My heart sank yesterday when I saw that American Airlines is restricting the number of segments permitted on award travel. The new one-way limits include: Domestic USA + Canada: Three [3] segments Other destinations (including Puerto Rico + US...
Reader Question: Where to Transfer 224K AMEX Points?
Reader Sam e-mailed me for advice on what to do with 224K American Express Membership Rewards points. I have decided to cancel my American Express Platinum Card as $550 is too steep for me. The only thing I liked...
Here’s Why United’s Award Booking Rules are Just Stupid
I run Award Expert, a boutique travel consulting agency that specializes in the effective use of miles and points. Consequently, my team and I are well-acquainted with the nuances of every loyalty program worth talking about. Not surprisingly, we deal with United...
Why It Matters: 24hr Free Cancellation on AA Award Tickets
American Airlines now lets you refund your award ticket up to 24 hours after purchase, as long as travel is more than two days away. Both United and Delta allow complimentary changes and cancellations within 24 hours, so AA...
Bad News: Iberia Awards Now Bookable Online with AA Miles
Bad news or good news: it all depends on how you look at it. American Airlines now lets you book awards on oneworld partner Iberia online. That’s great news for those who never knew Iberia existed, but bad news for...
Virgin Atlantic Fuel Surcharges on Delta: Don’t Be a Fool
Last night we saw multiple reports of Delta adding massive fuel surcharges to Virgin Atlantic Upper Class redemptions. This morning the fuel surcharges are gone. Search for Virgin Atlantic award space on delta.com and you’ll see that the fuel...
Two Secret Ways to Get to Australia Using Your AA Miles
Getting to Australia using American Airlines miles is no easy task. But two relatively obscure partners increase your odds of finding a way there for a reasonable price. When searching for award space using your AA miles you must look beyond...
The Worst Aeroplan Redemption I’ve Ever Made
Rule #1 of using miles and points: be pragmatic. Sometimes a redemption appears horrible on paper but still makes great sense. I’m in Vienna, Austria for the weekend and the trip came about at the last possible moment. I was in...
Delta Closes SkyMiles Loophole
10 days ago Delta devalued its SkyMiles loyalty program further by raising the price of partner awards without notice. But it left an odd loophole that could be used to book awards at the old price. That loophole is now...
New Tricks for Booking Air Tahiti Nui Award Space with AA
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the inability of American Airlines agents to confirm award space on Air Tahiti Nui. This wasn’t just a couple bad agents, but a recurring problem experienced over dozens of calls and days....
Loophole: How to Beat Delta’s Latest Devaluation
True to form, Delta unleashed a massive Skymiles devaluation today without any notice. But you can get around it. For now, at least… Delta describes today’s change as nothing out of the ordinary– This change is part of Delta’s regular...
Be Vigilant Against This Unnecessary AA Fee
What is one AA fee that continues to be secretly inserted into many reservations? Although telephone booking fees for partner award tickets that cannot be booked online are (in theory) a thing of the past on AA, agents are...
AA Unable to Confirm Air Tahiti Nui Award Space
Just a heads up, Award Expert has been unable to confirm any award space on Air Tahiti Nui using AA miles for the last two weeks. Air Tahiti Nui is one of my favorite ways to get from the...
Introduction: Adventures on SkyTeam
I’ve flown most Star Alliance and oneworld carriers, but very few on SkyTeam. When Garuda Indonesia offered 90%-off first class award redemptions, I sensed an opportunity not only to try SkyTeam’s premier first class product, but also sample additional...
This Delta SkyMiles Redemption Makes No Sense!
Delta has a new SkyMiles promotion out with awards as little as 5,000 miles each way. In some cases these discounted awards may make sense, but make sure you always compare the $ price versus the mileage price (easily...
Alaska Airlines Blames "Travel Hacking" for Emirates Devaluation
Alaska Airlines has taken a ton of heat today for its decision to raise prices for business and first class tickets on Emirates by as much as 100%. Now it is defending itself on its blog, claiming that its...
Last Day to Burn Your AA Miles Prior to Devaluation!
Monday, March 21, 2016 is the final day to use your AA miles at prevailing rates. On March 22nd a massive devaluation kicks in for premium cabin awards in nearly every region, making your AA miles much less valuable....
This Rule is Vital for Maximizing Your AA Award
A handful of clients have contacted Award Expert this week requesting help “maximizing” AA awards prior to the devaluation on March 22, 2016. I don’t mean the couples trying to get to Bangkok on Cathay Pacific or families booking...
Two A380 First Class Flights for 40K AA Miles
AA is devaluing its award chart on March 22, 2016 but you’ve still got a week left to take advantage of the old chart. For 40K miles you can experience two of the world’s finest first class products on...
Final Hours to Book Aeroplan Awards Before Next Devaluation
With five hours left before closing time at midnight ET, this is your last chance to take advantage of the current Aeroplan redemption chart before new rates kick in tomorrow. If you’re going to Europe in the next year...