Good Deal: Buy Iberia Avios With A Bonus Of Up To 30%
I've mentioned Iberia Plus before as I believe it's a loyalty program of which everyone who collects Avios should be a member. I'll mention a few benefits of Iberia Plus a bit later as this post is primarily to let you know that you can currently buy Avios from Iberia Plus and get a bonus of up to 30% on top.
I Passed On A Fantastic Award Opportunity….And Got Very Lucky!
There are a number of international premium cabin products that are well worth getting excited about. Some offer something reasonably unique (like Etihad's First Class suites), some offer fantastic service (like Cathay Pacific First Class) and some offer a pretty amazing all round experience (like Singapore Airlines Suites Class) but all of these are reasonably accessible to everyone as long as you can pull enough miles/points together for an award.
Singapore Airlines Changes Fare Types, Miles Earning Rates & More
Singapore Airlines has announced that it will be introducing new fare types, changing its fees surrounding award redemptions and tweaking the number of miles its flyers earn from 20 January 2018.
Unusually for an airline making these kinds of changes not all the news is bad and how you view these changes will definitely depend on what type fares you book and how often you incur fees on award bookings.
The Math Tells Me Not To Credit Flights To American Airlines
I've been trying my hardest not to be one of those travelers who complains incessantly about an airline devaluing its frequent flyer program only to keep handing that same airline his/her cash on an ongoing and frequent basis.
American Airlines has destroyed the AAdvantage program for travelers like me (for a very small minority it may have improved) so my plan has been to avoid flying American Airlines as much as possible...but it's been quite hard.
Lufthansa’s Miles & More Program Goes Revenue Based
Yesterday Lufthansa announced that its Miles & More rewards program would be going "revenue based" from 12 March 2018 but, rather unhelpfully, we weren't given any more information than that. Today Lufthansa has finally provided the information that a lot of people have been anxiously awaiting.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Avios For Long-Haul Economy Class Flights
Those of us who have been playing around with miles and points for a while generally know that using Avios for long-haul Business Class flights can be an expensive proposition and that using Avios for long-haul Economy Class flights is usually a terrible idea....but I still get a lot of questions about this from those newer to this game.
United MileagePlus Is Back With Another 100% Bonus When You Buy Miles
If you ever want proof that most of the people running airline loyalty programs are just phoning it all in take a look at the mileage promotions they come out with.
Yesterday I posted about the lasted American Airlines AAdvantage mileage sale which turned out to be identical to their Black Friday sale (which in turn was identical to their Black Friday sale last year) and now we have the latest offering from United.
If I'm being charitable I'll concede that United Mileage Plus has changed its promotion from the flash sale it has a little under two weeks ago....but the changes are so small they're essentially insignificant.
You Can Now Buy AAdvantage Miles For 1.77 Cents Each….Again
Someone really needs to sit the AAdvantage team down and explain the concept of a "sale" to them because I'm not convinced they understand what a sale actually is - perhaps someone in the Dallas Fort Worth area could drop off a dictionary to help them out.
Here's how ridiculous this is all getting.
50% Off Business Class Awards With Miles & More Bargains
Miles & More is offering half price Business Class awards for travel to/from Europe, the US and select cities in Asia for bookings made by 1 January 2018. The Travel window is pretty restrictive but, with long-haul roundtrip Business Class awards starting at 55,000 miles, this is definitely something to consider.
AAdvantage Aviator Card Holders Can Earn Up To 20 Miles/$ Through Sunday
American Airlines has been sending out emails to AAdvantage Aviator credit card holders offering them up to 20 miles per dollar on spending at the AAdvantage eShopping store. Before you get overly excited you should know that the greatly enhanced earning rates are only available at a few select stores....but this could still be an economical way of racking up some AAdvantage miles while doing your Holiday shopping.
This offer appears to have been running for a few days so I'm not sure why I've only just received the email but, that aside, the offer looks interesting.
Delta Is Selling Medallion Qualifying Miles & Segments For 2018 Status
Through 15 February 2018 Delta is running a promotion it's calling "Elevate Your Status" in which Medallion members can purchase Medallion Qualifying Miles and Medallion Qualifying Segments in order to boost their Medallion status for 2018.
Air France Clarifies My Flying Blue Status Question
Last week I wrote about something which appeared to be an anomaly with the way some Flying Blue members will see their Level Miles converted to Experience Points (XP) when the revamped Flying Blue program takes effect from 1 April 2018.
A reader, Alex, had got in touch with me to point out that, if you access details of the new Flying Blue program while in France, the conversion rate for Level Miles to XPs shows as being lower than it does for other countries.
