Long Haul Business Class for under $2K (Long Post)

[Luv2Phuket]

On 11/01/2019 at 17:14, Luv2Phuket said:

HUGE downside: the ONLY transfer partner that I can find is Citi TY -- EVA does not transfer from Marriott/SPG.  Bummer, as I keep clearing out my Citi TY points because they expire within a few months after closing an account.

Something to keep in mind if I see a nice Citi bonus offer, though....

I just got an email from EVA Infinity MileageLands - they are now going to be a transfer partner for Capitol One.  here is what it said:

Infinity MileageLands has new partnership with Capital One^®allows Venture^®, VentureOne^®, Spark^® Miles and Spark^® Miles Select credit card holders to redeem Capital One miles for Infinity MileageLands bonus miles. Exchange standard: 2 Capital One miles = 1.5 MileageLands miles. 

This could be a game changer for my views above about the recent Capitol One offerings. 

EDIT:

Not big news -- EVA already was listed in the link I posted above to the 50,000 bonus point Venture offering (for $3,000 minimum spend). 

At a 2:1.5 transfer rate, that would equate to 37,500 EVA miles - halfway to a one-way biz class award (but Citi TY and points for spend above $3,000 could help bridge the gap)

Still....that's a big gap!

[Little Evil]

3 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

I just got an email from EVA Infinity MileageLands - they are now going to be a transfer partner for Capitol One.  here is what it said:

Infinity MileageLands has new partnership with Capital One^®allows Venture^®, VentureOne^®, Spark^® Miles and Spark^® Miles Select credit card holders to redeem Capital One miles for Infinity MileageLands bonus miles. Exchange standard: 2 Capital One miles = 1.5 MileageLands miles. 

This could be a game changer for my views above about the recent Capitol One offerings. 

EDIT:

Not big news -- EVA already was listed in the link I posted above to the 50,000 bonus point Venture offering (for $3,000 minimum spend). 

At a 2:1.5 transfer rate, that would equate to 37,500 EVA miles - halfway to a one-way biz class award (but Citi TY and points for spend above $3,000 could help bridge the gap)

Still....that's a big gap!

The part that intrigued me about this Cap One card is the 2 miles per dollar spend ratio. If I'm interpreting this right, that means 1.5 EVA for every dollar. Not bad, but I also don't know a whole lot about the EVA program.

[skink]

EVA is also a transfer partner of Citi Thank You points (from Premier, Prestige cards, etc.)  When I looked into them before the primary way I considered using them was to book a paid flight in PE and upgrade to their Royal Laurel (biz class) for 35k U.S. west coast or 40k for central and east coast.

[Luv2Phuket]

On 31/01/2019 at 07:46, Little Evil said:

The part that intrigued me about this Cap One card is the 2 miles per dollar spend ratio. If I'm interpreting this right, that means 1.5 EVA for every dollar. Not bad, but I also don't know a whole lot about the EVA program.

The other part that intrigued me is that they are NOT Citi, Chase or AMEX, with whom I have the bulk of my accounts (also have a JetBlue and AA with Barclay's).  

You and I are interpreting the spend the same: every USD spent = 1.5 EVA miles.  So, with the bonus for $3k spend, you should have at least the equivalent of 42,000 EVA: 50,000 bonus = 37,500 + $3000 spend should = 4,500 more.  It certainly is intriguing to me.

I have been a member of EVA's program for quite some time, but with a balance of 0.  As noted above, they may be tough unless you are in one of their cities for travel to Asia, and I think they knock 5,000 miles off of the requirement if you're coning from West Coast (SFO, LAX, Seattle).  Looks like they also service O Hare, IAH and JFK.  I'm right by LAX, so they may work for me.

[Little Evil]

1 hour ago, Luv2Phuket said:

The other part that intrigued me is that they are NOT Citi, Chase or AMEX, with whom I have the bulk of my accounts (also have a JetBlue and AA with Barclay's).  

