Buy Alaska Miles with a bonus of up to 60% [Targeted]
Alaska's Mileage Plan program has launched a new mileage sale in which it's offering select Mileage Plan members a bonus of up to 60% which would see them buying miles at 1.85 cents each.
If all you see is a 50% bonus (as I do) it may be worth waiting to see if the next sale offers you anything better (unless you only need a few miles to top up an account).
Select Oman Air long-haul awards now bookable with Avios (Glitch?)
Oman Air is set to join the oneworld alliance towards the end of the year at which point all of the airline's Business Class and Economy Class awards should become bookable with oneworld currencies like AAdvantage miles and Avios, but not before. So why are some long-haul Oman Air awards now seemingly bookable with Avios?
Flash sale: Now Aer Lingus is selling Avios with a 50% bonus (best current...
With the British Airways flash sale on Avios ending yesterday, Aer Lingus has now joined in the fun and launched its own sale in which it's offering a 50% bonus on most purchases. This is better than the British Airways sale which just ended and in some ways it's better than the Finnair Avios sale which is still in progress (it ends on 18 September), so this sale may be worth considering.
How to link Finnair Plus & British Airways Executive Club accounts
With Finnair now using Avios as its loyalty currency, there will come a time for most serious Avios collectors when it will be useful to be able to move Avios to/from a Finnair Plus account to/from another Avios account (e.g. to make the most of an award chart sweet spot).
How to upgrade a British Airways booking with Avios (a step-by-step guide)
Compared to a lot of major airlines, British Airways makes it relatively easy for passengers to upgrade their bookings to the next cabin of service, so as upgrades can be one of the better ways to get good value out of an Avios balance, here's a simple step by step guide to show how you can upgrade an existing British Airways booking with Avios.
Be careful: Check these two Avios sales to get the best price for you
Finnair has been running an Avios sale since the middle of last week and British Airways has just launched a new flash sale, and the key thing for Avios collectors to know right now is that it while both sales are offering different bonuses, the best sale for you may not be the one offering the highest headline bonus.
Award Sale: Get 25% off Singapore Airlines award bookings
No, this isn't an article about the KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes deals that we see every month (those deals should appear in a week's time). This a KrisFlyer Global Redemption Sale in which the travel window is wider and the restrictions slightly different.
How to earn Avios when you fly with United Airlines
Generally speaking, it's usually pretty simple to figure out which airline loyalty programs you can credit your flights to without resorting to an in-depth Google search because most major airlines belong to one of the three global alliances (Star Alliance, oneworld, and SkyTeam).
Sometimes, however, there's an option that is less than obvious, and in this article we discuss one such option which can be very useful to know about.
Use the Capital One to Flying Blue transfer bonus to book this transatlantic Business...
Through 29 September, Capital One is offering a 20% bonus on transfers into the Flying Blue program and with Flying Blue currently offering a good Business Class deal between North America and Europe, this may be the time to consider moving some miles across.
The British Airways Avios subscription service (what you need to know)
Back in October 2022, in what may have been a world-first for a major airline loyalty program, the British Airways Executive Club introduced a subscription service that permits its members to purchase Avios at a highly discounted rate.
In this article, we take a look at what this subscription service offers.
Get a Southwest promotional Companion Pass in just one trip (book by tomorrow!)
It was only a few days ago that Southwest launched a generous set of promotions designed to make it a lot easier for flyers to earn/retain A-List and A-List preferred status. Now the airline is back with another new promotion and this time it's for the very top prize - a Southwest Companion Pass.
How to earn airline miles & points with Airbnb
If you're in the ever-growing group of travelers who are choosing to book vacation rentals over hotels, it's important you realize that you don't have to pass up on earning miles and points just because your chosen accommodation isn't part of a major corporation.
Sometimes it may take a bit of effort to maximize your earnings, but the earning opportunities are still there. You just have to know where to look.
Flash sale: Buy Avios from 1.53 cents each (1.17p if you’re in the UK)
Qatar Airways is running a flash Avios sale in which it's offering bonuses of up to 50% for Avios purchases made through 8 September (Monday). The price you'll pay per Avios will vary depending on how many Avios you buy, but unlike some other Avios sales, it won't vary depending on where your Qatar Airways account is based.