Get 50% Off British Airways Economy Class Awards To/From 90 Destinations
British Airways has launched a promotion similar to one it has run at this time of year in the past offering 50% off all Economy Class Avios redemptions on flights to/from London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
The difference between this promotion and others I remember is that this one covers a much broader range of travel dates but does not include the December holidays.
LAST CHANCE: 30% Bonus For Amex Membership Rewards Transfers To Virgin Atlantic
American Express has been offering a 30% bonus on all Membership Rewards transfers to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club for a few weeks now but the offer expires on 30 November so there isn't much time left to make the most of this.
EXTENDED – 100% Bonus When You Buy United Miles
United Airlines MileagePlus has launched a one two day flash sale on its miles and is offering a bonus of up to 100% of the miles you purchase through 11:59pm CT 29 November 2017.
As usual the bonuses on offer vary depending on how many miles you buy (the more you buy the bigger the bonus) but, on this occasion, the banding is quite generous so you don't have to buy all that many miles to get the full 100% bonus.
American Airlines Black Friday Deal – Buy Miles From 1.77 Cents (a.k.a I Told...
I know smugness really isn't an attractive quality on anyone but I'm feeling a little pleased with myself right now. In the first week of November American Airlines launched yet another miles promotion in which it was offering a bonus of up to 100,000 miles and, at the time, I suggested that no one should be jumping on that deal. My reasoning was that it appeared as if American was simply regurgitating its promotions from 2016 so, if the pattern continued, we would see the bonus increased by 20% for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Are Flying Blue Members In France About To Get A Raw Deal?
One of the great things about having people interested and engaged in the miles and points world is that we have eyes everywhere. Where one of us may miss something that an airline or hotel chain has said, posted or done someone else will see it and flag it up.
TFM reader Alex left a comment on my post about how Flying Blue status will be earned from 1 April 2018 saying that Flying Blue had already changed one of the details of the new program before it has even launched.
American Airlines Is Still Sending Out Status Buy-Back Emails…..My Offer Is Ridiculous
One thing you can be sure about with American Airlines is that you're not going to be short of emails offering you different ways to part with your cash in increasingly uneconomic ways. If the airline isn't trying to sell you miles that you can't easily use it's pushing its co-branded credit cards, trying to get you to buy a cruise or tempting you to book a hotel room through RocketMiles (where you'll also earn miles you can't easily use).
Quite simply the airline will try to sell you anything it thinks you may be gullible enough to buy....and that included airline status.
Alaska Miles On Sale With Bonuses Of Up To 40% (Very Useful For Great...
Alaska Airlines has launched its latest points promotion in which it's offering Mileage Plan members bonuses of up to 40% on purchases of over 30,000 miles.
Alaska Mileage plan may not be the first airline loyalty program that most people think of but, with the downward spiral most other loyalty programs are pursuing, this is definitely a program to pay attention to.
One Week Only – Buy LifeMiles For Just 1.35 Cents Each (Great For Star...
Avianca LifeMiles is celebrating Cyber Week with a huge discount on the cost of its miles and going some way to proving a point I made just last week (I'll come back to this point a little later).
Between 20 and 27 November all purchases of over 5,000 LifeMiles will come with a 145% bonus and that's the second biggest bonus I remember seeing in any LifeMiles promotion.
How To Earn Flying Blue Status From 1 April 2018
Earlier today Flying Blue (the loyalty program for Air France/KLM) announced a raft of changes to its scheme, one of which included a whole new way of attaining Flying Blue status. I covered all the details of the Flying Blue announcement earlier but, as I've had so many questions about the new way of earning Flying Blue status, I thought I'd address that in a little more detail.
Win 500,000 American Airlines AAdvatage Miles (US Only)
American Airlines AAdvantage miles may be getting harder and harder to use economically but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take notice when the airline is offering to give you 500,000 miles for doing next to nothing.
ANOTHER AMAZING DEAL: Buy Cheap United Miles (Again) – This Time For 1.18 Cents...
Last week I wrote about a way you could parlay a Choice Privileges bonus into United Mileage Plus miles that cost from as little as 1.13 cents each. That was a fantastic offer and I didn’t think we would see another like it for a while.
I was wrong.
You Can Now Buy Avios With A 50% Bonus
The British Airways Executive Club has joined United & American in launching a points promotion and, this time around, it offers Executive Club members the chance to buy Avios with a 50% bonus.
If your account is in the US this allows you to buy Avios from 1.84 cents but, if you have your BAEC account registered in the EU, the cost should be a lot lower (probably around 1.3 cents – I don’t have access to an EU-registered account so I can’t be sure)
United Airlines Promotion – Buy Miles & Get A Mystery Bonus
The latest mileage sale is out from United Airlines and this time around the airline is offering MileagePlus members a "mystery bonus" when they buy miles. My maximum personal mystery bonus was 50% (as was the bonus linked to the other two MileagePlus accounts I have access to) but others may have better offers.
