Southwest Ditches Open Seating Policy, Schedules First-Ever Redeye Flights by Sam Helmy July 25, 2024 2 Southwest Airlines announced in a press release that it will be making major changes to its operating model. The changes include introducing redeye flights and, surprisingly, abandoning its long-running and unique open seating model. Here's what Southwest flyers need to know.
What Happens to Your Hotel Points and Credit Card Rewards When You Die? by Jess Farley and Kennedy Miller July 24, 2024 14 Certain people have a lot of miles and points, but how do you access them if that person dies? Many airlines and hotels have different policies about what to do when this happens. But in this article, we’ll discuss what happens to your hotel points and credit card rewards when you die.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program Changes: The Good and the Ugly by Sam Helmy July 17, 2024 2 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards just announced a slew of program changes for this year — some positive and some negative. The most negative change includes a new fixed-date points expiration policy. Here's what you need to know about the changes to the Hertz Gold Plus rewards program.
Charles Schwab Amex Platinum 1.1% Cashout Rate to be Limited to 1 Million Points per Year by Sam Helmy July 15, 2024 0 One of the defining features of the American Express Platinum Card® by Charles Schwab is the ability to cashout American Express Membership Rewards points for an account deposit at a rate of 1.1 cents per point. But soon, Amex is capping this preferential redemption rate at 1 million points per year. Here's what to know about these changes.
Cover Buy Now, Pay Later Installments With a Chase Card? This Policy Change Will Affect What Card You Can Use. by Sam Helmy October 11, 2024 1 Chase has added language to many of its credit card statements announcing that it will no longer support third-party buy now, pay later platforms. Fortunately, Chase has given ample notice about the impending changes, so members who use these programs have ample time to adjust payment methods. Here's what Chase cardholders need to know about this policy change.
Beginners Guide: What is a Stopover & What is an Open-Jaw? by Dan Miller July 7, 2024 72 Stopovers and open-jaw flights 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 beginner's guide to how to book one for your next trip.
How to Transfer Marriott Bonvoy Points to Another Account by Ian Snyder June 22, 2024 114 Marriott Bonvoy has an excellent points transfer policy between members. You can send up to 100,000 points per calendar year and receive up to 500,000. This makes it easy to move points between friends and family for specific redemption opportunities. Even better, Marriott has launched an online points transfer tool that is much better than calling them to transfer points.
[Bug Fixed] LifeMiles Now Charging $1,000+ In Fuel Surcharges on Some Routes by JT Genter June 21, 2024 2 LifeMiles is one of our favorite mileage currencies due to excellent award rates, plentiful LifeMiles transfer partners, and no fuel surcharges... at least historically. We found that LifeMiles is charging exceptionally high taxes and fees on some routes. You'll have to pay over $1,000 in taxes/fees on some routes — even in United economy!
How Can I Receive Welcome Offers From Multiple Delta Amex Cards? by Kennedy Miller February 6, 2025 83 With so many Delta co-branded credit cards available, one of the most common questions we field on the blog and in our Award Travel 101 Facebook community is, "Can I hold multiple Delta Amex cards?" In the past, the answer was a resounding "yes!" However, that answer has changed to a muddy "maybe." Here's what you need to know about earning welcome bonuses on multiple SkyMiles cards — and why it's worth carrying more than one Delta Amex card.
Who Is Eligible for the Welcome Bonus on the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card? by Kennedy Miller May 29, 2024 31 Are you eligible for the 60,000-point bonus on the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card? Like many card issuers, Citi implements a few policies that limit who can earn a lucrative welcome bonus. In this post, we'll break down all the rules you need to know before applying for a ThankYou® Rewards card.
How Far in Advance Can You Book Hotel Reservations? by Kennedy Miller and Tyler Glatt May 29, 2024 58 How far out you can book a hotel? And does making reservations at the far side of the booking window provides any tangible benefit? Each hotel chain handles reservations differently, with the booking windows of major hotel chains ranging from 11 months through to a massive two years. On some points bookings, however, the window can drop to as little as 100 days. Here are the various policies.
Hotel Free Night Award Change and Cancellation Policies by Samantha Holland May 28, 2024 42 We’ve rounded up free night award change and cancellation policies for the major hotel programs, and thrown in an example to show when you need to cancel to receive a full refund of your points. Make sure you know the policies of your favorite programs so you don't get caught at the last minute and lose your points.
Which Rewards Programs Let You Pool Points and Miles With Others for Free? by Kennedy Miller and Ajay Jain May 8, 2024 113 There is a ton of information covering techniques to earn and burn points and miles. There's also advice about which cards to add to your wallet, but it's hard to come by reliable information on programs that let you share (or pool) your points and miles with others — and how to do so for free. We've got you covered.
Delta Boarding Order Explained: How New Boarding Zones Work by Mark Jackson June 6, 2024 0 On May 1, 2024, Delta is changing how its boarding process works. Now, flyers will board by "zones," and most of the changes affect flyers boarding the plane first. See how the changes affect your next flight in this post.
