Expert Flyer, a subscription service that I reviewed over the summer, has a new Android app for seat alerts. You can set up a single seat alert for free, meaning a flight where you don’t have the seat you want they will keep checking for better seats and ping you when one becomes available. Say you are a united elite and there’s no economy plus seating available when you book. Or you want an exit row on American or Delta. Seats open up when someone cancels, or most likely close to departure when another passenger’s upgrade clears. Expertflyer lets you know when the seats you tell it to check for become available, and you can then go online or call and change your seats. Often the best seats are gone close to departure, I booked…
US Travelers With Expedited Immigration Can Now Benefit in Australia, Too
Via Milepoint and also reader G.B., U.S. citizens with ‘Global Entry’ as well as NEXUS or SENTRI can now use Australia‘s expedited immigration SmartGate. You have to be 16 years old or older and have a e-passport (passport with embedded chip) to be eligible. Global Entry requires an interview and background screening, and there’s a $100 fee. United’s Platinum and 1K members get their Global Entry registration fees refunded. So do American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders and Loews Platinum members. This is a great move, surprising reciprocity and something I’d love to be extended — and not just to expedited immigration but also security and to visa procedures.
United Extends the Useful Life of Top Elite Confirmed Upgrades
United has announced that the confirmed domestic and international upgrade instruments they give to their 1K members will be valid longer — instead of 1 year from date of issue, they will last through the end of the next elite membership year. I wanted to let you know that over the course of the next couple weeks, we’ll be making a change that will give those of you who earn Global Premier Upgrades (GPU) and Regional Premier Upgrades (RPU) more time to use them. Specifically: Newly-earned GPUs and RPUs will be valid longer. Starting later this month, when newly earned GPUs and RPUs are deposited into your account, they will be valid through the end of the following Premier program year instead of just one year from the date of issue. So, for example, all…
Virgin Atlantic Bonus for Purchased, Gifted, and Purchased-With-Ticket Miles
Virgin is running several bonuses through December 5th on purchased, gifted, and transferred miles and also on their new ‘miles booster‘ that lets you buy miles in conjunction with the purchase of paid travel. The bonus on purchased and gifted miles (up to 30,000 miles received per account) is 25%. The bonus for purchasing miles in conjunction with a paid ticket is 15%. There’s also a permanent bonus of 1000 miles with each purchase. These bonuses strike me as interesting because they seem like a continuation of the ‘Amerification’ of world frequent flyer programs, historically the programs themselves began in the states and have been the most aggressive in the States in printing miles and monetizing them. Miles are a big business. It’s always seemed odd to me that airlines offer additional — very expensive…
Amazing International Fare Sales from New York
The Flight Deal flags Etihad Airways flights via Abu Dhabi from New York to Johannesburg ($596), Bangkok ($511), and India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka ($600). Etihad flights earn redeemable miles in the American AAdvantage program. (Update: Gone) And of course buying airline tickets there’s the opportunity for quintuple dipping. Except for trips that have to be booked directly on a low cost carriers own website, such as Norwegian Air Shuttle which begins Oslo – New York service on May 30, flying a Boeing 787. Prices start at just 257 euros roundtrip.
Markets in Everything: European Passports
Wild About Travel asks, “Ever gazed with envy on the European citizen lines at European aiporst while waitimg in line with a non-EU passport?” (sic) You may soon be able to obtain one, in exchange for an investing in European government bonds. The ruling party in Hungary has proposed offering citizenship to anyone willing to invest 250,000 euros in their government’s bonds. It’s one strategy for rolling over massive government debt, and it’s expected to appeal mostly to wealthy Chinese who would gain the ability to travel freely and live anywhere within the European Union. While this is not outright sale of citizenship, it’s ‘preferential treatment’ for foreign investors seeking to become Hungarian citizens, it has predictably brought near-universal ire from the rest of Europe. This initiative was met with criticism. A number of members…
One Day Left to Give My Money to Charity
Over the past several days there has been some down time for this blog, the servers that host it have had a few hiccups and some of the downtime was planned as well as I understand it as the backend system gets tweaked so that we don’t have problems in the future. One of the unfortunate things, though, is that it was down shortly after I posted a request for you to help decide how much money I give away to support hurricane relief. It’s especially timely because not only are several Northeastern states still recovering from Sandy, but things may take another turn for the worse (at least plenty of flights are cancelled today) as a result of more storms which won’t be as bad as the last one, but seriously — the weather…
Can You Convert a Paid Hotel Reservation to an Award Night at a Sold Out Hotel?
On Monday I explained when hotels make reward nights available, essentially most chains have gone to a model where if there is a standard room available then you can claim that room night on points — although occasionally some hotel properties will play games with the definition of a ‘standard’ room. Lucas has a question about what constitutes ‘available’ in the Hilton HHonors program. I had a question I’ve been running into a problem trying to book a honeymoon trip for the Conrad Maldives. To keep it short I didn’t have all the points I needed to book the hotel and the first night I wanted was already sold out so I contacted the hotel about booking the stay and they were able to process it. I booked the refundable rate. When I received the…
Up to 30,000 American Miles for a New Citibank Checking Account
American is offering miles for different kinds of checking accounts opened by November 30th. Sign up with offer code CY9S at http://offer.citibank.com/, or by phone at 1-800-254-8790. Once you’ve opened an account, within 60 days of account opening make at least one direct deposit a month for two consecutive months, and make purchases as follows with your accounts debit card: A Citigold checking account, $750 in charges for 30,000 American AAdvantage miles. A Citibank checking account, $375 in charges for 15,000 American AAdvantage miles. A Basic Banking checking account, $125 in charges for 5,000 American AAdvantage miles. Back in the day Citibank checking accounts were amazing for earning miles because you could make your initial account funding via credit card, with no limit up to your credit limit, and the transaction would post with most…
20% Discount on United Coach Awards to Europe
United is offering a 20% discount on coach awards to Europe, that’s roundtrip for 48,000 miles. And availability is about the best that it gets, because the travel period is for the off-season: book by November 15 for travel between January 15 and March 13. The discount applies to saver award inventory on United and United Express only, and for travel between Europe and the 48 contiguous U.S. states plus Alaska and also Canada. The rules require a 21-day advance purchase, which is odd since by definition the discount can only be obtained with a minimum two month advance purchase. Open jaws are permitted, and the strange example given is flying into New York-JFK and out of Newark — I say that’s strange because those are usually considered to be ‘co-terminals’ and the same city,…