You and I are interpreting the spend the same: every USD spent = 1.5 EVA miles.  So, with the bonus for $3k spend, you should have at least the equivalent of 42,000 EVA: 50,000 bonus = 37,500 + $3000 spend should = 4,500 more.  It certainly is intriguing to me.

I have been a member of EVA's program for quite some time, but with a balance of 0.  As noted above, they may be tough unless you are in one of their cities for travel to Asia, and I think they knock 5,000 miles off of the requirement if you're coning from West Coast (SFO, LAX, Seattle).  Looks like they also service O Hare, IAH and JFK.  I'm right by LAX, so they may work for me.

I'm only taken EVA once. Had to use positioning flight to EWR, but the trip was great. Seats are like CX J, but the service is a little more F.  Plus they served Dom (at least when I took them). TPE lounge looks like Vegas. Wasn't a huge fan of the food, but it wasn't terrible. I think I had lamb chops as a "book the cook". Were a bit rubbery. I'd definitely look into them again though if the price is right, and it sounds like this is a great approach. 

Shame though that I just paid my taxes on another card. Would have been nice to clear the min spend in one shot. IRS handed me my ass on 2018 taxes. 

[Little Evil]

Two minor PSA's:

CX credit card (through Synchrony Bank) now has a 90k Asia Miles offer, but the spend is high. $5k in 3 months for 50k miles and then another $5k in 6 months for the remainder. I just pulled this card late last year when it was at 65k. Kind of kicking myself. While the spend is high and fast, I would have largely solved the problem with 2018 taxes. Also, the 90k doesn't get you a lot on Asia Miles. One way J on max distance, I believe. One way J for 70k if you're under 7,500 miles. Not a spectacular deal, but I point it out because that is by far the highest I've ever seen it. Might be interesting if you're already invested in the program.

Amex Gold upped the hotel credit to $100 on the newer gold card. Not a huge deal as it was $75 already, but hey, I'll take any upgrades I can get on that card. 

[Little Evil]

State of the CX Union:

Just took a flight to HKG in CX F. Things were already going downhill for this airline, but this had to be one of the more disappointing experiences to date.  Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as it comes from a super jaded CX vet. 

First off, no retrofit to the 777. Meant older IFE screens and remotes. Seemingly minor, until we took off and I learned the hard way that the beat up IFE screen no longer stays put. It swung out and tagged me in the knee. Then, halfway through a movie, it froze completely. FA reset my IFE. Took 15 minutes to reboot.

Little touches are gone. No fresh flowers. No hand written note at diner. I know---kind of dumb to even nitpick about these things,. but they were nice touches. 

Then there was the food. Food was already going downhill, but I got a cold steak that was basically raw. I was so put off that I made then take it away. Ate the cheese plate instead. 

So the flight kind of sucked. I'm in HKG waiting for my connecting flight. In a CX lounge.  Finally starting to relax and I get a tap on my shoulder. They want to shoot some TV show in the lounge and basically told me to take a hike from where I was sitting. I was about to lose it, but I held my tongue and moved.  

I think I might be done with CX.

 

[skink]

That sucks to hear about CX. I have an upcoming flight with them that I was looking forward to, especially since it's been awhile. I'd taken them so many times in a row that I wanted to fly others for a change, even if it wasn't as convenient (and HKG is usually an ideal layover).

My next CX flight was booked with Alaska miles. I needed a connecting flight to JFK and used Iberia Avios. AA cancelled that flight so Iberia rebooked me on another one that arrives after the CX flight departs. AA and BA show tons of other options with award availability that Iberia can't see. Their only option was a flight that gets me to JFK 30 hours earlier than necessary. Calling AA and Iberia to just hear I need to call the other was a lot of fun.

