Mixed Bag: Alaska Airlines Makes Changes to Saver Fares by Carissa Rawson May 19, 2023 0 Alaska Airlines has a fairly generous basic economy ticket, though in the past it's been restricted by lack of elite status recognition and nonrefundable fares. Beginning May 22, however, those who have booked a Saver ticket will be able to take advantage of new benefits, including complimentary upgrades before departure.
Marriott Finally Displays Resort Fees in Compliance With Court Order by Ryan Smith May 10, 2023 12 In late 2021, Marriott agreed to a legal settlement to clearly list resort fees (and other mandatory fees) on the first page of hotel results. After years of delays (and fines), Marriott is finally complying with the settlement. You'll now see resort fees in the initial Marriott search results. However, the initial price still won't be your total cost. Here's how to compare the all-in prices for Marriott hotels.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Slashes Fuel Surcharges by Around 40% by Max Prosperi April 7, 2023 1 Good news for some travelers hoping to book award travel on flights operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA). ANA recently slashed the airline's carrier-imposed fuel surcharges by about 40%. Here's what travelers can expect as a result of this recent change.
American Express Drops Centurion Lounge Guest Access for Platinum Cardholders by Max Prosperi February 1, 2023 42 Centurion Lounge guest access for The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders is set to change. Effective February 2023, Amex Platinum cardholders now have to pay to bring non-cardholders with them into Centurion Lounges.
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.
American Express Announces New ‘Apply With Confidence’ Feature by Sam Helmy November 21, 2022 4 American Express has introduced a new "Apply with Confidence" feature to its credit card applications. This lets you know whether you will be accepted for a new credit card without pulling a hard inquiry on your credit report (which negatively impacts your credit score). Here's what we know so far about this feature.
ANA Increased Fuel Surcharges; Here’s Why Those Prices Fluctuate by Sam Helmy March 1, 2024 4 ANA just increased the fuel surcharges it levies on flights on its own flights. The new charges applied to tickets booked on or after October 1, 2022. The new surcharges are a substantial increase on the previous ones and will negatively impact the value of ANA awards. But thankfully you can avoid paying fuel surcharges entirely by booking through the right partner. Here are a few options to consider.
Flight Cancellation Period Passed? Trying Changing Your Flight to Save Your Award by Ross Denkin September 24, 2022 5 Travel plans can change at the drop of a hat, especially in this day and age. If changes are required too close to scheduled travel, airline policies may seem to leave award travelers with no option but to forfeit the points or miles used for booking. However, that may not actually be the case. Here's my strategy for saving award when you have to cancel at the last minute.
Citi Drops 24-Month Rule Language From The Citi Rewards+ Card by Sam Helmy September 10, 2022 0 Quietly and without fanfare, Citi recently dropped the 24-month restriction from the terms and conditions of its Citi Rewards+® Card. If you are looking to reopen this card, this may be a great time to apply since it is unclear how long the restriction will be lifted.
American Express Adds 3 New Merchants to Amex Gold Dining Credit by Sam Helmy June 13, 2022 1 American Express announced the addition of three new merchants to the American Express® Gold Card $10 monthly dining credit. The expansion brings the total number of restaurant merchants you can use the credit with to 8. However, two options are being dropped on August 1, 2022. Here are the full details of these changes.
Flying Blue Introduces New Family Pooling Option by Sam Helmy April 28, 2022 8 Flying Blue just introduced family pooling to its program. Now 2 adults and up to 6 children can form a family pool of up to 8 people to better leverage the miles earned by everyone in the family. Here's what you need to know about how to utilize this new program.
Citi Now Allowing Product Changes to the Citi Custom Cash® by Sam Helmy April 17, 2022 2 Citi is now allowing existing cardholders to change some of their existing card products to the new Citi Custom Cash® Card. The list of eligible cards to change from is wide-ranging—including the Premier, Prestige, Preferred, Dividend, and American Airlines AAdvantage cards. Select from one of 10 categories to get 5% earnings! And, by product changing an existing account, you can avoid a hit to your 5/24 count.
A New Look at Qatar Airways Privilege Club as Per Segment Fees Return by Ryan Smith June 1, 2023 13 Qatar Airways Privilege Club has brought back its 'per segment' award fees, and recent changes to the program merit a new evaluation. The program dropped its award pricing and cut surcharges on award tickets. Recently, Privilege Club adopted Avios as its miles currency. So how good or bad is the program now? Here's a renewed look at the program to see how good it is for award travelers.
Convert Citi Double Cash Rewards to Transferrable ThankYou® Points at 1:1 by Jess Farley February 11, 2022 37 You can convert cash rewards from the Citi Double Cash® Card to transferrable ThankYou® Points at a 1:1 ratio if you also have one of the premium Citi ThankYou® cards, like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. This feature makes the Citi Double Cash one of the top personal cards for everyday spending. Here's how to convert your cash to points.
Citi Prestige’s $250 Travel Credit Isn’t Limited to Travel in 2022 by Patrick Stouffer March 10, 2023 16 In 2020, Citi debuted the ability for cardmembers of the Citi Prestige® Card to redeem their annual $250 travel credit for supermarket and restaurant purchases. This made it much easier for cardholders of Citi's premium travel rewards card to receive value when they can't—well—travel. With things still not back to normal in 2022, the card issuer has extended this flexibility through 2022.
