticipation of the Biden administration finally getting around to opening up travel to the United States the UK, Ireland, and the Schengen area (take your time Joe, no hurry), Aer Lingus has announced that it will be restarting two of its transatlantic routes to the US in the coming weeks.
I’m amazed that American Airlines honored last week’s points sale error
Last Friday, American Airlines launched yet another points sale which, on the face of things, looked very similar to a lot of the other points sales that we usually see it running. The sale was offering up to 35% off the regular cost of miles and should have priced American's currency at over 2 cents per mile. But it didn't. It priced it far lower.
Wow! Capital One Miles now transfer to most partners in a 1:1 ratio
If Amex deciding that Walmart is an appropriate partner for its Platinum Card wasn't a big enough surprise for your Thursday morning, then try this on for size: Capital One has announced that the miles earned from spending on two of its cards will now convert over to most of its partners in a 1:1 ratio. Who saw that coming?!
Hyatt Launches the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
After a few weeks of rumors suggesting that Hyatt and Chase may be about to release a premium co-branded consumer card, we now know that those rumors were slightly wide of the mark. While it's true that a new World of Hyatt credit card is being introduced, it's not a premium consumer card. Instead, Hyatt has just announced the launch of the World of Hyatt Business credit card which is a Visa card issued by Chase.
Marriott Has Added 19 Autograph Collection Properties To Its All-Inclusive Portfolio
In February of this year, Marriott confirmed plans to add a number of Blue Diamond all-inclusive resorts to its Autograph Collection brand but, at the time, didn't actually say when the properties would be available to book on Marriott.com. Well, as of right now, 19 new all-inclusive properties are bookable with Bonvoy Points and/or cash.
The InterContinental London Park Lane review
Recently, I found myself back in London and in need of a centrally located hotel that was an easy walk from an underground station and an easy walk a number of places that I needed to visit during my very short stay. Given that I had an IHG One Rewards certificate sitting in my account that was due to expire at the end of the year, this seemed like a good opportunity to save some money and take a look at a property that I hadn't stayed it in quite a few years.
British Airways Will Restart One Of Its Routes To California
As has been the case with most airlines, the pandemic caused British Airways to take an ax to large parts of its route network and even though a lot of those routes have been restored in recent months, the airline still isn't flying to all of the US destinations that it served before the coronavirus changed the world. Starting next month, however, one more route to California will be back in the airline's schedules.
Sometimes I have to force myself not to save elite benefits for some hypothetical future trip
Miles, points, and elite status benefits are all there to be used (it's pointless hoarding miles and points because they'll devalue over time and what's the point of benefits if you don't use them?) but sometimes I have to give myself a good solid kick in the you-know-where when I realize that something is stopping me from acting in a rational and sensible way. One such kick was needed this weekend.
Why Does Alaska Airlines Have A High Segment Requirement For Top-Tier Status & American Airlines Doesn’t?
Last week we finally got to find out a lot more about the new top-tier elite status that Alaska Mileage Plan first mentioned back in January and one of the bigger surprises that we were given was the news that to earn top tier MVP Gold 100K status, flyers will have to book 24 segments that are marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines. In this post, I speculate on what the key driver of this requirement may be and why American Airlines doesn't have a similar requirement.
Uh-Oh! Qatar Airways Is Changing Its Business Class Fare Structure (Again)
It was only last November when we saw Qatar Airways first introduce its version of an unbundled Business Class fare which no longer offered free seat selection or lounge access as part of its benefits package. Now, less than a year later, Qatar Airways is overhauling its Business Class fare structure once again and the latest changes could spell the end of the line for those of us accustomed to earning valuable elite status by booking the best deals that Qatar Airways offers.
KLM Reverses Some US Route Cuts – Two Routes Are Now Back In The Schedules
Just two weeks ago, KLM announced that it would be cutting three of its winter routes between Amsterdam and the United States as the Biden administration continued to do nothing to open up travel for most Europeans and as the Dutch government imposed new restrictions on US travelers. Now, following sudden and unexpected changes of heart by both governments, KLM has announced that two of those three routes will be operated after all...albeit a little later than planned.
BA’s New Short-Haul Onboard F&B System Seems Excellent
At the beginning of the year, British Airways announced that it would stop serving food and drinks from an onboard cart on its short-haul routes. It wasn’t clear from the original announcement whether this was a short-term COVID measure or if this was yet another cost-cutting exercise but regardless, customers have spent the past months having to pre-order food and drinks in the days leading up to their flights as there has been no option to order onboard. Now, those days appear to be behind us.
Yet Another New Los Angeles Hyatt Will Charge A Destination Fee
The Shay, A Destination Hotel in Culver City, California, was originally slated to open in late summer 2020 but as with most hotel openings scheduled for 2020, that date was pushed back into 2021. The property is now set to open its doors on 1 November 2021 but unless you have top-tier Globalist status or you're planning to use World of Hyatt points, you probably shouldn't be in too much of a rush to visit.
The UK Overhauls Its Entry & Testing Rules – Bad News For The Unvaccinated
The British transport secretary Grant Shapps (who somehow survived this week's cabinet reshuffle) has announced that England's quarantine rules, the rules surrounding the COVID tests that passengers are expected to take before embarking on their trip (to England), and the tests passengers are expected to take following their arrival in England, will be changing from next month. It's bad news for the unvaccinated.
