We’ve just rolled out some major changes here at OMAAT, and I’m very excited about them. So that I don’t bury the lede, let me just say that I think these changes are universally positive, and I hope that people enjoy them half as much as we’ve enjoyed putting this together. Nothing is changing for the worse, and (hopefully) a lot is changing for the better.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
Marriott Bonvoy has just launched its newest promotion on purchased points, which is only the program’s third such offer of the year. Different members seem to be eligible for different offers, with a typical bonus range of 40-50%. While it’s not for everyone, it has the potential to represent a good deal, so let’s go over the details.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
If you have credit cards for long enough, you’ll almost certainly deal with credit card fraud at some point. The good news is that if you simply have unauthorized charges, credit card issuers offer a high level of protection, so that you’re not on the hook for those charges, as long as you report them in time.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
When Lufthansa introduced its new Allegris business class, the airline also started charging for seat assignments in business class. The logic was that Allegris offers customers a choice of seating options, and that comes at a cost.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards has introduced its latest promotion on purchased points, with different members being eligible for different offers. The best offer is for up to a 50% discount, which could be an opportunity to buy points for 1.5 cents each.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
Luxury hotel group Aman has just opened its newest resort, which has also been in the pipeline for a very, very long time. This represents the brand’s first property in Mexico, and it may have just become the country’s most expensive hotel.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
American Airlines recently rolled out a new passenger experience on its long haul flights, particularly with the introduction of its Flagship Suite business class, as well as its front-row Flagship Suite Preferred. While this product is finally being offered on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s that are assigned certain routes, we’re also going to see some existing planes reconfigured.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
Southwest Airlines has just introduced an incredibly generous promotion, which we see several times per year. With this, you can earn a promotional Companion Pass after booking a single roundtrip ticket, and that could be a great deal.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig4 Aug
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just certified the Boeing 737 MAX 7, which is the smallest variant of the 737 MAX family. This is a development that Southwest Airlines has been anticipating for years, but that’s about the only airline that cares.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Back in 2019, plans were announced for an exciting new Park Hyatt resort in Vietnam. The property has been massively behind schedule on its planned 2022 opening. However, there’s finally some positive news, as the hotel has opened for bookings… only time will tell if that timeline sticks, though (thanks to Christophe for flagging this).
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Airlines love launching branded collaborations, because, well… people care about brands. In 2024, we saw Delta and Shake Shack launch a partnership for first class catering, which has perhaps been one of the most talked about airline collaborations we’ve seen.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Earlier, I covered how American is making major changes to the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard (learn more), which is also the card that offers an Admirals Club membership. This change is part of a larger overhaul of how American sells Admirals Club memberships, so I’d like to talk about that in this post.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard (learn more) is American’s most premium credit card, issued by Citi. A refresh of this card has just been announced, roughly three years since we saw the last refresh. The good news is that this one isn’t as major of an overhaul as we saw last time.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
At the moment, it’s possible to earn up to a 40% bonus when you transfer Citi ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. However, the bonus isn’t being offered on Citi’s end, but instead, is being offered on Turkish Airlines’ end.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Have you ever gotten a free upgrade and then immediately started complaining about how you don’t like the seat? Right, neither have I, but that is exactly what I witnessed on my recent SWISS Senses A350 first class flight…
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
A lot of drug smuggling happens by airplane, and it’s not totally uncommon to see pilots and flight attendants involved, given how much they travel, plus the special privileges they have at some airports.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
The Amex Membership Rewards program in the United States has just launched a lucrative new transfer bonus. Specifically, you can get 30% more Avios when you move points to any partner Avios currency, and that unlocks a lot of potential value. Let’s go over the details, as I imagine that many people will be interested in taking advantage of this.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
The Amex Offers programfrequently has promotions for hotel stays, which can save you money or earn you bonus points for stays youd make anyway. We’ve just seen a new offer rolled out for stays at select luxury Accor brands, which could come in handy if you have any upcoming stays.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is an alliance of (mostly small) hotel groups that dont otherwise belong to major hotel loyalty programs, and GHA Discovery is the loyalty program of these hotels.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig3 Aug
Singapore Airlines is known for its great first class experience (marketed as First Class on the 777, and Suites Class on the A380) — the airline has a great onboard experience, and a very good lounge at its Singapore Changi hub.
One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig2 Aug