United Just Changed a Fundamental Rule for Booking Award Travel
One of the most valuable features of many airline  loyalty programs is the ability to book a stopover during your itinerary. How does a stopover differ from a regular connection? Usually you must arrive and depart within 24 hours during international connections (or within 4 hours during domestic connections).
Should I Pay for a High Annual Fee Card: Amex Platinum vs. Citi Prestige
There are so many excellent credit cards with no annual fee that even a moderately-priced annual-fee card can raise brows. So when it comes to ultra-premium cards that cost hundreds of dollars, most people just roll their eyes and walk away. This is often the right thing to do for many people, but if you are a frequent traveler, you might at least want to look into these offers. It might be that these expensive credit cards can actually save you some serious money.
Best U.S. Programs for Business and First Class Travel to Africa
Choosing the best airline program to fly in business or first to Africa isn’t easy. Awards are expensive, there are not as many options as there are to Europe or Asia, and some business class cabins are simply better than others. Having said that, no matter how much you’ve dreamed of visiting Africa, your plans probably don’t include arriving exhausted after a very long journey in a cramped economy seat. Let’s see how much style and comfort our miles can afford to travel to the cradle of humankind.
10 Ways to Redeem Miles on Alaska Airlines for Maximum Value
Everyone talks about the amazing trips you can take by redeeming frequent flyer miles, but just how much value do they really provide? This article takes a closer look at ten great ways to redeem miles through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. What, you’ve never flown on Alaska? It doesn’t matter. They have almost a dozen international partners, including American Airlines and Delta Airlines, which makes it easier than you’d expect to earn and redeem miles.
CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard Review
Who Is the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard Good For?
You may have overlooked the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard in favor of the personal AAdvantage Platinum Select. While similar, there are some notable differences between these cards. If you’re a small business owner or independent contractor, you should consider getting this card instead.Best U.S. Programs for Business and First Class Travel to Europe
Economy class awards cost less and are relatively easy to secure unless you’re trying to get to places at the same time everyone else wants to go. On the other hand, awards in business and first are harder to find and are considerably more expensive. Whether you are mostly interested in premium class travel, or if you are working on enhancing one particular trip, you need to think about your goal beforehand, and applying for the right credit card or cards can help you achieve it.
The Secret to Earning Star Alliance Elite Status
If you are a business frequent flyer traversing the globe all the time, you will, at some point or another, begin appreciating little perks along the way. An upgraded seat here, access to a lounge there, speeding up through security lines and other perks can make the life of a frequent flyer much more tolerable.
Unfortunately, achieving elite status with any major U.S. airline has become a daunting task lately due to reduced benefits and introduction of the revenue component into airlines elite schemes.
New Routes and Back-to-School Bonuses
This week has been full of travel news for points and miles collectors. These are some of the latest tidbits to get you up to speed.
American Express Application Rules: Will You Get a Sign-Up Bonus?
American Express is one of the most restrictive card issuers in terms of application rules. Not only does Amex limit how many cards you can have and how often you can apply, but it also has restrictions on who qualifies for sign-up bonuses. Let’s take a closer look at these rules and see if you’ll get a bonus with your next card.
Everything You Need to Know about United Polaris Business Class
Some airlines are moving away from offering first class and instead are significantly upgrading their business class experience. Improvements in technology have made business class better than ever, and the expense is more palatable to corporate bean counters. United Airlines is moving in this direction with the recent announcement of United Polaris, a new business class product coming this December to most of its international routes.
How and When to Downgrade Your Amex, Chase or Citi Credit Card
You may have been using a particular credit card for a while, but the time may come when you’re not happy with it anymore. There are potentially many very compelling reasons to get rid of a card, including a reduction of benefits and changes in your own lifestyle and travel habits. Sometimes you simply want to get one that is a better fit for your travel goals. You can check RewardExpert to see if a different card might help you achieve your travel dreams sooner.
Best Credit Cards for Collecting Virgin Atlantic Miles
Virgin Airlines Flying Club is a program that offers excellent values when you know how to use it right. Not only does it have an extensive airline network between the U.S. and Great Britain, but also a handful of partner airlines that you can fly on to any part of the world: Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Delta, Hawaiian, Jet, Malaysia, Singapore, South African, Virgin America and Virgin Australia.
FF News: Bye Citi Prestige Lounges, Hello PreCheck and AA Changes
Admirals Club access for Citi Prestige
If you hold the Citi Prestige card, you’re about to lose an important benefit. Starting July 23, 2017, American Airlines Admirals Club access will no longer be a feature of the card. Of course, there is still Priority Pass membership as a benefit, which provides access to hundreds of lounges, but there are not as many in the U.S. For the $450 annual fee, this is a big loss for domestic travelers that fly American frequently.Best Use of Citi ThankYou Points for Flights to Europe
There are two ways to use your Citi ThankYou points to fly to Europe: booking your ticket with the Citi Travel Center and transferring ThankYou points to one of the Citi partner airline programs. If you want to maximize the value of your hard-earned Citi ThankYou points, the approach your take might depend on several factors.
How to Transfer Miles and Points to Family and Friends
Have you ever wanted to transfer points or miles to another person? Maybe a family or friend needs a few extra miles to get an award ticket. Or perhaps you want to send points to a relative so they can buy a ticket to visit you. What are the restrictions on transferring points to other people, and how strictly are they enforced?
How to Choose a Credit Card With No Foreign Transaction Fee
If you often travel abroad, or if you’re planning a big trip to a foreign country, you’ll need a no foreign transaction fee credit card. Don’t worry; there are a lot of options, including some of the best rewards cards available.
Guide to Getting and Using Citi ThankYou Points
In the world of general travel rewards credit cards, there are three competing programs that dominate the market:
How to Use Miles to Get to Australia from the U.S.
When you earn miles you should always try to maximize them by flying the farthest you can using the awards available by your airline. One country that provides great value since its is about 14 hours away flying time from the U.S. west coast is Australia.
How to Get to Cuba With Miles
Until the U.S. began to normalize relations with Cuba last year, it was difficult to get to the island. You could buy an expensive ticket to travel with a group or fly through another country. It was even harder to use miles to fly there. The best option was to fly to Mexico, the Caribbean or South America on miles and then buy a cash ticket to Cuba.
