American Express is offering a 25% bonus on transfers of Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic through April 30. Before the end of the year American Express was offering a 35% bonus on transfers to Virgin Atlantic. So 25% doesn’t impress. Virgin Atlantic has one of the least valuable mileage currencies — my stretch for 8 good uses of the points shows how deep in the barrel I have to dig. The program adds fuel surcharges to awards. So while Virgin Atlantic itself has a decent business class product across the Pond, many prefer to book their awards through Delta SkyMiles (at a higher mileage cost) to avoid the fuel surcharges. If you’re looking to bulk up on Virgin’s miles, consider their Bank of America-issued credit card. American Express Membership Rewards points are too valuable,…
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50 Million Bonus Points, Discounted Hawaii Awards, and My Heart Stopped for a Moment.
News and notes from around the interweb: Discounted United awards to Hawaii Bonus for points transfers into Aeroplan. Unfortunately Membership Rewards transfers aren’t eligible. Starwood transfers are, though — 80,000 Starpoints would yield 125,000 Aeroplan points instead of the usual 100,000. How to make my heart stop: This came into my email inbox: Fortunately this isn’t word that my Suntrust Delta debit card will no longer earn miles for purchases. It’s just that they’re redesigning their online banking site. Which I could care less about since I only use my Suntrust account for debit purchases (and to deposit money into the account, to make more debit purchases). Everyone checking into Marriott Courtyard hotels today get 1000 bonus points to celebrate the opening of the 1000th Courtyard property in Walla Walla, Washington. (HT: Paul B.) They…
How to Use Status From One Airline While Crediting Miles to Another (and Why You’d Want To)
Reader Joe asked, I am US Chairman, and I have a trip to Alaska this fall (EWR-SEA-ANC). I would like to somehow get into First. I’m thinking I could do an Elite Match with AS to qualify for an upgrade. But I need the AA EQM’s to re-qualify for top AA status. Can I change the FF #’s after securing an upgrade? This is an interesting challenge but one that has broader implications for members looking to use one airline status for benefits (perhaps they have status through a status match with a foreign airline and want waived checked bag fees and lounge access) while crediting miles to their main US program. Why Airlines Status Match Airlines will often give customers with elite status on one airline status on their carrier — or at least…
Ways to Maximize Your Miles Without Credit Cards
Reader WR asked for “[w]ays to maximize miles *without* use of credit cards.” I’ll take the question to mean, what are the best ways to earn miles without signing up for credit cards, or using credit cards as the means of earning miles (through bonus categories, or heavy spend – manufactured or not). I’ll allow that credit cards can be used as a payment mechanism for activities you’d do otherwise. There have been plenty of great opportunities over time. I’ll never forget earning 20,000 Delta miles for a Bosley hair restoration consultation (I had more hair back then). I used to benefit mightily from United’s GroceryMiles program with Safeway. And then there was dumpster diving. But there are lots of ways to earn miles today:
Here’s How the US Airlines Can Compete And Win Against the Big Gulf Airlines (Instead of Lobbying the Government for Protectionist Policies)
Mar
27
2015
I’ve written extensively about the protectionism that US airlines are seeking from the government in bashing Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar — and about the hypocrisy as US airlines lobby for and take huge subsidies while attacking only those competitors they’re worried about for doing the same thing while ignoring the even greater subsidies offered to state airlines that they partner with (Think for instance Delta and Saudia, United and Air India). Gulf Carriers Receive Subsidies and So Do US Airlines There are certainly subsidies that have at various times helped to prop up the various major Gulf airlines, as we’ve seen with airlines around the world. Sometimes those subsidies have seemed larger than life, though it’s easy to forget the privileged position over time of British Airways at Heathrow and the gifting of Concorde. And…
My Perfect Travel Day. Here’s What it Looks Like.
No, it’s not showering onboard an Emirates Airbus A380. I’m not really a destination blogger per se but it really can be all about the destination. Earlier this week I took a helicopter…. …through a rainforest… and landed on a rock. Next to a waterfall… .. where I sat and drank champagne. Business class airfare thanks to Delta SkyMiles and hotel covered by Starwood Starpoints. Brunch where only a handful of people have ever gone? Well, I suppose I could have charged it to my room and convinced the hotel to claim an Instant Award against it. But, well, those aren’t an especially good value use of Starpoints. I feel like I can take the occasional splurge when the air and hotel are covered by points. And wandering around the forest, dipping in the water,…
Now that American-US Airways Has Consolidated into a Single Frequent Flyer Program It’s Time for AAdvantage to Update Its Award Rules
US Airways Dividend Miles was pretty much ‘anything goes’ as far as award routings go — the combination of flights you were allowed to use when booking an award to get from your origin to destination. There was no auto-validation of routings and no auto-pricing. Whatever region an agent thought you were traveling to determined the price they would enter. So you could ‘guide them’ (“I’d like to book a North Asia award, we’ll connect in Hong Kong in North Asia on the way to Bangkok. And now to wrap up this North Asia award let’s connect back through Tokyo and…”) I really do think American needs to liberalize their routing rules. American requires that:
The Best Awards to Australia Will Return on Saturday
Contra lots of concerns, Delta said yesterday that they’d be bringing Virgin Australia awards back online. When I wrote about the 80% bonus for purchased Virgin America miles, several readers noted they thought it was no longer possible to book Virgin Australia flights using Delta miles — and that there was speculation (fueled by Delta agents, and reported on Flyertalk) that the Delta-Virgin Australia partnership had ended. Virgin Australia business class awards are both frequently available and one of the only ways to get non-stop between North America and Australia in a premium cabin on points. They’re one of the best uses of Virgin America points, and they’re one of the best uses of Delta awards. Both Virgin America and Delta offer one-way award redemption, making it possible to pull together different sets of points…
No More Fuel Surcharges on Virgin Australia Awads with Virgin America (and How to Get Their Points)
Virgin America Eliminates Fuel Surcharges on Virgin Australia Award Redemption Virgin America is a revenue-based frequent flyer program when using points for their own flights (points costs are based on the price of the ticket you’re buying) but there’s an award chart when redeeming for travel on partners. US – Australia business class awards on Virgin Australia cost 45,000 Virgin America Elevate points one way or 80,000 points roundtrip. In the past there have been taxes and fuel surcharges in addition to points, with those fuel surcharges costing more than $400 each way. Virgin America no longer collects fuel surcharges on Virgin Australia flights, so the cost of these awards just went down by better than $800 roundtrip. Indeed, without fuel surcharges even an economy award (25,000 points one way or 40,000 points roundtrip) will…
United Introducing New Premium Cabin Partnership and Improved Design
United is trumpeting that mystery changes will be coming to their premium cabin experience. In addition to new food, rollout of inflight internet a generation behind everyone else, and themed amenity kits, there will apparently be ‘a new partnership’ and ‘design and comfort enhancements’
