Back in March Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan introduced the ability to book one-way and mixed partner awards online and for some partners. Initially you could book one-way awards on American. You could also book one-way at full roundtrip price on Delta, or mix and match American and Delta in a roundtrip. Then in April they introduced one-way and online booking for British Airways awards. Now as flagged on Milepoint, it’s possible to book more partners online as well. The Alaska Airlines website lists the following carriers as searchable: Alaska Airlines Aeromexico Air France Air Pacific American Airlines British Airways Delta Air Lines Emirates Era Alaska KLM PenAir Qantas It’s interesting that they have KLM and not their partner Air France. I’m especially happy to see though that many awards can be booked one-way (that the…
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Free Virgin Atlantic Silver Status: Get Better Service on Delta
When Delta acquired a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, lots of change was expected — such as reciprocal lounge benefits, and reciprocal mileage earn and burn. Not a whole lot has been implemented yet, but Virgin has a page dedicated to the changes (HT: Head for Points). Virgin Atlantic’s silver status isn’t the most rewarding, but it will provide some priority benefits when flying Delta in the very near future. And though I don’t expect this offer to last, you can sign up for Virgin Atlantic’s program at the silver level. Generally this should provide priority airport services, and I have to imagine that Delta will wind up waiving checked baggage fees for Virgin silvers. Of course this will usually require entering your Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer number into your reservation. I suppose my strategy…
Bits ‘n Pieces for June 12, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Roms Deals finds an offer for the Fairmont Visa with a $0 annual fee the first year. Online Travel Review says that 50,000 point Southwest Visa offers are back. Nicholas Kralev has a new web TV show focused on diplomacy. In the most recent episode he interviews the U.S. assistant secretary of state for consular affairs on U.S. visa policies. Lucky notes that American AAdvantage discounted domestic award tickets for Citibank co-branded credit card holders will switch up eligible cities monthly instead of quarterly and now permit one-way redemptions (no longer requiring roundtrip to get the discount). There’s one more day left to comment to enter to win a Briggs & Riley @work bag. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day…
Bits ‘n Pieces for June 11, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Saudi Arabia’s first female pilot And yet she still can’t drive a car in her home country! More movement in the Las Vegas loyalty program affiliation space. Venetian linked up with IHG’s Priority Club. MGM M Life has done a deal with Hyatt Gold Passport encompassing 12 properties. Hilton lost their Vegas flagship, but has apparently now gained the former Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas which of course is 20 miles from the Strip. (HT: S.) 25,000 US Airways miles for laser eye surgery While I noted a week and a half ago that Virgin Atlantic is reducing fuel surcharges on coach awards and Iberia was bumping up those charges (from a previously reduced level), there was no word yet on British Airways — Iberia’s partner in the Avios…
How Do You Feel About Bare Feet on a Plane?
I believe — deeply — that male toes shoes never be seen in the office. On Friday I tweeted that the same applies to airplanes. I don’t ever want to see male toes on a plane. Thank you. That was Friday. On Sunday I realized that women can take “comfy feet on the aircraft” too far as well. Do you agree with me — does this go too far? Or are you one of the folks that do this, and would you care to enlighten me about what makes it ok?
Comment Here And You May Win a Briggs & Riley @work Bag
I’m a Briggs & Riley fan, my usual carry on is their Baseline CX bag. They’ve made a splash over the past month with a new bag, and I’ve arranged a giveaway. As I explained last week, I have two different Briggs & Riley bags to give away (different bags for different reasons, they’ve “got your business and leisure covered” as it were). Last week I gave away the hot new TORQ bag. Of course Briggs & Riley is all about functional luggage, as much as I like the look of the new bags their bread and butter is the business market epitomized by their @work line. Which of course comes with Briggs & Riley’s unrivaled lifetime guarantee. Here’s how you can enter to win by commenting on this post. Given the strength of reputation…
The Nicest Taco Bell on the Planet
Yesterday I asked you to guess where these two photos were taken: Answer: Taco Bell, Pacifica California The San Francisco Chronicle calls this the nicest Taco Bell on the planet. Jaunted dubs it the world’s nicest Taco Bell. I hadn’t eaten Taco Bell in years. But I could not resist. The food is as it ever was, with some new strange additions like Fritos in the burritos. But the view is likely unmatched by any fast food restaurant, anywhere. A destination Taco Bell. Who knew? You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. Don’t miss out!
650 or More Points for Your First Grocery Delivery from Giant
I’ve never done any grocery shopping online, other than through Amazon — which may have something to do with the 5 points per dollar I earn on Amazon gift cards purchased at office supply stores… or it may have something to do with needing to be home for most grocery service delivery windows (whereas Amazon ships and I don’t have to wait on the delivery). There are certainly premium services especially in cities like New York and San Francisco that will put the groceries away for you. I’ve never explored anything like that. But if you’re interested in trying a grocery delivery service from Giant (and if there’s on in your area, their Peapod service offers signup bonuses. EV Reward, the website I use most to look up what cash back and mileage offers are…
Guess Where These Photos Were Taken?
It’s Sunday afternoon, so a bit of trivia. It’s time to play a game! Guess where these photos were taken? .. multiple choice options below. Is it… Manly Beach Nusa Dua Hac Sa Beach at the Westin Macau Ipanema beach Taco Bell The answer tomorrow morning! You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. Don’t miss out!
Samsonite Spinner Luggage ~ Two Thirds Off
Vente-Privee has Samsonie spinner luggage on sale at about two-thirds off retail through Wednesday at 9am Eastern (though often the most popular items will sell out before a short-term deal is scheduled to end). They have a 21″ spinner carry on bag from $78, and bags which retail for $540 (though there are frequently sales for less) priced as low as $169. Free shipping on orders over $100 if you pay with an American Express card, so if you go for one of the cheapest bags consider adding some cheap discounted travel accessories to get free shipping. Returns are accepted for 21 days from shipping date. If you decide you don’t want your purchase be sure to return right away. There’s a 10 year warranty, so not quite the lifetime that Briggs & Riley offers.…
