New Starwood-Uber Partnership: Earn Starpoints for Uber Rides!

Starwood is bringing out a new global partnership with Uber that allows members to link their Starwood and Uber accounts and earn Starpoints for the Uber rides they take (last name and email addresses on both accounts must match). Starwood adds Uber to its stable of points-earning partners which includes Crossover Rewards (Delta), Your World […]

The post New Starwood-Uber Partnership: Earn Starpoints for Uber Rides! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/25/new-starwood-uber-partnership-earn-starpoints-for-uber-rides/

Are executives hiding from their customers?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/executives-hiding-customers/

Delta’s Response to Charging Elites More Miles for Awards

Earlier I reported that Delta appears to be charging more miles for elites booking economy awards than general members. Logged in elites would see a one-way flight for 17,500 miles that general members would see priced at 12,500 miles. Delta spokesman Anthony Black emails, I Saw your note on the award price issue. We are […]

The post Delta’s Response to Charging Elites More Miles for Awards appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/deltas-response-to-charging-elites-more-miles-for-awards/

Will AAdvantage And Dividend Miles Merge Around March 20, 2015?

Last October American announced the details of the 2015 AAdvantage program, including that the AAdvantage and Dividend Miles programs will merge sometime in the second quarter of 2015.

An exact date for the integration of the two programs hasn’t yet been announced, though it looks like we might now have reason to believe that AAdvantage and Dividend Miles will merge around March 20, 2015, which is a bit ahead of schedule (which I know they’ve been aiming for all along).

Specifically, US Airways has posted that their Dividend Miles partnership with Jet Airways will end as of March 20, 2015:

The post Will AAdvantage And Dividend Miles Merge Around March 20, 2015? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/will-aadvantage-and-dividend-miles-merge-around-march-20-2015/

Delta Currently Charging Elite Members Extra Miles to Book Award Tickets That Everyone Else Can Get for Less

Last week Delta ‘tuned up’ the SkyMiles technology and I wondered if I was being paranoid to believe that was more likely than not bad for members. This week we’re learning that Delta — whether by glitch or by design — seems to be charging their own elite members more miles for economy awards than […]

The post Delta Currently Charging Elite Members Extra Miles to Book Award Tickets That Everyone Else Can Get for Less appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/delta-currently-charging-elite-members-extra-miles-to-book-award-tickets-that-everyone-else-can-get-for-less/

eDreams adds Japan to growing APAC line-up

Barcelona-based eDreams has launched in Japan, describing the move as “a major step forward in [its] internationalization strategy.” In response to emailed ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/edreams-Japan-APAC/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=edreams-adds-japan-growing-apac-line

Paddling across the US

"Dave and Amy Freeman canoe 2,000 miles from Minnesota to Washington DC to bring awareness to dangerous mining projects jeopardizing the Boundary Waters."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/paddling-across-us-clean-water/

Trying Again: Comments Closed For The Next Few Hours

Last week I sent the blog in for some minor maintenance, though as is often the case when I'm involved with technology, things didn't go quite as planned.

Apparently the issues have been resolved, so we're making another attempt at updates this evening.

The post Trying Again: Comments Closed For The Next Few Hours appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/trying-again-comments-closed-for-the-next-few-hours/

Register For Hilton’s 2015 Double Your HHonors Promotion

In late January I posted about how Hilton announced that they would change the way they do HHonors promotions as of this year. As I explained, Hilton will be offering two global HHonors promotions annually, rather than the four we became accustomed to. In addition to that they promised to offer targeted promotions throughout the year.

Anyway, Hilton has just announced the details of their first global 2015 promotion, entitled Double Your HHonors.

Through this promotion, members can choose either double HHonors base points or double airline miles for stays at qualifying hotels between March 1 and May 31, 2015.

