Last week the DOJ indicated that the Alaska / Hawaiian merger has a green light to move forward. What does that mean in the long term (and what does it mean in the short term for Amex’s transfer bonus to Hawaiian, for instance?) Read on for more on this and other points and miles updates.
This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Podcast: Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines Wedding Planning | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep269 | 8-23-24
It looks like the Alaska / Hawaiian merger is moving ahead! But what does that mean for all of us (and what should we do to prepare for a merger like this?) In Episode 269 of Frequent Miler on the Air, Greg and Nick discuss preparing for this holy matrimony.
IHG One Rewards Complete Guide
IHG One Rewards completely revamped its program in 2022 and has made some huge improvements, particularly with regards to elite benefits and credit cards. Opportunities to earn and burn continue to abound with a very large worldwide footprint and a wide range of brands from which to choose. Make sure to check out this post to learn all about the loyalty program.
Lux Belle Mare (Mr. & Mrs. Smith): Bottom Line Review
Nick had the pleasure of staying at the LUX* Belle Mare in Mauritius, a hotel he booked through Hotels.com using gift cards he redeemed from Capital One Shopping. Only after he stayed (and had a wonderful experience) did he realize it was a Mrs. & Mrs. Smith property! (Not one that’s bookable through Hyatt, but still worth writing about given his incredible experience.)
Podcast: Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard | Card Talk Ep3 | 8-22-24
The Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard is a new card that’s coming out soon to replace the old Bank of America Virgin Atlantic Flying Club credit card. In this episode, we’ll discuss more about this upcoming credit card.
Which hotel award search tool is best?
In this super valuable resource, Greg compares 6 hotel award search tools with the goal of identifying which is best. As usual, you’ll find that it depends upon what exactly you’re trying to achieve, but this post will identify the best tools for different scenarios. Make sure to bookmark this one!
Hyatt Milestone chasing: should we all mattress run to Globalist status?
Last week, Greg published a thought-provoking post about earning Hyatt elite nights and milestone rewards through spend (Find that post here: Hyatt Milestone Spending. What’s my X?). Nick was fascinated by the implications of Greg’s valuations on the idea of a mattress run. He wanted to find out whether everyone (or at least everyone who is remotely interested in Hyatt) should mattress run… if they’re to accept Greg’s valuations. See what you think.
Does that Amex to Hawaiian transfer bonus make sense now that the Alaska merger is likely?
Now that the Alaska / Hawaiian merger is looking extremely likely to actually happen, does this make the Amex transfer bonus to Hawaiian a little more compelling? Keep in mind that in Alaska’s original announcement, they indicated that Hawaiian’s loyalty program will be integrated into Alaska Mileage Plan. Check out this post to read Greg’s thoughts on how the merger impacts this transfer opportunity.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Review (2024)
Over the last few years, Capital One has greatly strengthened its transfer partners, making this not only a card that earns 2% everywhere towards travel, but also 2x everywhere in transferable currency. In this post we take a closer look at one of Capital One’s most popular cards.
Alaska / Hawaiian merger gets DOJ green light – what’s next?
Despite some extension requests, ultimately the DOJ has allowed its review of the Alaska / Hawaiian merger to expire this week without any objections…meaning it looks like the merger gets the green light to move ahead. Read this post to read about what this means for all of us.
Amex Gold – keep or cancel? | Ask Us Anything Ep69 | 8-14-24
Should you keep or cancel the Amex Gold card? On the most recent Ask Us Anything, Live, we tackle this question and more!
Guide to Ultra-Premium Credit Card Travel Protections
We’ve got another valuable resource for you – this time a summary of credit card travel protections provided automatically by various ultra-premium travel cards such as Capital One Venture X, Amex Platinum and more. This is another one you may want to bookmark!
My World of Hyatt wishlist. Make a good thing even better
Since World of Hyatt is Greg’s favorite hotel loyalty program, you may be surprised to find out this isn’t a wishlist of properties he’d like to stay at… rather a wishlist of changes he’d actually love to see in the program. Hyatt, we hope you’re reading this!
Best Uses of Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca LifeMiles is one of our favorite airline programs because of its combination of unique sweet spots, the ability to manipulate awards to pay fewer miles than the rates listed on the published award chart and the fact that it doesn’t add fuel surcharges. Despite some recent devaluations, you may want to read this Best Uses post to see where this program still shines.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye out for this week’s last chance deals.
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We were already planning a big birthday trip to Hawaii in February. We have never flown bus/1st and want to fly there on the Dreamliner.
After watching this weeks podcast P2 signed up for the Hawaiian card with your link for 70,000 points with 1 purchase. I also discovered they have a 50% bonus on points purchases right now so we can buy enough points to top up for those flights for $175!
This may interest others trying to hit 80,000 points since it would fulfill the 1st purchase requirement and earn 3X.