Virgin Atlantic Adds Intra-Caribbean Awards, New Peak and Standard Dates by Sam Helmy March 14, 2023 0 Virgin Atlantic announced new Standard and Peak reward dates, with the new calendar additions go all the way through September 2024. In addition, Virgin has also announced new Intra-Caribbean awards with their own pricing and Standard/Peak dates.
Accor Live Limitless & ITA Airways Volare Launch New Points Transfer Partnership by Sam Helmy March 13, 2023 0 Accor ALL and ITA Airways Volare launched a new partnership allowing two-way point transfers between programs. Accor points transfer at a ratio of 4,000 to 5,000 while ITA Volare transfer at a ratio of 4,000 to 1,000 Accor All points. Here's where these transfers might make sense.
Brex Makes No-Notice Devaluation to Cash Redemptions, Airline Point Transfers by JT Genter March 11, 2023 5 Effective immediately and without notice, Brex devalued cash (and crypto) redemptions by 40% and slashed transfer rates to airline partners by over 40%. For now, accountholders can still get 1 cent per point in value from a couple redemption options. However, future cuts could be coming to the value of Brex Rewards. Here's a breakdown of today's changes.
New Etihad Guest Award Chart is Live and Loathsome for Partner Redemptions by Jerod Morales March 9, 2023 2 Etihad's new award chart is unveiled, and it ain't pretty. The new distance-based award chart takes effect today, March 9, 2023. As feared, all of the sweet spots that we loved about the old, quirky award chart are gone. However, some award flights now cost less than half than before. Here's a breakdown of the Etihad award chart changes.
Marriott Eliminates 10% Bonus on Point Transfers to United, Boosts Bonus on 60k-Point Transfers by JT Genter March 8, 2023 0 For years, Marriott Bonvoy offered a standing 10% bonus on all point transfers to United MileagePlus. In an unannounced change today, Marriott quietly killed off this transfer bonus. In its place, Marriott is offering a larger bonus on transfers of at least 60,000 Bonvoy points. These changes certainly create winners and losers. Here's a breakdown of the changes.
Bilt Members Can Now Earn up to 5x Bilt Rewards Points on Lyft Rides by JT Genter March 8, 2023 0 Bilt and Lyft have teamed up to offer Bilt Rewards members up to 5x points on Lyft rides: 2x through Lyft and 3x points by paying with The Bilt Mastercard®. New earning methods are always welcome news, but other Lyft partnerships offer up to 3x points on Lyft rides and 5x points on Lyft purchases. So, let's break down the best ways to earn points on Lyft rides.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club No-Notice Devaluation of ANA First Class Awards by JT Genter March 7, 2023 3 Bad news award travelers: One of the best sweet spots in the points and miles ecosystem just got devalued. Effective immediately, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is charging up to 42% more points for ANA first-class awards. Yet, somehow Flying Club might still be the best option for booking these awards. Here's a full breakdown of the changes — and the silver lining in the dark clouds.
Earn Southwest A-List Elite Status Faster Through Flying and Card Spending Promotions by Sam Helmy March 7, 2023 0 Southwest Airlines is offering three different promotions to make reaching A-List status easier in 2023. Now through May 31, earn 2X Tier-Qualifying Points on revenue fares, award flights earn Tier-Qualifying Points, and Southwest co-brand credit cardholders earn bonus tier points for everyday spending on their cards. But you'll need to register first. Here's how to do so.
You Can Now Redeem Avios Through British Airways Holidays. But Is It Worth It? by Sam Helmy March 5, 2023 1 This week, British Airways announced that you can now redeem Avios toward the cost of a British Airways holiday. When booking a holiday, you are presented with several options to pay a given amount of Aviso for a specific reduction in the cost of your vacation. But does it actually make sense to redeem your Avios this way? Let's crunch the numbers.
