Gabriel Leigh has a CNNgo column on 7 top frequent flyer programs — offering a perspective on the unique value proposition of each. For the most part, he’s spot on, worth highlighting and also some modest disagreement. Aegean Airlines Miles&Bonus. Easiest Star Alliance status, you get 1000 qualifying miles for signing up and 3000 more within the first year means Star Alliance Silver (so some boarding priority and a free checked bag on your domestic US flying on United and US Airways). 16,000 more qualifying miles to hit Star Alliance Gold which gets you lounge access. I outlined the pluses and minuses of the program when I became an Aegean Airlines Gold member, since then they’ve made it possible to change date and time on award tickets and also cancel awards and redeposit miles (both…
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Delta Increases the Cost of Some Mileage Awards With No Notice Whatsoever
Over the weekend Delta made some changes to their award chart without any advance notice. And, in fact, there hasn’t even been a notice posted at all — the award chart itself has simply changed. The price of traditional ‘saver’ awards (“low” in Delta parlance) are unaffected, it’s medium and high coach awards on some routes that are getting more expensive — an increase of 5000 miles roundtrip in those cases. Here are the specific changes that were made on September 1, without any advance notice: ‘Medium’ level coach awards between the US and Mexico or the Caribbean go from 50,000 to 55,000 miles roundtrip. ‘High’ level coach awards between the US and Mexico or the Caribbean go from 70,000 to 75,000 miles roundtrip. ‘Medium’ level coach awards between the US and Southern South America…
‘Keeping Austin Weird’ at the Hyatt Regency on the River
I spent much of Labor Day weekend in Austin, and decided to stay at the Hyatt Regency there. Rates were on the high side, perhaps largely due to a Longhorns football game that everyone on property seemed to be going to, so I used my annual free night from the Hyatt Visa. (While the card comes with two free nights at any Hyatt as a signup bonus, each year cardmembers are credited with one free night valid at a ‘category 4’ hotel or lower, the best value category 4 is often considered to be the Hyatt 48Lex in New York but the Hyatt Regency Austin is a category 4 hotel as well). You can’t make an award reservation and a paid reservation together online, but offline there’s no problem in doing so. I created one…
Bits ‘n Pieces for September 4, 2012
Some links, news, and opinion from around the interweb: Christopher Elliott notes that the Republican Party platform calls for reform of the TSA and private screeners. He didn’t expect anything similar in the Democratic Party platform, and he was correct (.pdf). Elliott concludes that it’s an election year issue, but I’m not so sure. Most items in party platfoms aren’t ultimately issues that get play during a campaign. They serve more to cement coalitions and demonstrate relative status within a party rather than representing even what a Presidential candidate’s position on an issue will be. As of November 1, only elite members of LANPASS will be permitted to use miles for upgrades. The September issue of Inside Flyer‘s Ask Randy section (subscription required) recommends my award booking service. [T]here are a number of bona fide…
Keeping Up With Work While on Vacation
Conde Nast has a piece on how to work productively while still making the most of your vacation. Chaney Kwak interviewed folks like Wendy Perrin, Joe Brancatelli, and IT executives with involvement in the travel industry. I was also interviewed, and here was my take: Some hotel rooms lack power outlets. I always bring a compact power strip so I can recharge all of my devices at once. An air card or MiFi device is indispensable so I can even work in cabs. I actually love staying caught up with work while I’m away because if I don’t, all of the relaxation I’ve accomplished is immediately wiped away by the deluge I receive when I come back. I especially love traveling to Asia. Thanks to a 12-hour time difference, very little is happening the entire…
The Strange Process of Redeeming Awards Through Korean Air Skypass
I have booked hundreds and hundreds of millions of miles worth of premium cabin international awards through my award booking service. But believe it or not I had never booked anything with miles in a Korean Air Skypass account before. Actually, this isn’t that surprising. Most of my clients are US-based with a smattering in Europe and Australia. The clients I’ve had in Asia have mostly been using miles in US frequent flyer programs for their rewards. Not too many US customers have Korean Air Skypass accounts. Plenty have Chase Ultimate Rewards points, though (from Chase Sapphire Preferred). And those transfer to Korean — but since the Ultimate Rewards program is pretty new, and the Korean Air partnership still just shy of a year old, I actually haven’t had occasion. And today I discovered that…
Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards on Star Alliance Airlines Without Fuel Surcharges
This little trick was shared with me some months ago in confidence (thanks S.S.!) so I never blogged it, but now it’s out in the frequent flyer forums and on blogs (e.g. today at The Points Guy). So now that it’s out, it’s no longer a secret, I can pass this along. American Express Membership Rewards is a great currency. I love flexible currencies because you can choose where to move points to when you know what award you want and further when you know who has award availability for that itinerary. It increases your ability to get the award redemption you want when you want it. But American Express has its drawbacks. Last year their partner Aeroplan started adding fuel surcharges onto most of their award tickets, you now often come out of pocket…
Understanding Starwood Preferred Guest: Airline Mileage Transfers
Key Links:>Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card Starwood Preferred Guest Business American Express card Earlier in the month I outlined how to make the most of Starwood points for hotel stays. The Starwood program has more top-end properties that I’d want to stay at than any other chain, and while I don’t find the program all that rewarding for earning points from the money I spend at their hotels, there’s little question that it’s the most valuable hotel program for money spent on a credit card. And their cash and points awards really stretch the value of those points. In this post I intend to explain the value of Starwood points for airline mileage transfers which are in many ways the most lucrative option. The primary thing to know is that when you transfer points…
Using Delta Miles Successfully: Awesome Business Class Availability on Saudi Arabian Airlines
I laid out my arguments about why Delta miles are one of the least valuable currencies out there at Frequent Traveler University back in April when I debated The Points Guy. It’s no secret that I think Delta miles are worth less than miles with United, American, US Airways, or Alaska Airlines. Sometimes I think they’re worth less than Air Baltic BalticMiles and Ukraine International Airlines Panorama Club miles. I’m the guy who coined the term “Skypesos” after all. But I’m also committed to helping folks use Delta miles for business class international awards. I have a guide on how to make Delta’s miles work for you. And a couple of weeks back I outlined fantastic business class award availability on China Southern’s Airbus A380 from Los Angeles to Guangzhou. Today’s lesson: new Skyteam member…
Delta’s “Unpublished Fares” Will No Longer Earn Full Mileage
Delta has announced that effective September 1, “unpublished fares” may no longer earn full miles flown, nor receive full elite qualifying miles, and shall not be subject to earning 500 miles minimum per segment. Under this scheme, only nearly full (“M”) fare coach tickets and higher earn 100% of miles flown. “Deeply discounted” U and T fares, if those U and T fares are “unpublished,” will only earn 25% of miles flown. Additionally, these fares may not (it doesn’t say ‘will not’) be eligible for elite qualifying bonuses or class of service (business/first class) bonuses. And these fares will not be eligible for bonus mile or elite promotions. The biggest problem here is uncertainty. Customers now don’t just have to know the fare they’re buying to know whether or not it earns full miles. They…