On a better note, it looks like the InterContinental Pattaya Resort will be on the new IHG PointBreaks list in the 15k tier this Monday (Feb 25). I can't remember ever seeing an IHG property in Pattaya on that list in the past. I was hoping when they went from 5k to the 5/10/15k that one would show up.

[Luv2Phuket]

3 hours ago, Little Evil said:

State of the CX Union:

Just took a flight to HKG in CX F. Things were already going downhill for this airline, but this had to be one of the more disappointing experiences to date.  Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as it comes from a super jaded CX vet. 

First off, no retrofit to the 777. Meant older IFE screens and remotes. Seemingly minor, until we took off and I learned the hard way that the beat up IFE screen no longer stays put. It swung out and tagged me in the knee. Then, halfway through a movie, it froze completely. FA reset my IFE. Took 15 minutes to reboot.

Little touches are gone. No fresh flowers. No hand written note at diner. I know---kind of dumb to even nitpick about these things,. but they were nice touches. 

Then there was the food. Food was already going downhill, but I got a cold steak that was basically raw. I was so put off that I made then take it away. Ate the cheese plate instead. 

So the flight kind of sucked. I'm in HKG waiting for my connecting flight. In a CX lounge.  Finally starting to relax and I get a tap on my shoulder. They want to shoot some TV show in the lounge and basically told me to take a hike from where I was sitting. I was about to lose it, but I held my tongue and moved.  

I think I might be done with CX.

 

I was bitching so much in another thread about my experiences at the Hilton that I didn't want to be TOO much of a princess and complain about Cathay, too, but my flight experience was not very good either.

Only flew them back from BKK.

First -- as I mentioned above -- I booked first, but they changed the plane that services the 12:15 a.m. HKG-LAX route.  No more first class, so they bumped me back to business (Alaska refunded the 20,000 mile difference).

As you experience, it was an older aircraft, with the older IFE screens and remotes.  Actually, the old remotes don't bug me too much because I'm not smart enough to figure out the new ones!  5555

The food from BKK-HKG was typical US-carrier reheated frozen dinner.  Decidedly mediocre.

On the HKG-LAX leg, I had nodded off but the flight attendant said something to me that I couldn't really understand.  It sounded like "regular milk or chocolate milk?"  5555  I realized she was asking about the meal, and I said "regular meal -- the Western option."

She gives me a plate with some shrimp and green beans on it, and I think it's the appetizer.  I started to wonder, as I specifically recall seeing something about hummus and dips (which I usually like).  When I looked at the menu again, I realized she had given me the "light meal."  While I need to lose weight and had eaten a little snack in the lounge, about 4 shrimp simply was NOT gonna cut it for a 12 hour flight!  555

I buzzed the flight attendant call button, and another woman came.  Before I could even get it out, she said "you got the wrong meal, didn't you?"  I noticed that she then said the same thing to the guy across the aisle and row up from me.  Apparently, the first flight attendant had screwed up multiple meals.  God only knows what the people at the back of business class were stuck with.

What surprised me was that I had a meal issue in the past, and the crew chief of the flight attendants was almost crying she was so apologetic.  This time?  Not even a "we're sorry about that." 

To put it into perspective, I flew:
 - ANA from LAX to Haneda
 - Thai from Haneda to BKK
 - Cathay from BKK to HKG and HKG to LAX

ANA was clearly the best of the three.  I fly Cathay quite often and have really touted them in the past, but there simply was no comparison between them.

Despite my dissatisfaction with Cathay, Thai was a DISTANT third.  Honestly, if Air Asia had business and first class, I would imagine it would be similar to Thai.  A crappy old 747 that had LONG since seen better days; a bizarre 2-2 seating layout where about half the cabin is a walled off galley; flight attendants that are well past retirement age.  The most frustrating thing was that, like my LAST connecting flight on Thai, we were delayed almost an hour AFTER we all boarded the plane.  Thank God (like last time) it was the flight into BKK and I didn't have a timed connection.  I would NEVER feel comfortable with Thai as the first leg of a connecting flight.  

