Through May 6 a new Chase British Airways Visa receives up to 100,000 bonus miles for the $95 annual fee and modest required spend. Use the miles for a business class ticket to Asia on Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines, or a business class ticket to South America on American or LAN (not to mention business class to nearer-Europe). There are plenty of reports that the 75,000 mile signup bonus offer for American Airlines credit cards still works, even though the landing page for the offer says it was only valid through February 28. I’ve yet to hear of anyone using the link who didn’t actually get the offer applied to their card account. Share US Airways miles with a 75% bonus through May 31 or US Airways credit card holders buy miles with a…
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Last Chance for 100,000 British Airways Miles for Credit Card Signup, and Is It Time to Burn Those Miles Fast?
There are 5 days left to apply for the Chase British Airways Visa and receive a 100,000 mile signup bonus, an offer which expires on May 6th. It’s a phenomenal offer. For instance, 100,000 British Airways miles can be used for a business class ticket on Cathay Pacific from New York to Bali via Hong Kong (with an allowable stopover). 80,000 British Airways miles can be used for, say, New York or Miami in business class on LAN all the way to Easter Island, with a stopover in South America in each direction (perhaps in Santiago and Buenos Aires). What’s more, those awards minimize the fuel surcharges that British Airways does charge on award tickets. But how long will these great value British Airways awards last? I don’t have any definitive information. There are some…
How Award Tickets on Partner Airlines Get Messed Up, And How You Can Protect Yourself
I helped someone with an award ticket through US Airways. Reservation set up, about an hour total on the phone while the rate desk validated and priced the itinerary, they took the credit card and told me everything went trhough. Miles were deducted but turns out that the credit card didn’t process and the tickets weren’t issued, US Airways never contacted anyone about this. Passenger shows up at the airport, no ticket, can’t fly. (To protect the privacy of the person involved, I’m not going to go into greater detail about what actually happened here, but suffice to say it won’t repeat itself for customers whose credit cards aren’t in the name of a third party living in Asia.) I call US Airways to get it fixed, they tell me they would and I gave…
Aeroplan Guts their Award Chart for High-End Premium Cabin Trips
Aeroplan has just released a new award chart which will go into effect July 15 and it hurts. On the whole, the changes to pricing of Air Canada awards aren’t terrible, nothing goes down but awards like coach to Hawaii goes from 40,000 to 45,000 (business is harsher, 60,000 up to 80,000). Business to nearer Europe goes from 85,000 to 90,000. Business to the Middle East and to Australia go from 115,000 to 135,000. Plenty more increases but on the whole all of that scale. Aeroplan claims that “[t]he adjustments represent an average increase of less than 5 per cent in the number of miles per reward for all ClassicFlight (Air Canada) and Star Alliance flight rewards.” Rewards Canada echos that changes in Star Alliance flight prices are mostly “to bring these rewards in line…
Should I Transfer My American Express Points to Continental Before Their Partnership Ends?
One of the questions I’ve been frequently asked lately is whether or not someone with American Express Membership Rewards points should transfer their points to Continental before the partnership ends September 30. I’ve been averaging at least 2-3 emails a week asking what to do. And it’s actually a riff on a larger question which is, “what should I do with my American Express points?” because folks seem to have a natural urge to transfer them somewhere. I’ve just answered a similar question on Milepoint, so I thought I’d share it here as well. Here’s my reply: Definitely not ‘now’ — you have through September 30 to transfer to Continetnal. So might as well wait at least that long to see what needs you have in the meantime, or what other bonuses come up. For…
Would You Blow Off Dinner With Friends for Denied Boarding Compensation?
