Use Cash to Upgrade to First Class on Asiana—Once or All Year
It's only offered from NY and LAX, and only with higher Business Class fares. One-time upgrade costs KRW 700,000 (about $591), unlimited upgrades for the year at KRW 1,300,000 (about $1,097). Details here
Save up to $400 on British Airways—Thanks to AARP
Good news about an ongoing nice deal for economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class: It has been extended through January 31, 2017. And you don't need to be a senior to join AARP. Go here for AARP information and here for more on the benefits of AARP with BA.
Act Quickly for a Better Deal on Iberia
A promo deal ending December 15 gives a hefty exchange rate for transferring Amex points—300 Avios for 250 Amex points instead of the usual 200 for 250. Best for people who book international short-flight mileage travel and for domestic short-flight award travel on American.
What about Alaska's New Premium Economy "Lite"?
It's not a seat we recommend, just some extra legroom in the main cabin and early boarding. If you want to brush up on Premium Economy, check out our report here. Go here for more details on Alaska.
Do You Really Want to Hear More About Delta?
Not only has Delta devalued its miles again this year, it did it again abruptly, and there's no chart to compare past and present. U.S. to South Asia (India, for example) in Business Class is now 97,500 miles one-way instead of 70,000. Compete—Delta?—are you kidding?
American's First Class Upgrades Are Here
As we wrote in November, changes in booking codes give you good deals for fewer miles. On British Airways that means 40% fewer miles needed on short-haul domestic flights; and to Hawaii using Japan Airline miles, it means 25% fewer miles. Here's our report—New Way to Get Domestic First Class Upgrades for Just 5,000 Miles Coming Soon—which just became a reality.
Next Year Delta Launches Boston-San Francisco With Flat-Beds in First Class
First flight is planned for next June 8. Fares currently start at $921 round-trip (just $500 more than most economy fares on this route) for 12+ hours round-trip—or just $41 dollars per-hour to upgrade.
JetBlue's Next Mint Route
It’s New York–San Diego Business Class with a flat-bed seat. Launch is set for August 15, 2017. Introductory fares start at $499 one-way. Learn more.
Say Hello to Emirates' New Generation Boeing 777-300ER
It features Business Class seats that recline to 180 degrees, are 78 inches in length, have an in-seat minibar, and a 23-inch screen for in-flight entertainment. More.
Is Alitalia's 40% Transfer Bonus Worth It?
It sure is if you fly Alitalia—not partner airlines. Here's how to make the most of the bonus program: From now through December 31, you can get a 40% bonus when transfering points from Amex Rewards to Alitalia. Alitalia only charges 80,000 miles round-trip from the U.S. to Italy, which would only require 58,000 Amex Reward points. (United charges 60,000 miles for economy—2,000 miles less for Business Class than for economy (think free upgrade). For more details on the transfer promo go here. (Note, you need to have at least 25% of miles needed in your Alitalia account, which must have been earned by flying Alitalia or a partner airline.)
Get Up to 50% Off Starpoints
Starwood is one of our favorite credit cards because it offers transfers to so many airlines (40+). Now through December 31, you can buy or give Starpoints at 25% to 50% off the regular price. Log in here to see the discount level available to you. If it's 50% and you buy 30,000 points (the maximum), the per-point cost is as low as 1.75 cents, if it’s 25%, then the per-point cost is 2.6 cents. (The normal cost is 3.5 cents.)