The last time we sat on the plane for about an hour, they claimed it was a mechanical issue.  It started to get hot as Hell, and the flight attendant said the a/c was the mechanical problem.  No idea if that was the case or not.  This time, they claimed that, because minor snow flurries were starting in Tokyo, we were delayed so they could apply deicing fluid.  Keep in mind, it had NOT gotten colder; there were just some minor slow flurries (not even sticking from what I could see).  While that didn't make much sense to me (plane should have been deiced before we boarded - it wasn't liekt he temp dropped dramatically all of a sudden), i guess it's better to deice late than never.

I always get the feeling that the Thai concept of face is at play during these long -- unexplained -- delays.

[Luv2Phuket]

9 minutes ago, skink said:

 

On a better note, it looks like the InterContinental Pattaya Resort will be on the new IHG PointBreaks list in the 15k tier this Monday (Feb 25). I can't remember ever seeing an IHG property in Pattaya on that list in the past. I was hoping when they went from 5k to the 5/10/15k that one would show up.

GTFOH!!!!  I have NEVER seen a Thai hotel on the list -- it's always places in mainland China or somewhere out in the sticks in Japan!

15k for the InterContinental in Pattaya is an absolute STEAL! 

Despite being isolated, it's one of my favorite hotels -- LOVE the pools and the staff always treats me great!

I just got back, but now I might have to look into another trip this summer!  Hmmm....my birthday IS in June....   55555

[Luv2Phuket]

While digging for an article on IHG points break, I just saw this:

https://onemileatatime.com/more-airlines-join-tsa-pre-check/

ANA was already on the Pre-Check list, and I got to use it at Bradley for the first time on this trip.  SUH-WEET!

Asiana, EVA and JAL are three on this most recent list that I would possibly be flying. 

Cathay, Korean and Singapore also were all already on the list, so I'm looking pretty good for Pre-Check on International flights now (here's the list of all participating airlines linked in the article: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/participating-airlines)

I asked the TSA agent, and I thought he said the Pre-Check has been available at TBIA for about 4 or 5 months now, but I don't recall using it last November.

[Luv2Phuket]

Posted in another thread, but felt it warranted repeating here:

Blog post on decent ($2,400 USD) RT fares in business class on American Airlines:

https://onemileatatime.com/good-american-business-class-fares-from-lax-to-bangkok/

Although not a great fare, you'd get a shit ton of miles and, I assume, EQMs. 

If I was struggling to get my EQMs for status next year and/or was Exec Platinum (and could use SWU to bump to first, as noted int he post), this is definitely something that would interest me.  As it stands, I'm looking pretty good to renew my (meager) Platinum status, with 2 trips to Hawaii (1 leaves tomorrow), a 1-way back from BKK on JAL in November and an anticipated LAX-JFK trip in April.

[Luv2Phuket]

14 hours ago, skink said:

On a better note, it looks like the InterContinental Pattaya Resort will be on the new IHG PointBreaks list in the 15k tier this Monday (Feb 25). I can't remember ever seeing an IHG property in Pattaya on that list in the past. I was hoping when they went from 5k to the 5/10/15k that one would show up.

ThePointsGuy featured the Pattaya InterContinental in his blog post on the IHG points break today:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/ihg-pointbreaks-list-preview/

He has a gazillion readers, so I would suggest booking it asap, once the deal hits.

Since IHG points can be acquired for .0057 with 75% bonus right now, the 15,000 points works out to a nightly rate of $85.50 USD.

Unfortunately for me, it's only for bookings through the end of May.  Having returned from Pattaya five days ago and with a week-long convention in mid-May, I don't see myself being able to make it back before the end of May.  HATE to see a great deal slip by me....

Hell, with the AA deal I just posted, you could do a trip to Pattaya for $2400 RT and 15,000 IHG points per night....that's going in style, while not exactly breaking the bank!

