Marriott has a new offer (that they’ve also run in the past) that’s available only to new members of the Marriott Rewards program currently — MegaMiles. While there’s an offer being sent out by Marriott’s airline partners like Virgin America, contra The Points Guy it is not actually targeted in that anyone can join as a new member and get the bonus miles being offered. In fact, even if you click a link to join sent to you by Virgin America, you can still select any mileage-earning partner of Marriott’s to use in earning bonus miles. MegaMiles is being offered to new members who join and opt to earn miles. For stays between February 1 and April 30, new members can earn 5,000 bonus miles with every other paid stay starting with the second stay,…
Delta Is Great for Award Availability If You Don’t Like Your Spouse
Last week we learned that Delta wants to keep your spouse out of their lounges — the $450 Skyclub membership fee will now require you to pay for guests. It turns out they also want you to travel alone, too. Delta has always been pretty good about releasing just a single award seat. I’ve not had too much difficulty finding one business class award seat to Asia on many Delta flights. The challenge has always been finding two (fortunately Delta has airline partners that are more generous with award space than they are). So I did something of a head tilt when I saw MileValue declare, “Not April Fools: Delta Has the Best Award Space to Asia I’ve Ever Seen.” Delta has been de-emphasizing connections through Tokyo, and they’ve been adding direct flights from their…
3000 United Miles for First Rocketmiles Hotel Booking
Rocketmiles usually gives you a 1000 mile bonus with your first booking when you are referred by an existing member. So it’s worth signing up that way. Rocketmiles is a hotel booking site with a limited number of hotels and in a limited – but growing – number of cities. It rebates you a potentially large number of miles for your reservations. (You generally won’t earn hotel points for your stays booked through the site.) You get to choose whose miles you want to earn for your stays. In addition to the standard bonus they are now offering a 3000 mile bonus for making your first booking by February 28 for a stay consumed by July 1 and earning United miles. Last month a first-time booking bonus excluded earning the referral bonus also in its…
Lots of IHG Rewards Promotion Codes to Earn You Big Bonuses for Your Hotel Stays
Two weeks ago I shared a list of IHG Rewards promotion codes you can sign up for. Piling on the points is something you can really do with this program because they run many concurrent promotions, ostensibly targeted but that are often in practice open to everyone and can often be stacked on top of each other. You don’t always know which promotions will post and which will not with this program, but in advance of a stay at one of their hotels (eg Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza) it’s wise to sign up for as many promotions as possible that you think you might be able to meet the qualifications for. Head for Points updates and adds to the list of known promotion codes you can register for. 4040 – New Stay Bonus (1,500…
American Wants You To Know That Their Cross Country Flight Was Revolutionary 61 Years Ago
Last month I poked around American’s new Airbus A321 that’s begun flying between New York and Los Angeles and that is scheduled to serve the New York – San Francisco market soon. I flew the inaugural Los Angeles – New York flight last week and loved it. It’s a gorgeous aircraft with great seats and a great entertainment system. It is light years ahead of the old product American offered on their 767s. Business class is at least as good as what Delta and United are offering, and they offer the best product in the market with a first class cabin offering 2 seats across (one in each window). During the inaugural flight, American’s Vice President of Marketing kept repeating the mantra that American “invented transcon service” and that it was great they were “re-inventing…
Did You Know That Pandas Fly Commercial? Here’s How One Flew Los Angeles to Shanghai
Not only do pandas fly commercial, but they have to connect. And they don’t earn extra any miles. Yun Zi was born at the San Diego Zoo, but isn’t a U.S. citizen. Panda politics are complicated and agreements with China are that when a Panda parent gives birth, the government gets to decide where to send the kid. Since Yun Zi is more than 4 years old, it was time to be taken from his family. In a Hunger Games sort of way. The panda flew to Shanghai onboard a China Southern 777 and then onward to Chengdu before making the rest of the trip to Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan. That’s apparently Yun Zi’s ancestral home, where his parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao were born. “He was calm, and when we first took…
Here are the Cities Losing Service at Washington National Because of the Government’s Requirement that American and US Airways Give Up Slots
As part of the American and US Airways settlement with the Department of Justice which allowed the two airlines to merge, the new carrier was required to divest itself of 52 “slot pairs” at Washington National airport. Basically, US Airways wasn’t going to be allowed to get any bigger at National than it was already. So they’re giving up takeoffs and landings the size of the existing American Airlines operation there. Washington National has slot controls, limitations on the number of flights that can operate there. Though they had to give up 52 takeoffs and landings, it’s actually just 44 flights since American was already leasing out some of their slots. While the required slot sales aren’t final, the result of some communities losing service. We don’t have details of all of the schedule changes…
A Quick Jaunt to Southern India: Etihad First Class Lounge, and Etihad First Class Abu Dhabi – Washington Dulles
Jan
15
2014
Previous Installments: Introduction and Trip Planning Etihad Lounge, Washington Dulles Etihad First Class, Washington Dulles – Abu Dhabi Etihad Business Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi Terminal 1, and Abu Dhabi – Chennai Business Class Park Hyatt Chennai Eating South Indian Food in Chennai Chennai – Abu Dhabi, Etihad Business Class Transit security entering terminal 3, just like the regular security queue after passport control for Abu Dhabi-originating passengers, drops you off right in front of Etihad’s business and first class lounges (which share a common entrance). The lounges are upstairs, so you can either take an elevator up or a stairway where you’re greeted by Etihad agents ready to check your credentials, guide you to the appropriate lounge, and encourage you to make a spa booking. I visited this Etihad First Class lounge earlier in the…
New Routes With Great Award Space, Free Room Nights With Account Signup, and a Whole Lotta Cash (Bits ‘n Pieces for January 15, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: New Airbnb customers get a free night worth up to $300 and how to do very bad things with it. American is finally releasing business class award and upgrade space on its Dallas – Hong Kong flight. Lots of it. Too much. Either it’s a mistake and won’t last long, or the route is already on the chopping block with new management. Or both. Etihad is adding a second New York JFK – Abu Dhabi flight. Award availability is amazing (as are most Etihad flights). They’re going to be using a Jet Airways aircraft, rather than one of their own (still suites in first class) and eventually this Etihad flight will be operated by Jet Airways. I find Etihad an excellent use of American Airlines miles for travel…
100% Bonus Buying US Airways Miles: Cheapest Way to Buy American Airlines Miles, But Only If You Bought Miles Last Year
US Airways is running a 100% bonus for mileage purchases through January 31st for people who purchased miles in 2013. Thank you for buying miles in 2013! For a limited time, as a special “thank you”, enjoy 100% bonus miles when you buy Dividend Miles -up to 50,000 miles Hurry, this exclusive 100% bonus offer ends January 31, 2014. They first verify your account information before showing you the offer (or not, if you aren’t eligible). US Airways ran — both targeted and non-targeted — versions of the 100% purchase miles or share miles bonus for most of 2013. This airline has been the single most aggressive in selling miles, and at a price point lower than most other carriers offer their miles. That’s why frequent flyer forum member and View from the Wing commenter…
