Cathay Pacific and Select LATAM Awards Now Bookable via Alaska Mileage Plan Website by Jerod Morales November 11, 2022 1 Alaska Airlines has finally added the ability to book Cathay Pacific and LATAM award flights through its website. Gone are the days of having to find a flight with the award space you want to book, then calling Alaska with that information to complete the booking. Here's what you need to know about these changes.
Best & Worst U.S. Airports for Cheap Deals on International Flights by Sam Helmy October 16, 2022 3 Scott's Cheap Flights recently released its rankings for the best and worst US airports for cheap international travel in the last 12 months. Here are the top 10 and bottom 10 - and how you can use this information to help plan your travels.
Delta Now Lets You Pay Baggage Fees Using SkyMiles by Sam Helmy September 21, 2022 3 Delta just introduced the ability to pay for your checked bags using Delta SkyMiles. The facility is currently being tested at several U.S. airports, although it is expected to be rolled out across the U.S. soon. Here's what you need to know about the redemption rate and whether or not it's a good deal.
You Can Now Book Aeroplan Stopovers Awards Online by Sam Helmy September 18, 2022 0 Air Canada Aeroplan now allows you to book award stopover awards directly via its website. This is a significant change since you previously had to find your awards, then contact an Air Canada Aeroplan center to finalize your booking - paying a phone booking fee for the pleasure of doing so.
How I Used Points and Miles to Save on My Move Across the Country by Ross Denkin September 17, 2022 0 Points and miles often help make incredibly lavish or exotic leisure travel possible. However, sometimes the most memorable points and miles redemptions come in the form of domestic travel - and not for vacations. For instance, points and miles helped drastically reduce the cost of travel ahead of a recent cross-country move. Here are my takeaways and some lessons for your travels.
Hertz Silently Devalues Gold Plus Rewards Redemptions Again by Skye Class August 19, 2022 0 In 2019, Hertz raised standard rewards amounts in the Gold Plus Rewards program. Now in 2022, redemption rates have been quietly devalued again. Here's a breakdown of the numbers and a discussion of whether Hertz is still a worthwhile company to be loyal to.
Virgin Atlantic Guarantees at Least 12 Award Seats on Every Flight by Sam Helmy July 19, 2022 0 Starting in July 2022, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club guarantees at least 12 award seats on every Virgin Atlantic flight. The company will release at least 8 economy seats, two premium economy seats, and two Upper Class seats on every flight. Here's how to take advantage of this award space.
British Airways Significantly Reduces Fuel Surcharges on Iberia Awards by Sam Helmy July 6, 2022 2 Quietly and without any announcement, British Airways cut the high fuel surcharges it used to charge for awards on Iberia flights. The new charges align with the more modest fuel surcharges that Iberia levies on its own awards. Here's why this is a big deal for some travelers - and why the fix was long overdue.
Emirates Skywards Fuel Surcharges Skyrocket. Will Other Airlines Follow? by Skye Class July 4, 2022 4 This year, Emirates Skywards fuel surcharges have increased several times for awards flights, jacking up the out-of-pocket cost of some awards from under $200 to over $800 - bringing into question the value of Skywards miles. Only time will tell whether the fuel surcharges come back down if and when the price of fuel drops (unlikely) and if other airlines follow suit (likely).
Alaska Members Can Now Redeem Mileage Plan Miles for Air Tahiti Nui Awards by Sam Helmy June 30, 2022 1 You can now redeem your Alaska Mileage Plan miles for awards on Air Tahiti Nui. Awards to the South Pacific start at just 30,000 miles one-way. Plus, you can also redeem miles for a fifth freedom flight from the U.S. to Europe starting at 30,000 miles each way. Here's a look at the new award chart.
Earn Miles While Redeeming Miles Using Turkish Airlines New Cash & Miles Option by Sam Helmy June 23, 2022 0 Turkish Airlines now lets you pay for a portion of your fare using miles. The new Cash & Miles option allows members to pay for up to 50% of their ticket on Turkish Airlines flights using Miles & Smiles miles, and can only be done via its website or mobile app.
British Airways Increases Fuel Surcharges for Long-Haul Award Travel by Max Prosperi June 11, 2022 3 Get ready to pay even more out of pocket when redeeming Avios for flights operated by British Airways. As British Airways increases fuel surcharges again, this adds to the airline's already extreme fees and surcharges -- a big headache on award bookings. Here's how much more you'll pay when redeeming your Avios on select long-haul routes.
Should You Transfer Aeroplan Points to Starbucks Stars? by Skye Class May 11, 2022 1 Air Canada Aeroplan recently announced that you can now transfer Aeroplan points to Starbucks for Stars. But, is this a good deal? Here's a breakdown of how the transfer works, and whether you should take advantage of this. Please note that this promotion can only be taken advantage of by Canadian Starbucks account holders.