[skink]

The 15k Pointbreaks rates are live for the Pattaya InterContinental now. I wasn't sure if the 4th night free from one of their credit cards would apply to Pointbreaks but it did.

[bouncewithme]

I’ve been checking Alaska off and on for the past year (not daily) and don’t find really any business class flights from LAX/SFO to HKG. Is there a better way to find availability on their partners that is not displaying on the Alaska site? 

[skink]

9 minutes ago, bouncewithme said:

I’ve been checking Alaska off and on for the past year (not daily) and don’t find really any business class flights from LAX/SFO to HKG. Is there a better way to find availability on their partners that is not displaying on the Alaska site? 

Alaska might not show Cathay award availability. I use British Airways site, but Qantas will work as well. You could try adding Tokyo (both NRT & HND) to your search as well. LAX-HKG might only show CX availability and Tokyo would show JL as well.

I believe Cathay is starting SEA-HKG on March 31st this year so that might be an option for you also (maybe even YVR).

[bouncewithme]

On 26/02/2019 at 19:55, skink said:

Alaska might not show Cathay award availability. I use British Airways site, but Qantas will work as well. You could try adding Tokyo (both NRT & HND) to your search as well. LAX-HKG might only show CX availability and Tokyo would show JL as well.

I believe Cathay is starting SEA-HKG on March 31st this year so that might be an option for you also (maybe even YVR).

Thank you. I was aware of checking BA and Qantas for availability, but I thought I had read somewhere that Alaska doesnt have that same availability even if you call in to have an agent book? I had always used BA/Qantas for finding to then book on AA award travel, it sounds like I have it wrong!

[skink]

That's true that Alaska doesn't have the same availability as the others. I've only run into that problem trying to book first class when BA was showing 1 seat available. Usually when 1 first seat is available though they will show 5 in business and Alaska usually sees plenty of those. 

[Little Evil]

Just got back from a trip. Took Qatar for a change of pace from AA award booking. Outbound from BKK was an A350. Either this jet is newer to the fleet or they are meticulous with clean up. It was pristine. QR interior design is pretty nice too. They spared no expense with the decor on these A350's. Even the luggage bins have exterior mood lighting. Reverse herringbone seating like CX J, but the shell backs lack the privacy wing. That was a minor setback, as the arrangement means that you rarely are eye to eye with anyone. On the up shot, it made the cabin feel enormous, particularly considering there are no center luggage bins. Their version of these Zodiac seats also lack arm level storage though, so phone/wallet/keys/watch storage was bag only. They did let me keep my bag on the floor for take off though. In fact, they didn't really seem to even care if you are partially lounged either. IFE screen is set in place at the appropriate viewing angle already, so you can watch while you take off. Shitty no-name NC headphones, which made me kick myself for leaving my Bose on a CX flight somewhere. 

QR lounge in Swampy is pretty nice. Feels like an upscale hotel more so than other lounges in the area. Again, everything was extremely clean. Had solo toilet rooms too which is a nice touch (although, must get lines at times). Service on the ground and in the air is impeccable. Concierge-like, where they proactively ask to do everything for you, and with a smile. 

Stupid long 7.5 layover in Doha. Didn't feel like making a run to see the city in that time span, so I just stuck to the lounge. The Doha lounge is absolutely massive. It has a center water fountain that is larger than most other airline lounges. When I checked into the lounge, I was walking around a bit thinking I was still in the terminal, but it was actually the lounge--that large. Oddly, the food spread was quite minimal unless you go to one of the two specific restaurants. It was also disappointing that a lounge that large didn't have nearly adequate shower facilities. Line never got lower than a 6 person wait. Kind of my fault for not putting my name in line, but I thought that was just a brief jam up during my 7 hours. Aside from that, there were two restaurants, giant business center, quiet rooms, prayer rooms, smoking room, sleeping alcoves, game room, and family rooms. I only saw alcohol at the restaurants. They also said you had to eat the food at the restaurant and couldn't bring it back into the main lounge. One last point about DOH: There are individual security lines at the gates, not via transfer. Figure at least 15 minutes to check through, even in  J/F. They were bomb-swabbing everyone and everything, which is both kind of nice to see from an individual safe perspective, but also a jarring reminder of where you are in the world. 