Book North America – Europe Business Class for 37,500 miles + $269 (one-way)
Flying Blue has released its Promo Awards for September which cover travel through 28 February 2025 and as usual, you can now book select Air France and KLM awards with a 25% discount.
This month, the choices are, again, unspectacular, although we do finally have an interesting Business Class promo award for North America on which to report.
Do I or don’t I? (my Hawaiian Airlines dilemma)
Tomorrow is the last day that transfers between Amex Membership Rewards and Hawaiian Airlines will earn a 20% bonus and, ordinarily, this wouldn't be a bonus in which I'd have any interest. These aren't, however, ordinary times.
Southwest launches 5 promotions that will help you earn elite status faster
Southwest appears to be keen (not for the first time) to boost the number of elite status holders that it has as it is now running an amazing five promotions that will allow members of its Rapid Rewards program to earn A-List or A-List Preferred status a lot quicker and a lot easier.
Why it can be important to credit at least 1 Avios to the British...
Normally, when you see an article or post reminding you to credit some activity to your rewards accounts it's because the author doesn't want you to accidentally allow your hard-earned balances to expire. This article, however, isn't about that.
Qatar Airways European promotion – earn 50% more elite status credits
Following on from the Americas promotion we wrote about yesterday, it looks like Qatar Airways is also running a European promotion which, although less rewarding than the Americas promotion, could still give travelers invested in the Privilege Club program and nice boost towards earning or retaining elite status.
Qatar Airways Americas promotion – 50% more Qpoints & up to 15% off fares
Qatar Airways has launched a new promotion for the Americas to celebrate Skytrax naming it the world's best airline, and naming Doha's Hamad International Airport the world's best airport.
The promotion is offering flyers up to 15% savings on flights and 50% more elite status credits on flights booked during the promotion period and flown in the next few months.
How to earn Avios on Lounge Pass bookings
For flyers who don't routinely get access to airport lounges courtesy of elite status or the fares they purchase, lounges that allow travelers to pay to access their facilities and programs that allow travelers to pay to access a variety of lounges without the need for an annual membership, can be very useful.
New Singapore Airlines Spontaneous escapes deals are live (30% off September 2024 award travel)
It's the middle of the month and that means that Singapore Airlines has published its latest set of KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes deals. As usual, the airline is offering KrisFlyer members 30% off award bookings on select routes (in its Economy, Premium Economy, and Business class cabins) and as usual, the value on offer will vary from route to route.
The one fundamental rule to follow when buying miles or points
Whether they're scrabbling around for money when their stock price falls or whether they just want to make some quick and easy cash, a lot of the corporations that operate the big loyalty programs like to run sales on the points and miles they issue.
Some of these sales can offer a very economical way to travel in comfort and are worth investigating, but regardless of how good a sale is, all of them should come with a health warning that everyone should heed.
A wonderful sweet spot in the Iberia Plus award chart (Europe to/from the Caribbean)
The Caribbean is a hugely popular destination for travelers from both sides of the Atlantic, but not only can it be an expensive place to stay, it can also be an expensive place to fly to in any kind of comfort.
Fortunately for miles & points fans, there's at least one very economical Business Class award available for travel between Europe and the Caribbean, and it's an award that can open up travel to multiple destinations.
[Targeted] Fast track to American Airlines status for World of Hyatt elites
Yesterday, we published an article about the opportunities being given to AAdvantage members seeking World of Hyatt, so this article will focus on the more targeted and more limited opportunities being offered to select World of Hyatt elites seeking American Airlines AAdvantage elite status.
Fast track to World of Hyatt status for American Airlines elites
American Airlines and the World of Hyatt have brought back a fast track status promotion that we've seen, in one guise or another, published each year since the Hyatt/American Airlines partnership was launched.
This promotion gives select American Airlines elites the opportunity to enjoy immediate World of Hyatt elite status for 90 days and the opportunity to extend that elite status by completing qualifying activity within those 90 days.