Alaska Airlines Introduces Dynamic Pricing for Domestic American Airlines Awards by Sam Helmy April 26, 2022 2 Alaska Airlines quietly introduced dynamic pricing to its American Airlines partner awards within North America. So far, we have seen pricing for shorter flights in economy drop in price, while longer flights have seen no increase. First-class award pricing has not changed at all. Here are the details of the new Alaska award pricing on American Airlines flights.
How to Book Hyatt Suite Upgrades With Points Online by Ryan Smith April 16, 2022 1 Hyatt recently added the ability to book Hyatt suite upgrades using points online. This overdue feature reduces the need for phone calls and waiting on hold. Here's how World of Hyatt members can redeem their points for suite upgrades via the website.
You Can Buy Up to 100K Marriott Bonvoy Points During the Booking Process by Ryan Smith April 10, 2022 0 Marriott Bonvoy members may be surprised to learn that they can now buy points during the booking process for a hotel room. While you've always been able to buy points, this new ability offers two improvements. First, it can be done during the booking process itself. Second, these points are in addition to your normal limits. Here's what this means for travelers.
British Airways Reduces the Avios Price for Qatar Airways Award Flights by Ryan Smith April 8, 2022 2 In positive news for travelers, you'll need fewer Avios when booking Qatar Airways flights with British Airways, as the airline reduces award costs to match other programs. Here's a look at the positive improvements in award costs with British Airways Executive Club as it pertains to flights on Qatar Airways—as well as why this change is happening.
Hyatt Introduces New Award Chart for All-inclusive Resorts, Adds Six New Cancun Resorts by JT Genter April 4, 2022 0 Starting today, World of Hyatt members can now earn and redeem points at six Cancun all-inclusive resorts in the AMR Collection. As part of this rollout, Hyatt is introducing an entirely new award chart for all of its all-inclusive resorts. Here's what you need to know about these developments.
Capital One Launches Entertainment Portal, Will Issue MLB Credit Cards by Ryan Smith March 31, 2022 1 Capital One just launched a new Capital One Entertainment portal—in which you can redeem your points for event tickets. And Capital One will now issue MLB credit cards—which were previously issued by Bank of America. Here's a look at the news and also whether using your points for tickets is a good deal.
Hilton Honors Increases Points Costs at Many Top Hotels by Toni Southam March 21, 2022 0 Hilton recently devalued several of its top-tier properties with no notice. Hotels that were once 95,000 Hilton points per night have shot up to 110,000 and even 120,000 points per night. Here's a look at the Hilton Honors properties where we are seeing increases in the number of points you need for a reservation.
How to Book JetBlue Mint to London with Emirates Skywards Miles by Max Prosperi May 26, 2023 8 JetBlue and Emirates have been partners for a while, and that relationship has just improved over time. The icing on the cake has been added: you can book JetBlue Mint (business class) between New York and London using your Emirates Skywards miles. Best of all, this is actually a good deal. Let's take a look at the latest development and how to book.
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.
You Can Earn Flying Blue Miles When Paying With Miles, But Don’t Do It by Ryan Smith February 23, 2022 7 You can earn Flying Blue miles even when paying with miles on a ticket. Sounds awesome, right?! This new, permanent feature applies to Flying Blue Miles + Cash bookings and allows you to earn miles on the full ticket—even the part you paid for in miles. Here's a closer look at whether it's actually a good value proposition.
Marriott Erroneously Adding Surcharges to Some Award Nights by Toni Southam February 21, 2022 2 Marriott erroneously charged award surcharges to customers using Bonvoy points for free nights. This effectively becomes a reward redemption fee. Check your receipts from previous stays to make sure you weren't charged. If you were charged, you'll need to contact Marriott to have the fees reversed,
Did You Know? Marriott 5th Night Free Works on Long Stays Also by Ryan Smith February 19, 2022 2 One of the best perks with Marriott Bonvoy is the ability to get the 5th night free on points stays. While this gets an ample amount of attention, the fact you can use it on longer stays often flies under the radar. Here's a look at how to maximize this perk on long stays with Marriott.
Use Your Hilton Honors Points at Warner Brothers Themed Resort, Get Free Theme Park Tickets by Ryan Smith February 17, 2022 0 A first-of-its-kind Hilton property with a Warner Brothers theme offers free tickets to three nearby theme parks as part of your stay. This includes a water park, Warner Brothers park, and even the world's fastest roller coaster. Along with character breakfast and pool-side movies, the best part is that you can book this property using your Hilton Honors points. Here's a look at this unique redemption opportunity.
Alaska Adds New Partner Award Redemptions on Malaysia Airlines by JT Genter February 17, 2022 1 Today, Alaska Mileage Plan added new award redemptions on Malaysia Airlines. This marks the fifth partner redemption addition since Alaska joined the Oneworld alliance almost a year ago. Here are the award rates, eligible regions, and how Alaska's new award rates compare to your other options.
Alaska Airlines Will Increase Select First Class Awards this March by Max Prosperi February 16, 2022 7 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will soon need more miles for select award redemptions when traveling in first class, because the airline is set to increase select first class award redemptions this March. Here is how many more miles will be needed and which awards will be impacted by this devaluation.
