From the desk of the Devil's Advocate... British Airways' mileage program (called Avios) is known as a fantastic way to redeem for cheap short haul flights. Thanks to their 2011 award chart "devaluation" that converted Avios into a distance-based redemption … [Read more...]
Earn up to 125K Avios on Premium Cabin Travel
British Airways announced a promotion this morning that offers up to 125,000 Avios points when you fly in business or first class by January 10, 2015. These must be transatlantic, round-trip flights and the offer is valid for new bookings only. However, travel … [Read more...]
British Airways Adds 72-Hour Hold for a Fee
British Airways announced this week that it is offering a 72-hour "fare lock" service very similar to one already offered by United Airlines. For just $10 on flights originating in the U.S., you can hold a quoted itinerary and pay that same price when you go … [Read more...]
How to Plan Your Itinerary
My guess is 99% of people plan their trip by doing a search from A to B. Not me. I like to know my options before I run my search so I can exclude bad connections or force especially good ones. Relying on a dumb computer to tell you how to get to your … [Read more...]
An Even Better AAdvantage Award to Africa
Last week, Seth at the Wandering Aramean posted "A better AAdvantage award to Africa," where he discussed getting around American's award routing rule restriction to Africa by using Qatar Airways. American Airlines usually only allows travelers to transit … [Read more...]
Use British Airways Avios on SriLankan Airlines
Yesterday, SriLankan Airlines joined the oneworld alliance, becoming the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join a major alliance (there are reports Air India may join Star Alliance, but that saga has been going on and on like an unedited Bollywood … [Read more...]
You Can Now Book US Airways with Avios Online
March 31st is the Oneworld join date for US Airways, and it’s already Monday in the UK. You can now book flights on US Airways with Avios on britishairways.com US Airways has hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington DC (DCA/National). They … [Read more...]
Which Companion Fares Save You Money?
Many airline-branded credit cards come with discounted companion fares. These can be one-off coupons you earn each year or ongoing benefits anytime you book a ticket. However, individual circumstances are extremely important if you expect to save money. Most … [Read more...]
Is It Fair to Charge Extra for Booking Awards by Phone?
If you need to book a flight over the phone -- whether a revenue or award ticket -- you’ll probably be asked to pay a fee of $25 or more. Fees are usually waived for elite frequent flyers. Average customers can avoid most fees by booking most revenue tickets … [Read more...]
100K Avios Offer Returns for British Airways Visa
After a brief hiatus (about a month), the 100K Avios sign-up offer for the British Airways Visa card from Chase is back -- but the annual fee is no longer waived as far as I can tell. This offer is only available on the British Airways website as far as I can … [Read more...]
