Tag Archives: miles and points

Here’s Why Your Family May Want to “Pool” Your Airline Miles

More and more airlines are allowing passengers to “pool” their miles in a shared account. What does this mean? It’s a quicker path to award tickets, particularly for families. If two parents and two kids each have 15,000 miles in separate accounts, those miles aren’t particularly useful. But a combined pool of 60,000 miles can probably cover at least one person’s flights on the family’s next trip.

Here’s how it helped me snag two free seats: My husband and trumpet-playing son are headed to a trumpet conference. By pooling the mileage they had collectively earned on past United flights, we were able to accumulate enough miles to cover this trip. Airlines that don’t allow mileage pooling extract hefty fees when you don’t have quite enough for an award ticket: You must pay either to “gift” miles to someone else or to buy the extra miles you need.

In this case, my husband and son each had enough miles for one ticket, but purchasing their flights separately would have required identifying my son as an unaccompanied minor—even though his dad would be on the same flights under a separate ticket—and it risked having their reservations rebooked separately if anything went wrong. So pooling their miles provided additional benefits to make their travel smoother.

United is the latest airline to adopt mileage pooling, but a bunch of other airlines already have this system in place, from JetBlue and Hawaiian to British Airways and Emirates. The rules of who can pool mileage and how to do so vary by airline, but I can tell you that United’s process takes several days—you have to wait 72 hours after you join a pool to contribute or redeem miles, and there’s an additional 24-hour waiting period between when you transfer miles into a pool and when you can use them to book a flight. By the time I jumped through all those hoops, the miles required for the flights I wanted had gone up, so I had to add more miles and wait an extra day. But it was still preferable to shelling out more than $600 for the flights; next time I’ll make sure our pool has more miles than what’s needed for the flights I have my eye on, in case the required redemption amount goes up in the interim.

So now that it’s easier for your family to redeem your collective frequent-flier miles, where do you want to go? If you know when you can travel, check out our favorite destinations by month. You’ll also find inspiration in our travelers’ reviews of their best trips, organized by traveler type, trip theme, destination, and more. If you’d like our advice on where to go, click the black button below.

GET A PERSONALIZED TRIP RECOMMENDATION

 

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How to Get More For Your Miles and Points in 2023

You could be saving thousands of dollars on better award flights and nicer lie-flat seats in premium cabins. Gary Leff, the miles-and-points genius who writes View From The Wing and founded Book Your Award, shared how in our WOW Week 2023 Travel Talks. Watch the video, and read the top takeaways below, for dozens of tips for maximizing your miles and points. Gary recently merged Book Your Award into Point.me, a new service with great tools for do-it-yourself search for award seats. Check it out!

5 top takeaways

Know which airlines have the most award seats.
For international trips, especially in business class, there is often not much availability on U.S. airlines. You’ll find many more award seats available on those U.S. airlines’ international partners.

  • Air France, for instance, flies to numerous U.S. cities, and it’s easy to transfer credit-card points to Air France’s mileage program. (Air France is a partner of Delta’s, but it offers a lot more award-seat availability to people using Air France miles than to those using Delta miles.)
  • Singapore Airlines (a United Airlines partner) releases business-class seats reliably a year in advance. It’s a great way to get to Europe and Japan. You can transfer credit-card points to Singapore Airlines, and you can also frequently use Alaska and Air Canada miles, even though those seats likely will not be bookable using United’s miles.
  • Qatar Airways (an American Airlines partner) has one of the best business-class products in the world, and it reliably releases award seats about a year in advance. It’s a great way to connect through the Middle East and Africa.
  • There are specific routes that have a lot of award seats too. Ultimately, it’s airlines that have too much capacity that offer award seats at a good value. And certain airlines may be flying to the U.S., or to a specific city, for a reason other than demand. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar all fly to Dulles airport in Washington, D.C.—because they believe it’s important to serve Washington, D.C.