American Airlines Is Offering A 100,000 Mile Bonus On Purchased Miles…..But I Can See...
It's time for another American Airlines mileage sale and this time around the airline is offering a bonus of up to 100,000 miles on purchased miles. Normally I'd probably tell you not to buy the miles because they're overpriced and hard to use economically....but this time I'm going to do something a little different.
First I'm going to tell you what the promotion is actually offering, then I'm going to show you the math and lastly I'm going to show you why I think I can predict the future.
GREAT DEAL: Buy United Miles From Just 1.13 Cents Each!
While I usually advise readers that converting hotel points to airline miles is generally a poor proposition, every now and again deals line up in a way that changes the math for the better. Right now is one of those times and, as a result, you can currently buy United Miles at anywhere between 1.13 cents and 1.3 cents each. That's fantastic.
Flying Blue Goes Revenue Based – Full Details Here
At the beginning of October a mistakenly published mileage calculator combined with an eagle-eyed traveler alerted us to the fact that the Flying Blue rewards program (the program for Air France/KLM) would almost certainly be moving to a revenue-based system. Today that is exactly what Flying Blue has announced.
Earn AAdvantage Miles For Booking Hotel Rooms (And Still Keep Status Benefits)
Earning airline miles for hotel stays isn't exactly a new concept but, in most cases, earning airline miles at hotels comes with some degree of sacrifice.
If you book your hotel stay through the likes of PointsHound, Kaligo or Rocketmiles you'll earn airline miles but, because you're not booking through the hotel chain directly, you won't be eligible for any status benefits that may be due to you.
Here’s Why I’m Deliberately Overpaying For A Short-Haul Flight
I've been asked a number of times to write a few more posts explaining my thinking when I'm booking my flights (I've already written a general post on how I plan and book my flights) so, when a scenario came about that led me to pay a lot more for a flight than I would have normally considered acceptable, it seemed like a good opportunity to share my thoughts.
Save 25% On British Airways Cash & Avios Bookings (UK Only)
British Airways is offering UK-based Executive Club members the opportunity to save 25% on Cash and Avios bookings on select routes this winter.
I should temper any excitement a little bit at this point as long-haul routes are excluded from this offer as are flights out of Heathrow and Gatwick….but there are a few short-haul routes out of London City Airport which show some promise.
Southwest Promotion: Buy Rapid Rewards Points With A Bonus Of Up To 50%
Southwest has come out with a promotion whereby Rapid Rewards members can purchase Rapid Rewards points with a bonus of up to 50% through 10 November 2017 (what bonus you get is dependent on what Southwest has targeted you for).
Why I Don’t Mind Delta’s Ridiculous $250,000 Credit Card Spend Requirement For A MQD...
Delta is the only one of the 3 legacy airlines that offers customers the chance to have the spend requirement (Medallion Qualification Dollars or MQD) for top-tier status waived. United and American Airlines will let you earn a waiver of some of the spend requirement....but not enough so that you can earn top-tier status.
This Is A Fantastic Credit Card Offer For California Residents
I don't often write about credit card sign-up bonuses because, to be frank, I don't find most of them to be all that fantastic or exceptional (with a few occasional exceptions). But now we have a credit card sign-up bonus from Southwest & Chase that, as long as you're a California resident, is one you shouldn't be passing up.
Earn Triple Avios At Hilton & Qatar Airways Adds A New Asia Route
A round up of a couple of pieces of news that I've noticed in the past few days which include an announcement from Qatar Airways that it intends to serve a new Asian destination from early 2018 and details of how you can earn triple Avios when you book stays with Hilton.
AAdvantage Promotion: Earn Up To 60,000 Miles On Flights To Asia
American Airlines has come out with its second Asia promotion of the year and this one is not too dissimilar to the first. Flyers can earn up to 60,000 bonus AAdvantage miles when booking qualifying fares for travel on non-stop JAL and American Airlines flights between the US and Asia.
I Booked A British Airways Tier Point Run – 520 Tier Points For $1,407
I don't normally cover Tier Point runs as, to be frank, they're not really my forte (I'm still learning all I need to know about earning Tier Points easily) but one of the fantastic transatlantic Business Class fares I wrote about last week seemed like a good opportunity to help out a friend of mine who was looking to earn some BA Tier Points.