Finally, I hit the return from DOH on a 777. Sadly, it wasn't a Qsuite jet, which is actually what I originally thought. It was the older 2x2x2 seat layout with angle flat beds. So, I'm clearly a jaded asshole now when it comes to seating, but that was almost unbearable. I had 2 crying babies in stereo and a family who was split between Y and J who kept on congregating around the J seat across the isle from me. With this seating layout, I was wide awake for most of the flight. I almost called the family out on the "no Y in J", but I'm not that much of an ass (yet). Was a nice change of pace getting middle eastern meals though. A novelty considering I'm used to Chinese options apart from western meals. FA's were all very attractive Qatar women. Made me kind of kick myself for not going into the city.

[basket case]

FA's were all very attractive Qatar women. Made me kind of kick myself for not going into the city.

FA's are almost never Qatari. 99% multinational expats.

Doha is a pretty nice city. In the day, the Islamic Art museum is nice, just to see the amazing I.M. Pei designed building. Lots of interesting shops and restaurants in the Sook too.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Little Evil]

1 hour ago, basket case said:

 

 

FA's are almost never Qatari. 99% multinational expats.

Doha is a pretty nice city. In the day, the Islamic Art museum is nice, just to see the amazing I.M. Pei designed building. Lots of interesting shops and restaurants in the Sook too.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

 

Maybe. I didn't ask. Most appear to be of middle eastern decent, although at least one on my outbound was definitely Thai. They all seem to really know how to make themselves up prim and proper.  I'm assuming it's like Emirates Airlines, where they have strict appearance requirements, so much so that they have to go through tutorials on appearance. Thai BG's need to take note of this type of makeup routine. They are definitely using makeup, but sparingly so and extremely effective.

My layover started at midnight, so I figured it wasn't worth the hustle trying to get out for a few hours at that time, particularly considering the city is mainly dry and I'm well past club age. Would like to check it out some time during the day though. Viewing the architecture and engineering feats alone would be worth the time. 

[dingbat22]

On 21/05/2013 at 18:57, Little Evil said:

Long Haul Business Class for under $2K

 

Let me preface this with a partial disclaimer.  This is a report on how to get frequent flyer miles for the approximate value of a round trip business class ticket from a distance of NYC to BKK.  That is not a guarantee you will find the itinerary that you want or need, so keep that in mind if you end up trying these techniques. This is for someone who is very flexible with their travel arrangements, not for someone who needs specific flying dates.  For those who just want the mileage detail, skip to the bottom.  With that being said….

 

Once you experience flying business class or better, the thought of not having expedited security/customs and a fully flat bed is unfathomable.  Having to go back to fighting over armrests, knees dug into the seat in front of you, and a few inches of recline for a 10-14 hour long haul leg is no longer an option.  That might sound somewhat elitist, but trust me when I say that I'm not some upper crust snob.  If I had to classify myself, I'm middle class on an income bar.  That means that while my preference is business class, my wallet is more economy.  So, what to do now that I got the taste of higher end airline travel? 

 

As many of you already know, airlines offer miles/point frequent flyer programs.  They were initially for those who, well, frequently flew.  It was their loyalty reward program.  In the recent decade, these FF programs have expanded out of the airlines industry and now include shopping, rentals, services, research, and dining.  That means, one can earn miles for things outside of buying an airline ticket.  Now that they programs are so robust in terms of earning potential, entrepreneurial people like myself have turned mile earning into a hobby and have figured out methods and hacks to get the most out of their programs.  What I'm about to list is just the basic mile collecting that just about anyone can do without having to get into the more detailed hacks.

