December 13, 2022 | View Online | Sign Up
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On a whim this week, I rechecked award flights to Prague, just in case there was a direct route from Doha instead of my London layover. Lo and behold, a direct flight for only 3,000 points more appeared. On Monday, hundreds of flights were canceled in the UK due to sudden snowy weather, including the one we were supposed to be on.
After countless tithes in the form of $15 departure lounge beers, it was about time the travel gods cut me some slack.
In today’s edition:
How a coffee can fly you to Milan
Finding cheap award space with American Airlines
Are lounges still worth it?
British Airways helps you save some cash
Amen,
Steven
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| AIRLINE CARDS
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Image: Barclays
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Buy a coffee, fly to Italy - AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
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Cheap travel doesn’t come easier than this. The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after spending…well, any amount on the card within the first three months.
That’s not a typo. All that you need to do to earn those bonus points is pay the $99 annual fee and then use the card just once. That could be as little as a coffee or a pack of gum. If it were me, I’d be buying a beer or two instead to celebrate an easy points haul.
What can 60,000 AAdvantage Points get you?
To explain how generous a deal that is, here’s what 60,000 AAdvantage Points can get you:
A round-trip from JFK to Milan (with 15,000 points left to spare)
Two domestic roundtrips
A one-way trip from NY to Bangkok
Business class to Europe One-way
That’s a pretty astounding deal. On top of the bonus points, you’ll also grab preferred boarding and a free bag for everyone on your booking, up to four people. The earning potential on the card isn’t great, but when you’re clocking free flights for a cup of coffee, who really cares? You can always close it out afterward.
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| WEEKLY SWEET SPOT
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American Airlines’ Web Special Awards
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Since I just teed you up for a stash of AAdvantage miles, it’d make sense to show you the best way to stretch them – American's Web Special Awards.
These deals are dotted across American Airlines’ web portals, but they’re not easy to find. Simply put, they’re reduced-rate award flights that can save you thousands of points…if you’re willing to put in the work.
The caveat is that there is no easy way to find these saver rates. You have to be patient and sift through the award calendar for the route you’d like, taking note of any that show a cost below the typical award chart rate. It won’t even say it’s a Web Special flight until you select it, so dig deep.
Flexibility is vital, so give yourself a few destinations and a large timeframe to research, and you might just stumble on a fantastic deal. The rates apply to all kinds of tickets, so it could be a great option to try a business class flight to Europe for 70,000 points or a 45,000 pointer for the same class to South America. There are some outstanding deals hidden amongst the noise.
Happy hunting.
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| POINTS NEWS
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British Airways introduces lower surcharge payment option
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This is huge news for me personally, and can be for you too. British Airways is notorious for its high fees and surcharges, especially when flying into the UK. It’s not uncommon for the charges to skyrocket into the thousands if you fly business.
But BA has announced an amazing new workaround – Reward Flight Saver rates. Using this payment option, customers can choose to pay more miles at a fixed fee rate, far lower than the fluctuating typical ones. This does mean you’ll lose a significant amount of points compared to the other option, but you’ll keep more cash in your pocket.
I’m delighted at the news, as my specific goals are flying cheap and regularly as opposed to luxury tickets and the like, but it’s important for you to assess which is best for you. It’s still possible to choose the traditional method and hold onto more points for a later date.
The bottom line:
If you can work your way through credit card bonuses as I do, it’s great news. If you’re a frugal points user, it’s best to look at other ways to circumvent the fees, like using Cathay Pacific or Iberia to help lessen the costs.
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| REAL-TIME TRAVEL CARE
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Protect your next trip with Faye
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The travel insurance that proactively covers your health, your stuff, your flights and all your plans (all managed on an app).
Planning a trip takes enough work, so why worry once you're actually on it?
Get whole-trip travel insurance from Faye and leave potential mishaps to them. Kick back and rest assured you’re covered when the you-know-what hits the fan and have fast and friendly support 24/7, available via the easy-to-use app.
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| CREDIT CARD OF THE WEEK
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Image: Citi
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Citi Premier® Card
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The Citi Premier Card is still one of the best starter cards out there, combining a stellar intro points bonus and some strong spending categories into a fair $95-a-year package.
To grab the (limited time) bonus of 80,000 points, you’ll need to spend $4000 in the first three months of opening the card. The bonus alone is worth almost $1400 when transferred to a travel partner, and with 3 X points per dollar on restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, hotels, and airfare, there’s ample opportunity to build on your points balance.
Pros
Strong 80,000-point intro worth up to $1400
Excellent earning opportunity in high spend categories
$100 off on a stay of $500 or more
Points are highly transferable with 16 travel partners
World Elite Mastercard protections
Cons
No premium perks
$95 annual fee
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| STEVEN'S TIPS
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Is lounge access still worth it?
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Once upon a time, lounges were an elite perk reserved for the hardened traveler or all-out big spenders. It wasn’t easy to get access unless you’d done the miles or spent enough. Today, almost anyone can access a lounge or two by opening a card or paying an entry fee.
But are they worth it? As with many of my tips, it depends.
If you dropped $400 on a premium card solely for lounge access and travel only once a year, it’s a resounding no. You could have paid $35 for day access (or gotten Priority Pass outright) and been done with it.
But if you travel with your family three or four times a year, it could be a massive yes.
Think about it: A family of four grabbing lunch before the flight could tally up to $100 – if not more. The Capital One Venture X gifts Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounge access with two free guests per trip. Plus, it’s free to add an authorized user that can also enjoy these perks.
Now, your whole family is in the lounge munching away instead of getting price gouged at a crowded Chili's To Go. And when you consider the annual $300 travel credit, you’re only $100 in the hole before you even get there. Simple.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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*This link is sponsored
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