Now American Airlines is offering a 25% bonus for buying miles until December 31st. The number of miles that one can buy each year is normally capped at 40K. American Airlines has temporarily lifted this to 60K miles.
So, the question then becomes, whether buying AA miles at 2.0625 cents each is a good deal or not? Overall, the AAdvantage program is one of the easiest ones to use miles at reasonable cost and without fuel surcharges, which only apply to British Airways metal flights.
Hilton just launched their latest ‘Resort Escapes’ promotion. You can get a free night certificate after five night contiguous stay at any of the more than 100 participating properties or two certificates after ten night stay. Alternatively you can complete two five night resort stays. This promotion is valid from December 1st, 2011 to April 30th, 2012. The free night certificate(s) are valid for 6 months after earning them.
This promotion is nice because you don’t have to hotel hop. The current free night certificate promotion is for a free night after every four stays or ten nights. It encourages people to switch hotels every night if they wish to maximize the number of free night certificates earned.
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is finally joining Star Alliance on 13th of December, 2011. The airline was accepted to be a member of Star already more than a year ago. The airline is based in Addis Ababa and operates to more than 60 international destinations from there. Ethiopian serves more African destinations than any other airline.
Ethiopian has already had a partnership with Lufthansa for quite some time. It is still unclear at this point, however, how much flight on various Ethiopian fare classes will earn miles on other Star Alliance carriers after the joining date. If the current Lufthansa chart gives any indication, it will be quite reasonable. Most of the fare classes will earn miles.
US Airways already mistakenly leaked the web page couple of weeks ago about this promotion that started today. At the time they took the web page down.
This time around you can buy up to 40K Dividend miles at 3.5 cents per mile, and they double the amount up to 40K miles. Essentially, you are paying 1.75 cents per mile. Last time when they offered this buy miles promotion the price of the mile bough was less than 1.5 cents per mile. This promotion is valid until the end of the month.
When I was looking for options getting few more Delta MQM’s for the year, I came across this brand new offer from Delta. They are now selling MQM’s in the chunks of 2500 for $$$’s. Overall it is good to have options for acquiring MQM’s.
Last year I made a Diamond status with Delta due to numerous cross country trips. This year, however, zero chance as I moved out of the US this past spring. My current MQM is at 48K+. SkyTeam Elite + status might come handy at times and it would require at least Delta SkyMiles Gold status which requires 50K MQM’s.
Starwood is again running MasterCard affiliated promo ‘Two Days of Happy’ 4MCFN in the Asia Pacific region. After five nights during the promotional period the SPG member will receive one promotional fee night award, or after nine nights two promotional awards. The stays must be reserved and paid using a MasterCard, and must occur between November 29th, 2011 and 15th of March 2012. These promotional awards can be redeemed from January 1st, 2012 and are valid until 10th of April 2012. The full terms and conditions of this promotions can be found at http://www.spg-asiapacific.com/2daysofhappy/en/terms.html and the frequently asked questions at http://www.spg-asiapacific.com/2daysofhappy/en/faqs.html.
There haven’t been too many bonus points offers at Hyatt this year compared to previous years when we were borderline bombarded with G and other bonuses. Now, Hyatt has launched a limited time winter bonus offer of 1500 bonus Hyatt Gold Passport points for stays at Hyatt Summerfield Suites, AVIA, and Hotel Sierra properties. The promotion runs from November 22nd, 2011 to January 8th, 2012.
Get the bonus you deserve this holiday. Whether your business travel closes out in 2011 or kicks off in 2012, get a bonus from Hyatt when you stay at more than 50 participating Hyatt Summerfield Suites, AVIA, and Hotel Sierra properties. Stay between November 22, 2011, and January 8, 2012, and receive 1,500 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points per stay. Simply request Offer Code 1500GP at time of booking.