 

__________________________________________

 

 

In the attached chart, the actual mileage purchase was $1,881.25.  That was to buy 50,000 miles at regular fare ($.035 cents a mile, plus taxes/fees) and I got a 100% mileage bonus during specific and often targeted bonus periods.  I won't get into the nitty gritty about per mile value in this piece, but most people agree that this is a good deal.  If you figure that an economy ticket from NYC to BKK would run anywhere from $1,500 - 1,700 currently, then spending $1,881.25 on miles to translate to a business class ticket is a steal.  Particularly when considering the dollar value of that type of ticket is anywhere between $3,500. - $6,000.   I'm amazed that some people actually buy tickets at those fairs, but I guess it is relative to your income.  Here's how the simple points game is done:

 

Buying Miles:       Pretty much all airlines offer miles to purchase.  This is handy if you need to top off your account to get an award ticket, but otherwise a bad idea because the per mile expense exceeds that of outright buying an economy ticket.  Things get more favorable during bonus periods where you can get anywhere from 10-100% bonus on miles.  If your target is business class or higher, then buying miles during these bonus periods is a great way to get a solid base going or to put a significant amount of miles in your pool that would normally take several months to earn through the below means.  My personal take is that I will already be spending at least $1,500-1,700. on travel per trip to LOS, so why not spend a couple hundred dollar more to travel in lay-down comfort?  I usually max out purchases during 100% bonuses, but that's just me.  This is not ideal if your target is economy, but then again, this post isn't about getting a coach seat. 

 

Storefront:     You earn miles for every $ spent through their shopping portal.  The shopping portal is just a series of links to regular online stores.  Your frequent flyer program gets credit for sending shoppers to these links, and the airline and store spread the wealth by giving you mileage credit for your purchase.  Typical range is 1-18 miles per dollar, but it fluctuate often with higher values during holidays.  I tend to do all my Xmas shopping through this portal, and even do some work purchases through this portal.  I have a business credit card, so I can get miles for purchases that don't touch my personal bank account.  I figure that I'd make most of these purchases anyway, so why not capitalize on them by getting miles?  They also do sign up bonuses from time to time and give out realistic holiday spend bonuses.

 

Dining:      US Airways and United (maybe others) have dining programs where you sign up, register your credit cards (any under your name) and every time you dine at their listed restaurants, you get miles for every dollar.  3 miles per dollar for the first 12 dines, and 5 per dollar thereafter.  They also do signup promotions from time to time.  Quite a few of the restaurants I frequent are on the list, so again, why not get the miles if I'm already eating at these places?  The service is unobtrusive, as you only need to enter the card number, not the expiration date or CSV code. 

 

Surveys:    There are a few research companies that conduct online consumer surveys.  These research companies are partners with the top tier airlines, so you can set up an account and earn miles for taking 5-20 minute surveys.  You actually earn virtual $ or points, and when you hit specific tiers, you trade them in for miles.  These programs also offer sign up bonuses from time to time.  The biggest names are E-Rewards and E-Miles.  There are a few others that have varying degrees of results.  No money spent--just a time commitment. 

 

Services:   There are a few services that give miles for signup and service use.  The one I used was Energy Plus.  That is an electricity provider, so anyone with deregulated utilities and set up this service.  At the time, they were giving a 5,000 sign up bonus.  that occasionally goes up to 10,000 (I'm kicking myself for not waiting).  No commitment, so when I get the miles, I'm out.  Theoretically, they could actually save me a bit on utilities, but judging by their track record, I doubt it.  Again, this is something I'd be spending money on anyway.  Capitalize!  Other services are investing, Lasik, insurance, dental plans, cell phone sign up bonus (if you plan to switch), Satellite TV, etc.