Air Canada Aeroplan Offering Up To 3x Bonus Aeroplan Miles
Air Canada has launched a promotion whereby Aeroplan members can earn up to triple bonus miles on flights on select routes. The actual number of bonus miles you can earn varies on the type of ticket that you purchase but even the lower fare types will earn at least 50% bonus miles.
You Can Buy AAdvantage Miles For 2.10 Cents Each….But It’s A Bad Deal
Right now American Airlines is advertising a new offer in which you can buy AAdvantage Miles with a bonus of up to 35,000 miles thrown in if you buy at least 80,000 miles during the promotion period. Put simply, what all those numbers mean is that you can buy AAdvantage miles at around 2.10 cents each....and that's a bad deal.
British Airways Is Offering Double Avios Across Its Network (Not For Accounts In North...
In news that has me seriously considering moving my British Airways Executive Club account to an address outside of North America, British Airways has announced that it is offering Double Avios on all BA marketed flights between 11 October and 31 December 2017....as long as your BAEC account isn't registered in the US, Canada, Mexico or South Africa.
Transfer Starpoints To Airlines: What Are The Options And How Should You Transfer?
This week I'm taking a look at the four major transferable rewards currencies individually and listing out the airline and, where relevant, hotel rewards programs those currencies can be transferred into. In this, the fourth and final post, I'm taking a look at Starwood's Starpoints.
United Increases The Number Of Miles You Can Buy By 67%….But Only For Overseas...
One of the benefits of having a genuine address outside of the US is that I can use it for my United MileagePlus account. While having a foreign address on your American Airlines AAdvantage account makes little or no difference, with United (and Delta) it means that you don't have to meet the minimum qualifying spend criteria for elite status.
Points, Points, Points! Double Avios For Shopping, Bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards & Double Carlson...
There's a small points bonanza going on at the moment and for those interested in Avios, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Club Carlson Gold points there are some very good opportunities to earn bonus points without much effort.
Is This The Worst “Buy Miles” Deal United Has Ever Released?
Last month United offered up a flash sale in which Mileage Plus members could earn a 75% bonus if they purchase over 30,000 miles and, while a 75% bonus may sound good, the offer was actually pretty poor.
The math on last month's promotion meant that United was effectively selling miles at a cost of 2.15 cents per mile and, if I though that was bad (which I did!), I'm left almost speechless at what United is offering as its best rate this month.
British Airways Reward Flight Finder – The Avios Search I Didn’t Know Existed
On Monday I discussed the excellent BA Redemption Finder tool that makes life very easy for anyone looking to see what Avios availability is like on a given route for the entire year. In one search you can see every date on which reward flights are available between any two cities that BA flys between...and it show you the availability in both directions.
Ending Soon: Buy Alaska Miles With A 50% Bonus
Alaska Airlines has been selling miles with a bonus of up to 50% since the end of August and this deal has now nearly run its course. If you were fortunate enough to be targeted for the 50% bonus you have until 11:59pm ET on 5 October 2017 to buy Alaska miles with that bonus.
Another Devaluation? Is Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue Going Revenue Based?
In what appears to be a bid to offer fewer and fewer redeemable miles to customers, airlines around the world have slowly been moving to a revenue-based system for mileage accrual. In a nutshell this means that the number of miles you earn for a trip is now linked to how much you pay for your fare so, unsurprisingly, this isn't a popular development for flyers like me who like to pay as little as possible.
Hawaiian Airlines & JAL Announce New Codesharing Agreement With Frequent Flyer Reciprocity On Its...
Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL) have today signed a "comprehensive new partnership agreement that will greatly enhance the ease and comfort of travel for passengers traveling between the two island chains". The new agreement, which is subject to government approval, will open up new codeshare routes for customers are well as leading to reciprocal lounge access and benefit for frequent flyers.
You Can Buy United Miles With A 75% Bonus For A Limited Time…But It’s...
United Airlines has launched its latest "buy points & get a bonus" promotion" and, this time around, it's offering MilagePlus members the chance to earn a 75% bonus if they buy enough miles....which I think is a poor deal.
Tier Points Or Comfort & Convenience – Sometimes That’s A Choice You Have To...
If you're based in Europe and you like traveling in Business Class then you're lucky. While over in the US we have by far and away the better credit card deals, over in Europe you have by far and away the better Business Class deals. Whether it's the frequent Qatar Airways Business Class sales to Asia or, as I posted last week, great Business Class fares across the Atlantic, Europeans don't have to look too hard or too long before they find a tempting Business fare...but sometimes those fares bring with them decisions that you should understand.
BA Redemption Finder – A Free Tool For Finding British Airways Avios Awards
As a post I wrote on the free iPhone app I think every flyers should have appears to have been pretty popular I thought I'd write a post on the tool I prefer to use when searching for British Airways Avios awards - BA Redemption Finder.