Beware of Singapore Airlines ‘Use It or Lose It’ Promo Awards by Ryan Smith December 31, 2021 2 Singapore Airlines is typically known for its low change and cancellation fees on award tickets. That's why we were surprised to see that Singapore has rolled out "promo" awards that don't allow changes, cancellations, stopovers, cabin upgrades, etc. The only benefit: the award price is cheaper. Here's what you need to know before you consider booking Singapore Airlines promo awards.
Book Soon for Air Canada Free Changes, Plus Extended Aeroplan Elite Status and Point Expiration Pause by Ryan Smith December 21, 2021 0 Air Canada offered free changes on Aeroplan award bookings made through the end of 2021. Starting in 2022, the policy is less friendly, so we look at the details. Additionally, other positives here include points expiry extension, status extension, and a way to reinstate expired points.
Delta Adds More Restrictions for Basic Economy Fares by Toni Southam December 11, 2021 21 Delta Air Lines quietly updated its Basic Economy earning structure and change and cancellation rules, and the results are not good. You will no longer earn SkyMiles on Basic Economy fares. Additionally, no elite-qualifying credits will be earned when flying in Basic Economy. Here's what you need to know about these changes.
American Airlines Updates Checked Bag Policy, Creates New Basic Economy Option by Patrick Stouffer February 24, 2021 23 American Airlines just announced several updates to its checked luggage policy. The airline is "simplifying" its checked bag policies and will offer a new form of Basic Economy fare to customers traveling to Asia and Oceania. Don't believe the spin from the airline. By and large, these updates represent more of a downgrade than an improvement. In this post, I'll explain why.
Chase Further Delays Annual Fee Increase on Chase Sapphire Reserve Renewals by JT Genter February 8, 2021 16 Chase planned to increase the annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® from $450 to $550 on April 1, 2020. However, due to the pandemic, Chase has delayed this implementation over and over. And Chase confirmed to AwardWallet that the annual fee on renewal will continue to be just $450 through March 2021.
The Only Airline That’s Still Blocking Middle Seats by Patrick Stouffer February 8, 2021 110 Since the start of the pandemic, some airlines adopted policies limiting the number of passengers allowed onboard—including blocking middle seats. Unfortunately, all but one of these airlines have rolled back these policies since the beginning of December. To help you keep track, we've compiled all of the airlines that ever blocked middle seats and the current timelines for when this flyer-friendly policy will end.
Earn Bonus Miles For Commenting by Erik Paquet September 25, 2023 395 Interested in earning some AAdvantage® miles for free? Leave a comment on any blog post for an opportunity to earn a few miles. While it won't be enough for a free flight, it's an easy way to keep your account active and keep your miles from expiring.
Delta Eliminates Change Fees on Certain International Flights, Extends No-Fee Booking Window by Patrick Stouffer December 10, 2020 14 In September, Delta eliminated change fees for most domestic itineraries. Now, the airline has taken that one step further, removing change and redeposit fees on international bookings originating in North America! Better still, Delta is extending its generous no-change-fee booking window through early 2021.
Hyatt Credit Card Changes: Phase Out of Legacy Card, Change to Earning Free Night Awards by Patrick Stouffer November 26, 2020 27 Hyatt has announced a string of new promotions and card updates, so we've rounded them all up in one place for you. Hyatt cardholders can earn bonus points at Amazon and at grocery stores this holiday season. Plus, legacy Hyatt Card holders have the opportunity to earn a free night by the end of the year. Hyatt is also adjusting how cardholders earn Free Night Awards in 2021. And, remaining legacy Hyatt Cards are being phased out in January 2021.
American Airlines Eliminates AAdvantage Award Fees, Extends Mileage Expiration Pause by JT Genter November 10, 2020 98 American Airlines just announced three positive changes to its AAdvantage program. Effective November 11, 2020, AA is eliminating all award reservation fees and eliminating all fees for canceling awards and redepositing miles. Plus, AA is extending the pause on mileage expiration through June 30, 2021. Here's what you need to know about these changes.
Marriott Extends Free Night Awards Another 6 Months, Extends Points Expiration Pause by Patrick Stouffer October 26, 2020 12 Marriott just announced another extension to Bonvoy Free Night Awards. Any certificates that were originally scheduled to expire in 2020 or anytime before July 31, 2021 have been extended by 6 months. Now, members have until August 1, 2021 to use their rewards. Even better, Marriott is also pausing points expirations until August 1, 2021 as well.
New Amex Gold Cardholders Are No Longer Eligible for the $100 Airline Fee Credit by Patrick Stouffer October 23, 2020 19 One of Amex's go-to benefits for justifying high(er) annual fees is the Airline Fee Credit. This credit reimburses cardmembers for making eligible purchases with their airline of choice every year. However, for the Amex Gold, this benefit is in its last years. Starting in January 2022, Amex will no longer offer the annual $100 Airline Fee Credit to Amex Gold cardholders that signed up before February 4, 2021. What's next for this card?
Why Now is a Great Time to Book a Dream Trip to French Polynesia by Patrick Stouffer October 15, 2020 18 While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make traveling difficult, one dream destination has already re-opened its borders to all travelers. If you've ever heard of Tahiti, Bora Bora, of French Polynesia, chances are you've dreamed of vacationing there. Thanks to significant safety precautions and generous award availability, now could be the perfect time to make that dream a reality. We will show you how to do so in this post.
