Frequent Miler: "Sonesta doesn’t have a published award chart, but the properties do have fixed redemption levels that range from 10K-50K points/night. There’s no off-peak/on-peak variance, so a 30K property always prices at 30K if there’s an award available, regardless of the time of year or cash price."
"However, an FM reader noticed that some of the 30K properties that she has been tracking were now pricing at 60K…effectively doubling the rate with no notice. Upon looking I found out that, not only was she right, but it was much more odd…every single Sonesta property appears to be priced at 60,000 points per night."
Dan's Deals: "Qatar Airways has provided an absurdly good award chart for AA and Alaska flights ever since they joined the Avios program and OneWorld."
"But outsized values never last forever and they have devalued their short-haul awards on AA and Alaska as of today."
Points Wire Note:
It's always frustrating when airlines hide award charts from consumers. This lack of transparency almost always leads to no-notice devaluations that hurt consumers.
Live And Let's Fly: "United Airlines has increased the pricing floor of its premium cabin “anytime” awards from 155K to 200K one-way to Europe or 220K to South America, as United continues to quietly raise redemption rates. There are some exceptions."
"United Airlines can repeat the mantra all day long that no award chart means there are no devaluations, but that is simply not the case for any MileagePlus member who closely monitors award pricing trends. Indeed, there are “price floors” that are observed across multiple dates and times, providing a baseline for evaluation. Yes, these prices are not guaranteed and the wise frequent flyer does not stash miles in United MileagePlus."
God Save The Points: "In the UK, British Airways struck a deal with Amex where cardholders receive enhanced seat availability when they look to redeem an earned companion voucher through the credit card, which can either cover the points for a second person, or be used to halve the number of points needed for one."
"How much more? On a recent trip to New York, my search went from four seats available all day across – like one scattered across all flights for a standard searcher — to more than 4 seats on most British Airways flights all day, giving me more like 40 seats to choose from. On some dates it was the difference in no seats at all, and many seats."
One Mile At A Time: "Hyatt has just introduced an exclusive alliance with Under Canvas, opening up some unique new lodging options that many World of Hyatt members will appreciate."
"For those not familiar with Under Canvas, the company has 13 outdoor resorts, which are primarily at national parks and other notable outdoor destinations. Properties include Under Canvas Bryce Canyon, Under Canvas Grand Canyon, Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase, Under Canvas Moab, Under Canvas Zion, and even ULUM Moab."
This new partnership is being rolled out as Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties. While you can redeem Hyatt points for stays at Under Canvas properties, it's often not a great use of Hyatt points.
Loyalty Lobby: "Air Canada’s Aeroplan has a new redemption partner, Eurowings, which is part of the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Edelweiss, and Discover)."
"Eurowings was previously part of Germanwings before these two brands were consolidated. Eurowings operates short-haul flights from German airports other than Munich or Frankfurt."
Please note that Eurowings is not a Star Alliance member. That means other Star Alliance loyalty programs won't be able to book awards on Eurowings unless they have their own agreement.
ANA Mileage Club will be increasing award flights on flights within Japan as of October 14, 2024. The new award rates are 5-20% higher than the current rates. ANA Mileage Club continues to have low, regular, and high season award rates, so the date you travel will determine the rate.
One Mile At A Time: "The Winston Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, will be joining Hyatt’s portfolio. The hotel is in the process of undergoing an extensive renovation, and once that’s completed, it will be branded as the Park Hyatt Johannesburg. While the renovation is taking longer than planned, the hotel is now accepting reservations for stays as of October 15, 2024."
Points Wire Note:
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg is not part of Hyatt Privé yet. I would expect it to be added soon i if you want to book with perks such as an upgraded, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 property credit. When it's available, you can book the Privé rate here.
If booking with points, this is a Category 5 property. The off-peak, standard, and peak award rates are 17,000 points, 20,000 points, and 23,000 points, respectively.
Upgraded Points: "EL AL, the flag carrier of Israel, has launched partnerships with several airlines over the past year. The latest partnership lets you redeem Flying Blue miles for flights on EL AL, and the rates are quite appealing."
"Even better, you might even pay less for business class than premium economy on some routes."
Head for Points flagged that British Airways devalued award rates for LATAM flights. You might recall that British Airways just recently increased award rates for flights on Alaska Airlines and American Airlines.
New Economy Award Rates By Flight Distance
I would imagine business class award rates have been devalued as well, but I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet.
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