Win 100,000 AAdvantage, Alaska Or United Miles When You Shop
Shopping portals can be a very good way of boosting your rewards balances while you go about your regular shopping. If you're sensible and disciplined (i.e you don't shop just because you're earning miles) you can keep the miles rolling in without spending any more than you would have done if the miles hadn't been on offer.
Good News: Oneworld “Not Looking To Add A Formal Additional Tier”
With airlines like American offering up to 5 elite status levels (if you include the invitation only "Concierge Key" level) and British Airways offering 3 official levels and possibly even a 4th and 5th (if you separate out Gold Guest List flyers and Premier card holders) some have been questioning whether or not the oneworld alliance needs to add an additional tier.
You Can Now Buy Avios With A Bonus Of Up To 50%
British Airways has launched its latest points promotion which, this time around, is targeted and offers Executive Club members the opportunity to buy Avios with bonus of up to 50%. If your account is in the US this allows you to buy Avios from 1.85 cents but, if you're fortunate enough to be based in the EU, the price drop to just 1.2 Euro cents.
How To Maximize Your British Airways Tier Points On Qatar Airways
There's an outside chance that I may reach the dizzy heights of British Airways Gold status next year if some of the trips I'm planning pan out as expected so I've been paying closer attention that normal to the whole concept of Tier Points.
Great Starwood To American Airlines Conversion Bonus…But You Should Probably Ignore It
Great conversion bonuses don't normally come with huge caveats attached to them but when it comes to describing any kind of conversion to American Airlines AAdvantage miles a health warning should always be attached....and in big letters too.
Etihad Guest Devaluations Are Coming
Etihad is currently sending out emails to its Etihad Guest rewards program members with a subject line to worry any seasoned miles and points enthusiast. No one who's been around this hobby for any length of time likes to receive an email from a rewards program where the subject line reads "An update to your programme benefits" - they're almost always bad news.
How To Use Starwood Starpoints For Low-Mileage Premium Cabin Travel
As I don't really visit many SPG properties my primary channel for earning Starpoints are my Amex/Starwood co-branded cards and my primary use for them is usually as a conversion to an airline's loyalty program (they convert at a 1:1 ratio into a surprising number of airline programs) - it's just one such conversion I'm going to write about today.
Qantas Offering Double Miles & Double Status Credits On Select Flights (Possibly Targeted)
Qantas and Emirates recently announced that they would be looking to extend their partnership for a further five years (albeit with a route change or two thrown in) and now, to celebrate the partnership, Qantas is offering double points and double status credits on select routes.
Barclaycard USA Pilot Program Allows You To Buy Miles From 1 Cent Each
At the beginning of 2017 Citibank's monopoly on issuing AAdvantage credit cards was broken thanks to a deal American Airlines inked with Barclaycard USA....and this has seen some innovation in the AAdvantage credit card sector.
Citi's offerings had become somewhat stale so, when Barclaycard opened up its AAdvantage Aviator cards to new applications in January, it was a welcome change for a lot of customers.
Sign Of The Times With American Airlines – 75% Of My Systemwide Upgrades Will...
Not too long ago I was a pretty big fan of American Airlines. I liked the fact that the airline was investing in a newer fleet, I loved the AAdvantage program (it was the best airline loyalty program out there) and as a top-tier elites I had some very nice perks. But that was then.
Alaska Mileage Plan Offering Bonuses Of Up To 50% On Purchased Miles
If you have an Alaska Mileage Plan account you may have been targeted for a healthy 50% bonus on any miles you purchase before 5 October. Generally I’m pretty negative about buying miles from airlines but, when it comes to Alaska Miles, I’m a little more positive.
American Airlines Is Hawking Miles Again – Most Should Stay Away (As Usual)
When I write a post here on TFM there can be any one of a number of reasons why I chose to write it - I may think the information in it will save someone money, I may think that a review of a product will better inform travelers of what's on offer and, sometimes I consider the post to be a PSA. This post definitely falls into that last category.
Virgin Atlantic Miles Are About To Become A Bit More Interesting
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles don't often get much love from miles & points bloggers because, essentially, they really aren't all that useful for getting readers great value redemptions in good premium cabins. There is an exception to this that I discussed recently but, for premium cabin travel, Virgin Atlantic miles aren't going to get many pulses racing. Having said that, they are about to get a bit more interesting.....and possibly even more useful.
Earn Up To 5,000 AAdvantage Miles With Sam’s Club Membership
American Airlines & Sam's Club have come together to offer AAdvantage members the chance to earn up to 5,000 miles by taking out a Sam's Club membership. The number of miles you can earn will depend on the membership you take out and the AAdvantage status you hold.
