Cathay Pacific’s AsiaMiles is an American Express and Citi transfer partner. They’ll also be introducing a US credit card in a few months from a bank that doesn’t issue (and therefore conflict with) other frequent flyer cards and that will have a few really interesting features. They offered this in December but it’s available again and a pretty good deal: a 30% bonus converting hotel points to miles through February 28 You don’t get the bonus instantly, instead the extra 30% will post by May 31 (or sooner). Here are the programs you can transfer in from and earn the bonus: Update: Starwood is excluded from ‘phase 2’ (January/February) for this promotion. Consider redeeming Marriott travel packages 270,000 Marriott points (which is also 90,000 Starpoints, since Starpoints transfer to Marriott at 1:3) gets you 110,500…
ASIA
Search Results for "ASIA".
Outrageous: Man Whose Racist Rant Caused United Flight to Divert to Auckland Won’t Be Charged
The man who caused 252 United Airlines passengers to get stuck in Auckland for a day after his racist, homophobic rant on United’s New Year’s Day flight UA870 from Sydney to San Francisco led to a diversion will not face charges.
Here’s the man talking into his phone upon landing in Auckland, “Tell my dad to get his law firm ready because United Airlines just diverted the […] plane because I complained to some fat […] who got in my […] face.”
AWARD AVAILABILITY: Several Cities Wide Open Star Alliance Business Class to Europe for 4+ Passengers
Austrian is a Star Alliance airline, they have a good business class in fact arguably they have the very best food in business class.
You can use miles with United, Aeroplan, ANA, LifeMiles, and many other programs to book awards to and through Vienna to most places you’d want to go in Europe and even Asia.
Earn Triple British Airways Miles on Flights Regardless of Fare (Even Some American Transatlantic Flights)
British Airways is offering triple points on your first 8 flights taken by March 31. There are no fare restrictions. This is valid for new itineraries booked and flown starting January 5.
You’ll earn triple points on all British Airways flights and on British Airways codeshares for transatlantic travel on American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia (BA’s revenue-sharing joint venture partners).
Earn Points for Your Free Visits to Airport Lounges
Plaza Premium airport lounges are found in airports all over the world. Airlines often contract with them for lounge access, so business class and sometimes elite passengers are welcomed. And you can access many of the lounges with a Priority Pass card which comes bundled with many US premium credit cards.
And Plaza Premium has a loyalty program where you earn points for lounge visits — even when those lounge visits don’t cost you anything.
Free Miles to Book American Awards at the ‘Old’ Prices and Transatlantic Business for 37,000 Miles Roundtrip
Etihad is one of the top airlines in the world for passenger experience. They offer a great connecting point in Abu Dhabi for travel to India and the surrounding region. I’ve used them to travel there as well as to the Maldives and also back from Sri Lanka.
But they also have a strong frequent flyer program of their own, and they are a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.
You Can Now Book China Southern, China Eastern, and Saudia First Class Awards Online
Korean has a great award chart but do add fuel surcharges to award tickets. They offer super generous award holds. There are very low booking/change fees.
It’s just 80,000 miles roundtrip in business class between the US and Europe and now you can book those SkyTeam awards (e.g. Air France, KLM, Delta) on the Korean Air website.
Online SkyTeam award booking means you can now book international first class awards on Saudia, China Southern, and China Eastern in addition to first class awards on Korean using the Korean Air website.
The 10 Busiest Airline Routes in the World. None are in the US or Europe.
Data for 2016 is now available from IATA and I find it fascinating what the 10 airline routes with the greatest capacity are for the year.
Some of these I knew, like the South Korean domestic route between Seoul’s closer-in Gimpo airport (not Incheon) and Jeju. And some of these I’ve flown. Japanese domestic routes are always up towards the top of the list, but pay attention and see that despite three in the top 10 Osaka – Tokyo isn’t there at all (last year it clocked in at number nine).
Chase Transfer Partner Korean Air Now Lets You Book SkyTeam Partner Awards Online
Korean Air offers the best first class award space between the US and Asia of any airline. And there’s very little competition for that space — because Korean Air partners like Delta and Alaska can book business class awards on Korean, but cannot book first class awards.
They also offer fantastic value partner awards, like US-Europe for 80,000 miles roundtrip in business class. And you can now book SkyTeam partner awards online.
American AAdvantage Making Several Changes January 1 — and then More Changes Later in 2017
American has several changes to the AAdvantage program going into effect January 1. More changes to the program will come later in 2017. And there have been hints of airline changes that will influence elite benefits further still.