United Cutting Excursionist Perk, Revamping Upgrades in MileagePlus Shake-Up

It's not difficult to maximize JetBlue TrueBlue points. JetBlue's frequent flyer program has a revenue-based earning system that is easy to understand. Redeeming TrueBlue points is simple as well, and while you can't get amazing value for these points, it's a solid loyalty program to understand and use, especially for certain U.S. markets like the northeast.

World of Hyatt kicked off this past NFL season by partnering with New York Giants rookie Jalin Hyatt. This partnership was unique, celebrating the first professional season of a wide receiver named "Hyatt" by offering up to a 15% discount on stays at participating properties. However, the window for booking hotels with this discount is ending soon.

Alaska Airlines will introduce new distance-based partner award charts in March 2024. That's coming soon. Until then, you can take advantage of the current pricing. Here are the Mileage Plan redemptions you'll want to make now — before they become a lot more expensive in the near future.

Hilton Honors offers an award calendar that allows you to search for an entire month — rather than night-by-night. This can be a great way to find the cheapest dates at a hotel. However, finding this calendar isn't exactly intuitive. Here's how to access Hilton's monthly award calendar and streamline the booking process.

Qantas Airways just launched a promotion to earn double status credits or double points for a year, but you have to book before February 27, 2024. Unlike the Virgin Velocity Australia promotion this week, registration should be available to everyone. Here are the details.

Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer members have a promotion to earn double points on flights booked before February 25 and completed before June 30, 2024. That means earning 10 points per dollar instead of the usual 5 on all flights — both domestic and international. Here are the details of this promotion.

If you're short the American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles necessary to make a redemption, one option for growing your mileage balance is to transfer miles from one account to another. And in the right circumstances, it can make a lot of sense. Plus, American Airlines just made it far cheaper to move miles between accounts. Here's what you need to know about transferring American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

Transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to travel partners will nearly always get you the best value for your points. If you're new to Membership Rewards, let us walk you through how to link your loyalty accounts with American Express and how to initiate a points transfer. Soon, it will be second nature.

On February 1, 2024, JetBlue quietly amended its checked luggage rates for its non-transatlantic flights. The airline now charges $35 for the first bag purchased more than a day before departure and $50 for the second. Bags purchased closer-in cost even more. However, there are a few ways to avoid the steep new price tag. Here's what you need to know about JetBlue's bag fee changes.

If your wallet houses the nifty Citi Custom Cash^® Card, you may want to use it to book some travel. Through June 30, 2025, cardholders can earn up to 9% cash back on hotels, rental cars, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel Portal. Here's the details on Citi's newest promotion, unique to Citi Custom Cash cardholders.

LifeMiles is one of the most valuable loyalty currencies in the game, so the fact that LifeMiles has come out with yet another way to earn bonus miles is pretty exciting. Members can now earn up to 14,000 bonus LifeMiles per day when renting through the LifeMiles Cars portal. This promotion is valid on reservations made before April 15 and completed by July 31, 2024. Let's take a look at some of the key points to this promotion and whether or not it makes sense to pursue.

Starting on July 11, 2024, American Airlines travelers will no longer earn AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points on trips booked through most online travel agencies (OTAs). Here's what we know about these impending changes, and why you should consider booking flights before this change.

American Airlines just made it up to 33% more expensive to check your bag on the world's largest airline. Effective immediately, American Airlines baggage fees have increased from $30 to as much as $40 for a first checked bag on domestic and short-haul international flights. However, travelers still have plenty of ways to avoid paying baggage fees entirely. Here's what you need to know.

Citi offers a valuable lineup of credit cards with different flavors of rewards to fit all tastes and preferences. And no matter how you want to reward your spending, Citi likely has a product to fit your wallet. But what does a good welcome offer look like? And when should you apply? Here's a look at the best-ever offers on Citi credit cards and when it makes sense to apply based on each card's past offer history.

LifeMiles has been my go-to currency for booking select United flights within the U.S. As a Star Alliance member, you can book any United flight with Avianca LifeMiles that has space available for partners. But there are some idiosyncrasies of the LifeMiles program that make it especially good for booking short flights within the continental United States.

Etihad's premium cabin award space is heavily restricted on both Aeroplan and American Airlines partner award bookings. While the awards have vanished on the Aeroplan site, they are heavily restricted on AA with lots of phantom award space. What's going on? Here's what we know at this point, including what looks like a new rule for bookings via AA.

