RewardExpert - Blog - рage 60 of 126

Not long ago I was planning a trip to visit family on the other side of the country and I wanted to pay for my flight with miles. Since my miles and points balances were low, I decided to get a new rewards credit card with a big welcome bonus.

Flying Blue is the frequent flyer program of Air France and KLM, though it’s not limited to these two airlines. The Flying Blue program has also been adopted by Air Europa, Kenya Airways, Aircalin, HOP!, Twin Jet, and TAROM. In addition, the Flying Blue elite members enjoy elite privileges of the SkyTeam Alliance.

One of the best and most glamorous airlines in the world, Emirates, isn’t a member of any alliances, but it is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards and SPG programs, and it has a number of partners that you can earn and redeem miles on.

Virgin Atlantic is not a member of any alliance, but it has 13 airline partners around the world. Also, Virgin Atlantic is the transfer partner of all four U.S.-based airline travel programs: American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Diners Club, which makes it easy to collect Flying Club miles outside of flying. If you fly Virgin Atlantic fairly often, you might consider pushing for elite status, which would certainly make it more pleasant.

Who is the Blue for Business Credit Card from American Express Good For?

Who are Barclaycard JetBlue Cards Good For?

Despite being a legacy carrier, Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t have a huge footprint in North America. Nor is it a member of an airline alliance. However, if you fly Hawaiian Airlines on a regular basis, elite status might be worthwhile. 
Additionally, Hawaiian Airlines has several airline partners including Japan Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, China Airlines, jetBlue, Virgin Australia, and Korean Air that allow you to credit miles earned on their flights to Hawaiian. All of the above makes collecting Hawaiian miles relatively easy. Unfortunately, all elite benefits are limited to flights on Hawaiian Airlines, and it doesn’t appear that there are any reciprocal elite benefits between Hawaiian Airlines and its partners.

Earning Status

Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Qualification Requirements

• Pualani Gold: 20,000 miles or 30 segments
• Pualani Platinum: 40,000 miles or 60 segments

Upgrades

• Gold and Platinum: Upgrade to Extra Comfort or Preferred Seat
• Platinum:
  • Same day upgrade on a flight to the Neighbor Islands
  • Two first class domestic and business class international one-way upgrades
  • Six one-way systemwide upgrades upon reaching 75,000 miles
  • One additional upgrade for every 10,000 miles earned after that

Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Bonus Miles

• Gold: 50% bonus miles
• Platinum: 100% bonus miles

Fee Waivers

• Gold: First two bags
• Gold and Platinum: In-flight Unlimited TV & More Pack on A330 flights

• Platinum:
  • First three bags
  • Preferred Seat on Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights to the Neighbor Islands

Airport Services

• Gold and Platinum:
  • Access to the first class check-in line and express security line
  • More seats are available for selection at time of booking
  • Discounted E-Awards at HawaiianAirlines.com
  • Priority routing and handling when calling Exclusive Reservations Line
  • Hold a fare on a flight reservation for 1-2 days
  • Priority boarding
  • Neighbor Islands same-day standby
  • Priority security lines at select airports
  • Priority baggage handling
  • Priority pre-boarding

Complimentary Lounge Access

• Gold and Platinum:
  • Premier Club Access – Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Kahului and Lihue

Notable Additional Rewards for Gold and Platinum Members

• Special invitations to events hosted by Hawaiian Airlines throughout

• $100 annual statement credit toward in-flight purchases for Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard cardholders ($10 maximum per day)

Premier Club Benefits

• Upgrades
• Hold a Fare
• Guaranteed seat
• Bonus miles
• Neighbor Islands standby
• Invitations to special events

Other Ways to Earn Status

• None

Status Match/Status Challenge

• Not official, but there are some reports of status-matching on a case-to-case basis.

Earning Elite Miles on Partner Airlines

• None

A tip of the hat is deserved toward Delta Air Lines for being the first of the major North American carriers to heavily invest in reinventing its lounge network.

After British Airways and Iberia merged, Avios became the default currency for Iberia. However, Iberia still maintains its own Iberia Plus frequent flyer program, and although there are some similarities between Executive Club and Iberia Plus, they operate separately.

United flyers have been pleasantly surprised over the past year thanks to significant investment being made in the airline’s club network and amenities. When the airline merged with Continental years ago, it acquired several more clubs into its vast network, which spans North America and many international locations including Hong Kong, London’s Heathrow, and Tokyo’s Narita.

If you’re a member of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program you can get up to 2,500 points when you refer your friends, and if you’ve been thinking of joining, its a good time to get started because you’ll get 500 Elevate Points as a sign-up bonus.

Have you wished you could earn elite status on United faster? Well, if you have it appears that United has been listening because they have upped the ante for their frequent flyer program double the PQM’s for premium seats.

Who is the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business card from American Express Good For?

American Airlines drastically changed AAdvantage in 2015, with revisions that would come up in stages. AAdvantage made a transition to a partially revenue-based earning scheme, but unlike Delta, American Airlines was introducing the changes gradually. This days, the carrier continues making updates to its loyalty program.

Travel Card Comparison: Chase Sapphire vs Barclaycard Arrival

Cathay Pacific is a member of the OneWorld Alliance and transfer partner of three U.S.-based airline travel programs: American Express Membership Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Citi ThankYou. That makes collecting Cathay Pacific miles relatively easy, so if you often fly to Asia, you may want to consider attaining elite status on Cathay Pacific.

American has a strong roster of airport clubs, which ballooned in number when it acquired the network of former US Airways Clubs. Now, all are known as Admirals Clubs, which offer a slew of benefits for those with access. This guide gives you the ins and outs of how to get in, what to enjoy inside, and some tips on the best clubs and discounts to enjoy them.

Booking flights with SPG Starpoints is easy. They have over 32 airline partners, including several international carriers. They also offer a fixed-price booking option. This allows members to book any flight on any airline with no blackout dates.

If you’re looking to earn free travel, Capital One has some of the most straightforward rewards in the industry. If you get one of their Venture cards, like the Venture or VentureOne, you’ll find the rewards are easy to use, extremely flexible and very valuable.

Who is the Gold delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express Good For?