Earn 1,000 bonus Avios with Uber in the UK
Right now, Uber and British Airways are shining a light on their partnership by launching a new short-term promotion in which eligible bookings made through the Uber app will earn Executive Club members up to 1,000 Avios.
This is why an Iberia Plus account can be useful
Iberia Plus is, unsurprisingly, the loyalty program of Iberia - a sister airline to British Airways. Just like the British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus uses Avios as its currency of choice but there are a few significant differences between the two that should make Iberia Plus very useful to Avios collectors.
How to transfer Amex points to partner loyalty programs
This is our simple step-by-step guide showing how to transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points to Amex's numerous transfer partners like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Delta (amongst others).
Convert Amex points to Avios with a 30% bonus
Finally, it's back. A month later than I expected, American Express has brought back a bonus for conversions to Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia Avios that we last saw launched 13 months ago.
Where to credit JetBlue transatlantic flights if you don’t use TrueBlue
Historically, most people outside of the US didn't really have much use for JetBlue. It was an airline focused mainly on the northeast of the United States and aside from a few routes to Mexico and the Caribbean from the East Coast, it didn't have an international presence.
Today, the airline's routes are still mostly centered around the northeast of the US, but because it now also operates flights across the Atlantic, it has found a broader audience.
Another sale: Buy United MileagePlus miles from 1.88 cents each (possibly targeted)
Just 6 days after pulling the last discount that it offered on its currency, United Airlines is back with another promotion in which it's offering a bonus of up to 100% when members buy MileagePlus miles by the end of the month.
How American Airlines & Alaska Airlines reciprocal upgrades work (includes details of a new...
Reciprocal upgrades have been available to American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan elites since 2021, and as a very recent change to the upgrade rules has improved the upgrade benefit for Alaska's flyers, this seems like a good time to recap how these upgrades work.
Big Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart changes now in progress
Last week, we covered the changes that Alaska Airlines has made (and is still to make) to how Mileage Plan elite status is earned and the benefits that elite status offers, but the really big changes that the airline is making to its frequent flyer program come in the form of the changes to its partner award charts.
United Airlines adds two minor (but useful) benefits for Silver Elite members
Today, United has announced a couple of very minor extra status benefits for those of us who sit towards the bottom of the MileagePlus food chain, and if you have Silver status and fly with a few of United's Star Alliance partners, these may turn out to be benefits that have genuine value.
British Airways says it’s bringing Texas BBQ to its Austin route (for a month)
Come Sunday (3 March), British Airways will have operated its Heathrow to Austin route for 10 years (with the occasional break for a pandemic) and to celebrate the occasion, the airline has adapted the menu on the Austin route for the month of March and has partnered with a famous Texas barbecue institution to produce limited edition bottles of their BBQ sauce.
The Etihad Guest program devaluation in summary
Etihad has announced a number of significant changes to its Etihad Guest loyalty program and on the whole, the news is bad. Most of the changes that have been announced will kick in later this year and these include things like adjustments to mileage expiry rules, increased award booking cancellation fees, and a devaluation in the lounge access benefit for elite members.
Status Match: Get SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus status with just one premium cabin...
Yesterday, Virgin Atlantic launched a very generous status match promotion targeted at British Airways flyers, but overnight, a slight change to the airline's usual status match rules may have made Virgin's status match for other airline elites a little bit more interesting.
Generous Virgin Atlantic status match for British Airways elites
It's probably not a coincidence that just a few days after British Airways made a mess of announcing how it plans to align all BAEC members' elite status years, that Virgin Atlantic has published one of the more generous status matches that I've seen. Unfortunately, however, if you've status marched to Virgin Atlantic in the past, you're not invited to the party.
Decoding the British Airways move to align Tier Point earning years
Yesterday, British Airways announced that it would be changing the timeframe in which members of its Executive Club program earn Tier Points (elite qualifying points) and to say that the messaging coming from the airline has been poor would be a gross understatement. It has been a mess.
British Airways aligns elite status years and the results are as clear as mud
One of the stranger things about the British Airways Executive Club has long been the fact that a member's elite status year has been based on when they joined the program and not on a standard program year shared by all other members. My elite status year, for example, ends in December, while Joanna's ends in March and that can make things awkward. Apparently, this won't be how things work for much longer.
