Aeroplan to Cut Minimum Miles Awarded for Short Flights

Beginning on August 1, members of the Aeroplan program will earn fewer miles for short-haul flights on Air Canada and other Star Alliance carriers.

The change affects the minimum mile rule. Currently, members earn a minimum of 500 miles, even for shorter flights. Post-change, the minimum will be just 250 miles. So a 100-mile flight will earn the new minimum, 250 miles, while a 300-mile flight will earn the actual number of flown miles, rather than the current minimum of 500 miles.

The new policy will not apply to the following:

• Air Canada Super Elite, Elite and Prestige members
• Aeroplan members flying Rapidair between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montreal or Ottawa, or between Toronto City Airport and Montreal

Like many such modest loyalty program devaluations, this change isn't serious enough to be a difference-maker. If Aeroplan works for you today, it will probably still meet your needs on and after August 1.

But it's a reminder that the rules of the game—and the value of your frequent flyer miles—can (and will) change at any time, likely for the worse, at the whim of the program operator.

Death by a thousand cuts is still death.

Reader Reality Check

Will this change impede your mileage earning? If so, is it enough to affect your participation in Aeroplan?

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Free First-Class Trip Around the World for Two, Anyone?

Since noting the launch of American's Deal 30—30 deals in as many days, to mark the 30th anniversary of the AAdvantage program—the deals haven't been especially blog-worthy.

Yesterday's deal, however, is a sweepstakes with a prize that makes it well worth the 20 seconds it takes to enter.

Offer Details

Through May 27, AAdvantage members can enter American's "Around the World" sweepstakes for a chance to win a first-class around-the-world trip for two on any combination of airlines participating in the oneworld global alliance, anchored by American and British Airways. The trip may include up to sixteen flight segments but cannot exceed 50,000 miles per passenger.

Travel must be ticketed by December 31, 2011, and completed by December 31, 2012.

And, presumably to prevent any unseemly hankypanky, "Winner's guest must be 18 years of age or older if not a member of winner's immediate family ..."

To enter, visit the Deal 30 landing page and click on the May 9th deal.

Deal or No Deal

The prize is a true once-in-a-lifetime trip. Your odds of winning are miniscule.

Are you feeling lucky?

Reader Reality Check

Well, are you?

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From American: Double Elite Miles Between Chicago and L.A., San Francisco

In a quick review of the past few months' blog posts, one subject category was conspicuous by its scarcity: mileage bonuses for airline flights.

After all, the primary focus of this blog is travel loyalty programs; the airline schemes are the largest such programs; and their overriding goal is (or was) to promote their own services.

No doubt the dearth of flight bonuses is at least in part related to the airlines' recent operational performance. For all the hand-wringing about profitability, they're flying full planes. Year-to-date through April, United just reported the load factor for its domestic routes was 82.1 percent. American's domestic load factor for the period was 79.6 percent. Southwest's was 78.7 percent. Those are healthy numbers, and there probably isn't much to be gained by offering mileage bonuses.

There are always exceptions to the rule, and this one is attention-worthy.

Offer Details

Between May 6 and August 31, AAdvantage members can earn double flight and elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) on non-stop American flights between Chicago and either Los Angeles or San Francisco.

To qualify for the bonus, your AAdvantage membership profile must show an address in California or Illinois.

Registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

• Double award and EQMs—good
• Almost four months to earn them—good
• Bonus limited to two flights—less good

Bottom line: If you're flying between Chicago and either of California's largest cities through the summer, this could be a difference-maker when choosing an airline, especially if elite status is a priority.

With the bonus, a round-trip to or from Los Angeles will net 6,890 EQMs, and a San Francisco trip is good for 7,384 EQMs.

Reader Reality Check

Remember when flight bonuses were plentiful and generous?

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Priority Club Launches Discounted Last Minute Reward Nights

InterContinental announced in March that it planned to introduce Last Minute Reward Nights—discounted rates on award stays during the first full weekend of every month.

They delivered on that promise this week, making available almost 130 U.S. hotels for booking this weekend—Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night—for 50 percent fewer points.

It's an idea that traces back to the early days of the Internet, when airlines first began promoting heavily discounted airfares for travel on selected routes the following weekend.

Late last year, United applied the concept to last-minute award tickets, but abruptly cancelled the feature several months later. US Airways, however, picked up on the idea and Dividend Miles MileSaver awards—selected weekend flights discounted 40 percent—are now a regular part of its program.

So while Priority Club can claim to be the first hotel program to offer discounted last-minute awards, they're hardly ground-breakers.

Deal or No Deal

To take advantage of the discounted rates, Priority Club members must book on the Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday prior to the weekend when the stays are used. That would have been difficult in this case, since many program members, myself included, received no advance notice of this month's Last Minute Rewards.

Let's just write those glitches off as technical issues that inevitably affect feature launches and focus on the long-term value of Last Minute Rewards.

For the first weekend, around 130 hotels were discounted, ranging from a host of Holiday Inn Expresses at 5,000 points (normally 10,000), to the Chicago O'Hare InterContinental at 15,000 points (normally 30,000).

A reasonable number of hotels, offered at a significant discount.

But as with last-minute airline fares and frequent flyer awards, the specifics are all-important. Is there a hotel you fancy, in an area you want to visit? If not, the discount is moot.

There's also the larger question raised by last-minute discounts.

Most travelers simply aren't disposed to making trip plans in haste. And the chances of a hotel you were already planning to use appearing on the Last Minute list are remote at best.

So this adds value only for what I take to be the very small segment of travelers who are willing and able to travel opportunistically and cobble together a trip with no advance planning, solely because it's affordable.