Marriott Ending Bonvoy Points Advance Option on March 28th by Max Prosperi March 2, 2023 1 Marriott is retiring a feature of the hotel chain's Bonvoy program. Effective March 28th, Bonvoy members will no longer have the option to book a Points Advance reservation if they do not have enough points in their account to cover a future stay. Here is what Bonvoy members should know about the end of Points Advance.
Virgin Atlantic Joins SkyTeam; New Redemption Options Already Bookable by Sam Helmy March 2, 2023 2 Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam airline alliance today, March 2, 2023. Effective immediately, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members can earn Virgin points on 14 new partner airlines - and redeem Virgin points on 13 additional airlines. Here are the new redemption rates and the latest details on Virgin Atlantic joining SkyTeam, from lounge access to reciprocal elite perks.
Qantas Unlocking Thousands of Seats to Book With Frequent Flyer Points by Sam Helmy February 23, 2023 3 Qantas is releasing a huge amount of Classic Rewards space. The release is scheduled to start 11 am on Friday Sydney time (midnight London, 7 pm Eastern US time) and will include space in economy, business, and first class. So, set your alarm if you want to swoop and secure one of these awards.
Shangri-La Circle Jade 2023 Fast Track Promotion by Sam Helmy February 22, 2023 0 Shnagri-La Circle is offering a fast track to Jade elite status. Non-elite "Gold" members can earn Shangri-La Jade status with the offer after completing just 10 qualifying nights by May 31, 2023. Once earned, Jade status is valid through December 31, 2024.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Korean Air Award Chart Changes by Sam Helmy February 21, 2023 7 Korean Air announced multiple changes to its program starting on April 1, 2023. Upcoming changes include new elite tiers and lower qualification requirements. In addition, some award pricing will be going up in price while others will be dropping. Here's a full breakdown of the changes.
Book Sweet Spots Now: Etihad Guest Announces Award Chart Overhaul by Jerod Morales February 20, 2023 2 Buckle up because Etihad Guest is eliminating its current award charts and introducing a new “simplified redemption rate” award chart. That will likely eliminate many of our favorite sweet spots in this quirky program. From business class to Europe or Africa for 44,000 miles to business class to Asia for 54,000 miles each way, here are the sweet spots to book now - and how to gather the Etihad Guest miles to book them.
EL AL and Etihad Reciprocal Mileage Earning and Redemption Rates by Sam Helmy May 15, 2023 2 EL AL and Etihad built on their codeshare agreement by announcing reciprocal earning and redemption options on each other flights. Etihad Guest mileage earnings for EL AL flights started February 13, 2023. However, Etihad Guest members needed to wait until Etihad completed its program overhaul to start booking awards. And that happened this week.
The Aftermath of Emirates Recent Award Devaluations by Dan Miller February 13, 2023 3 Emirates recently implemented a 20% increase in the cost of all its premium cabin awards with no notice. It's another good reminder to not hoard your miles and spend them before the next devaluation hits. Here's a recap of what changed and what Emirates is doing to soften the blow.
1,250 Bonus Points When Linking Wyndham Rewards to Bakkt by Skye Class February 12, 2023 2 Wyndham partnered with Bakkt to offer up to 1,250 bonus points when Wyndham Rewards members link their accounts to Bakkt. Redeeming points through the Bakkt App isn't great. However, 1,250 bonus points is a decent bonus for hardly any work. Here's how to take advantage of this promotion.
Marriott Devalues Points Earnings, Elite Nights Credits at Protea Hotels by Skye Class February 11, 2023 0 Marriott recently announced some bad news to Bonvoy Members looking for hotels to stay at in Africa. As of March 1, 2023, Marriott Bonvoy members will only earn 5X points at Protea Hotels and 1 Elite Night Credit for every 2 nights stayed. Here are the details on this change.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Partners With GOL Airlines by Sam Helmy February 10, 2023 0 Turkish Airlines and GOL have announced a new partnership letting you earn miles when you fly on each other's flights. The new partnership lets you earn up to 150% of miles flown. However, so far, neither mileage program is offering the option to redeem your miles for award flights.
