United MileagePlus Increases All Award Costs Close To Departure by Ross Denkin December 1, 2019 83 United Airlines has eliminated its $75 close-in-booking fee for awards ticketed within 21 days of departure. However, the same flights now cost up to 3,500 extra miles to book. Look to book the same flights through one of many Star Alliance partner programs to avoid paying these increased mileage costs.
JetBlue Rolls Out New Fares Including Basic Economy by Sam Helmy November 30, 2019 35 JetBlue has introduced a lower-cost Blue Basic fare for price-sensitive travelers. While we’ve been skeptical about the long-term savings we’ll see from basic economy, the JetBlue offering is less restrictive than the competition—especially for those with a cobrand credit card or Mosaic elite status.
Turkish Allows Mixed Partners, Updates Award Chart by Ross Denkin November 26, 2019 39 Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program has made some significant updates that deserve a closer look. On the positive side, there are several big improvements to the online booking experience. On the other hand, the infamous 7,500-mile award to Hawaii is notably absent from their latest award chart. The online booking tool hasn't yet caught up to the new pricing, but it looks like higher mileage requirements are on the way.
Book British Airways Awards For Up To 50% Off by Ross Denkin November 17, 2019 58 Now through November 21, British Airways Executive Club members can book award flights at up to a 50% discount. Travel by April 30, 2020, to score great redemptions on British Airways metal. The steepest discounts are for economy and premium-economy travel, but even small discounts apply to business and first-class cabins.
Alaska Adds Singapore Airlines Redemptions, Cuts Stopovers Within Asia by Ross Denkin November 10, 2019 37 Alaska has added the ability to redeem miles on Singapore Airlines, which is great news for Mileage Plan members. But there is also some bad news that largely overshadows the positive announcement: Stopovers on one-way award travel within Asia are no longer allowed.
Rakuten Adds Option to Earn Membership Rewards for Existing Users by Sam Helmy November 9, 2019 32 Rakuten (formerly Ebates) has finally made it possible for members to change their preferred earning method from cashback to Membership Rewards. The Rakuten shopping portal is now an excellent way to turn online purchases into a rapidly growing Membership Rewards balance.
Citi ThankYou® Adds Aeromexico as a Transfer Partner by Sam Helmy November 6, 2019 35 Citi ThankYou® has added Aeromexico as a transfer partner. Typically points will transfer to Club Premier at a ratio of 1:1 with a minimum transfer of 1,000 points. The new addition brings the total for Citi ThankYou® points to 15 airline partners.
Partner Awards in Premium Economy Now Bookable with American Miles by Ross Denkin November 1, 2019 60 American frequent flyers can now use AAdvantage miles to book premium-economy awards with partner airlines. This is excellent news which gives travelers the option to fly in more comfort without the huge cost increase of business or first-class travel. At the moment, the rollout is limited to British Airways flights, but we're optimistic we'll see other partners come online soon.
