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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
American Airlines Revamps Loyalty Rewards, Slashes Mileage Earnings Rate on Basic Economy by JT Genter December 15, 2022 5 Today, American Airlines is announcing a slew of changes to how travelers earn rewards in the AAdvantage program. AAdvantage Gold requirements are increasing, mileage earnings on basic economy are decreasing by 60%, and American Airlines is adding several new rewards tiers — including a new one for members at just 15,000 Loyalty Points. Here's a breakdown of all of the changes.
JetBlue TrueBlue Announces Major Program Changes by Sam Helmy December 10, 2022 3 This week, JetBlue announced a massive slew of changes to its TrueBlue loyalty program. The changes overhaul of how loyalty is earned, Mosaic tiers, and much more. Here's a full breakdown of what you need to know about the JetBlue loyalty program starting in 2023.
United Increases Elite Status Requirements, Adds Elite Earnings on Awards Starting in 2023 by Max Prosperi November 10, 2022 9 United MileagePlus announced some major program changes for next year. Beginning in 2023, United will implement changes to the MileagePlus program including significant increases to what's required for elite status, adding elite earnings on award flights, and removing award redeposit fees. Here's what members need to know about changes to the United MileagePlus program.
British Airways & Iberia Move To Revenue-Based Avios Earning by Sam Helmy November 3, 2022 5 In an email to its members and a press release, Iberia announced that it is moving to a revenue-based system of Avios earnings effective immediately. In the same announcement, Iberia's partner British Airways also announced that it will move to revenue-based Avios earnings in 2023.
Details of the Massive Devaluation of Radisson Rewards Worldwide by Skye Class October 26, 2022 6 Earlier this year, Radisson Rewards split in two. Now the Radisson Rewards Worldwide program (for hotels located outside the Americas) has devaluated several parts of the program. Members earn fewer points, points are worth less, etc. Here's a summary of changes, and what you can do about them.
Southwest Raises Requirements for Companion Pass, Program Changes by Skye Class October 23, 2022 4 Southwest Airlines has implemented changes to the Rapid Rewards program, including increasing the requirements for Companion Pass, a Rapid Rewards cardholder bonus, etc. Here are the changes that took effect on January 1, 2023.
Marriott Bonvoy Ends Conversion Bonus to Four Airline Partners by Sam Helmy October 18, 2022 2 Marriott Bonvoy sent out an email this week to select members notifying them that, effective October 31, 2022, the standing points conversion bonus will be ending. For now, the change only affects four of the more than 40 airlines you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points. But it could be a bad sign of things to come.
Aeroplan to Update Some Award Pricing Effective September 1, 2022 by Sam Helmy August 12, 2022 0 Air Canada's Aeroplan award program has announced a series of tweaks to its award chart. Rather than overhauling the entire chart, pricing changes are affecting some routes between North and South America, North America and Europe/Africa, as well as some routes that don't touch North America. Here's what you need to know so you can lock in the cheapest rates.
IHG Hotels and Resorts Introduces New IHG One Rewards Program by Sam Helmy April 27, 2022 4 IHG is finally launching its new IHG One Rewards program. The new program sees significant changes - including a new elite tier - while some tiers have been renamed and qualifying requirements have been tweaked. Also, there are brand new benefits for some tiers, and IHG has announced the upcoming introduction of its Milestone Rewards.
Details Released of Which 200+ Marriott Hotels are Moving to Dynamic Pricing March 29, 2022 by Ryan Smith February 26, 2022 0 Marriott Bonvoy just released the details on 200+ hotels that are moving to dynamic pricing on March 29, 2022. Here's the list of the hotels that will increase in price, plus how many extra points you will need. Other news includes what we can expect for 2023 and when you will be able to add points to free night awards for high-priced bookings. There's a lot to digest in here, so grab a drink and dive in with us.
Qatar Airways Will Adopt Avios, the Points of British Airways, Iberia & Aer Lingus by Ryan Smith February 22, 2022 5 Major news out of Qatar Airways is that the airline has adopted Avios as its mileage currency. Avios is the points currency of British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. There can be some major implications for travelers with this shift. Here is what we know so far and what remains to be clarified in the coming weeks.
MGM Overhauls M Life Rewards Program, Changes Coming February 1, 2022 by Ryan Smith August 31, 2023 4 MGM is making big changes to its M Life rewards program, and these will launch on February 1, 2022. The new program will be called MGM Rewards. Changes for gamblers and non-gamblers are coming, so let’s dive into all of the details.
IHG Rewards Changes Coming in March 2022: New Elite Status Tiers & Higher Requirements by Ryan Smith January 19, 2022 6 IHG Rewards just announced changes to its loyalty program, coming in March 2022. Elite status will have more tiers, and earning this status just got more complicated. Additionally, IHG's announcement means the info you see online/in the app is no longer correct. But, IHG promises "more fun" and "enhanced benefits" coming soon. Let's dig in to what we know so far.
Citi ThankYou® Rewards Adds Wyndham as Second New Hotel Transfer Partner in Under a Month by JT Genter November 14, 2021 13 Citi ThankYou® Rewards just added Wyndham Rewards as its second new hotel transfer partner in under a month. Wyndham Rewards offers a fixed-redemption-rate program, making it a great choice for times when cash rates (and points rates with other hotel brands) are high. Here's how to take advantage of this new partnership.
Hyatt Introduces Peak and Off-Peak Pricing Model by Toni Southam October 21, 2021 24 Back in December 2019, Hyatt announced it would be changing the way award nights are priced. Those plans were temporarily put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But as of October 26, 2021, Hyatt implemented these changes for all nights stayed on March 1, 2022 or after. Here's what you need to know about the new pricing.
Citi Adds Choice Hotels As Its Newest Transfer Partner by Toni Southam October 19, 2021 16 Citi ThankYou® Points just got a bit more flexible to use. As of Monday, Citi ThankYou® Points are now transferable to Choice Privilege points. That makes Choice the only hotel transfer partner for Citi. You'll get 2 Choice points for every 1 ThankYou Points® you convert.
You Can Now Transfer Capital One Miles to 6 More Airlines at a 1:1 Ratio by Ryan Smith October 7, 2021 10 You can now transfer Capital One miles to 6 more airline mileage programs at a 1:1 ratio. These improvements now mean you can transfer Capital One miles to 13 airlines at a 1:1 transfer ratio, putting it well on par with other major transfer currencies. This is a big improvement in redemption options. It should make Capital One miles much more valuable going forward.