Despite being just one step below top-tier Diamond Elite status, IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status holds its own as IHG's elite status sweet spot. From bonus points on stays to complimentary upgrades to Milestone Rewards and more, it's clear why this tier shines brighter than the ones below it. And on top of that, you can earn it relatively easily — for as little as $99 annually if you carry one of two IHG co-branded credit cards.

The Capital One Travel portal offers a price match guarantee, letting travelers claim the price difference if they find a cheaper rate elsewhere. This week, I utilized this perk to get $78 back through a process that took less than 8 minutes. Here's what you need to know about the Capital One Travel price match perk.

For those looking for a comprehensively complete loyalty program, Air Canada Aeroplan is worth a look. With plenty of highly valuable ways to earn and redeem points, there's incredible value to be found with Aeroplan, even if you're an occasional Air Canada traveler. Here's everything you need to know about the Air Canada Aeroplan program.

Emirates is yet another airline to offer a partnership with Accor, and now members can claim bonus points and a transfer bonus between the programs. Earn 25% bonus points through March 12, 2024. Here are the details.

If you've got a stash of points and miles but aren't quite sure where to go, Point.me — the award search tool — has a solution. The aptly named Explore tool gives you a bird's-eye view of available award flights across multiple cities — an invaluable new resource for travelers who want to make a redemption but don’t have a particular destination in mind. Here's how the Point.me Explore tool works.

Many banks offer immediate access to your new credit card so you can start spending right away, thanks to providing an instant card number on approval. This is helpful when trying to meet a minimum spending requirement for a bonus or if you have an unexpected expense pop up while waiting for your new card to come in the mail. This article covers all of the major banks and shows you your options for each one.

In December of 2023, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines announced that the airlines would combine. There are a lot of steps needed for a merger to happen, but Hawaiian Airlines put it up for a vote, and its shareholders approved. Here's what the shareholder approval of the acquisition means for the Alaska–Hawaiian merger.

With the demand for travel nowadays sky-high, airports are busy places. And given that many travelers carry a credit card that offers lounge access, lounges are busy places, too. To give prospective visitors a heads-up, Capital One has rolled out a new feature to let you track the lounge capacity and join a digital waitlist if the lounge is full. Here's how the new feature works.

If you've got a Delta SkyMiles credit card, you can book Delta-operated award flights cheaper than anybody else. Thanks to the staple TakeOff 15 benefit that adorns almost every Delta American Express co-branded card, you can save 15% on Delta award tickets. While it may not seem like much, this perk can be the key to unlocking unparalleled savings on award bookings. Here's what Delta SkyMiles American Express cardholders need to know about the TakeOff 15 benefit.

A "Player 2" can help you level up your points and miles hobby in a variety of ways. Learn more about what it means to team with other people while earning and redeeming points and miles, including how to stay organized, work together, and earn referral bonuses. Here's everything you should know about what a Player 2 is.

A 0% APR intro balance transfer offer can save you a lot of money on interest. The best cards offer a mix of strong earning rates, a top-tier welcome offer to deliver instant value, and a long introductory APR period so you have plenty of time to pay down the balance without suffering high interest rates. Here are the top cards with a balance-transfer offer to knock your interest charges down to zero for up to 21 months.

Virgin Velocity has teamed up with e-Rewards to offer 850 bonus points. Until March 12, 2024, Virgin Velocity members can sign up with e-Rewards and complete their first survey within 90 days of registering to earn these bonus points. Here's how it works, and how you can keep earning even after the initial bonus.

Thanks to a new partnership between Starbucks and Bank of America, your next cup of coffee will come with some extra rewards. After linking an eligible Bank of America credit or debit card to your Starbucks app, you'll bank cash back and an extra star — in addition to the base rewards you'll already earn. Here's how you can take advantage of this sweet opportunity.

A widely known cornerstone in the travel community is that babies under the age of two can travel domestically for free as a lap infant. However, it’s not as simple with lap infants and international award tickets. One would assume that a parent could book an international award ticket and merely add their lap infant to the reservation. However, there are various forms of airline-dependent fees involved. Knowing the pricing structure before you book could save you a pretty penny — or a pile of points.