Alaska Airlines Has Now Revealed Details of Its New Top-Tier Elite Status
At the very beginning of this year, Alaska Airlines announced that it would be creating a new top-tier elite status level for the 2022 qualification year but the airline wasn't forthcoming with any details of what the new status tier would offer or what the qualification requirements would be like. Now, with a little over three months to go before the 2022 qualification year begins, a lot has been revealed.
United Airlines Reschedules Its New Route To Africa
A little over a year ago, United Airlines announced that it planned to start offering a variety of new flights from Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC. One of those routes was to Lagos, Nigeria, and was scheduled to launch in late spring this year. For reasons that are all too obvious, that route never launched but now United says that it's ready to give it another try.
Am I Booking Long-Haul International Travel Right Now?
I get asked a wide variety of travel-related questions every day but the one question that I'm getting asked more than any other right now surrounds my plans for future international travel. A lot of people seem to be happy to travel domestically but most also seem to be reluctant to travel long-haul and, frankly, it's not hard to see why.
Virgin Atlantic A350 Upper Class Review (New Suites – Daytime Flight)
Because something called COVID became a word all too familiar to all of us just a few months after Virgin Atlantic started offering the new Upper Class suite, it took a lot longer than I had hoped before I got to fly in the new cabin. Thankfully, earlier this year and after many cancellations and rebookings, I managed to make the most of an exceptionally good Business Class fare between London and Los Angeles to finally try out the new Virgin Atlantic product. I'm not embarrassed to say, I was very excited.
Would You Pay $150 To Access An American Airlines Flagship Lounge?
In February 2020, in the days when most of us still had little idea what lay ahead, rumors began to circulate that American Airlines was considering allowing flyers to pay to access the Flagship Dining facilities that it operates at a number of its US hubs. The pandemic put all those plans on hold but now that the airline is starting to reopen its Flagship Lounges around the country, the airline has confirmed that, in part, those rumors had substance.
This Is Why I Don’t Like Booking Flights Through OTAs
A few months ago, when JetBlue was offering some excellent Business Class fares on its new New York - London routes, I went against a long-term policy of mine and booked a trip through an online travel agency. Specifically, I booked through Amex Travel and while I wouldn't say that my experience has put me off booking with an OTA ever again, it has reminded me why I have a policy of avoiding OTAs whenever possible.
Finnair Announces Two New US Routes & Increases Service To Chicago
Following on from its July announcement of new routes from Stockholm to Bangkok, Phuket, and Miami, Finnair has now confirmed that it plans to launch two more US routes out of the Swedish capital and that it plans to turn what has traditionally been a transatlantic summer route into a route that's operated year-round.
KLM Has Suspended Three US Leisure Routes For Winter 2021/22
With the United States government continuing to show no interest in loosening restrictions on travelers originating in various European countries, we're now seeing some counties in Europe retaliating and imposing considerably stricter measures on travelers visiting from the United States. Unsurprisingly, this is now starting to lead to route suspensions.
Hyatt Announces Six New European Properties
Hyatt is back with another announcement featuring new properties that it will be adding to its portfolio and as has been the case in a number of the hotelier's recent statements, the new properties will all be located in Europe.
There Is One Very Good Reason The New Curve Card Has My Attention
Curve is a product that's been around in the UK for some time but that is only now making a bid to crack the US market and it's a product that even though it has been open to me for a while (thanks to my home in the UK), has never really held much interest. Now, however, a small and possibly overlooked aspect of the US version of Curve is making me seriously reconsider my ambivalence towards the card.
Sometimes I Really Don’t Understand Airline Pricing
Most readers have probably seen examples of airline pricing that's gone completely crazy because someone, somewhere, put a decimal point in the wrong place or because a currency exchange calculation has been done incorrectly. But this post isn't about one of those error fares. It's about fares that are being intentionally published for travel between the UK and the United States.
A Good Indicator That A “Best…” List Is Utter Nonsense
If you're immersed in the miles and point world and aren't blinkered in your approach to the various loyalty programs that are available (i.e you don't blindly "love" a single program and see no wrong with it), you probably have a good idea which loyalty programs are good and which are second rate. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren't so fortunate and they often rely on the various "top" and "best" lists that get published all too frequently.
A Regency Suite With Balcony At The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill (In Pictures)
A look at one of the suites that World of Hyatt Globalist members may be upgraded into if they use a suite upgrade award or if they're lucky enough to get a complimentary suite upgrade when they stay at the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill.
Earn 1,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles Per Hyatt Stay (Select Regions)
Hyatt is currently sending out emails to members of its World of Hyatt program offering them 1,000 bonus American Airlines miles for every qualifying stay they make at properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Registration is required so make sure you check the details below if you think that you'll be able to make the most of this offer.
Pictures Of The New Thompson Hollywood (A World Of Hyatt Property)
The Thomson Hollywood opened its doors a little over two weeks ago so in between the meetings and endless zoom calls that seem to have taken over my life, I took the opportunity to take a walk to Hyatt's latest Los Angeles property to see what it was like.
Credit Card News & Offers