Hilton is very active on their limited time sales. Just came across this latest one when I was searching for Hilton properties in the United Arab Emirates for later this month. This promotion is available worldwide. Apparently, the set discount for Americas is 20% and the maximum elsewhere is 33%. You need to book at least seven day in advance for stays between December 8th and January 8th. Stays of two days or longer will also receive 1000 bonus Hilton HHonors points.
What is weird about Hilton’s websites is the fact that their UK website has far clearer display of properties that participate to this promotion and their prices. The US website doesn’t have this functionality. If you are planning to book a Hilton stay during this period, it does pay to visit Hilton.co.uk and can use the following direct link. http://bit.ly/tXTFGW
The short answer is nothing at least not in the short term. Now all the so called legacy carriers have been to bankruptcy protection and some even more than once. Continental Airlines, now part of United, went through this cycle twice in the 1990’s, and all the other legacies United, US Airways, Delta, and Northwest, now part of Delta, all went through this same process in the last decade. Some have suggested that AMR made a mistake of not going through this process when all of their competitors did.
During the chapter 11 bankruptcy protection it is easier for airlines to cancel leases and renegotiate other contracts. Quite a few of the other airlines dumped their pension liabilities to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation during their restructuring.
Over the years I have used Marriott’s Look No Further best rate guarantee several times. Normally, I am quite skeptical when it comes to companies promising to match their prices if lower one is found elsewhere. I have to say that I have been very satisfied with the Marriott’s Look No Further so far.
Yesterday I was researching options for hotels in Bangkok and came across very attractive rate for Renaissance hotel, where I have stayed at few times before. The price on the Priceline was $69 compared to the price of 4700 THB (around $150) found on Marriott.com. I had never used Priceline before as a comparison site when doing the guarantee. You have to distinguish between the opaque side that none of the competitors match as it is by bidding only and the traditional one where the prices are shown without having to bid.
This offer has been discontinued by Accor. You can still get A-Club Gold status just by signing up. https://loyaltylobby.com/2011/11/25/sign-up-for-a-free-accor-a-club-gold-membership-using-promotional-code-aclubfrohmygold2011/
Here’s another offer for instant Platinum status:.
Couple of days ago I wrote about an offer from Accor that would give you an instant Accor A Club Gold status just for signing up. Apparently, they have even better offer going on right now. You can get an instant Platinum status using an offer code FFPAFS04C.
If you have an existing account all you need to do is to use the following link and just input your A Club number and an email address. You will shortly receive a welcome email welcoming you to Platinum status with Accor Hotels.
Starwood has already had for more than a year their Moments-program where SPG members can either purchase or bid for wide variety of events like concerts, golf related events, shows etc.
There are two ways to “purchase” these and you always have to pay using Starpoints. Some of the events are purely sold using auctions, and thus the price is never knows before the auction ends. It is wise to bid only at the very last minute. The others have the straight purchase price as shown in Starpoints.
Over the years I have visited the United’s Bangkok City Ticket Office (CTO) several times for various reasons. In the past, one had to sign a so called “bluey” when upgrading someone else using one of the Systemwide upgrade instruments. Also, issuing an award ticket to someone who doesn’t share the same last name with you, used to require this very same process. I have always received very good service either over the phone or during the visit. They had just received some award from United for their 25 years of service.
The United’s CTO in Bangkok is not actually United at all, but rather their General Sales Agent (GSA) called Air Transport Service. They are, however, able to issue all kind of tickets and help with Mileage Plus related issues as well. You should be able to use paper vouchers there too, although I have never tried.
It never hurts to have a Gold status with Accor just in case you happen to find a great price at one of their hotels or to be in a place where you don’t have your favorite chain represented. Accor has pretty good coverage in South America, Europe, and in part of Asia.
Last year they run a promotion for instant Platinum status. Right now they have a promotion that gives you an instant Gold status with Accor’s A Club. All you need to do is to plug in the promotional code ACLUBFROHMYGOLD2011 when you sign up.