The post Register For Hilton’s 2015 Double Your HHonors Promotion appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/register-for-hiltons-2015-double-your-hhonors-promotion/

Why Airlines Should Improve Their Coffee

Coffee fuels business travel, and most providers don’t understand that. Flat White at the Park Hyatt Sydney Have you ever actually tried to drink the coffee on a US domestic airline? American’s new Airbus A321T flying between New York JFK and Los Angeles and San Francisco has a cappuccino machine in first class. I have […]

The post Why Airlines Should Improve Their Coffee appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/why-airlines-should-improve-their-coffee/

My New Favorite: Korean Airlines and SKYPASS Rewards Program

Let me preface this article by saying that there are plenty of “how to book Korean Air awards” articles out there. So I won’t cover that. Rather, my goal is to communicate how much easier it is to book awards with Korean Air (KE) than perceived, and how valuable they can be for award travel […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/why-i-love-korean-air-and-the-skypass-rewards-program.html

12 beautiful images of Palawan

How is this place even real?



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/palawan-irresistible-12-images-prove/

LoungeBuddy kicks back with $3 million Series A to expand global lounge access

LoungeBuddy (TLabs here) has locked in its Series A financing in an oversubscribed round that netted $3 million. The lead investor is ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/loungebuddy-kicks-back-3-million-series-expand-global-lounge-access/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=loungebuddy-kicks-back-3-million-series-expand-global-lounge-access

More Than 68M Americans Traveled Abroad In 2014

Travel outside the U.S. by Americans was up 10 percent in 2014, the largest growth in a decade.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/americans-traveled-abroad-record-numbers-2014-1826816

Chase Sapphire Preferred Vs. Citi ThankYou Premier Card: Which Is Better?

I recently wrote a post about the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which is the single card I use more than any other. I consider this to be a super-card, of sorts:

-- The card has a generous sign-up bonus

-- It has a reasonable $95 annual fee (waived the first year) and no foreign transaction fees, which is useful given how much time I spend outside the US

-- It offers double points in the categories I spend the most in (dining and travel)

-- It offers one of the most valuable transferable points currencies, given that points can be transferred to programs like British Airways Executive Club, Hyatt Gold Passport, Korean Air SkyPass, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, etc.

Citi's equivalent of the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the Citi ThankYou Premier Card, which is seeing a change in benefits as of April 19, 2015. I wrote a post a while back covering the new benefits of the Citi ThankYou Premier Card, and reader Sandeep asked if I could write an updated comparison between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Citi ThankYou Premier cards.

The post Chase Sapphire Preferred Vs. Citi ThankYou Premier Card: Which Is Better? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/chase-sapphire-preferred-vs-citi-thankyou-premier-card-which-is-better/

Signs you need to leave Santiago

You just can’t deal with calefonts anymore.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/6-signs-know-time-get-hell-santiago/

Best Value Destinations for 2015

Even if budget isn’t the sole consideration when you’re planning a trip, knowing you’re saving money because of a favorable exchange rate almost feels like you’re winning the lottery. The U.S. dollar is currently experiencing a growth period at the same time as some other countries are slumping into recessions, and while we wouldn’t wish...



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2015/02/best-value-destinations-for-2015/

Save Big Miles on United Partner Awards, How to Survive a Plane Crash, and Amex’s Future in Jeopardy?

News and notes from around the interweb: Ask the Captain: Surviving an Emergency Evacuation. And Here’s How to Survive a Plane Crash. Last chance for United’s partner award pricing glitch that became an official sale. It ‘expires’ February 28 (if they’ve managed to fix it, and if the mistake doesn’t come back… again). These seem […]

The post Save Big Miles on United Partner Awards, How to Survive a Plane Crash, and Amex’s Future in Jeopardy? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/save-big-miles-on-united-partner-awards-how-to-survive-a-plane-crash-and-amexs-future-in-jeopardy/

11 signs you drink in Cape Town

You can name five sundowner spots in Cape Town in under 30 seconds.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/11-signs-learned-drink-cape-town/

Use This Trick To Save Money On Hotel Stays

One thing that most frustrates consumers about airlines is how complicated and irrational their pricing is. While hotel pricing isn't quite as confusing, it does leave me scratching my head as well sometimes.

