Educational Posts on Loyalty Programs

American Airlines will be changing the award chart for its AAdvantage frequent flyer program on March 22. Many award levels will be going up — some by over 60% — and this could make it more difficult to book your dream vacation. If you’ve been stockpiling miles in your account, consider redeeming them for an award now before those miles lose value next month.

It looks like U.S. Bank is no longer taking applications or has at least temporarily suspended taking them for the Avianca LifeMiles Visa credit card, a lucrative credit card. This could mean that the issuer and Avianca are ending their partnership. If so, a new provider has not yet been announced.

Mileage Plan elite members can check a certain amount of luggage for free on Alaska Airlines flights. The rest of us may need to cough up some cash. Here’s a look at how much checked bags cost on Alaska Airlines and ways to skirt the fee whenever possible.

Frontier Airlines has some ambitious expansion plans for 2016.

Starting this spring, the discount carrier will add a plethora of new routes to cities where it sees unrivaled potential to undercut the industry’s biggest players.

Delta Airlines is not immune to the dreaded checked bag fee. If you aren’t careful, you could pay a ton when checking bags on your next Delta flight. Here are a few methods to help you avoid those extra fees.

Cathay Pacific, like most Asian carriers, is known for its good service. A reverse herringbone business-class and spacious first-class suites provide some of the best award redemption opportunities for those crossing the Pacific Ocean. Cathay even operates a “fifth freedom” route between Vancouver and New York-JFK.

Using Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a flight is easy. Chase works directly with six frequent flyer programs including United, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic. However, you can also use your Ultimate Rewards like money which allows you to book a flight on almost any airline with no blackout dates. And if you have a Sapphire or Ink card, you can get a 20% bonus to boot.

Frequent flyer programs used to award miles to members based on the distance they’ve flown, but most programs have now moved to a revenue-based model. That means the number of miles you’ll earn on a flight is determined by the cost of the ticket, but elite status can multiply that. The details of how that works depends on the airline. Let’s take a look at United’s policy.

With a few exceptions which we’ll deal with later, United flights booked through the airline’s website will earn award miles based on the price of the ticket and your elite status.  If you’re not sure where to go, read our article on how to find the best places to use the MileagePlus miles you have or plan to earn.

It’s simple to book a flight with American Express Membership Rewards points. There are about 100 different airlines to choose from. You also earn frequent flyer miles with the ticket purchase and there are no seat restrictions or blackout dates.

Paying extra to check your bag on any airline stinks, but it’s the new normal these days. However, savvy travelers like you can get around these fees. We’ll show you the ways in which you can avoid baggage fees on American Airlines flights.

For the third consecutive year, Qantas has been named the world’s safest airline. On January 5, 2016, safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com announced its top 20 safest airlines using a star rating system. Some 407 airlines were reviewed, with 148 receiving the top seven-star rating. Almost 50 earned a paltry three stars or less.

MileagePlus elite members score free baggage allowance on United Airlines flights, but that’s not the only way to avoid these onerous checked bag fees. Let’s take a look at the ways you can save money by getting your bag checked for free on your next United flight.

Comfort and space is a premium perk on airplanes–every little bit helps–and some travelers are willing to pay for it. Something Delta knows all too well having rolled out Delta Comfort+ earlier this year, giving passengers more legroom and some upgrades in terms of extras and service, including Sky Priority boarding.

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) points  are easy to transfer for flights. As an added incentive they offer 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 you transfer. They have 32 airline partners including several international carriers.

If you are planning on a taking a trip in 2016, plan on booking it now or soon. If you haven’t yet started planning a trip to take this year, start now. Why? Because a plethora of airlines are offering flights at rock bottom rates.

We discussed how to use Aeroplan‘s stopover rules to visit more places in South America. Aeroplan (Air Canada’s program) allows two stopovers or one stopover and one open jaw on a roundtrip award ticket.

Qatar Airways is well known for their luxury amenities, and has been called by some a four-star carrier, especially those who have passed through the Al Mourjan Business Lounge lounge in Doha, their hub, which features multiple restaurants and a rather amazing design.

Elite Skyteam members looking to unwind at Hong Kong International Airport can now head on over to the new SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge, where they can eat, drink and be merry, whether they are on a short layover or an all-nighter.

Expedia has developed some new tools designed to shed light on hidden fees. The new technology also lets Expedia quickly relay peoples frequent flyer account information directly to the airline before the sale is complete.

Citi ThankYou points are easy to redeem for flights. The program has 12 airline transfer partners to choose from.