Frontier Airlines Introduces Upgrades And No Change Fees

View From The Wing: "Ultra-low cost carrier Frontier Airlines has been struggling. Their bread and butter leisure routes have seen increased competition from major airlines, who learned to pivot away from relying on business travel. Consumers, flush with a demand for experiences and souped up balance sheets from pandemic payments, traded up for legacy airlines. They don’t have the sort of loyalty revenue that bigger airlines do. And their costs have been rising to attract and retain scarce employees."

"Now the airline says it is eliminating change fees on most fares, and that is… sort of true? They’re introducing more “fare bundles” that consumers can buy. And when consumers spend more than the traditional deep discount Frontier Airlines fare, they get waived change fees bundled in with their fare. In some sense this is not even new."

Add Economy Flight To Business Class Award, Use Fewer Alaska Miles

Thrifty Traveler: "Most business class fares between the U.S. and Europe now clock in at 55,000 miles each way – or more flying to and from the West Coast. But if you add a connection in economy in the States or on the other side of the pond, you can cut the final price as low as 45,000 miles each way."

AutoCamp X Hilton Partnership Announced

Monkey Miles: "Hilton just announced that they’re partnering with AutoCamp ( ummmm who? ) with the ability to earn and burn points at AutoCamp sites starting with their property in Cape Cod."

"It looks like, from what I can ascertain, is it focuses on the segment of traveler that love the outdoors, but don’t necessarily want to completely rough it, so they provide campsites with a large, communal clubhouses, where you can individually rent out cabins, tents, and luxury AirStreams that surround it."

New Marriott Timeshare Offers - San Diego Or Las Vegas

Travel on Points: "There is a new Marriott timeshare offer that I was emailed about and wanted to share with you. This one requires you to actually visit a property, versus their online offer that pops up sometimes. It appears this is targeted, since it has a invitation number, but it may be worth calling and trying for it anyway."

United Gives Up On Two LAX Routes To Oceania

Live And Let's Fly: "United has struggled to fill planes to the South Pacific, with flights to Auckland, New Zealand averaging a load factor of 68% and flights to Brisbane only 58%. While United will not pull out of either city, it will attempt to stop the bleeding by suspending both routes from Los Angeles and consolidating service from its other hub in California, San Francisco."

Alaska Airlines Pushing First Class Upgrades

One Mile At A Time: "Historically, Alaska hasn’t put much effort into selling first class upgrades in advance, prior to check-in. However, that appears to have changed, as Alaska is now consistently encouraging passengers to pay to upgrade to first class."

"This was only recently implemented, and as of now there are more questions than answers. It would appear that for the most part, the upgrade cost is simply the fare difference between economy class and first class. This is good news for those looking for a complimentary elite upgrade, and bad news for those looking to pay to upgrade."

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Expected To Open Late 2024

One Mile At A Time: "The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is currently expected to open in late 2024, though isn’t yet accepting reservations. The hotel will be located in Kuala Lumpur’s new Merdeka 118 building, which isn’t only the tallest skyscraper in the city, but the tallest building in all of Asia-Pacific."

Points Wire Note:

Traditionally, luxury properties in Kuala Lumpur have some great rates. I'll be curious to see how the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur compares. It certainly has the potential to be a great Hyatt Privé option for cash stays!

Best Western Summer Promo: Earn 20,000 Points

Loyalty Lobby: "Best Western Rewards members can earn a 10,000 bonus every three nights for up to 20,000 bonus points after six nights. Members will then receive an email invitation to register for an additional promotion for double or triple points."

Stays between May 20 and September 2, 2024 are eligible.

Direct link to offer

New Delta Promo Makes Elite Status Easier To Earn

Thrifty Traveler: "After a major (and majorly unpopular) overhaul nearly doubled the annual spending requirements, earning Delta Medallion Status isn't right for everyone. But a brand new promotion from Delta could make it a bit easier."

"For a limited time, booking hotels, vacation rentals, or rental cars through Delta's dedicated travel site for a trip this summer will add to your balance of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), the critical spending requirement you need to hit to earn or requalify for status with the Atlanta-based airline. Each $1 you spend on lodging gets you 1 MQD."

Hyatt Expanding Footprint in Latin American And Caribbean

Market Watch: "Hyatt Hotels plans to open more than 30 new hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America through 2027 as it seeks to grow its presence in holiday destinations across the region."

"With openings planned in the beach town of Miches, Dominican Republic, and on the island of St. Lucia, the company said Friday it's tapping into strong travel demand across all customer segments"