Reader Karin asked, If you had to pick one type of miles to amass for specific trips, what would it be? For instance, what gets you to Asia easiest? Western Europe? South America? Thank you! Europe: Star Alliance has the most partners that will get you to Europe. United miles will get you flights on these airlines without fuel surcharges. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United. Air Canada’s Aeroplan has good award pricing to Europe and you can avoid fuel surcharges. American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Aeroplan. (See also How to Book Award Tickets on Star Alliance Partners). If you want awards in first class though you probably want Lufthansa Miles & More miles for a combination of access to quality first class product and better availability than is offered to Star…
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Sorry, Phoenix. This is How Airlines Choose International Routes.
Apr
25
2015
Size of a city alone isn’t enough to support international air service. Size of the metro area, primary destinations from that area, available aircraft, and concentration of business are much more important. And that’s why Phoenix – the 6th largest city in the US – gets only a single transatlantic flight (and a marginal one for British Airways at that).
Here are key factors airlines use in choosing international flying. And it’s why even when the idea comes up for Phoenix, it gets rejected…
Citibank Points Transfer Bonus: 25% More Miles When You Move Points to Etihad
Citibank keeps getting better and better, with big signup bonuses for ThankYou points cards, transferrable points, and now a transfer bonus to an airline.
Etihad is bonusing Citibank transfers, and it makes the Etihad Guest redemption program pretty attractive.
Finding the Right Credit Card, No Matter How Much You Travel
Apr
23
2015
The New York Times has a useful piece that helps understand what makes a credit card useful for consumers, and identifies some of the best ones currently in the marketplace.
Lufthansa A380 First Class Awards Wide Open to and from Los Angeles/San Francisco
Lufthansa generally opens first class award seats to their partners only within 14 days of travel.
Their Los Angeles and San Francisco – Frankfurt flights are among the toughest to get, even then.
And yet right now most days currently have 2 first class award seats open from late November through March…
Citi Prestige Card is Your Ticket to Free Golf
Apr
14
2015
Citi Prestige card – in addition to a new big 50,000 point signup bonus, $250 airline fee credit, American lounge access, and triple and double points-earning categories – comes with a variety of included benefits.
One of those is free golf rounds, which appears to be better and more useful than I would have expected. There are courses nationwide and even worldwide that you can reserve, up to three times per year.
A New Source for Gift Cards, Amex Seattle Lounge Construction Photo, Free Transit Hotel Option + More!
Apr
13
2015
Today’s roundup of posts from other blogs and news from the various sources I cull together each day includes a source for gift cards (that earns 5x this quarter for many!), a great shot of Kim Jong Un, an airline that still offers free hotels on forced overnights, and a sneak photo of the contruction of the Centurion lounge offering in Seattle.
Four Koalas Flying from Australia to the Singapore Zoo in Qantas “Koala Class”
Apr
12
2015
Qantas will be flying four koalas from Brisbane, Australia to Singapore where they will eventually join the Singapore Zoo. On loan from Australia as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, the 6-month gift could become permanent.
Transporting them requires custom-built shipping capsules that are climate-controlled and with a tree and eucalyptus leaves. Qantas, though, says they’ll be flying “koala class.” And they have photos…
Aeroplan Award Pricing Glitch: Upgrade One-Way to Business Class for No Additional Miles
Apr
12
2015
Via Don’t Call the Airline, Air Canada’s Aeroplan frequent flyer program — a Star Alliance program and an American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner — has a redemption pricing glitch. If you book a roundtrip award with premium economy one way and business class the other, the award will price as premium economy. Aeroplan’s reward chart for North America – Asia roundtrip is this: Premium economy is 125,000 miles roundtrip. Business Class is 150,000 miles roundtrip. Here’s an itinerary between Canada and Japan, business class one-way and premium economy the other. And it prices at 125,000 miles. The outbound is indeed over the water in Air Canada business class. This is how the award will price: So if you’re ever going to find yourself booking a premium economy award through Aeroplan, consider pricing it with…
The 10 ‘Most Garbage’ Airports in The World
Apr
08
2015
It struck me reading about ten of the ‘most garbage’ airports in the world that while many of these are bad, the worst are completely left off — especially the worst U.S. airports.
It’s simply unreasonable to consider Chicago O’Hare worse than New York LaGuardia and… Manila.
Paris and Frankfurt are awful. JFK is worse than LaGuardia. And where’s Miami on this list? Here are the worst airports, and the ones that deserve a reprieve. Although I’ve only ever seen roosters break out of a cage at baggage claim in Manila..