You can often get the same seat for fewer miles through a foreign airline’s program.
Numerous foreign airline programs sell the same seats for less. For instance, you can sometimes book Delta business class for a quarter of the points if you book it through Virgin Atlantic’s mileage program. Turkish Airlines charges just 7,500 points each way for a domestic United flight in coach, and 12,500 points for United business class (including Hawaii). United charges three times as much for their own flights! (Citi, Capital One, and Bilt points all transfer to Turkish Airlines.) You can book Iberia business class between the U.S. and Europe starting at 68,000 miles roundtrip when using Iberia’s miles. Booking those same seats through American Airlines AAdvantage would cost 115,000 miles.

When you can, collect credit-card points (that you can transfer to your choice of airlines) instead of miles with just one airline.
It’s better to have American Express points than Delta miles, for instance. That’s because American Express points transfer to Delta plus additional airlines. Similarly, it’s better to have Chase points than United miles. You want points that can be transferred to whichever airline is offering the best deal on available seats for the trip you want when you want it. As mentioned above, Air France offers better availability to travelers using Air France miles (that they got by transferring credit-card points to Air France) than to travelers using Delta miles. Similarly, Singapore offers better availability to travelers using Singapore miles (that they got by transferring credit-card points to Singapore Airlines) than to travelers using United miles.

Award tickets are easier to get than upgrades.
The conventional wisdom used to be that the best use of miles was to upgrade paid tickets. Nowadays, however, upgrades are tougher to get than awards. That’s because it’s easier to get award seats on partner airlines. By contrast, if you try to upgrade, you usually end up waitlisted, and if you don’t have top elite status with the airline, you’ll be at the bottom of the list.

Because U.S. airlines now allow free cancellation and redeposit of mileage, you can book a “worst case scenario” itinerary and then work to improve it. United, Delta, and American no longer charge fees to cancel an award ticket and redeposit the miles. So, if you can find an itinerary that will do, lock in the trip. It may not be perfect, but it lets you lock down the rest of your travel. Now you have all the time between booking and departure to go back and search again for awards, and if you find something better, consider a change; there will be no extra fees to do it.

 

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Aerial view of a river and mountains in New Zealand

Live Answers to Your Travel Questions: Join Us on Zoom for WOW Week 2023 January 23–27

UPDATE: WOW Week 2023 is now over. Thank you all for joining us! We have posted the Zoom recordings below, in case you missed any talks or want to share them with your friends. Stay up to date by signing up for our newsletter

 


 

This year is shaping up to be a huge one for international travel. Now that so many countries have dropped their Covid entry requirements, many more people worldwide will be traveling abroad. And in some countries—all in different stages of ramping back up post-pandemic—local inflation and staffing shortages mean higher costs, longer lines, and trickier logistics. Not to worry: We’ve got the solutions, and we’ll be sharing them during WOW Week, January 23 – 27, when we’ll host a Travel Talk every day at 7 pm EST and answer your burning travel questions.

 


 

Where and When To Travel in 2023

Monday, January 23, at 7 pm EST

With many more people worldwide making international trips this year than last, prices will be higher and logistics more challenging. It will be especially important to choose your destinations wisely and time your trips smartly. Wendy, Brook, and Carolyn shared dozens of tips for doing so.

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDING

 

Fly Smarter This Year: Best Flights, Seats, and Fares

Tuesday, January 24, at 7 pm EST

Will airfares ever drop, and to where? Which parts of the world will be the best value to fly to in 2023? When should you book your summer flights? Airline expert Brett Snyder, founder of Cranky Concierge, answered these questions and many more.

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDING

 

Protect Your Trip—and Your Health—in 2023

Wednesday, January 25, at 7 pm EST

Too many people find out too late that they should have bought travel insurance or an emergency medical-assistance membership. So we brought in experts to demystify these seemingly complicated topics, and to help you understand how you can—and can’t—protect your health and your financial investment.

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDING

 

New Ways to See the World by Water

Thursday, January 26, at 7 pm EST

There are parts of the world that are best seen from the water, and there is a growing array of unusual itineraries and small ships for doing so. Cruise expert Carolyn Spencer Brown, joined by Wendy and Brook, talked about cool ways to explore the world’s waterways in 2023.