How to earn Delta Lifetime Medallion Elite status [2024 edition]
Back in 2021, Delta made a positive update to its Million Miler elite status program by giving flyers the chance to lock in its top-tier SkyMiles Diamond Medallion status for life (albeit for the life of the program, not the life of the traveler) and that was a surprisingly positive move for Delta to make. From the start of 2024, however, Delta has made lifetime elite status harder to earn, so this is what you need to know about its Million Miler program:
Promotion: Earn 50% more miles on select Singapore Airlines bookings (+ more)
Singapore Airlines is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its KrisFlyer program with a series of promotions that include bonus miles on flights, extra ways of earning elite status credits, and discounts on shopping purchases made with miles.
Earn 1,000 Etihad miles on each Hyatt stay through March
Hyatt and Etihad have announced a new promotion in which members of the Etihad Guest program can now earn 1,000 bonus miles on Hyatt stays made by the end of March. Award stays count in the same way as revenue stays, so this could represent an easy way to top up and Etihad account or to simply keep and Etihad balance alive.
Reminder: RewardsPlus is currently running a special promo for United & Marriott top-tier elites
As we covered the Marriott/United partnership yesterday, now seems like a good time to for a reminder that top-tier Marriott Bonvoy and with United MileagePlus elites are being offered a limited-time promotion which allows them to earn upgrades in the other's loyalty program.
Delta is launching a new elite status match promotion [Update: now live]
It’s possible that Delta may be seeing (or is predicting) a significant decrease in the number of SkyMiles elite members, and that its 2023 devaluation may (finally) be the straw that broke the camel’s back for a lot of its frequent flyers. I say this because it looks like Delta is going fishing for new SkyMiles elites in 2024 with a promotion that's coming at some point this month.
This is how much top-tier airline status costs me each year
I gave up on the AAdvantage program and Executive Platinum status as soon as American Airlines introduced Elite Qualifying Dollars and the concept of a minimum spend requirement, and since then, I've been using the British Airways Executive Club as my primary airline program.
How the Marriott Bonvoy & United Airlines partnership works
In recent weeks we have highlighted Marriott's recently enhanced partnership with Singapore Airlines and its partnership with Emirates, so it makes sense to now cover the more major of Marriott's airline partnerships - it's partnership with United Airlines MileagePlus.
How the Marriott and Emirates partnership works
Marriott's partnership with Singapore Airlines was making news a couple of weeks ago, but that's not the only airline partnership that the hotel giant has. There's Marriott's strong partnership with United Airlines and as I'm about to discuss, there the partnership with Emirates as well.
Cash upgrades are not affecting British Airways Avios earnings on pre-devaluation bookings
Back in October last year, British Airways changed the way that Avios are earned as it moved from a model where the number of Avios awarded is based on a combination of the fare class and the distance flown, to a model where the number of Avios awarded is based entirely on the cost of a fare.
The one key change to earning United MileagePlus elite status in 2024
Over the past couple of weeks, we have gone over some of the changes that have been brought in (or announced) for 2024 by Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and American Airlines, so it's only fair that we also look at the one key change that United's MileagePlus program has introduced for the 2024 elite year.
The Marriott Bonvoy & Singapore KrisFlyer status match offer
When you look into the Bonvoy program closely, you'll find that Marriott has relationships with considerably more airlines that any other hotel loyalty program and that with some airlines, like Emirates and United Airlines, it even has a reciprocal benefits agreement (of sorts).
The four changes to Southwest Rapid Rewards for 2024
Back in October 2023, Southwest announced three ways in which it would be changing the elite status experience for its flyers in 2024 and one new option that it's introducing for all Rapid Rewards members, so before we get any further into the new year, here's a look at what those four changes are.
New: Spend Avios on experiences with Qatar Airways (shows, concerts, sporting events, etc…)
Marriott Bonvoy and a few other programs have been giving allowing members to spend their points/miles on experiences (tickets to concerts, sporting events, etc...) for some time, and now Qatar Airways has joined in with the unveiling of its 'Privilege Club Collection'.
