AwardRules

I keep seeing people act shocked when airlines kill sweet spots or cut partner availability, like AA or Delta should be afraid of losing us. Honestly, I don’t think they care about most award travelers at all. We’re not that profitable, our miles are a liability on their books,...

We’re a family of five and in the US we regularly stay in IHG, Hilton, and Wyndham hotels using points with no issues. Usually two beds and sometimes a rollaway or blow up mattress for the third kid. Does this work the same way in Europe, or is it more strictly enforced there?...

Flying Seattle to Seoul on Hawaiian next week and saw the upgrade bid for first class. At first it was way out of reach at $800 to $2,000, so I ignored it. Just got another email and the range dropped to $640 to $1,600. Still pricey for me, but now I’m tempted if it falls again....

I’ve been trying to grab J class redemption seats at the 355 day mark for late December Europe to Singapore. Camping the site right at 8am and they’re gone instantly. Not 8:01, literally at release. I don’t even have KrisFlyer Elite status, so I’m guessing that’s part of it, but...

Got 750k points from an international credit card that expire Dec 31 and I have to transfer them somewhere. All partners are 1:1. Options: Aeroplan, Flying Blue, LifeMiles, British Airways, Copa ConnectMiles, Etihad Guest, Iberia, and Turkish Miles&Smiles. I’m usually flying out...

I’m in Minnesota and just found out Spirit doesn’t fly here anymore. I’ve got around $600 worth of points but can’t really use them now. Anyone know if there’s a way to get them refunded or transferred, or am I just out of luck

One of our BA household accounts got locked after a few Avios transfers and an email change. Took almost a month to get back in. BA said it was triggered by the combo of updating my email and linking to Qatar. They asked for personal details, then later a copy of my passport...

Curious how others think about this. We all obsess over miles, sweet spots, and routing rules, but once the trip is flown, it kind of disappears unless you’re tracking status or credits. I use tools that log flights, but they feel very passive. They store history, but don’t...

I’ve got a free Emirates first class ticket for one segment after an involuntary downgrade on ATH to EWR. I really don’t want to fly that route again, so I’m trying to maximize this as much as possible. It has to be a single segment only. No Australia or NZ, already tried. South...

I’ve got about 51,400 Royal Air Maroc miles expiring soon. It’s enough for a round trip JFK to Casablanca, but I’ve already been and was hoping to go somewhere else. I’m trying to use the cash and miles option, but the RAM website is basically unusable. Keeps throwing errors no...

First time messing with award travel and I think I started way too late. Trying to get 2 business class saver awards on Singapore Airlines between SIN and JFK, which I know is about as competitive as it gets. Right now I’m waitlisted on the nonstop to JFK for late Nov 2026. I...

Alaska is weird in a good way sometimes. On partner awards, especially with STarlux, there have been reports of mileage credit sneaking through even when it shouldn’t. The system isn’t always perfect at zeroing things out. The companion cert itself isn’t supposed to earn miles...

This is a great use of points, flashy or not. Avoiding insane World Cup pricing and still locking in the exact dates you wanted is a huge win. That’s what points are actually for. Mixing LifeMiles and Virgin with a transfer bonus on your first flight redemptions is impressive...

This is one of the worst first award booking experiences, so yeah, the stress makes sense. Unfortunately BA touching a partner booking, especially for something like a name change, is exactly how these get blown up. The frustrating truth is BA agents often don’t warn you that...

Trying to book two business class award seats to Southeast Asia using Aeroplan points. Back in 2021 I could easily get round-trip partner flights, but lately I’m only seeing one seat available per flight on partners. Has anyone managed to book two J seats recently? All I see are...

Been eyeing the Amex Platinum since I can use the credits easily and they’re opening a new lounge at EWR, my main airport. I’ve applied a few times but only ever get the 80k offer, which feels kind of weak. Out of curiosity, I checked my fiancée’s pre-approval and she got a 175k...

This is a tough spot but also an amazing problem to have. Two saver First seats already upgraded to the Residence is huge. AUH to SIN is one of those routes where Etihad sometimes releases a third saver, but it is very unpredictable. I would not count on it opening, especially...

Just booked two nights at The Standard Highline in NYC through the Chase Edit program for $471 total, which was actually cheaper than booking directly. Hyatt and Expedia both showed around $550 for the same dates. I always thought Edit rates were inflated, but this one turned...

Booked a Finnair business class reward seat from LHR using my BA Avios, but can’t figure out what “ticket type” it’s considered. The booking shows class U, includes a free checked bag, and I could pick seats right away (I’m only OW Ruby). Does anyone know if business award seats...

Been trying to piece together a complex award itinerary and every site keeps throwing errors “Oops,” “technical difficulty,” failed verifications, the works. It’s wild how companies worth billions still can’t build a system that actually works when you need it most. I don’t even...

If they cannot enter Germany, skip the First Class Terminal. But they can still use the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in FRA Pier B airside before a US flight. With wheelchair assist and a 3 hour layover, they’ll have time to clear security, rest, eat, and get escorted to the...

Noticed something odd. Chengdu to Singapore shows no Singapore Airlines flights scheduled after March 28. I’m trying to redeem business class for my parents to visit in July. I already booked SIN–MEL in business for them, but now I still need the Chengdu–Singapore leg. Debating...

New to award travel and I’m honestly blown away by Hyatt redemptions. Booked 3 nights at Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights in a Regency Suite King. Cash price was about $1,200 all in. Paid 43,500 points total. That’s roughly 2.8 cpp, which feels insane for a Chase transfer. It’s...