It's worth mentioning that there's a theory circulating in the frequent traveler community that the last-minute awards will supplant Priority Club's popular PointBreaks discounted awards. If true, that would be a significant setback to the program. Stay tuned.

Reader Reality Check

Do you consider this a compelling addition to the Priority Club Rewards program?

Which is more valuable to you: Last Minute Reward Nights or PointBreaks?

Hungry? Big Miles-for-Dining Bonuses Are Back

How lucrative are the airlines' (and hotels') dining-miles programs?

In 2008, I earned more than 25,000 miles for dining—enough for a free domestic ticket.

At the time, the airlines were routinely offering 10 miles per $1 spent at participating restaurants, and even more when there were special promotions in effect. Which was often. In addition, I was eating out several times a week, and there are plenty of Rewards Network restaurants within easy driving distance.

In other words, the stars were perfectly aligned for racking up significant numbers of miles while indulging in one of life's greatest pleasures.

Things are different today. For one thing, I'm eating out less often. But the bigger change has been the industry-wide ratcheting back of the promotions that made earning scores of dining miles a pretty effortless undertaking.

The promotions have been fewer and farther between. And they've been less generous.

The latest offers, however, are a refreshing return to the rich bonuses of past years.

Offer Details

The same basic promotion—1,000 bonus points after spending $100—is on offer to the members of the programs of Delta, United, US Airways, and InterContinental. The only difference is the maximum bonus: United has none, the others limit the number of bonus points to 5,000.

• Between May 1 and June 30, Delta SkyMiles members can earn 1,000 bonus miles for every $100 spent on eligible dines for which they submit a review within 30 days, up to a maximum of 5,000 bonus miles.
• Between May 1 and June 30, United Mileage Plus members can earn 1,000 bonus miles for every $100 spent on eligible dines for which they submit a review within 30 days, with no limit on the number of bonus miles earned.
• Between May 1 and June 30, US Airways Dividend Miles members can earn 1,000 bonus miles for every $100 spent on eligible dines for which they submit a review within 30 days, up to a maximum of 5,000 bonus miles.
• Between May 1 and June 30, InterContinental Hotels Group's Priority Club Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points for every $100 spent on eligible dines for which they submit a review within 30 days, up to a maximum of 5,000 bonus points.

In all cases, registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

Earning 1,000 bonus miles for $100 in spend amounts to 10 miles per $1, and that's over and above the five miles per $1 earned by active miles-for-dining members.

Kinda reminds me of the good old days.

Aside from the cap on the Delta, Priority Club, and US Airways offers, my only complaint amounts to a backhanded compliment—the promotions aren't in place long enough.

Reader Reality Check

Are dining miles a regular part of your loyalty program regimen?

If not, why not?

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Exchange Hotel Points for Up to 75% More US Airways Miles

When it comes to selling frequent flyer miles, US Airways has been among the most aggressive airlines, routinely offering significant discounts on the purchase of miles in its Dividend Miles program.

This latest promotion takes a slightly different tack, promoting the exchange of hotel points for US Airways miles.

Offer Details

Between May 1 and May 31, US Airways Dividend Miles members can earn up to 75 percent more miles when transferring points from participating hotel programs into their accounts, as follows:

• General members earn a 25 percent bonus
• Dividend Miles elite members earn an extra 25 percent
• Holders of US Airways credit or debit cards earn an extra 25 percent

So, an elite member who has a Dividend Miles-linked credit card would earn the full 75 percent bonus.

Participating hotel programs: Accor Hotels AClub, Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges, Carlson Gold Points Plus, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport, Marriott Rewards, Priority Club Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Wyndham Rewards.

Deal or No Deal

Do you have hotel points?

Do you need US Airways miles?

If you answered yes to both of the above two questions, this offer features uncommonly generous exchange rates, especially if you're an elite member of US Airways' program or have their credit card. And if you have Starwood Preferred Guest points, the deal is better still.

Starwood famously adds a 5,000-mile bonus for transfers of 20,000 miles, so combining that with the US Airways bonus could generate as many as 43,750 US Airways miles in exchange for 20,000 Starwood points.

Reader Reality Check

Ultimately, the value of this promotion turns on the value of US Airways miles. How much are US Airways miles worth to you? More or less than miles in other airline programs?

Other Posts of Interest

• Your Choice: Airline Miles or Hotel Points?

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From Priority Club: Double Points, Miles for Spring, Summer Stays

Details of Priority Club's upcoming promotion have been available for several weeks, but I've put off reviewing the offer because it doesn't take effect until May 16.

Now, though, with the offer's start date just two weeks away, it's time to add it to the list of hotel bonuses available for travel during the spring and early summer period.

Offer Details

Between May 16 and August 15, Priority Club Rewards members can earn double points or miles for the second and subsequent stays at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Holiday Inn Club Vacations hotels, and for every stay at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites hotels.

Registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

Unless you're a Priority Club loyalist, double miles or points is probably a less-than-compelling bonus, especially given the alternatives on offer from other hotel networks:

• Best Western - 500 bonus miles for the first stay, 750 miles for the second stay, 1,000 miles for the third and subsequent stays, between April 17 and June 5
• Hilton - 1,000 bonus miles per night, between April 1 and June 30
• Hyatt - 10,000 bonus points after five nights and 5,000 points for every two nights thereafter, between April 1 and June 30
• Starwood - One free resort night after three stays, between May 1 and July 31

Because the value of the above offers depends on your stay frequency and duration, and on your rewards priorities, it's impossible to categorically deem any one promotion the best, or the worst. What you have, though, are options—and that's always better than the alternative.

Reader Reality Check

Which of the available hotel promotions works best for you?

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