Dive into the world of travel rewards as the hosts discuss enticing transfer bonuses, like a 70% boost from Chase to Marriott. United’s premium cabin awards are getting pricier, prompting a look at the evolving landscape of airline miles. Learn about the latest credit card offers from JetBlue and Amex Bonvoy, along with alternative strategies for booking partner awards. Qantas emerges as a savvy option over British Airways for domestic travels. Get ready for tips on maximizing loyalty programs and optimizing flight booking experiences!
The podcast highlights significant transfer bonuses, such as 70% from Chase UR to Marriott Bonvoy, emphasizing strategic point use.
An increase in United Airlines premium cabin awards prompts a discussion on the need for travelers to adapt their redemption strategies.
Deep dives
Transfer Bonuses and Their Value
This episode discusses the recent transfer bonuses available for loyalty program points, particularly highlighting a 70% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy. While such a bonus is substantial, the hosts debate the actual value of Marriott points compared to others, suggesting that this might not be the best use of points for some travelers. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding personal use cases and potential redemptions to determine whether to take advantage of the bonus. By analyzing alternatives, like cash booking versus points transfers, the hosts illustrate how individual situations can significantly affect the perceived value of such offers.
Emerging Opportunities with Membership Rewards
The podcast emphasizes the potential of transferring American Express Membership Rewards to British Airways Avios at a 30% bonus, which, while lower than past promotions, can still be a strategic move for specific bookings. One host mentions their previous successes using Avios for favorable connections, underscoring the utility of these points despite the program's quirky reputation. There’s a broader discussion about the necessity of having historical use cases to encourage the transfer, as this will dictate the relevance of this particular bonus in travel planning. Insight is shared about how these transfers can help in meeting future travel needs while aligning with changing conditions in the points landscape.
The Changing Landscape of Airline Miles
Attention is drawn to the steep increase in United Airlines Premium Cabin rewards, which have risen from 155,000 to 200,000 miles for international flights, reflecting a broader trend of increasing reward prices across airlines. This change raises concerns about the diminishing value of frequent flyer miles and the difficulty of finding good redemption opportunities. The hosts analyze the impact of these changes on travel planning, especially for those accustomed to using miles as a safety net for last-minute bookings. This portion stresses the need for travelers to stay updated on new pricing structures and consider alternative options from other airlines to maximize value.
Booking JetBlue Mint with Partner Miles
The episode details the process of booking JetBlue Mint flights through foreign carriers, focusing on the complexities and the requirements for successful redemptions. A successful booking made with Qatar Airways miles exemplifies the challenge, explaining how travelers need multiple linked accounts and an understanding of cancellation policies to navigate the booking process efficiently. The discussion reveals the importance of being prepared with account setups and the potential hurdles one may encounter. Despite the effort, the episode concludes that, in certain situations with high cash prices, using points can present considerable value, making the effort worthwhile for savvy travelers.
17:59 Qantas As An Alternative to British Airways for Domestic AA Partners Awards
Saw one-way flights from State College to Boston through PHL on AA for around 10k/12.5k
Flights were $300 pp one-way
Thought I might have to use some precious AA miles, but noticed there was partner availability!
BA wants 24k pp one-way in Economy
But Qantas wants just 8k, and what a pleasure of a site to work with…
They allow you to enter the FF # of AA/Alaska at the time of booking
They clearly lay out the change and cancellation terms at the time of booking
The record locator can be discovered (for seat selection) by checking your AA account (it just works!)
So much better than booking with BA ever was. Why did BA get so much press back in the day?
23:42 Booking JetBlue Mint with Qatar Avios
Space can be confirmed on ITA Matrix or Qatar’s site
Amex MR -> BA Avios: Instant
BA Avios -> Qatar Avios: Also instant. I established that link before.
One gotcha: I haven't been able to link P2's BA Avios to her Qatar Avios account. I suspect it might be because I have my mobile number listed for both of our accounts, and there's a lot of 2FA involved in all of this. Just a hunch.
Online booking w/Qatar Avios is pretty straightforward. They do ask for passport number and expiration dates, which is unusual for a domestic flight.
They have a field for adding Known Traveler Number at the time of booking, but it asks for the expiration date of KTN which I don't know so I couldn't add it
I didn't see a way to select a 3rd party frequent flyer number at the time of booking an award ticket. Non-related Qantas allows this which is really nice.
Record locator to manage the flights (add KTN and select seats) on JetBlue's side can be found in the individual receipt emails they send each passenger, or by chatting Qatar
Hardes
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