Why Is A Dallas To London Economy Class Award Considered A Poor Use Of...
We often hear that Economy Class awards are a poor use of miles...but it that really true? In this post I take a look at why some think that Economy Awards are poor value and why their opinion doesn't really matter.
Beware The Hidden Costs Of Some “Good Deals”
I love the miles & points world because it allows me to take trips that I otherwise wouldn't be able to afford and it allows me to enjoy modern day travel in a level of comfort that most never get to experience - I'm really very lucky. But it's not all plain sailing and, if you're not careful, it can be easy to fall into a few less-than-obvious-traps and it can be easy to think that a deal is a lot better (cheaper) that it really is.
United Airlines Is Selling Miles With A 100% Bonus
United Airlines has launched its latest "buy points & get a bonus" promotion and, on this occasion, it's offering MilagePlus members the opportunity to earn a 100% bonus if they buy enough miles. The question is, however, just how good of a promotion is this and should you be looking to buy?
I’m Very Glad American Airlines Eliminated This Rule
I already have most of my travels mapped out for 2017 and, as I've explained in the past, I'll be crediting my trips to American Airlines' AAdvantage program for one more year before almost certainly becoming a free agent in 2018.
While I'm more than used to having to hit 100,000 Elite Qualifying Miles every year to retain Executive Platinum status there's a new element to earning status this year that has seen me change how I book my flights - Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD).
Korean Air SkyPass Changes Milage Earnings On Three Partners
Korean Air SkyPass may not automatically jump out as being a particularly important loyalty program for those of us based in the US but, as it happens to be a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, any changes the program makes are worth noting.
Normally when airline loyalty programs make changes to partner earnings the news isn't good but, although there are some negative changes being put through by SkyPass, these are partly offset but some positive changes too.
Big Changes To The Alaska Airlines & American Airlines Partnership
Alaska Airlines has long been a haven for flyers who like to credit their American Airlines flights to Alaska's Mileage Plan program for its better (and often easier) redemptions on a variety of airlines. Unfortunately, following an announcement today, that haven will soon disappear as Alaska and American Airlines dissolve most of their partnership.
Here’s Why You Should Check Your Credit Card Statement For More Than Just Fraud
I suspect that most people reading this blog are savvy enough to know that you should never just assume that the charges on your credit card are correct - banks have become very good at detecting fraud but things still slip through the net all the time and you never know when you're scheduled to be someone's victim. Sadly fraud is a fact of life but we know about it so we can look out for it when our statements come in....and most people do just that. But most people also do only that. They don't check anything else.
Here’s A Fantastic Use Of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles
Last week Virgin Atlantic announced quite a big shake up in how it calculates the miles and tier points flyers will earn when flying on Delta and crediting their trips to the airline's Flying Club program. On top of that Virgin also changed the number of miles needed to book awards on Delta with Economy Class awards generally decreasing in cost but some Business Class award increasing in cost by over 70%.
Award costs and earnings on Delta had long been out of step with earnings and award costs for flights taken on Virgin Atlantic so it was only a matter of time before Virgin put through the changes needed to align the two - that's what last week's announcement was all about.
American Airlines Selling Miles At 1.72 Cents/Mile (Again) – Should You Buy?
Since American Airlines merged with US Airways we've, unsurprisingly, seen a lot of US Airways-type behavior from the joint entity. One type of behavior that stands out in particular is that the airline almost always has some kind of "offer" available to anyone who wants to buy AAdvantage Miles. The last offer ran out on 30 June so it's not that surprising that we now have the airline's latest promotion....which appears to be an extension of the one that just ended.
United MileagePlus Devaluation Coming 1 November 2017
United Airlines' MileagePlus program has announced that, from 1 November 2017, quite a few things will be changing - mostly for the worse. The main changes involve the repricing of United's international Saver Awards, the introduction of variable price "Everyday Awards" and the repricing of United's partner awards.
Why Buying Starpoints To Convert To Avios May Not the Best Deal Right Now
As I mentioned earlier today, Starwood is running a promotion through 30 June in which SPG members can purchase Starpoints with a 35% discount. Not only is that the best discount we've seen on Starpoints, but it also offers up the opportunity to generate airline miles at a very reasonable rate of 1.82 cents/mile.
In most cases 1.82 cents/mile wouldn't be a bad rate at all but, if you're looking to boost your Avios balance, using the current Starwood promotion may not be the cheapest way for you to do it.
Buy Avios From 1.85 Cents Each – For Some This Could Be A Good...