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDING

 

Get More for Your Miles and Points in 2023

Friday, January 27, at 7 pm EST

You could be saving thousands of dollars on better award flights and nicer lie-flat seats in premium cabins. Gary Leff, writer of View From The Wing and founder of Book Your Award (now merged into Point.me), shared dozens of tips for maximizing your miles and points.

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDING

 

A big thank-you to our WOW Week sponsor, Medjet.

Medjet is a global air medical transport and travel security membership program that can give travelers greater peace of mind. Their sponsorship enables me, Brook, Carolyn, Kristine, and the rest of our growing team to spend time answering your travel questions (via our Get a Personalized Trip Recommendation feature) and finding the smartest trip-planning specialists for you (see Wendy’s WOW List).

Don’t miss this special WOW Week discount

Medjet is offering our WOW Week audience an exclusive discount of 10% off New Medjet Annual Memberships. The deal is available from Mon January 23 at 9am ET till Mon January 30 at 5 pm ET. You can learn more about Medjet and get the deal by clicking the red button below. 

GET THE DEAL

 

Fly Smarter in 2023: How to Get the Best International Flights, Seats, and Fares

What should we expect from airline travel in 2023? Will airfares keep rising? Which parts of the world will be the best value to fly to? When should you book your summer flights? Airline expert Brett Snyder, founder of Cranky Concierge, joined our WOW Week 2023 Travel Talks on January 24th and answered all of these questions and more.

In a hurry? Start the video at 2:55. No time to watch the video? Here are a few takeaways:

  • Airfares will remain high, but there will be some pockets where deals can be found.
    One region to watch for deals is Southeast Asia. That’s because, as Chinese airlines start flying to the U.S. again, it will create a flood of capacity on flights from the U.S. to China and beyond to Southeast Asia (meaning, there will be more connecting options to get to Southeast Asia.)
  • Don’t wait to book your international flights for peak summer travel.
    Big international fare sales for the peak summer period are not likely. If you’re planning summer trips to popular places such as Italy, book now (if not yesterday). For fall travel, it’s okay to wait until spring break or even toward early summer to book. (That’s because fall isn’t as busy as summer, so you aren’t fighting for scarce seats in the same way that you are for summer. You can wait longer and not have as much of an issue.)
  • When booking a domestic connection to an international flight, leave yourself wiggle room.
    Last summer we saw many missed airline connections, and it could happen again this summer. If you’re nervous about missing a connection to an international flight, book a longer layover. If you’re really nervous, book an overnight at the connection point. But be ready for schedule changes to occur. Schedules are fairly firm into spring break right now, but after that, they are not.

Links to Useful Resources

New Nonstop Flights To Make Your Travels Easier in 2023

Where Everybody’s Traveling in 2023: The 10 Most Popular Countries For WOW Trips

Smartest Airports for Making Connections

How Never to Wait on Hold with Airline Customer Service Again

Best International Stopovers: Two Trips for the Price of One

Private Jets: The Safest Option, and More Affordable Than You Might Think

The 2023 WOW List of Trusted Travel Experts

Where To Go When: Ideal Destinations For Each Month of the Year

Winter Is Europe’s Secret Season

Countries with No Covid-Related Entry Requirements

The Countries That Are Open to U.S. Travelers and How to Get In

The 10 Most Popular Countries of 2022 for WOW Trips

WOW Week Travel Talks

 

Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.

Air Travel in 2022: Best Flights, Fares, Miles, and Seats

Is there any affordable airfare anywhere in the world this year? And, if so, where? Air travel watchdogs Brett Snyder, founder of Cranky Concierge, and Gary Leff, founder of View From the Wing and Book Your Award, reveal what you can expect from airlines and airfares in 2022: when to buy your tickets, how to choose the safest flights, where to find business-class bargains, how to get the most value for your miles, and much more.

 

Read more

New Nonstop Flights To Make Your Travels Easier in 2022

When Is the Best Time to Buy Airfare This Year?