I've written in the past about how I almost always book refundable hotel rates so that I can potentially "reprice" my stays closer to the arrival date. It's pretty common for hotels to drop prices closer to the arrival date if they have a lot of empty rooms, and at times that can lead to huge savings.

But here's something that's a bit trickier and more inconsistent than that -- when booking hotels, check the cost of individual nights for your hotel, and not just for the duration of your stay.

Take an upcoming stay at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle, for example.

The post Use This Trick To Save Money On Hotel Stays appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/use-this-trick-to-save-money-on-hotel-stays/

Just Back: Nashville

Nat Geo Travel associate producer Megan Heltzel recently returned from a trip to Music City. Here are some of the high points of her trip to the Tennessee capital, in her own words.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/24/just-back-nashville/

5 edible Latin American bugs

With the UN promoting insects as a new sustainable food, we look at five Latin American creepy-crawlies that locals just love to eat.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/5-edible-latin-american-bugs/

Want an early hotel check-in? Here are 7 tips from a pro

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/travelers-want-an-early-hotel-check-in-here-are-8-tips-from-a-pro/

The Single Best Credit Card for Travelers: Earn 40,000 Points Now and More Everywhere You Go

Link: Chase Sapphire PreferredLast year we had a celebration for our Tyler, our Adventure Czar, when he came home from running a marathon on Antarctica. At the end of the night, I went to pay my tab, and the bartender said, “What is this card that all of you guys have?!”It turned out that of the dozen or so folks that had an open tab at the bar that night, at least half of us were using the Chase Sapphire Preferred.There’s a good reason for that! Our readers are smart. :)



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/single-best-credit-card-for-travelers/

Review: Westin Bahrain City Centre

Bahrain has a surprisingly large SPG portfolio for such a small island -- there's a Sheraton reasonably close to the actual city center, and then there's a Westin and Le Meridien near the City Centre mall. The Westin and Le Meridien even share amenities, so it's interesting just how huge their presence is there.

For my two night stay I decided to book the Westin, which cost 90BHD per night (~$240). That's not cheap at all, but the alternative was paying 12,000-16,000 Starpoints per night (this is a Category 5 SPG property), so it did seem like the better deal.

The taxi from the airport to the hotel took about 15-20 minutes, and traffic wasn't bad at all.

The post Review: Westin Bahrain City Centre appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/review-westin-bahrain-city-centre/

Creepy doll town in Japan

"Tsukimi sews and dresses the dolls and positions them around town to replace her neighbors who have moved away or died."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/tv/japanese-town-populated-almost-entirely-creepy-dolls/

Citibank Adds Qantas as a Points Transfer Partner: Awesome Opportunities for Down Under?

Citibank Points Became Really Valuable Last Year With the Introduction of Mileage Transfers Citibank points used to be just for redeeming against paid travel, more or less, and didn’t have points transfer partners until Hilton was added two years ago and several airlines were added about six months ago. Since then they’ve been continuing to […]

The post Citibank Adds Qantas as a Points Transfer Partner: Awesome Opportunities for Down Under? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/citibank-adds-qantas-as-a-points-transfer-partner-awesome-opportunities-for-down-under/

Three Changes Frequent Fliers Could See in the Future

Every frequent flier knows there is only one constant in the points and miles game: change. No matter how frugal travelers plan to earn and use their points and miles, program changes and devaluations are always just around the corner. In the month of February alone, travelers have seen a number of changes that have […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/three-changes-frequent-fliers-could-see-in-the-future.html

Bites: Restaurant Report: Green Street Smoked Meats in Chicago

The restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff’s latest venture offers Texas barbecue, about as authentic as it can be 1,000 miles northeast of Austin.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/43bd1670/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A30C0A10Ctravel0Crestaurant0Ereport0Egreen0Estreet0Esmoked0Emeats0Ein0Echicago0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Old Canons Along the Coast of the Island of St Vincent

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2015/02/23/old-canons-along-the-coast-of-the-island-of-st-vincent/

