Marriott and SPG Deal Closes, Hilton Stays Earn Delta Elite Status and BA Rolls Out Red Carpet

Bet you didn’t know that you could boost your Medallion Qualification Miles with Delta by staying at a Hilton? Well, you can through a limited time promotion. We have that and lots of other good news in this week’s roundup.

Earn Delta MQMs by staying at Hilton

Delta and Hilton are partnering together for a unique promotion that allows SkyMiles members to earn MQMs for staying at any Hilton hotel. Typically, the only way to earn MQMs is by flying or spending at least $25,000 on a Delta-branded American Express card. This promotion will last for three months between Oct. 3 and Dec. 31, which will help flyers top off their elite balance by earning 250 MQMs after the second night of any stay. Be sure to have Delta as the airline partner you prefer to accrue miles with before you check in. Hilton lets you earn HHonors points and airline miles with each stay, and during this promotion, members can earn double SkyMiles in addition to MQMs.

British Airways to open new VIP entrance at Heathrow

By next spring, first class and oneworld Emerald flyers departing Heathrow’s Terminal Five can use a special airport entrance dubbed First Wing. The special entrance will have priority check-in and security lanes that are sure to be much shorter than the lengthy queues elsewhere (although probably just as unfriendly). The security lines will lead directly to the Galleries First and Concorde Room lounges. This is great news for top oneworld elites from all members airlines.

Delta opens new Sky Club in Atlanta

Concourse B at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is one of its busiest, and frequent flyers know that its two Sky Clubs can get very crowded during peak periods. Luckily, Delta has opened a new lounge that is bigger, brighter, and more modern. It is the second largest club in the airline’s network and located in Concourse B.

Pick up 1,000 miles for sharing your email

Fairmont President’s Club loyalty program is offering 1,000 Aeroplan (Air Canada) miles for signing up. Once you join, you can use wireless Internet in any Fairmont hotel free of charge. Sure, 1,000 miles won’t get you to Tahiti (although you can always top it up by transferring Membership Rewards points from American Express), but why say no to free miles. Plus, Aeroplan offers some great deals when it comes to Star Alliance redemptions, but beware because some airlines charge fuel surcharges. Be sure to sign up by Nov. 15.

Aeroplan bonus for Hertz rental cars

Between now and the end of the year, you can earn as many as 4,000 miles for a three-day car rental from Hertz. If you only need a car for one day, you can still bring in 1,000 miles. Depending upon where you are renting a car, this could be a great way to maximize your mileage earning on the cheap.

Earn bonus IHG points by staying at a vacation property

Make a hotel reservation for three nights or more at any IHG Vacations property and earn 10,000 IHG points. The ongoing promotion is available at many of the brand’s resort hotels, but reservations must be made using the dedicated link.

Birthday points from IHG

What better way to celebrate your big day than with bonus points. Each year, IHG will award you 1,000 points on your birthday, but you have to be sure that your account is updated to include that special annual holiday of yours. This is a great way to grow your account for doing nothing but just staying alive. Log into your profile to assure your account is updated.

Virgin Australia adds new U.S. route

Looking to redeem your SkyMiles to get to Australia? It is often really tough to find award space on Delta’s own flights, but partner Virgin Australia provides more availability when it comes to redeeming miles. And now there is a new route from Los Angeles to Melbourne, which is set to begin April 4. Reservations are loaded for those planning their travel.

Transfer Hyatt points to American miles

If you’re stuck with Hyatt Gold Passport points and no intention to use them anytime soon, why not transfer them to American miles between now and Oct. 14 and rake in a 25% bonus. The minimum amount that you can transfer is 5,000 points, but this is worth a shot if you don’t typically earn with Hyatt.

Marriott and Starwood merger finally approved

Those of you that value hotel points and SPG transfer options have been watching with bated breath what will happen to the merger between Marriott and Starwood. It has taken a bit longer than expected, but the deal finally closed thanks to approval from Chinese authorities that were the last hurdle to overcome. Here’s what we know so far on the merger’s impact on their loyalty programs, which are not expected to be combined for another two years. Members can link their accounts and transfer at a ratio of three Marriott points for one SPG point. Points can also be used at properties in either chain through their independent rewards programs. Let’s hope that the 20,000 Starpoints to 25,000 airline miles is something that stays intact. More details to come.

Avianca is the latest SPG partner

Speaking of the best deal in travel, Avianca Life Miles is the newest transfer partner for Starwood. This means that you can turn Starwood points (and Marriott points now that the merger has been approved) into Avianca miles. Avianca’s program, while difficult to use logistically, offers some great deals when it comes to Star Alliance redemptions, especially in first class.