American Airlines announces positive changes to the AAdvantage program
American Airlines has put out a press release addressing its plans for the AAdvantage program in 2024 and surprisingly, the news is actually good. Benefits are not being enhanced away, elite status is not being made harder to earn, award charts aren't being decimated, and there's no suggestion that the airline plans to hold the members of its frequent flyer program in the same contempt as Delta holds SkyMiles members.
Generate up to 10,000 Avios, Miles, Points from just 0.49 cents each [Targeted]
Outside of credit card welcome bonuses, one of the easiest ways to boost a miles and points balance without going to much effort and without spending any money that you wouldn't have otherwise spent is to make use of the various shopping portals which are operated on behalf of the major loyalty programs.
Another reason to join Qatar Airways Privilege Club (birthday discount!)
Most of the year, Qatar Airways runs promotions that offer travelers one or more incentives to join its Privilege Club program and if you're US-based, the fact that Qatar Airways is a Citi Thank You program transfer partner is another good reason to get signed up if you aren't already.
Changes to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elite status for 2024
In late 2023, Alaska Airlines announced several changes to its loyalty program that would take effect this year, so as we're now just five days into the new elite qualification year, here's a quick look at what changes have been made (and what further changes are coming) to Mileage Plan elite status in 2024 and beyond.
2024: Another year in travel, miles & points coming up
So, here we go again. Another year has past and another begins and that means that, for a lot of us, the the quest for the miles and points that make that our travels more comfortable and more affordable begins all over again.
Etihad is very deliberately suppressing partner award availability (take a look)
Some of the better value flight awards that are still available in the miles and points world are Etihad premium cabin awards booked with Aeroplan or American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Right now, however, it looks like Etihad is working hard to make sure that these awards aren't available to be booked and it's not even being subtle with how it's doing this.
Just 7 days to book before the British Airways devaluation
For flights booked from 18 October 2023 onwards, British Airways will be offering members of its Executive Club program considerably fewer Avios that it currently does as it transitions part of its rewards program to a spending-based model.
Two less well known British Airways Gold benefits that I have come to love
Since my move away from AAdvantage, British Airways Gold status has been good to me and I've come to appreciate it for more than just the oneworld Emerald benefits that it gives me. In particular, it's two of the less well known benefits of British Airways Gold status that I have come to appreciate more and more.
Earn 30% bonus United Airlines miles when you convert select hotel currencies
Throughout the month of October, United's MileagePlus program is offering members a 30% bonus when they convert select hotel currencies into MileagePlus miles. For members with Marriott Bonvoy points, this could be a good deal. For people with orphaned hotel points that qualify for this promotion, this could be a good deal. For most others, this is a promotion to avoid.
Now JetBlue is courting disgruntled Delta SkyMiles members
The radical changes to Delta's SkyMiles program were only made public a couple of weeks ago, but already the vultures are circling. On Monday, Alaska Airlines was the first to offer SkyMiles members an alternative home and now JetBlue has joined the fray with what appears to be a very generous status match offer to Delta flyers looking for a more appropriate frequent flyer program.
Alaska Airlines is tempting Delta flyers with a new route & a generous status...
The dust may not have yet settled on the remains of the old Delta Skymiles program, but with details of the new Skymiles program already angering, upsetting or annoying what appears to be a significant number of people, Alaska Airlines is making moves to capitalize on Delta's disenchanted flyers.
Big changes coming to Delta Sky Club access rules
Delta has had a problem with overcrowding in its Sky Clubs for some time and in the past couple of years, it has brought in various measures to try and sort the problem out. Unfortunately, none of these measures have made much of a difference so far.
Delta does what Delta does best… devalue its loyalty program (this time, in a...
Delta has announced that it will be moving down the path that American Airline's forged back in 2022 by revamping its frequent flyer program and using just a single metric to decide what elite status (if any) members of the program should have.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is changing its Silver Tier seating benefits
Virgin Atlantic has announced that in a little under a week's time, the seating benefits associated with its Flying Club's Silver Tier will be changing, and while the reaction to this news will depend heavily on what fares people normally book, I suspect most people will see this as bad news.
