Here’s a roundup of the week’s points, miles and travel industry news you may have missed:
Earn 3x/4x British Airways Avios for Hilton Stays
Earn 4x Avios for stays at participating London Hilton hotels and 3x Avios for stays at participating Hilton properties in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You must first register for the promotion and stay before December 13, 2015. Make sure you’re signed up for the Hilton HHonors program, have selected British Airways as your Preferred Travel Partner and set Points and Miles as your preferred Earning Style.
Targeted: Earn 2x Southwest Points on Fall Flights
Southwest Airlines sent out emails to select customers offering 2x points on flights until November 18, 2015. The flights will only earn the 2x points if they’re booked after you register for the promotion. The terms and conditions state that only those who received an email can register. Bonus points won’t count toward A-List, A-List Preferred or Companion Pass qualification.
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard Eliminates Foreign Transaction Fees
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard will no longer charge foreign transaction fees, starting November 15, 2015. At the same time, the card is doing away with one of its previous perks: As of November 15, you’ll no longer earn a $100 American Airlines flight discount on your membership anniversary date after spending $30,000 in a calendar year. Other card benefits include a limited-time sign-up bonus of 50,000 AAdvantage miles after $3,000 in purchases within the first three months, as well as 10% of your redeemed miles back — up to 10,000 miles per calendar year.
British Airways to Introduce Boeing 777-300 with First Class on San Diego-London Route
Starting March 27, 2016, passengers in San Diego will be able to fly to London in first class on a four-cabin Boeing 777-300. The new aircraft accommodates 297 customers: 14 in first class, 56 in Club World (business class), 44 in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and 183 in World Traveller (economy). Until March 27, British Airways’ Boeing 777-200 will continue to operate on this route.
American and Delta End Their Interline Agreement
Effective September 15, AA and Delta have ended their interline agreement (the lowest level of cooperation between airlines), which allowed them to sell tickets on each other’s flights. What does this mean for passengers? Going forward, neither airline will offer services, such as the ability to rebook passengers at discounted rates on the other carrier when flight disruptions occur. Without an interline agreement, passengers will have to buy two separate tickets if their trip includes flights on both carriers, and they’ll have to pick up and recheck any checked bags if there are flight disruptions.
Earn 3x/4x Jet Airways Miles
Jet Airways is offering Jet Privilege members bonus miles for flying. You can earn 4x JPMiles in first class and 3x JPMiles in Première/business class when you fly on Jet Airways, Etihad Airways, Alitalia, airberlin, Air Serbia and Air Seychelles. You must first register for the promotion, and you have until September 28, 2015 to book flights. Eligible travel dates are between September 25-December 15, 2015.
Up to 70% Bonus on Purchased Points with Virgin America Elevate
Now through September 23, when you buy at least 5,000 Elevate points, you’ll earn a 70% bonus. You can buy a maximum of 20,000 points (plus a 14,000-point bonus) for $1,040, which brings the cost per point to about 3.06 cents. TPG values Elevate points at 1.5-2.3 cents apiece, so this bonus isn’t necessarily the best deal. Still, if you have a particular redemption in mind, the bonus could help bring it in reach for a lower cash outlay.
Free Entrance to National Parks on September 26, 2015
State parks that typically charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on September 26, 2015 in honor of National Public Lands Day. The following parks, which are located near major airports, are participating:
San Francisco Maritime Park, CA (fly into SFO or OAK)
Everglades National Park, FL (fly into MIA)
Saguaro National Park, AZ (fly into TUS)
Adams National Historic Park, MA (fly into BOS)
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