U.S. Department of Transportation Cracks Down on Junk and Hidden Airline Fees by Tyler Glatt April 24, 2024 1 In a couple of final rulings announced this morning by the U.S. Department of Transportation, significant changes are coming through increased passenger protections, transparency, and eliminating airline junk fees. Here's what this regulation means for you and when it's expected to go into effect.
You Shouldn’t Cancel a Credit Card Within Your First Year of Membership. Here’s Why. by Tyler Glatt April 8, 2024 0 Credit card issuers want your business. And to get it, they'll offer you big welcome bonuses complete with points, miles, or cash back. But what happens when you're ready to move on from your card? Of all the things you could do, you shouldn't cancel your credit card within the first year of membership. Here's why you'd be wise to avoid canceling a credit card less than a year after opening it.
Application Fee Is Going up for Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, Kids Will Be Free by Tyler Glatt October 4, 2024 0 If you're in the market for Global Entry or other trusted traveler credentials like NEXUS or SENTRI, you'll want to complete an application before October 1, 2024. This fall, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is harmonizing the application fees for all three programs. In other words, it'll soon cost more to apply.
What Is Chase Pay Over Time and How Does It Work? by Tyler Glatt and Ryan Smith April 1, 2024 0 Chase Pay Over Time is a fixed payments option with Chase that can allow you to pay off larger credit card purchases over time. Today, we'll take a look at what this is, how it works, and the pros and cons. That way, you can make the right decision on whether or not to use it on your credit cards.
Making Sense of Etihad’s Confusing New Refund Policy by Tyler Glatt March 27, 2024 1 In late February, Etihad made some changes to its Guest loyalty program. Buried amongst flashy garnishes like a new elite status tier and a custom frequent flyer number is an amended GuestSeat refund policy. And "amended" is putting it lightly. Now, when you cancel an Etihad award, you'll be subject to one of the most punitive and confusing cancellation policies in all of award travel.
What Happens to Frequent Flyer Miles When You Die? by Senitra Horbrook March 27, 2024 28 Have you ever wondered what happens to your credit card points and frequent flyer miles when you die? If you have a lot of them, it matters. Some programs allow you to gift these to others in your will; other programs immediately close your account if they're notified of your death. Here are the policies.
Pool Your Skywards Miles With an Emirates My Family Account by Ashley Onadele and Sam Helmy March 23, 2024 47 Emirates offers family pooling of Skywards miles. With a My Family account, up to eight members can be in a family group and pool their award miles. Members can choose whether to share all the miles they earn or just a percentage.
United Miles Pooling: A Great Option with Downsides You Don’t Want to Overlook by Carissa Rawson March 21, 2024 2 United Airlines has announced the implementation of free miles pooling, allowing United MileagePlus members to combine their rewards together for redemptions. This is great news, especially for families and elite members who'd like to share their benefits.
Watch Out for Fees: Discover To Classify Online Gambling as a Cash Advance by Tyler Glatt March 8, 2024 1 Online gambling has taken the internet by storm. And for those who use online gambling as a chance to earn points or cash back on bets, Discover has announced that it'll soon come with an added cost in the form of cash advance fees. Here's what you need to know about Discover's latest announcement to its cardholders.
U.K. To Hike Air Passenger Duty in 2024 and 2025 by Tyler Glatt March 8, 2024 0 The Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the infamous tax you pay on flights departing the United Kingdom. While the APD typically increases annually to account for inflation (as will be the case in 2024), the U.K. government is planning a big one-off adjustment in 2025 to offset higher-than-normal inflation. Here's what the increasing Air Passenger Duty means for you.
The CFPB Ruled on Credit Card Late Fees. Here’s What You Need To Know by Tyler Glatt March 6, 2024 0 Paying off your credit card statement on time and in full is an easy way to avoid fees, interest, and a host of other problems. Among those negative impacts are late fees — the penalty card issuers can levy if they don't receive your minimum monthly payment on time. In a ruling handed down by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), there will be some changes to how credit card late fees work. Here's what you need to know.
Delta Takes After Other U.S. Airlines and Hikes Checked Bag Fees by Tyler Glatt March 5, 2024 2 When it rains, it pours. Put another way: When one airline raises the fee to check a bag, they all do. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Delta Air Lines is taking a cue from other U.S. carriers and hiking the cost to check a bag by $5 — effective for tickets booked on or after March 5, 2024.
When and How You Can Book Award Flights for Friends and Family by Kennedy Miller February 29, 2024 54 Having points and miles are great when it comes time to cash in for your dream trip. Don't forget though that in almost every case you can use your points and miles for friends and family without having to transfer anything to them. Simply book the award in their name.
Not To Be Outdone, United Airlines Hikes Checked Bag Fees by Tyler Glatt February 24, 2024 0 Late to the party — but not to be outdone — United Airlines is hiking the cost of checking a bag. For tickets booked on or after February 24, 2024, checked bags will cost $5 more. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to save on the high cost of checking a bag. Let's dive into the details and cover how to avoid expensive bag fees.
American Airlines Slashes Miles Transfer Fees by 66% by Tyler Glatt February 21, 2024 0 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.
JetBlue Hikes Checked Baggage Fees: Here’s How To Avoid Paying These Higher Prices by Tyler Glatt February 20, 2024 0 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.