Aeroplan has imposed a new, more restrictive pricing system for award travel. But there’s apparently an interesting situation that’s arisen, maybe they want to make things go down a bit more smoothly with the introduction of these new rules! Every award is pricing based on the first stopover you book. If you stopover domestically, you can travel anywhere in the world for the cost of a domestic award. First class to Europe? South America? No problem, just pay the domestic award price.
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Review: Park Hyatt Buenos Aires.. and Great Elite Recognition!
You’ll Also Want to Be Sure to Read: American Airlines Flagship Lounge, New York JFK American Airlines First Class, New York JFK – Buenos Aires The Park Hyatt Buenos Aires is a great city hotel, set in an upscale neighbor apart from the hustle and bustle of the city and just a few blocks from the Four Seasons. Service is excellent, and it’s a great value to stay there as a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member especially when cash and points is available. My Park Hyatt Buenos Aires review begins with arrival at the property. There are two separate buildings, connected via underground walkway or outside through the garden. There’s the original Palacio and there’s a new tower. I came in through the historic wing, which is their main reception though the building has only…
Who Wins — and Who Loses — With the American-US Airways Mileage Program Integration That’s Just Been Announced?
On net I think the details of how American AAdvantage 2015 plans to combine with US Airways Dividend Miles in the second quarter of 2015 is the best possible outcome we could reasonably have expected. I did expect that the combined program would have 4 elite tiers (as US Airways has today, and as both Delta and United have as well) and would move to a system of unlimited complimentary upgrades or all members (though I don’t think that system is better for lower tier elites, because it pushes down their success in actually getting upgrades — a system that has them ration when they request upgrades means they are more likely to get upgrades when they do request it). As far as what could have happened — award chart increases, going revenue-based like United…
Aeroplan Drops The Hammer, Makes Award Booking Harder With New Restrictions
Aeroplan may seem like the kind of thing only our friendly neighbors to the North care about, but it’s actually one of the most useful American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners. Aeroplan has access to the same awards that United does thanks to the Star Alliance. Their award chart is reasonable for many destinations. And their website is pretty good. Transfers from Amex are instant. Aeroplan costs just 45,000 miles each way in business class to nearer Europe. Winter is Coming for Aeroplan Routing Rules Two days ago I noted that Aeroplan routing rules were changing in terms of how they determined whether flights were permissible for award redemption. Every city pair has a published ‘maximum permitted mileage’ — a number of miles you can fly when going from A to B. Some city pairs…
Earn 5000 Bonus Miles on Your Next Delta Flight!
Next year Delta is only going to award miles based on the cost of a ticket. Right now though you can earn the actual miles flown on Delta plus 5000 miles for your next flight. The only catch is you have to credit the flight to Delta’s Skyteam partner Alitalia, registering for your new Alitalia Millemiglia account by November 28 and taking that flight within 3 months of enrolling.
Throwaway Ticketing and Fuel Surcharges… a Trick to Reduce the Big Fees on Your Next Award Ticket
Tocqueville asked me yesterday about fuel dumping award tickets and I thought it only fair to share my answer with y’all. Airlines that add fuel surcharges onto award tickets generally will charge the same amount that would apply on an identical paid reservation. He was specifically asking about reducing fuel surcharges using points with Air Canada’s Aeroplan. Now, here’s how to avoid fuel surcharges entirely when booking with Aeroplan. But if you must use one of their partner airlines where fuel surcharges apply, there are times where you can make the fuel surcharge less expensive. Much less expensive.
The Most Blunt Devaluation Explanation I’ve Ever Seen from an Airline
If you thought I was being hyperbolic when I explained Air Canada’s major devaluation of elite status as the airline thinking their elites were over-entitled and they were determined to do something about it… Thread Tripping highlights PR comments from the airline that make my point for me. Truly, I don’t recall ever seeing such revealing honesty from an airline. We should simultaneously applaud the lack of spin, and avoid the airline. Unfortunately for our friends up North, their options for a network carrier are quite limited. I’m going to be blunt: we are not a charity. …It’s not a secret that we would prefer our customers sitting in the [business class] cabin to have paid for it. And the reason why they don’t want elites sitting in empty premium cabin seats: 1) It cheapens…
HOT Business Class Fare: Bangkok – Beijing Under $400 Roundtrip
While probably of limited use to most of my readers, who are US-based, there’s a business class fare of less than $400 roundtrip between Bangkok and Beijing on oneworld member Malaysia Airlines (via Kuala Lumpur). On the other hand, many readers do book awards to Asia and may find some use, and certainly it’s great to see good fares at the end of the year when folks need to requalify for status. It’s certainly helpful for those looking to requalify on tier points in the British Airways Executive Club. One-way is even cheaper, but roundtrip is less than half a one-way. The least expensive place to book should be the Malaysia Airlines website, but it’s bookable most anywhere. It’s widely available. Sample itinerary: The pricing breakdown: That’s about 7000 miles roundtrip in business class. (HT:…
Here’s My Elite Status Update.. And Why I Chose Each Travel Program
I share my thoughts and advice on loyalty programs all of the time, I thought it would be useful — and only fair — to also share what I do and let you evaluate whether I practice my own advice. At the same time, where I focus my own stays (and how much I’m traveling) may help put my advice in context and illuminate how I think about travel. Ten months into the year it looks like I’ll fly about 200,000 miles and I’ll have stayed in hotels about 40% of the year. Not all the miles and nights are elite qualifying. I’ve been flying a bunch of British Airways-issued short haul award tickets on American and US Airways. Add in three major Asia Pacific first class award trips, and one-third of my miles are…
Just When Cheap Mileage Purchase Gravy Train Seemed to End, One Last Reprieve
Last month I broke that news that perennial mileage sales deep discounter US Airways would change their ways… [A]t a latest case come November the bonus and pricing structure for US Airways miles will look more like the old American approach. That the last 100% purchase bonus for US Airways miles would be the last time US Airways miles were on sale at 1.88 cents apiece. And that come November US Airways would be selling miles in a way that aligns with how American AAdvantage does it, as part of their merger and in advance of combining the two frequent flyer programs. It turns out this prediction and news was correct. As One Mile at a Time notes, a new US Airways buy miles promotion is up. And it’s exactly the sort of tiered bonus,…
