RewardExpert - Blog - рage 26 of 123

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Admirals Club access for Citi Prestige

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.

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?

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.

In the world of general travel rewards credit cards, there are three competing programs that dominate the market:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou

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.

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.

Citi ThankYou Rewards are not as well known as Ultimate Rewards (Chase) or Membership Rewards (American Express), but the program has been growing in recent years, significantly increasing its appeal. Many readers may also find themselves newly flush with ThankYou points after applying for a credit card such as the Citi Prestige, which offers benefits like airport lounge access, a $200 annual airline credit, and the fourth night free at participating hotels.

An airport lounge is a great environment to enjoy while you’re waiting for your boarding announcement. At the very least, you get a comfortable and quiet seating area with free coffee, soft drinks, snacks and WiFi. Some lounges also have showers and quiet areas. High-end lounges can be quite luxurious and offer striking design, gourmet food, top-shelf alcohol and even day beds that can be a rather attractive feature for a weary traveler during a long transit.

Based in Germany, air berlin is expanding their existing services to North America. Most recently, they launched flights to San Francisco, CA (SFO) and Boston, MA (BOS) and increased frequencies to other destinations. It’s yet another way for you to cross the Atlantic Ocean and redeem your miles.

Keep those miles and points balances full with these latest and greatest mileage promotions and travel news.

Not long ago, I was planning a trip to visit some friends in Colorado. I had some extra Delta miles, so I checked out the availability for a long weekend in October. Round-trip tickets cost 10,000 miles or $275 in cash.

The British Airways loyalty program, Executive Club, offers some unique value propositions. Partnerships with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines in the United States, as well as the rest of the oneworld alliance, provide ample opportunity to put it to good use. The airline also has a U.S. credit card, and you can transfer additional points from Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership rewards. Thus, flying on British Airways isn’t necessary to earn or redeem Avios points.

If you’re looking for a credit card that’s part of a major rewards program that gives you the flexibility to transfer points to several different airlines, you should consider the Chase Ink Plus Business and American Express EveryDay Preferred cards.

The Delta SkyTeam network covers every corner of the world, at least those where you might want to go. While Delta has a very good business class product called Delta One, there can be very compelling reasons to use SkyMiles on Delta’s partner airlines instead due to availability or scheduling convenience.