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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.

Who Is the CitiBusiness^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® Mastercard^® Good For?

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.

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.

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® Card, 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.