Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
#856
Country Member
Joined: May 2003
Location: Moved from Georgetown to Round Rock, Texas. 15 miles closer to civilization.
Posts: 936
Re: Airberlin business class trans-Atlantic wide open next year
Use Avios, hardly any fees, much better seat than BA. Just booked 2x BOS-DUS one way for 120K and $11.
Wide Open Business Class Europe Awards With No Fuel Surcharges for American and Even BA Members! - View from the Wing
Wide Open Business Class Europe Awards With No Fuel Surcharges for American and Even BA Members! - View from the Wing
#858
Country Member
Joined: May 2003
Location: Moved from Georgetown to Round Rock, Texas. 15 miles closer to civilization.
Posts: 936
Re: Airberlin business class trans-Atlantic wide open next year
Just booked the EK 380.
DFW-DXB-LHR in March.
#860
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Oakland County, Michigan
Posts: 846
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
Amex is offering a $15 statement credit when you spend $60 at Amazon.
Also, I received an offer to upgrade my Delta Amex gold to the platinum card the other day. The fee is $195, but it offers a companion certificate each year which gives you a round trip flight. Assuming I get my choice of flights I can see this would work out well - we take at least one Delta flight each year which costs more than that. Does anyone have this card and know whether it's relatively simple to use the companion certificates - or are there blackout periods?
Also, I received an offer to upgrade my Delta Amex gold to the platinum card the other day. The fee is $195, but it offers a companion certificate each year which gives you a round trip flight. Assuming I get my choice of flights I can see this would work out well - we take at least one Delta flight each year which costs more than that. Does anyone have this card and know whether it's relatively simple to use the companion certificates - or are there blackout periods?
#861
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 52
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
I have virgin atlantic flying club miles.... but at looking closer there really poor value for money...
I fly approx every 6 months home to the UK and back... either premium economy or upper class. (Family of 4)
Now would it be better for me to collect delta sky miles? I am trying to figure out which is the best to collect?
I fly approx every 6 months home to the UK and back... either premium economy or upper class. (Family of 4)
Now would it be better for me to collect delta sky miles? I am trying to figure out which is the best to collect?
#862
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
They are not called Sky Pesos for nothing. I put my miles from flying Delta into my Alaskan Airlines account, much easier to get award tickets through Alaska on either themselves or their partners than with Delta. If I were you I think I would keep the Virgin account.
#863
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 52
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
Then I get an email saying you have enough miles for one reward flight for one person.... I was like well thanks!!
#864
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
Location: DC Metro Area
Posts: 305
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
Saying that, I've made good use of the Chase Ultimate Rewards (and BA Avios) programs (until the recent Avios devaluation).
If you're creative, there's usually a way to maximize your reward. I.e. in March, I've booked 2 first class tickets on the BA A380 from IAD to LHR return, using the Chase companion voucher and Avios points. (Plus $2k in taxes & fees).
#865
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 52
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
This appears to be the case with most airline / hotel (insert any other) 'reward' or 'loyalty' program nowadays.
Saying that, I've made good use of the Chase Ultimate Rewards (and BA Avios) programs (until the recent Avios devaluation).
If you're creative, there's usually a way to maximize your reward. I.e. in March, I've booked 2 first class tickets on the BA A380 from IAD to LHR return, using the Chase companion voucher and Avios points. (Plus $2k in taxes & fees).
Saying that, I've made good use of the Chase Ultimate Rewards (and BA Avios) programs (until the recent Avios devaluation).
If you're creative, there's usually a way to maximize your reward. I.e. in March, I've booked 2 first class tickets on the BA A380 from IAD to LHR return, using the Chase companion voucher and Avios points. (Plus $2k in taxes & fees).
#866
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
Location: DC Metro Area
Posts: 305
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
I think the best way is just to use them as an added benefit of flying if you have to fly you may as well collect them think I will hit VA Gold member soon ..... I am going to upgrade my mother from economy to upper class if VA will allow me. I know you have to have certain tickets that are available to upgrade! (which I think is wrong)
#867
Re: Traveling cheaply and well using miles and points
Haha.. I have approx 60k points but its cost about $30k to get them!!! I was hoping to get some hotels or nights away with them but virgin don't offer much but flights or upgrades!
Then I get an email saying you have enough miles for one reward flight for one person.... I was like well thanks!!
Then I get an email saying you have enough miles for one reward flight for one person.... I was like well thanks!!
#868
Which programme to credit miles to?
When (shock, gasp) paying for flights, many people don't realize that they have a choice to make in terms of which airline programme to credit the miles to. For example, if I'm flying BA from Heathrow to New York I don't have to credit the miles to BA Executive Club - I could credit instead to AA or any one of a number of OneWorld partners. The complications are that the miles I might earn could be different depending on the programme I credit to, and miles in each programme have different values on the redemption side to.
While the following doesn't help with the latter, I just spotted an interesting article about how to decide which programme to credit to, especially with the help of a website called wheretocredit.com.
Here's the whole article.
I haven't managed to look at it in depth myself but thought I'd share anyway.
While the following doesn't help with the latter, I just spotted an interesting article about how to decide which programme to credit to, especially with the help of a website called wheretocredit.com.
Here's the whole article.
I haven't managed to look at it in depth myself but thought I'd share anyway.
#870
Finding hotel availability using points
Review of a site called Hotel Hustle, that is apparently good at finding rooms using points across a variety of chains. Not yet tried it myself.