British Airways has launched a short-term offer which allows flyers to purchase Avios with a 50% thrown in on top. While on the face of things this the offer isn't hugely attractive, there will definitely be instances where buying Avios in this promotion will be a money saver and therefore a very good idea.
BREAKING NEWS: Virgin Atlantic Changes Earnings & Award Costs On Delta
Virgin Atlantic has just announced some big and wide-reaching changes to rules governing how many miles Flying Club members will earn when flying on Delta, how many Flying Club miles members will need to book awards on Delta and how many Tier Points members will earn when flying on Delta. These changes are very significant!
A Great Example Of When AAdvantage Members Should Book Through Partner Airlines
On Tuesday I wrote about a very good British Airways Economy Class fare that's currently on offer for travel between Düsseldorf and Los Angeles ($383 roundtrip) and yesterday I wrote a guide showing how to calculate the number of Elite Qualifying Dollars you'll earn from a trip credited to American Airlines AAdvantage.
Today I'm going to use that fare to show why there are times when AAdvantage members should book fares through American's partners and not American itself...... even when the cost through both is the same.
How Do You Calculate AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Dollars?
From time to time, when I find a particularly good OneWorld fare (or set of fares), I'll write a post highlighting the routes on which the fare(s) can be found and detail out how many AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM), Redeemable Miles (RDM) and Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) can be earned by booking these fares. I've had a number of requests to explain how I work out how many EQDs each fare earns so here is a guide explaining just how American Airlines calculates how many Elite Qualifying Dollars to award for trips credited to AAdvantage.
You Can Buy AAdvantage Miles “Cheaply” Right Now…….And Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
AAdvantage miles are currently available to purchase directly through American Airlines for just 1.725 cents each but, although that's the lowest price we've seen for a number of years, you probably shouldn't be buying any miles from American - here's why.
AAdvantage Shopping Portal Is Running a “Mystery Bonus Event”
Shopping portals are a great way to boost your miles and points balances without spending any more that you would anyway (as long as you're disciplined!). By clicking through any one of a myriad of shopping portals (most major airlines have them as do some of the more popular credit card issuers) users can earn bonus points/miles on everyday spend without having to leave the comfort of their own homes.
American Airlines Offering Elite Qualifying Miles For Hotel Stays [Targeted]
American airlines is sending out emails to select AAdvantage members offering them the chance to earn Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) for hotel stays across most major hotel chains. The offer is definitely targeted as only one of the three AAdvantage accounts I control received it and, as a point of reference, it was the account with least activity that received the offer.
Should You Buy Alaska Milage Plan Miles? (Bonuses Of Up To 50% Available)
Alaska Mileage Plan has launched a new promotion which allows members to buy Mileage Plan miles with a bonus of up to 50%. This is a targeted promotion in that, although all Mileage Plan member will get a bonus if they buy miles, the size of the bonus will vary from member to member.
How & Why American Airlines Has Lost Most Of My Business
American Airlines has been my primary airline for quite a few years now and the AAdvantage loyalty program was, for a long time, my favourite airline program by a considerable margin….but all that has changed very quickly over the past 18 months.
From the moment the management of US Airways got their hands on American back in December 2013 a lot of AAdvantage loyalists began to fear for the future of the program.
AAdvantage was the world’s first true airline loyalty program and, historically, had been one of the most generous programs out there…but we knew that couldn’t last.
AAdvantage was so much better than the loyalty programs United (MileagePlus) and Delta (SkyMiles) offered that we knew that, at some point, there was going to have to be a review of what AAdvantage offered.
British Airways Finally Delivers Some Good News!
There really is a lot to dislike about British Airways and the direction in which it's CEO Alex Cruz is taking the airline (I'd be typing all day if I was to list everything out) but, if I'm to be a credible critic of the airline, I need to make sure that I also give it credit where credit is due....and it's due right now.
How On Earth Did This Happen At The Freddies?!
Most travel awards are utter nonsense - that's just a fact of life. Even those awards that you'd expect to have an experienced and educated voter pool often turn out some pretty ridiculous results that prove just how meaningless the results are....but I've always held the Freddies (the annual loyalty program awards) to a higher standard. While they're certainly not perfect I'm not used to seeing the Freddies return any stunningly ridiculous results....up until this year.
From 2012 to 2015 the Airline Program of The Year Award (for the Americas) was won by the American Airlines AAdvantage program and the same program has also taken home the Best Elite Program (Airlines in the Americas category) from 2014 (when the category was introduced) through to 2016. None of those wins were much of a surprise as the accolades were mostly well deserved. But that was then.