 

Wine Clubs:   This is more of a Storefront item, but it is so lucrative, that it deserves its own section.  The particular one I signed up for had a 5,000 sign up bonus.  Your commitment is for 3 months min to get the miles, but that gives you 18 bottles of wine, and two bottle carry tote, and 5,450 miles.  All said and done, this one is a little pricey at about $15. a bottle of wine, but I drink a lot of wine anyway, and would most likely spend this much money anyway with or without the program.  I'm still quitting after this third shipment. 

 

So, with just a little effort and virtually no money spent that I wouldn't already be spending, I earned and purchased over 120,000 miles in less than a year and for less than $2,000.  When it comes time to book, they'll whack me for a few more fees, but I'm still killing it in terms of savings for business class.  The next step, award booking, isn't a cakewalk though, so re-read my disclaimer above. 

 

On 23/05/2013 at 13:55, Little Evil said:

 

From what bgtp posted, it sounds like only the top tier Chase cards offer 1:1 with airlines.  However, that list doesn't actually include all cards, such as the regular Chase Sapphire card (there is a regular and "Preferred" version).  It would help to know which Chase card you earned those points with to figure out a route to get miles.  I have a feeling that if you have Ultimate Rewards, you should be able to trade 1:1 no matter what card.  That is one of the often advertised perks of the Ultimate Reward program.  The disclaimer is probably for mid to lower end cards such as Slate.  Again though, I don't use this program, so research is suggested.  

 

Here is a post for consolidating certain Chase Ultimate rewards accounts.  Could be helpful if it proves true that your current card doesn't trade 1:1 with airlines, but you end up getting the Sapphire Preferred.  

 

http://themilesprofessor.com/2013/04/20/combine-transfer-chase-freedom-preferred-ink-ultimate-rewards/

 

 

Edited to say that I just checked EVA airlines.  Don't know much about them, but Aug trips to BKK from LAX (default in search) were around $2k USD.  Is that right?  Seems so cheap.  I was expecting at least twice that amount.  I wish I lived on the west coast now.  

I always fly JFK-HEL-BKK on finnair business class. I pay for the ticket $2800 round trip, two round trips gives me 160,000 miles because I am at platinum status,  then the next two trips I buy economy at £900 then use the miles earned to upgrade to business class total cost $7600 for 4 R/T Business class or $1900 per R/T

[Little Evil]

Bad news for AA card holders. Seems like both programs (Citi Platinum/Exec and Barclays Aviator Silver) are borking the 10% award rebate come May of this year. I have both--not really sure why I've held on to both, as this rebate never stacked in the first place. I'm definitely axing the Citi. May hold on to the Aviator because of the 3X on AA purchases. Makes buying points even cheaper when you get 3X the purchase price in points too. They both added some minor features, but nothing to get too excited about. Lowered spend requirement for companion tickets to $20k/year. Aviator changed inflight purchase perk to a flat out $25 credit each flight day which isn't too shabby, but still not a good trade for the points rebate. 

[Luv2Phuket]

I was disappointed that they dropped the 10% rebate, although I don’t know that I even USED it! 555

Bigger disappointment for me was the reduced EQDs from Silver spend. As of 2020, it becomes pretty much nonexistent for me, as I do NOT plan to hit 50,000 annual spend. I usually hit my EQDs. EQMs pose the bigger problem for me.

The other “AA news” today is their new partnership with Hyatt, where status flows over and you get points/miles for spend without effecting current mileage/hotel point accrual. It’s not live yet, but I will jump on it as soon as it is. Basically, it will net me some gratis Hyatt points for the upcoming AA trips that I have scheduled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Luv2Phuket]

Increased transfer offers from AMEX MR to Cathay Asia Miles:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/maximize-amex-transfer-bonus-for-solid-award-redemptions-to-asia-and-europe/?utm_medium=social&utm_term=editorial&utm_campaign=100000283516778&utm_source=TWITTER

I was surprised that their required miles for LAX-HKG were so competitive with AA and United.