Delta and Hertz Improve Partnership With a Status Match & Enhanced Mileage Earning by Sam Helmy January 1, 2025 0 Delta recently announced an improvement to its relationship with Hertz. Now, Delta Medallion members earn enhanced bonus points per dollar spent with Hertz. Also, members can status match their Medallion status for either Hertz President’s Circle or Five Star status. Here's how.
Aegean Miles + Bonus Makes It Harder to Qualify, Retain Elite Status by Sam Helmy November 25, 2023 3 One of the easiest ways to get Star Alliance Gold elite status is about to get much harder — unless you fly Aegean. Aegean updated its Miles + Bonus terms and conditions to increase the requirements to earn and retain elite status when you only fly partner airlines. Here are the updated requirements as of June 1, 2023.
British Airways Slashes Fees to Share Avios With Another Member by Max Prosperi February 7, 2023 0 British Airways recently slashed the fees associated with sharing Avios with another member by up to 90%. Instead of potentially paying hundreds of dollars, you'll now pay a flat fee for transferring up to 27,000 Avios. However, you can still avoid these transfer fees entirely. Here are the tricks on how to do so.
What Teenagers Need to Know About Getting Their First Credit Card by Kennedy Miller February 5, 2023 1 It’s never too early to start becoming financially savvy. Doing so can help young adults avoid the financial pitfalls that many of us fell for when we were just starting out. In this piece, new AwardWallet contributor Kennedy Miller explains to her fellow teenagers what they need to know before getting their first credit card.
American Express Drops Centurion Lounge Guest Access for Platinum Cardholders by Max Prosperi February 1, 2023 42 Centurion Lounge guest access for the American Express Platinum Card® cardholders is set to change. Effective February 2023, Platinum Card® cardholders now have to pay to bring non-cardholders with them into Centurion Lounges.
First Look: Numu Hyatt Unbound Collection Opening in February 2023 by Miguel Rueda January 31, 2023 0 Numu is set to finally open its doors to guests on February 1, 2023 in the UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Here's a first look at the new property before it officially opens. The hotel finally offers World of Hyatt members an option to book a hotel using points in popular San Miguel de Allende.
Wyndham to Caesars Points Transfer Limit Increased. Here’s Why This Matters. by Sam Helmy January 26, 2023 2 Wyndham Rewards and Caesars have now increased the cap on the number of points you can move between programs annually. You can now transfer 60,000 between programs at a ratio of 1:1. That doubles the previous cap of 30,000 points. Here's how this transfer option can be really useful, including for avoiding point expiration.
Marriott Delays Disclosing Resort Fees Yet Again by JT Genter January 24, 2023 4 In 2021, Marriott agreed to "prominently disclose the total price of a hotel stay," including resort fees, on the first page of its search results. However, it still hasn't done so. And the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office just gave Marriott yet another extension. Here's what you need to know about this revised settlement and how to avoid resort fees in the meantime.
Delta, United Reduce CLEAR Membership Discount on February 1, 2023 by Skye Class January 22, 2023 4 Delta elite status members have received an email notifying them about a reduction to the discount they get on a CLEAR membership. In other words, Delta SkyMiles members will soon need to pay up to $60 more for a CLEAR membership. But the good news is you still have time to lock in current pricing. Here's the lowdown on these changes.
Wyndham and Marathon, ARCO Cut Ties. Last Chance to Earn and Redeem Wyndham Points. by Sam Helmy January 20, 2023 1 For a limited time, travelers are able to both earn and redeem Wyndham Rewards points at U.S. Marathon and ARCO gas stations. But that's coming to an end soon. You will no longer be able to earn Wyndham Rewards points on gas purchases after January 31, 2023. And you can only redeem Wyndham Rewards points for purchases through March 14, 2023.
