The New Reality Of Booking American Airlines Awards

by Gary Leff

an airplane on the runway
Aug 02 2023

A reader, Tommy, reached out surprised by American Airlines charging 250,000 miles for a business class award to Tokyo on a flight the next day with plenty of seats available. I’ve flagged that, though American’s new Flight Awards chart that shows ‘starting at’ pricing is supposed to give members an idea of what to expect, for international business class especially the price American is asking for awards often would make even Delta blush.

But that’s not all you need to know.

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Reprice Your Southwest Airlines Itineraries Now To Earn 50% Off A Future Trip

by Gary Leff

Aug 01 2023

Too many restrictions, too long to wait to benefit, but all of those are in place of course to limit the cost to the airline of offering this. You get to use the discount in a short window (breakage) and that window is during an expected lull in travel (when there are seats they wouldn’t sell at full price) – all while ensuring most that take advantage of the discount will be buying a ticket they probably wouldn’t have otherwise. So they hope to drive incremental revenue now, and also at time of redemption, while offering those jumping through their hoops a good deal.

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Holiday Inn Guest Checks In To Find An Undisclosed, Active Construction Site

by Gary Leff

Aug 01 2023

He’d made a nonrefundable booking using Chase points to attend a wedding at what seemed like “the cheapest hotel from a reliable..brand” and found “an active construction site” with rooms covered “in plastic wrap,” constant drilling and a closed restaurant – none of which was disclosed on the property’s website. And oh that toilet.

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Trump’s Team Discloses They Violate Airline Rules, Use Throwaway Ticketing Site Skiplagged For Airfare

by Gary Leff

Aug 01 2023

While most of the media around former President Trump’s Save America PAC centers on their paying $20 million dollars in legal fees, there’s a nugget buried in their travel expenses that shows the political committee also violates airline rules when purchasing tickets.

Save America’s disclosure form shows them covering a fee to Skiplagged, the website that assists in booking throwaway or hidden city tickets.

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I Just Transferred 200,000 Bilt Points Into 500,000 Virgin Points

by Gary Leff

Aug 01 2023

Bilt Rewards is back with Rent Day and for some members this will be the most lucrative one yet by a wide margin. They have the usual offers of free points for trivia questions, double points on their credit card, and an opportunity to your rent paid for. But this is also the first time they’ve added an elite status benefit as part of Rent Day transfer bonus.

The first of each month is extra rewarding.

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