Educational Posts on Loyalty Programs

If you’re like most of us these days, you probably enjoy saving money on travel. After all, discount booking and rate comparison websites abound to help us do exactly that. But what if you could make the world a little better while scoring an exclusive deal? You actually can—if you use Kind Traveler.

RewardExpert recently spoke with Jessica Blotter (CEO) and Sean Krejci (COO)—Kind Traveler’s co-founders—about the inspiration behind the give-and-get hotel booking platform and how you can use it to save money on your next vacation.

Marriott is now giving its Platinum Premier members free United Premier Gold status. Find out how to get it (and corresponding Star Alliance Gold status), plus which routes are now eligible for free economy class meals when flying domestically on American and Delta in this week’s roundup.

According to industry powerhouse The Knot, the average U.S. wedding costs $35,329—including $16,107 for the venue, $2,783 for a photographer, $1,245 for a deejay, $582 for a cake and $278 for an officiant. That’s an astounding outlay for a one-day celebration, and it is amazing that any of today’s couples have money left over for their honeymoons at all.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an amazing airplane and it keeps getting better with each new release.  The latest iteration from Boeing is the 787-10. This version will hold more passengers due to its length. It can hold 330 passengers as opposed to the 787-9 which carries 290 and the 787-8 which holds 242. Note that seat configurations will vary by airline.

Have you ever shown up in a foreign destination and not known what to do? Doing research ahead of time can certainly help, though you might end up sorting through a sea of endless sponsored ads and hackneyed tourist traps.

Domestic airlines have long lagged behind their international competitors when it comes to providing a luxurious and comfortable premium cabin experience on long haul routes. American currently has the best offering of the three legacy carriers with the bulk of its international long haul fleet featuring private reverse herringbone seating in a 1x2x1 configuration.

You have your plane tickets, your luggage and you’re  ready for takeoff. The only issue is, who will get you once you arrive at your destination?

That’s where companies like Blacklane come into play. The professional driver service company covers the first and last miles of your journey, which are usually rides to and from the airport.

Qatar Airways has been hinting for a while that they would be revealing a brand-new business class product. They were promising that new product would be revolutionary, and for once the reality lived up to the hype. The new seat is called the QSuite and will be accompanied by enhancements to the soft product as well.

For the millennial generation, cultural immersion is an important part of any travel experience. According to one survey of individuals between the ages of 18 and 30, 86 percent said the desire to experience a new culture was their strongest travel motivator. If it’s also yours—and you want to eat local foods, experience local activities and get to know someone who actually lives there while on your next vacation—you should consider Homestay.com.

Qatar Airways is planning to introduce a new business class seat with doors that close and fully flat beds. The Q Suites will begin flying this summer. Learn which flights will have them plus more of the latest in miles and points news.

There are lots of services these days all designed to help plan that next trip, from accommodations to transportation and sightseeing.  Yet, what are your options when it comes to finding a travel buddy? Well there’s Stitch for folks over 50 looking for people to explore the world with.

Ever since Chase released the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Amex has been playing catch up in the premium card market. Amex’s first response was far less than hoped for – they added 5X earning on airfare to the personal card and the ability to receive a 50% points rebate for premium cabin booking to the business card.

Planning a trip can be a real hassle, starting with choosing which airline would provide the most bang for its buck.

Luckily, things are arguably easier than ever before thanks to companies like FareCompare, which doesn’t sell plane tickets but does allow travelers to compare ticket costs.

Earning a Southwest Companion Pass will get more difficult at the end of March 2017, but luckily you still have a chance to earn it one of the easiest ways possible. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’ve ever applied for or renewed a passport, you’re probably well aware that the process is neither simple nor fast. According to the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, routine processing times for passport services are currently six weeks from the time of application—and that’s only if you completed everything correctly the first time around. If you need to obtain a tourist or business visa for your destination, the process will take even longer.

If you’ve worked hard and earned elite status at one airline, you may be able to use that as leverage to quickly earn status with another carrier. Find out what status match and challenge offers are available from regional and low-cost carriers and how to take full advantage of them.

According to AAA, 35 percent of Americans will travel as a family in 2017. While these excursions can be a great way to unplug, relax, reconnect and make memories, they can also be stressful—especially when children are involved.

From diverse preferences regarding destinations, accommodations and activities, to backseat disputes over who gets a window and who is touching who, planning a family getaway that makes everyone happy can feel downright impossible.

Among the major U.S. airlines, Delta has long had the best economy class product. In fact, their major competitors, United and American, really aren’t close at this point.

However, in the premium cabin market, things aren’t as clear cut, and competition has been heating up lately. One key item to note up front is that while the name Delta One sounds like a name for a first-class product, Delta One is actually a business class product. This applies to both the transcontinental and international versions. Therefore, when making comparisons to other premium cabin products, business class is the proper benchmark.

Planning the wedding of your dreams isn’t complete without the perfect honeymoon. So, what will it be? Will you wine and dine your nights away in Paris? Or just lounge on the beach in Bali?

When looking for hotels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options. With each site claiming to have the lowest price, how does one know they’re actually getting the best deal? Even if you’re a veteran trip planner, you could still be missing out and not even know it.