Heads Up: Buffalo Embraces Winter’s Chill

From new rinks for skating and, yes, curling, and even ice biking, to ice festivals, the city is enjoying its cold weather.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/43bcb906/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A30C0A10Ctravel0Cbuffalo0Eembraces0Ewinters0Echill0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Understanding and benefiting from complex travel data

As the focus on consumer data has strengthened globally and the rush to collect it has heated up, the value of travel ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/understanding-travel-data-benefits-+Adara/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=adara-sc

Startup pitch: Hitlist is first step to new way to distribute travel

You could say that Hitlist was conceived out of curiosity over how travel distribution works as well as delve further into why ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/hitlist-startup-mobile-app/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-hitlist

5 language learning myths

"Myth 2: The best way to learn is to live in a foreign country."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/5-language-learning-myths/

Full Spring 2015 IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks List

Yesterday I mentioned that the next IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks list would shortly be released, whereby select hotels are available for just 5,000 points per night.

While the new list only becomes bookable tomorrow (typically the list goes "live" mid-morning Eastern Time), IHG Rewards Club has already released the "preview" list with all the participating properties.

The new IHG Rewards Club’s PointBreaks list is valid for stays through May 31, 2015.

Keep in mind as well that last year IHG Rewards Club updated the terms of PointBreaks bookings, and you can only book two stays per hotel per promotion:

The post Full Spring 2015 IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks List appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/full-spring-2015-ihg-rewards-club-pointbreaks-list/

The DOT Guts its Post-Purchase Price Increase Prohibition to Help United Out of a Jam

Two weeks ago flights originating in the UK were pricing in Danish Kroner at a price that’s pennies on the dollar what they normally run. You could fly from the UK to pretty much anywhere in the world in business or first class at price hovering around $100 or less. This wasn’t a United-specific glitch, […]

The post The DOT Guts its Post-Purchase Price Increase Prohibition to Help United Out of a Jam appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/the-dot-guts-its-post-purchase-price-increase-prohibition-to-help-united-out-of-a-jam/

Realizations after a month of travel

"When traveling solo, however, you really have to take care of your own shit, and that’s a big responsibility."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/6-realizations-month-solo-backpacking/

Hilarious CollegeHumor Video About That Rich Friend Who Always Travels

Okay, you have to see this:

Amazing!

The post Hilarious CollegeHumor Video About That Rich Friend Who Always Travels appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/24/hilarious-collegehumor-video-about-that-rich-friend-who-always-travels/

The 20 coolest towns in the US

What makes a town “the coolest”? In the end, it’s the same as what makes travel the coolest: the PEOPLE.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/20-coolest-towns-us/

Plane veers off runway at icy Dallas airport

As North Texas grapples with unusually icy weather, a plane carrying 68 people veered off a runway at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/travel/texas-plane-slides-off-runway/index.html

Europe's best winter getaways

When the temperature drops, there's a special appeal to hightailing it to Europe, where the art form of coziness has been perfected over the course of a few thousand winters.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/24/travel/europe-winter-getaways/index.html

How to get on track in Germany

When things go right, negotiating Germany's rail network is one of the most pleasant German travel experiences that doesn't involve a Mercedes-Benz 450. Here's how to get the most out of rail travel in Germany.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/20/travel/experts-guide-to-german-trains/index.html

As Cuba Shifts Toward Capitalism, Inequality Grows More Visible

The American reconciliation with the country is expected to increase the pace of private development, as well as the gap between haves and have-nots.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/43bbca8e/sc/46/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A20C250Cworld0Camericas0Cas0Ecuba0Eshifts0Etoward0Ecapitalism0Einequality0Egrows0Emore0Evisible0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

11 things the Spanish do right

Spaniards almost never eat on the go and even in a big, busy city like Madrid, you’ll likely attract stares if you’re munching while walking down the street.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/11-things-americans-learn-spanish/

The Two Percenters: When Points Won’t Pay

The 2% credit cards: the ones that earn you 2% cash back on all your purchases must have a place in your travel rewards strategy. The points from my favorite top two credit cards Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card can get me almost everywhere, but there are […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/02/the-two-percenters-when-points-wont-pay.html