Emirates will offer an ‘all A380’ service to/from Sydney
In the past few hours, Emirates has announced that it will be moving to offer an all-A380 service on its route between Dubai and Sydney before the end of the year. It has also confirmed that it is in talks with Adelaide airport with the aim of restarting service to South Australia once the airline's new Airbus A350s begin to arrive.
British Airways announces five more ‘Avios only’ flights for 2023/24
In recent times, Qantas is probably the best known airline to publish flights on which all seats can only be purchased using miles or points (rather than cash), but in April this year, British Airways joined in the fun when it announced 'Avios only' flights to/from Sharm El Sheikh and Geneva.
I tried out the British Airways ‘Best Price Guarantee’ earlier today
The fact that most large hotel chains offer some sort of guarantee that the price a customer will pay when they book directly through them is the lowest price available is pretty well known. What appears to be less well known is that a number of airlines offer a similar policy and earlier, I finally had a chance to see how well (or badly!) BA's best price guarantee policy can work.
Significant changes coming to the American Airlines AAdvantage program
The AAdvantage program's current incarnation is still very new (it only came into being earlier this year) but American Airlines is already pushing through new changes which, on the whole, are probably going to be unpopular.
[Updated] Did British Airways just slash award surcharges for US departures? (Yes & No)
British Airways appears to be pushing through some big changes to its loyalty program today and because we haven't yet had a public announcement from the airline, it's not yet clear what all the changes will look like.
Accor ALL points now convert to Flying Blue in a ratio of 1:1
Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, has had a partnership with Accor's ALL program for some time and in the past few hours, that partnership has got a little bit more interesting as the ratio in which Accor points transfer across to Flying Blue was improved significantly.
United announces changes coming to MileagePlus in 2023
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
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.
Coming soon: Earn Avios on Uber rides taken in the UK
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 inevitable British Airways Executive Club devaluation is on its way
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.
Delta announces a new tie-up with Starbucks (earn miles & stars)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Double dip Avios & ALL points with the new Qatar Airways/Accor partnership (but be...
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.
A tier point run to get me home – 930 tier points in a...
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.
Quick tip: You may be able to book British Airways awards further out than...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club improves award availability…but it’s not enough
Virgin Atlantic has announced that its Flying Club loyalty program is following in the footsteps of the British Airways Executive Club and, with immediate effect, will release a minimum number of Economy Class, Premium Economy, and Business Class awards on every flight that it operates as soon as flights are loaded in the reservation systems. For fans of Virgin Atlantic, this will sound like good news but the harsh reality remains - this move doesn't go far enough.
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.
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.
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.
Fantastic: You can now link your British Airways & Qatar Airways accounts + combine...
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.
Grrr…apparently oneworld elites cannot reserve seats on the Alaska Airlines website (+ 1 more...
Alaska Airlines has been a member of the oneworld alliance for almost exactly a year so with that 12 month anniversary approaching, I don't think it's unreasonable for a customer to expect the airline's website to be able to deal with all of the more basic benefits that the oneworld alliance offers. Apparently, however, this is too much to ask.
Huge News: Qatar Airways will adopt Avios as its loyalty currency
In an announcement that's nothing short of stunning, Qatar Airways has confirmed that it will be adopting Avios as the currency for its Privilege Club loyalty program from late next month. Qmiles are going to be history and going forward, Privilege Club program members will earn the same currency as members of the British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, and Aer Club.
Why you shouldn’t book Aer Lingus awards through British Airways
Over the weekend, British Airways finally updated its booking engines to allow customers to book Aer Lingus awards through ba.com using Avios. Unfortunately, while the ability to see and book more awards on ba.com is always welcome, anyone booking Aer Lingus awards this way may end up paying considerably more than they should be.
Alaska’s Mileage Plan adds Malaysia Airlines awards…but it may as well not have bothered!
In the past 24 hours, Alaska Airlines has added another oneworld partner to its Mileage Plan program - Malaysia Airlines - but now that I've seen the levels at which the awards have been set, I can't help but wonder why the airline bothered.
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