Yesterday I highlighted the ability to book EVA awards on united.com and urged you to act fast before others booked all the space. If you searched last night or this morning for EVA space, you would have noticed there...
The Secret to Obtaining SWISS First Class Award Space
Booking first class award space on Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has become much, much more difficult over the last 18 months. SWISS was once fairly generous–you could book months in advance and award space was generally decent: with...
United Airlines Undermines Star Alliance
United Airlines’ decision to count spending on partner flights only on tickets issued by United for purposes of earning elite status marks a fundamental blow to the concept of airline alliances, undermining its Star Alliance partners and begging the question, will...
Minimum Spend Requirements for Elite Status Coming to United in 2014
United Airlines has announced minimum spend requirements in order to achieve elite status starting in the 2014 program year. Similar to Delta, there will be a waiver from this requirement for those who place at least $25,000 on a MileagePlus...
New Thai Airways Flight – Los Angeles to Osaka
Thai Airways no longer flies to Bangkok non-stop from Los Angeles, its only U.S. destination, but does provide service via Seoul and starting next year, via Osaka as well. With the new flights just loaded into the schedule, Thai...
More Starnet Blocking by US Airways
Every savvy points aficionado has a love-hate relationship with US Airways Dividend Miles. After all, with essentially no routing rules, a very attractive award chart, and an abundance of cheap miles made available through perpetual 100% bonus offers, you...
Avianca, TACA and Copa Join Star Alliance
Star Alliance has grown again today, with the addition of Avianca/TACA and Copa to the alliance. With TAM’s future in the alliance in question, Star has ensured that it maintains a vital presence in the growing Central and South...
Free Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Status Match – Star Alliance Gold Status
Continuing in my status match series, I want to highlight today the under-publicized status match offer currently on the table from Turkish Airlines. Like the SAS status match offer, Turkish is open to matching your elite status on any...
Free SAS EuroBonus Status Match – Star Alliance Gold Status
Targeted to residents of Hong Kong and mainland China, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is offering a hassle-free status match to EuroBonus silver or gold status through June 30, 2012. The matched status will be good through April 2013. Simply join...
Final Week to Burn bmi Diamond Club Miles for Star Alliance Awards
As we enter the final week to redeem bmi Diamond Club miles for Star Alliance Awards, I want to review how you can effectively use your miles and share some of my recent redemption success stories. First off, you...
Top up your bmi Diamond Club Miles with a 20% bonus
With just under two weeks left to redeem Diamond Club miles for Star Alliance flights, bmi has sweetened the incentive to burn your points now with a 20% bonus on purchased miles. If you are just short of another...
Last Day to Burn bmi Diamond Club Miles on Lufthansa Group Flights
It’s 6:00a here in Philadelphia and I still haven’t gone to bed yet–I’ve spent the last three hours on the phone with British Midland International’s Diamond Club award redemption center. My goal: burn my remaining miles in a cost-effective...
Best Strategies for Burning Your bmi Diamond Club Miles
With bmi poised to leave Star Alliance next week, those sitting on a mountain of Diamond Club miles would be wise to burn as many possible before 18 April. Even if British Airways transfers Diamond Club miles into Executive...
Asiana: bmi Leaving Star Alliance on 18 April 2012
Asiana posted the following note to their Asiana Club website yesterday concerning bmi (British Midland International): For those who cannot read Korean (ahem), a friend translated this for me. Per Asiana, bmi will be leaving Star Alliance on...
Double Check Your United Award Itineraries Now…for Missing Segments!
I received an e-mail this evening from a client whom I had assisted with an award reservation to South Africa on Swiss (San Francisco- Zurich-Johannesburg) using United miles. Tickets had been issued last October and were in economy class....
Spanair Ceases Operations
Barcelona-based Spanair, a Star Alliance Member, has ceased operations effective 27 January 2011. The struggling carrier has fought to stay afloat recently, but after a recent round of talks with Qatar Airways failed to produce an investment agreement, the...
Continental Airlines Dissolves Partnership with Virgin Atlantic
Via Friendly Skies, Continental Airlines announced today that their partnership with Virgin Atlantic will abruptly end on 13 February. While the news was not unexpected, it also was not expected to happen so soon. Effective February 13, 2012 we...
Looking Back on a Remarkable Year in Frankfurt
There are good years and then there are good years. This has been a good year. I said my goodbyes yesterday and have left Germany, another chapter in my life now complete. For those who did not know, I...
Trading a Free Hotel Room for Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul Lounge
While not a widely published benefit, Turkish Airlines offers extended transit passengers in Istanbul the choice of a free hotel room or free tour of Istanbul during their wait. In order to take advantage of this, you must be...
Mark Schwab New Star Alliance CEO
Hot off the press, Star Alliance has named a replacement for departing CEO Jaan Albrecht. Mark Schwab, former Senior Vice President of Alliances at United Airlines, will continue his close work with Star Alliance, now as the head of...
