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Travel News Roundup
This is a roundup of travel news and other interesting travel related pieces that I’ve come across over the last few days. I thought they are worth sharing so I hope you enjoy reading them.
Virgin Atlantic Adds LATAM Award Bookings
Virgin Atlantic is on a roll this year with adding new partners. First, the London-based airline added more than a dozen new mileage partners when Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023. Then, in July 2023, Virgin added ITA Airways as a mileage partner. Now, without any announcement, Virgin Atlantic just added award redemptions on LATAM-operated flights. That means travelers now have even more options for booking award flights to South America and even more uses for their Virgin points. Here are the details we know so far about this new mileage partnership.
American AAdvantage Adds Revenue Based Mileage Earning On Partners
While the “big three” US airlines have revenue based frequent flyer programs nowadays, that typically applies primarily when traveling with that airline, and not when traveling with partner airlines. For travel on partner airlines, mileage earning is still largely awarded based on a percentage of distance flown. Well, that will be changing shortly for American AAdvantage. As of October 18, 2023, American AAdvantage will start awarding redeemable miles and Loyalty Points differently when traveling on flights marketed by both British Airways and Iberia.
Honors Terms & Conditions Changes August 16, 2023
Hilton has updated the Terms and Conditions governing its Honors guest loyalty program on August 16, 2023. The changes mainly deal with eligible incidentals and Hilton’s new Park brand coming online this year.
Avianca LifeMiles on sale with 145% Bonus (1.35 cents each)
Avianca has its monthly bonus available on LifeMiles purchases, this time it’s 145%. That brings the cost per mile down to 1.35 cents, just above our reasonable redemption value of 1.3 cents. At that price, buying for a specific high-value redemption could make some sense (like business class to South America for 35K each way).
Marriott Bonvoy Escapes 20% Off Sale for Bookings
The Marriott Bonvoy Escapes promotion offers Marriott Bonvoy members 20% off bookings at thousands of hotels worldwide, while non-members can save 15%. The deal is valid at participating hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), and Africa over the next 4 weekends, through September 10, 2023. You’ll need to book your stays by August 20, 2023.
CBP announces Global Entry partnership with Dominican Republic
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today that citizens of the Dominican Republic are now eligible to apply for Global Entry, a program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. The partnership was finalized today with a formal signing ceremony in the Dominican Republic, making it one of 16 Global Entry partner countries, including Croatia, Bahrain, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
Lawsuit Filed Against Frontier Airlines “All You Can Fly Pass”
The woman who filed the suit claims that Frontier advertises dimensions for acceptable carry-on bags, then will not honor the advertised dimensions at the airport. She claims she placed the bag in a sizing template, which fit, but was told the bag was still too large. The woman claims Frontier will not refund her the amount of the pass, which she calls “inoperable.”
Guru’s Wrap-up
Let me know if you enjoyed these articles and comment with any opinions you might have. You can also share any other interesting articles about deals, travel, credit cards and more.
