SAS To Join SkyTeam In Q2

One Mile At A Time: "As you’d expect, Air France-KLM investing in SAS has major implications for passengers at the airline. SAS will be leaving the Star Alliance, of which it’s a founding member, and will instead join the SkyTeam alliance. While there’s no exact date yet, this is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2024, so somewhere between April and June."

Points Wire Note:

SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) has a solid business class product but isn't know for releasing much award space. I'll be curious to see if this changes with Air France-KLM's investment. If SAS does start releasing award space, the next questions will be how many Flying Blue miles will be required and what the carrier-imposed surcharges will be.

FTU DC Conference: I'm Doing A Talk On Using Points For Luxury Flights

If you're in Washington, DC this weekend, I'll be speaking at the FTU event on Saturday, February 24. Naturally I'll be talking about booking premium cabin flights, specifically first class, with points and miles - my favorite!

For those already attending, make sure you say hi!

Tickets to the event are $149 (or $100 for FTU Online Members) and include admission to the Travel & Adventure Show as well.

Direct link to event details

Capital One Wants To Acquire Discover

Bloomberg: "Capital One Financial Corp. is exploring a potential acquisition of credit-card lender Discover Financial Services that would rank as one of the largest deals globally so far this year, people with knowledge of the matter said."

"McLean, Virginia-based Capital One is working with advisers and has been holding talks with Discover about a deal, the people said. Shares of Discover have fallen about 2% this year, valuing the Riverwoods, Illinois-based company at $27.6 billion, while Capital One has a market capitalization of about $52.2 billion."

Points Wire Note:

This would also give Capital One access to Discover's processing network which is a smaller competitor to Visa and Mastercard. If this acquisition is approved by regulators, Capital One would have its own in-house processing network just like American Express.

Rosewood Hotels Valentine's Day Gift Card Promo

For Valentine's Day, Rosewood Hotels is running a gift card promo. If you buy a $500+ Rosewood gift card (or e-gift card) by midnight PST on February 19, 2024, you can get a 10% bonus e-gift card on top of it. For example, if you buy a $1,000 gift card, you'll get a bonus gift card worth $100. This comes out to ~9% off.

It's not a massive discount, but it's rare for luxury hotel brands to offer promos like this so it's a fun way to save a little.

For stays abroad, Rosewood uses Oanda to calculate the currency exchange rate.

If you plan to book a Rosewood stay, make sure you book through a travel advisor with access to Rosewood Elite - I'm on of these advisors. Just by booking a Rosewood Elite rate, you can get extra perks such as a room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, a $100 property credit, etc.

Rosewood Elite is actually one of my favorite preferred booking programs because individual properties can tailor the benefits they offer. For example, Rosewood Mayakoba offers a $125 property credit while other properties offer special welcome amenities.

If you'd like to book, fill out my Rosewood request form.

Amex Centurion Lounge Opens In Atlanta

One Mile At A Time: "An Amex Centurion Lounge is finally opening at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The new lounge is roughly 26,000 square feet, making it the largest Centurion Lounge by far. As a point of comparison, the previous largest Centurion Lounge was in New York (JFK), and that lounge is around 15,000 square feet."

"The Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta is located in Concourse E, near gate E11. All terminals in Atlanta are connected airside, so this lounge can be used by all passengers."

Points Wire Note:

A Centurion Lounge at the busiest airport in the US. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this lounge is going to be packed!

Emirates Announces Miami To Bogota Flight

UPDATE: Emirates will start flying this fifth freedom route on June 3, 2024. 

One Mile At A Time: "A couple of years ago, I wrote about how there was talk of Emirates potentially launching a new route between Miami and Bogota. At the time, it seemed like a long shot."

"There’s now an exciting update, as this seems close to becoming a reality. Not only has Emirates requested permission with Colombian authorities to launch this route, but the airline has also updated its schedule in a way that suggests this service is happening."

Points Wire Note:

The flight time between Miami and Bogota is only 3.5 to 4 hours, but this will be one of the best ways to fly business class - possibly first class - to South America.

It's Now Easier To Book Virgin's Best Business Class Seat

Head for Points: "Virgin Atlantic made it difficult to book the Retreat Suite. It’s not clear if this was because of concerns over last minute aircraft swaps (which would require refunds) or because it wanted to create an air of excitement. You could only book the Retreat Suite from 14 days before departure. They opened up at 14 days, to the minute, before take-off."

"Quietly – and this is not currently reflected on the Virgin Atlantic website – the rules have changed. You can now lock in the Retreat Suite at the time of booking or at any point afterwards."

Starlux Airlines Opens New Taipei Lounge

One Mile At A Time: "As of February 1, 2024, Starlux is opening a second Galactic Lounge in Taipei, specifically in Terminal 2. Not only will this add lounge capacity, but it means that the airline will operate its own lounge prior to departures to the United States, rather than sending passengers to contract lounges."

Points Wire Note:

I flew Starlux Airlines business class from Taipei to Los Angeles last year and this is going to be a huge upgrade compared to the contract lounge they've been using!

Italy Is More Than Just The Major Tourist Hot Spots

God Save The Points: "When it comes to summer travel, Italy is firmly circled on every map. Thanks, White Lotus for making that a thing for the next forever time."

"Getting out of major cities and into seriously beautiful secondary cities, or picturesque towns not only helps to avoid what crowds do exist, but to gain greater appreciation for true Italian lifestyle and rustic beauty."

Points Wire Note:

With the option to book ITA Airways non-stop between the U.S. and Rome (or Milan), you can fly into Italy and take trains to other cites.

You can book award tickets on ITA Airways with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Both programs are transfer partners of Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Points.

Chase Opens Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport

One Mile At A Time: "Today (Tuesday, January 16, 2024), the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club has opened at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA). The two-floor Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia is 21,800 square feet, and it’s the largest lounge in the network to date."

"Well, it seems to be like the Chase Sapphire Lounge New York LaGuardia really takes the lounge network to the next level — the lounge is massive, and features complimentary spa treatments, amazing food and drinks, and even barista coffee. While I haven’t visited the lounge yet, this sounds to me like it might just be the best credit card lounge in the United States to date."

Chase Sapphire Lounge Access Rules In The U.S.

Two cards provide unlimited access with two complimentary guests via Priority Pass:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Ritz-Carlton Credit Card

If you have a Priority Pass membership via another credit card or that you've purchased, you can access a Chase Sapphire Lounge in the U.S. once per calendar year. Additional visit will cost $75 as will guests. Without Priority Pass, you can pay $100 per visit.

Finally, you can only access a Chase Sapphire Lounge within three hours of departure. However, this restriction is waived if you are connecting.