Lucky is taking some heat over on his One Mile at a Time blog for planning to meet some folks for dinner taking a bump instead, blowing off plans and friends for $400 in vouchers. Now, in fairness to Ben he actually thought he’d wind up making the dinner, maybe 15 minutes late. Because of another flight delay and some additional flight changes, he wound up with a second voluntary denied boarding. (Read the whole story, he was very creative and had a great strategy — worth learning from.) I used to take bumps all the time years ago, I haven’t taken any in a really long time, I’m almost always wanting to get where I’m going with enough commitments on the other end and downline consequences for missing a flight, that the compensation rarely…
General Principles for Booking Award Seats to Australia with American Airlines Miles
I summed up some advice for booking Australia flights with American miles over on Milepoint and thought it might be worth reproducing the advice here as well, since Australia is one of those really frequent questions that I get (and that I’ve touched on before). 1. BA/QF/CX loads their schedules ~ 355 days out. Their members can book flights beginning that early. 2. Interestingly, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan partners with these three programs. Alaska doesn’t load its own flight schedules until 331 days out but they can book award seats on QF/CX/BA 355 days out, no problem. In fact, you can book a partner award 355 days out and then call back later to add in Alaska segments once the Alaska schedule loads and they won’t charge you to make the change! 3. But American…
Frequent Traveler University Program Announced
I should have been more on top of this, considering that I’m speaking as part of the agenda, but Lucky scoops me on the schedule for the day at Frequent Traveler University. Events begin Friday evening, April 29 with cocktails at the Sheraton LeGuardia East. THen the educational program is as Lucky posted: 850a-900a Opening Remarks MORNING: EARNING 905a-1015a Part 1: Earning By Flying Fare Classes: How Flying 1 Mile Could Earn You 2.5 miles or .25 miles! Elite Status: How to Transform Precious Metals Into Precious Bonus Miles! Mileage Running: How To Top-Off Your Account To Achieve Elite Status or Reach Award Redemption Threshold 1015-1030a Break 1030-1140a Part 2: Earning By Buying Credit Cards: Sign Up Bonuses and Most Points Per Dollar of Spending Mileage Transfers: How Credit Card, Hotel and Your Best Friends…
Flying Solo in First Class Again! Thai Airways Phuket – Bangkok – Tokyo and the Bangkok First Class Lounge & Spa
This is a Continuation of “Trip Report – A Private Jet Experience: Alone in First Class on ANA and Thai, Plus Singapore First, a Suite, a Villa, and Some Incredible Food Porn” Past installments: Prologue: The decision-making and booking process Washington Dulles – Chicago in United First Class and the Greatest Airport Hotel Ever, the Intercontinental O’Hare Alone in First Class on ANA, Chicago-Tokyo Singapore Airlines First Class, Tokyo-Singapore JetQuay Planeside Pickup in Singapore Intercontinental Singapore Ambassador Suite In and Around Singapore Tetsuya’s Restaurant Waku Ghin at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Iggy’s Restaurant in Singapore JetQuay Departure from Singapore Changi Airport Thai Airways Business Class Singapore – Bangkok – Phuket Sala Pool Villa at the Westin Siray Bay, Phuket The hotel’s (outsourced) car brought us to the Phuket airport, again about 45 minutes…
Sala Pool Villa at the Westin Siray Bay, Phuket
This is a Continuation of “Trip Report – A Private Jet Experience: Alone in First Class on ANA and Thai, Plus Singapore First, a Suite, a Villa, and Some Incredible Food Porn” Past installments: Prologue: The decision-making and booking process Washington Dulles – Chicago in United First Class and the Greatest Airport Hotel Ever, the Intercontinental O’Hare Alone in First Class on ANA, Chicago-Tokyo Singapore Airlines First Class, Tokyo-Singapore JetQuay Planeside Pickup in Singapore Intercontinental Singapore Ambassador Suite In and Around Singapore Tetsuya’s Restaurant Waku Ghin at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Iggy’s Restaurant in Singapore JetQuay Departure from Singapore Changi Airport Thai Airways Business Class Singapore – Bangkok – Phuket Having landed in Phuket, grabbed our bags and walked through customs, we exited the terminal and found the man holding the Westin sign…