How Delta Prices Award Tickets

As much as I give the program a lot of crap, there are many great uses of Delta SkyMiles, and in many ways I think SkyMiles are more valuable than several years ago, at least comparatively.

Do I find SkyMiles to be the most valuable currency? Of course not.

Would I prefer to fly first class? Absolutely.

The reality though, is that for many of the places people like to travel, SkyMiles are an effective way of getting there. And while we’ve redeemed hundreds of millions of miles for clients over the years in just about every currency out there, over a quarter of those awards have been through Delta. SkyMiles are comparatively easy to accrue, so lots of people have large balances that they struggle to use, which is a large part of why the program gets so much (well-deserved) criticism.

The post How Delta Prices Award Tickets appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/08/31/delta-prices-award-tickets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=delta-prices-award-tickets

Lufthansa A380 Flights To India

In late January of this year, India lifted their bans on A380. Given what a high capacity market India is, this was welcome news for several carriers, given that there's probably not a more ideal market in the world for the aircraft.

From the beginning, Emirates, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines were the ones considering A380 service to India.

Singapore Airlines was the first to take advantage of the new rights to fly A380s to India, and in April announced daily A380 service between Singapore and Delhi and Mumbai.

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from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/08/31/lufthansa-a380-flights-india/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lufthansa-a380-flights-india

Always Enter Your Car Rental Confirmation Numbers into Autoslash for Savings – It’s Free!

Reader Brian B. offers a good reminder: Needed minivan + different city return… ended up with Budget @ [$600+] + $350 one-way fee! …I fill out Autoslash’s form. I forget about it. 10 days later (4 days before my trip) i get a response. Mid-size SUV @ $450 (instead of $950 for a minivan). Wow! […]

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from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/08/31/always-enter-car-rental-confirmation-numbers-autoslash-savings-free/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=always-enter-car-rental-confirmation-numbers-autoslash-savings-free

Combat food waste with this new app

The PareUp app will be launched in New York City first, where, according to the PareUp website, 6.5 billion pounds of food are thrown away daily.



from Matador NetworkMatador Network http://matadornetwork.com/change/combat-food-waste-new-app/

Mini City Guide: Aachen, Germany

I love big cities, and always enjoy returning to Hong Kong, New York, and Sydney—among many others. But what about those unknown gems that are off the beaten tourist path… those obscure places that are just waiting to be explored by real travelers? Our new “Mini City Guides” are here to uncover those gems, and…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/mini-city-guide-aachen-germany/

A Sneaky Test to Determine if a Hotel’s Improvements Are Real or Just for Show

Back in April I reviewed the W Austin. I led with it being a good hotel, but I had a few beefs. I’ve reviewed several hotels in the Austin area: the Hyatt Place Downtown, Westin Austin at the Domain, and Hyatt Regency (also here and here). The W is my favorite of those by far […]

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from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/08/31/sneaky-test-determine-hotels-improvements-real-just-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sneaky-test-determine-hotels-improvements-real-just-show

How Can I Keep Delta Medallion Status If I’m Short MQDs?

TPG reader Julie tweeted me to ask: @thepointsguy “Any ideas for someone who has enough Delta MQMs but is about $1500 short on MQDs? I want to maintain Silver Medallion Elite status and I have an Amex Platinum Delta card.” For United and Delta flyers, the elite status game got a little bit harder in […]



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2014/08/how-can-i-keep-delta-medallion-status-if-im-short-mqds/

Iceland Raises Aviation Color Code To Red In Vicinity Of Volcano

A diminutive eruption in the Holuhraun lava field north of the Bardarbunga volcano led to the action Sunday.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/bardarbunga-volcano-2014-latest-eruption-leads-iceland-again-raise-aviation-color-code-red-1674598

“I Just Need Your Paper Ticket, Please”

Yesterday I flew from Toronto to Brussels in Jet Airways business class. Despite a few hiccups, it was a pleasant flight all around, and exceeded my expectations.

From there I had a three hour layover before my connecting flight to Doha in Qatar Airways business class.

When I checked in with Jet Airways at Toronto Airport I only received a boarding pass as far as Brussels, which is what I expected given that Jet Airways and Qatar Airways don't partner.

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from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/08/31/just-need-paper-ticket-please/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=just-need-paper-ticket-please

Reader Success Story: An Ex-Pat Learns to Travel for Free

Over the past year, we’ve had many readers share their success stories with us. Folks for whom traveling domestically once a year was a luxury are now traveling the world with just a few credit card sign-up bonuses. And the best part? They are sharing their stories with us and others who benefit from knowing […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/08/reader-success-story-an-ex-pat-learns-to-travel-for-free.html

Are airlines profiting at your expense?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/the-navigator/airlines-profiting-expense/

Smiling Over the Top

The African Photo Adventure I’m really getting excited about the African Photo Adventure. It’s happening very soon! We’re thinking about a few other big trips for 2015… be sure to check our newsletter for the latest! Daily Photo – Smiling Over the Top While walking down one of the busier streets in China one night, […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/08/31/smiling-over-the-top/

North American National Park #33: Yoho, British Columbia

Yoho is just over the border from Banff National Park and borders Kootenay National Park on the south. It is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’ve always wondered why the 4 adjoining national parks in the Canadian Rockies weren’t just one big park, or at least 2 parks [...]



from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/08/30/north-american-national-park-33-yoho-british-columbia/

Why Won’t Credit Card Companies Let You UPGRADE to a More Expensive Card?

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, […]

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from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/08/30/wont-credit-card-companies-let-upgrade-expensive-card/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wont-credit-card-companies-let-upgrade-expensive-card

The Surprising New Trend of Active, Nomadic Retirement

The nomadic way of life is not just for the young. Or to be precise, it’s for the young of all ages. For years I’ve been meeting retired folks who are embracing a more active lifestyle than their parents’ generation may have done. I also often receive emails from people in this demographic, along with…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/the-surprising-new-trend-of-active-nomadic-retirement/