Tag: Airlines

Companion pass, companion certificate, companion fare, or companion ticket. Whatever you call them, they offer travelers a way to bring a companion along for less. Some airlines have designed their companion pass as a well-thought-out feature of their rewards program. Others have turned it into a lazy benefit slipped into the back end of a credit card's benefits. Here are the airlines and credit cards that offer companion fares.

Finding award availability can be a challenge on its own, but knowing how far in advance award space becomes available and which miles can book at what time can make things even more confusing. We address all that here, including strategies to maximize the likelihood of snagging the seat you want. The booking window for all major carriers' loyalty programs is included.

It’s often necessary to book award flights months in advance to secure your seat. With such a long period between the date you book and the date you fly, it’s easy for a change of plans to require alterations to or cancellation of an award. In case you need to make changes to your ticket, here's a list of award ticket change and cancellation policies and the fees you can expect to pay.

Redeeming miles for partner award flights is a great way to increase the value of your frequent flyer miles. Unfortunately, it’s also misunderstand and can be a daunting task for first-timers. How do you know which airlines you can book, and how do you find the flights? We cover all of this in our guide to partner award availability.

Many air carriers like to levy "carrier-imposed surcharges," often referred to as "fuel surcharges" or YQ as a shorthand. These are extra fees that add up quickly when you book a flight using your miles. However, there are a handful of countries that limit fuel surcharges on flights, and you can use this to your advantage.

Instead of spending hours researching the best flight deals, sign up for a service that does it for you. There are many options to choose from and most of them are free. This post gives you all the details you need to know so that you never miss a great flight deal.

What happens when you need to change or cancel an award flight? We cover that in detail for North American airlines. Most carriers offer flexibility, but there are some that stick it to you if you must change or cancel an award ticket. In some cases, having airline elite status reduces the fees.

For non-business travelers, airline elite status presents a conundrum. It's desirable to improve your travel, but airlines only tend to bestow it to those who fly (and suffer) a ton without it. But what if you could shortcut your way to elite status without paying your dues first? In this post, we'll show you how.

Flight delays and cancellations can be expensive and stressful. Fortunately, there are some strong consumer protections in place to make sure you don’t get stuck with the bill when irregular operations force you to change your plans. If you know your rights, you can avoid worrying about covering extra costs out of pocket and make sure you extract the full compensation to which you’re entitled.

Stopovers and open-jaws enhance the value of any frequent flyer program by allowing you to add destinations to your travel; in many cases with no additional miles required! Here's our beginners guide to how you can apply them to your next trip.