American Airlines AAdvantage Isn’t Ready For Iberia Premium Economy
In October last year Iberia announced that it would be introducing a Premium Economy product into its fleet and, in January of this year, the airline opened up reservations for its new product on flights between Madrid and a number of US cities for travel starting as early as May.
With all that in mind you would have thought that, by now, American Airlines (Iberia's OneWorld partner) would be able to tell us how may Redeemable Miles/Elite Qualifying Miles/Elite Qualifying Dollars we will earn if we book Iberia Premium Economy and credit the flight(s) to AAdvantage. Sadly it appears as if that's too much to ask.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Devaluation From 23 March 2017
Singapore Airlines has announced some significant changes to the cost of its awards and, in an attempt to soften the blow of the award chart devaluation, it has also announced that it will no longer levy fuel surcharges on award bookings.
Maximize Your Miles & Points Earning This Spending Season
This may be the season to be jolly and it may be the season of goodwill to all men but more than anything else it's the season to spend money. A lot of money. Like it or not November and December are the months in which most of us splurge more than we do the rest of the year so it should also be the time of year when we're making sure not to leave any easy points or rebates on the table.
You Can Buy Avios With A 50% Bonus……But For Most It Isn’t A Good...
British Airways has launched a 6-day Avios sale in which it's offering Executive Club members a 50% bonus on all Avios purchases. The promotion runs through 23:59 GMT on Monday 5 December and, although a 50% bonus represents the best offer we've seen this year, this is almost certainly a promotion most should be avoiding.
Why A Lot Of Flyers Should Be Booking Codeshare Flights If Crediting Travel To...
Since American Airlines moved over to a revenue based system for mileage accrual most travelers have seen their AAdvantage mileage earnings plummet. On 1 August 2016 AAdvantage completed its transformation from one of the most generous airline rewards programs to a shadow of its former self. Never was that fact made more obvious than when the miles from a recent trip to Sao Paulo posted to my account.
American Airlines Black Friday AAdvantage Sale – Buy Miles From 1.77 Cents
American Airlines is running a special Black Friday promotion alongside the "buy miles and get a bonus promotion" it launched earlier this month. Anyone buying AAdvantage miles between now and 11:59:59pm CT on 28 November 2016 will get an additional 20% bonus on the miles that they purchase.
40% Bonus When You Buy Alaska Miles – This Promotion Could Be Worth A...
Alaska Airlines has published its first "buy points promotion" since September and it's offering Mileage Plan members up to 40% bonus miles on a purchases of 30,000+ miles and an automatic entry into a sweepstakes with a grand prize of 1,000,000 miles....but just how good is this promotion?
DYKWIA? – Don’t Be Like This Marriott Elite
One of the major problems with elite status is that it gives a small portion of the population an idea that they’re special in a way that they’re really not. In internet parlance these guys (and gals) are referred to as DYKWIAs (Do You Know Who I Ams) named for the phrase they’re most likely to utter to some poor unsuspecting airline/hotel employee when they don’t get their own way.
American Airlines Will Sell You Elite Status – What Was Your Offer?
American Airlines has been sending out emails to AAdvantage members reminding them that they will, once again, allow customers to pay to retain their existing status (if it looks like that won't happen naturally) or to buy up to the next elite status level if they're within a reasonable distance of qualifying anyway.
Lufthansa’s Miles & More “Cash & Miles” Option Offers Terrible Value!
On Friday I published news that Lufthansa had introduced a Cash & Miles option for customers who wanted to pay or part pay for a cash ticket using their Miles & More miles. At the time of writing I couldn't see just what sort of value customers could get from their miles if they used them for Cash & Miles purchases but, over the weekend, things got a lot clearer and the news is anything but good.
Lufthansa Miles & More Introducing Cash & Miles Awards
Lufthansa's Miles & More loyalty program has announced that it has introduced a "Cash & Miles" award option for Miles & More members based in the US and will be rolling out the program to other countries starting in early 2017. The idea appears to be that Miles & More will assign a monetary value to a mile and flyers will then be able to use their miles to pay for part of or all of their fare.
British Airways’ CEO Talks BAEC, WiFi, New Seats, LCCs & More With The Points...
The Points Guy secured an interview with British Airways CEO Alex Cruz and sat down to talk to him about all things BA. Kudos to TPG for getting this interview and for getting a few bits of information out of the BA boss.
United Airlines Basic Economy Fares – Full Details Announced & You’re Not Going To...
United Airlines is holding an investor briefing as I type this and it has used the occasion to, amongst other things, announce details of its Basic Economy Fares. This is an announcement frequent flyers have been anticipating for some time as we've been waiting to find out what benefits United will strip away from regular Economy Class fares to create this new fare offering. Now we know....and there are a few surprises.
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