When and Where to Use Your Airline Miles This Year

Best International Stopovers: Two Trips for the Price of One

The Best Credit Cards for Travelers

Private Jets: The Safest Option, and More Affordable Than You Might Think

Getting a Covid Test Abroad is Easy

5 Testing Tips for an Easy Return Flight to the U.S.

How to Get a Quick Covid Test for Travel

Traveler Reviews of Pandemic Trips Arranged by WOW List trip-planning experts

 

 

view out of airplane window of Cancun Mexico with jet engine in bottom corner

4 Things to Know About Airline Miles Now

The coronavirus pandemic has raised a lot of questions about air travel: routes, rules, restrictions, refunds, how much to spend, where to sit, when to book. And not least of all: What about my miles? Frequent travelers want to know what the current airline industry landscape means for all those points and miles they’ve been racking up or have had to re-deposit back into their accounts due to canceled travel plans.

We invited miles-and-points expert Gary Leff to speak in our Zoom chat last week about air travel in 2020 and 2021. Gary reports on this topic every day at his View From the Wing blog, and he works directly with travelers at his Book Your Award flight-planning service.

Here are the four things he wants to make sure travelers know about airline miles now, in his own words:

1. Your miles are generally safe, unless the airline goes out of business.

“Even if an airline goes into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the frequent-flier programs are incredibly valuable. They’re often the most valuable part of the airline. United Airlines was just able to raise private funds for an airline at the $5 billion level now, backing the loans with its frequent-flier program. People were willing to put up $5 billion knowing that there’s substantial revenue there. American, for its part, is expected to put up its frequent-flier programs as collateral for a $4.75 billion CARES Act loan. The Treasury Department considers it to be pretty good as well. So your miles are generally going to be safe, as long as the airline itself remains in business.”

2. It’s going to be a pretty good time for frequent fliers in the near- and medium term—until airlines recover and fill their planes again.

“For paid tickets, up until now, there haven’t been a ton of great offers. That’s largely because there hasn’t been an opportunity to really incentivize travel. The airlines haven’t been using their loyalty programs to really drive business. Concern for health is a binding constraint. Restrictions on international travel are binding constraints. Once the circumstances of the world change, we’ll really start to see deals and mileage offers. The fact that there are empty seats will lead airlines to use their primary marketing programs to encourage filling those seats.

I think that award availability will be pretty good for a while too. As the airlines recover and print more and more miles (and eventually they will, and seats will begin to fill up), those points that we’re all earning very quickly will probably become worth less in the future. So I think it’s a good idea to earn and burn miles within roughly the same time period—meaning, earn those miles and then use them in the near term, rather than saving them for the future.”

3. For travel in the distant future, it’s generally better to use miles or points than to pay money, unless it’s for the most exclusive accommodations or remote flights.

“One of the things that I really like about miles is their flexibility. Certainly ticketing policies have been more flexible recently than they have been in the past, but mileage bookings have long been very flexible. If you need to cancel, you can put the miles back in your account, usually for a modest fee. Hotel bookings with points are also often very cancel-able as well, so they give you a lot of flexibility and peace of mind. You make a booking, and then if things don’t work out the way that you want, you can change often at the very last minute. (But always check the cancellation rules when making a reservation.)

I like taking a wait-and-see approach on booking paid flights right now. To folks who may have booked far in advance in the past, I’m saying to them: Wait, hang on to your cash. Except for flights to the most remote places, planes aren’t completely selling out. Holding off is often a good idea.

For mileage tickets, though, you may want to book the best available flights you see today. Because planes are empty, you might find your ideal seat. If you find a good but not ideal seat, you can keep checking for availability to improve and then pay a modest fee later to improve your trip.

4. Schedules will change, and that could be to your advantage.

“Schedules are going to change, so don’t assume that the flight that you book today is going to operate exactly the same way ten months from now.

Because the schedules aren’t real, the one advantage of a schedule change is that you may book a sub-optimal schedule with miles, and most airlines—certainly U.S. airlines—will be pretty darn flexible in terms of giving you an alternative. I’ve often used schedule changes to improve my itinerary.

Mileage tickets are very low-risk. They often aren’t exactly what you want the first time out, but if what you booked has changed, the airline will usually open up revenue inventory. At that point, you won’t be limited to what was available as an award, and then you can kind of get the schedule that you would have wanted.”

 

 

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