There are many times when you’ll want to put your travel plans on pause before you book. Maybe you hope to find something better or you need to check with a companion. Whatever the reason, it can be helpful to be familiar with the award change and hold policies before you book your ticket. If you fail to book or hold your award, there’s no guarantee that it will still be available when you check back later.
Days after losing an intense bidding war to buy Californian-based Virgin America, JetBlue Airways has upped the ante in the battle for high-paying fliers from the Golden State.
Delta SkyMiles members have been jerked around a lot over the past few years. Delta was the first of the major airlines to go revenue-based creating a domino effect with other airlines and limiting the mileage-earning potential of frequent flyers.
El Al doesn’t have a lot of airline mileage partners – in fact, there are only three left since it lost the partnership with American (South African Airways, Air Mexico, and Qantas), but the appeal of El Al, and one of the major reasons why it has so many devout followers, is security.
Planning the perfect travel award can be difficult and time consuming, which makes it especially frustrating when those plans go astray.
Have you been thinking about stepping up to a premium travel rewards card? American Express, which is known for its excellent customer service and products, has two
If you travel overseas with any kind of frequency, you already know what EMV cards are. And if you don’t, you might’ve noticed the new types of terminals in stores here in the U.S. Instead of swiping your card, you’re often asked to enter it into the slot in front of the terminal.
Thai Airways is a member of the Star Alliance and transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Diners Club. If you fly Thai Airlines regularly you might consider attaining their elite status. Unfortunately, the entry-level elite Silver tier hardly offers any benefits. The first sensible elite tier is Gold. Attaining Gold status is not easy, but the benefits are good even if they don’t include earning bonus miles.
If you’re looking for a
Singapore Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, and a transfer partner of all four U.S.-based airline travel programs: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Citi ThankYou. Singapore Airlines also has partners outside of the Star Alliance: Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Virgin Australia, JetBlue and Indian airline Vistara.
In the complex world of airline award travel, there is some terminology that needs a bit of explaining. If you understand the terms it will make your travel planning much easier. So let’s talk about how it all works and decipher the jargon along the way.
Chase is tightening restrictions on credit card applications. They are limiting the number of new cards a customer can get to five within a 24-month period. So if you apply for a sixth new card in a two-year period, Chase is very likely to turn you down.
There is nothing better than spending some time in a lounge when your traveling and between flights, whether you’re looking to relax, score some food, grab a shower or even book a massage.
Doha-based Qatar Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance and transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou and Starwood Preferred Guest programs. While the Qatar elite program is not exactly cutting edge, the benefits are decent, and most importantly, being an elite Privilege Club member means you get elite benefits on other oneworld flights.
On April 4, Alaska Air Group Inc. announced it will purchase Virgin America Inc. in a $2.6 billion deal that vaults the combined company to the top carrier on America’s West Coast.
Etihad Airways, one of the most renowned airlines in the world, is a UAE carrier based in Abu Dhabi and a fierce competitor of another venerable airline – Emirates. Like Emirates, Etihad is not a part of any alliance, however, it has eight partners in the aptly named Etihad Airlines Partners program. The partnership includes seven other airlines: Alitalia, Etihad Regional, airberlin, Niki, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Jet Airlines, and you can use reciprocal Etihad elite benefits when you fly on these airlines.
Are you looking for access to one of the big rewards programs, but you aren’t sure which credit card to get? I was in the same situation recently.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program is very different from those of legacy carriers. While the major U.S. airlines started making transitions to revenue-based programs last year, Rapid Rewards has been revenue-based for years. In addition, Southwest doesn’t have business class, and unlike most airlines, it offers perks like free checked baggage and free cancellation to all, and not just elite customers. So while Rapid Rewards does have elite tiers, its perks and benefits are quite different from other programs.
Do you have an American Express business credit or charge card? If so, have you delved into everything the company’s OPEN program offers? Probably not because it’s not as sexy as earning a ton of points via a sign-up bonus. But, you can definitely earn additional Membership Rewards points through the program so let’s talk about how you can benefit from some other really valuable Amex perks.
