Alaska Airlines Discounts Award Flights by 40%

Alaska Airlines has been a leader in award sales, regularly discounting award flights to lower-demand destinations.

The sales have been more or less attractive, depending on the number of flights on sale and the restrictions governing their use. The latest sale falls on the less attractive end of the spectrum.

Offer Details

Through October 5, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can book select award flights for 7,500 miles each way, as follows:

Travel period

• Between October 4 and November 16

Travel days

• Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday

Eligible routes

• Between Seattle or Portland and Burbank, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Diego, Orange County, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, or Sacramento
• Between Boise and San Jose or Sacramento

Deal or No Deal

With the day-of-the-week restrictions and limited routes, this is among the least compelling of Alaska's award sales.

On the other hand, it's a hefty 40 percent discount.

And unlike the recent JetBlue award discount, which gave travelers less than 48 hours to book at the lower rates, Alaska's booking window is more than a week.

Bottom line: If you can work within the sale's constraints, this is a great way to get where you're going for fewer miles.

Reader Reality Check

Does this sale work for you? Or is it just too restrictive?

Other Posts of Interest

• Which Airline Programs Are the Most (and Least) Generous?
• 20% Off JetBlue TrueBlue Awards - Snooze You Lose!
• Double Southwest Points on Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Phoenix Flights
• Alaska Airlines Doubles the Miles for Fall Flights
• United, Continental Discount Award Flights by 20%

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Hilton's 4th Quarter Promotion Is "Fast Ways to Free Stays"

Hilton's "Fast Ways to Free Stays" is the last of the major fall hotel promotions to be announced. It was worth waiting for.

Offer Details

Between October 1 and December 31, Hilton HHonors members may choose between the following two bonuses for stays at participating Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Homewood Suites, and Waldorf Astoria hotels:

• Double points for all qualifying stays
• A free night certificate after four stays or 10 nights

Free night certificates may be redeemed for stays at any Hilton family hotel.

There's no limit to the number of bonus points or free nights that may be earned through the promotion.

Program members must register in advance for one or the other offer, and may not switch once the choice has been made.

There are around 250 non-participating hotels. Most are in the U.S., so be sure to check in advance.

Deal or No Deal

Hilton isn't the only hotel group offering a free night for fall stays. Carlson is offering a free night after a single two-night stay at Country Inns & Suites. And Marriott is offering a free night after two or more stays.

But the Carlson and Marriott promotions both include significant constraints and restrictions on earning and redeeming the free nights, while the Hilton free nights are relatively restriction-free.

That makes Hilton's free-night offer a solid value, especially for travelers who will be logging multiple one-night stays at lower-priced properties.

For those who won't qualify for a free night, the double points on offer aren't particularly compelling given the availability of equivalent or superior bonuses from other hotel chains.

Reader Reality Check

Which of the fall hotel promotions do you plan to take advantage of?

Other Posts of Interest

• Fall Hotel Promotions, Compared
• Carlson's Free-Night Promotion Could Cost You
• This Fall, Earn 2,000 US Air Miles for Marriott Stays
• Earn Up to 80,000 Priority Club Bonus Points for Fall Stays
• Hyatt's Possibilities Promo: 5,000 Bonus Points After Every Three Nights
• Another Marriott Option: Up to 30,000 Miles for Fall Stays
• Up to Triple Points for Best Western Stays
• Starwood Offers Double, Triple Points for Fall Stays
• Choice Hotels Offers Quadruple Points for Fall Stays
• Marriott's New MegaBonus: One Free Night After Two Stays
• Hyatt Adds Elite Perks, Changes Award Prices
• Get Texts to Get 500 Priority Club Bonus Points
• Book InterCon Stays by Smartphone to Earn a Priority Club Bonus
• Book Priority Club Hotels for Just 5,000 Points With PointBreaks
• Hilton Points Go Further With Point Stretcher Awards
• Your Choice: Airline Miles or Hotel Points?

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Fall & Winter Hotel Promotions, Compared

The chart below summarizes key details of the system-wide hotel promotions for fall and winter 2011/2012.  (Click the image for larger view.)

We'll update the chart as additional hotel promotions come online.

Fall Hotel Promotions Reviewed in Depth

• From Wyndham: a Free Night After Two Stays
• Earn Up to 80,000 Priority Club Bonus Points for Fall Stays
• Hilton's 4th Quarter Promotion Is "Fast Ways to Free Stays"
• Marriott's New MegaBonus: One Free Night After Two Stays
• Another Marriott Option: Up to 30,000 Miles for Fall Stays
• Starwood Offers Double, Triple Points for Fall Stays

Other Posts of Interest

• Hyatt Adds Elite Perks, Changes Award Prices
• Get Texts to Get 500 Priority Club Bonus Points
• Book InterCon Stays by Smartphone to Earn a Priority Club Bonus
• Book Priority Club Hotels for Just 5,000 Points With PointBreaks
• Hilton Points Go Further With Point Stretcher Awards
• Visa Signature Cardholders Get Hilton Elite Perks
• Your Choice: Airline Miles or Hotel Points?

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

20% Off JetBlue TrueBlue Awards - Snooze You Lose!

Traditionally, airline award sales have featured short booking windows, presumably as a way of managing the limited number of seats earmarked for frequent-flyer program members.

While such snooze-you-lose tactics can be irritating, consumers generally understand the concept of a flash sale and accept the associated constraints.

This JetBlue award sale, however, will test the limits of TrueBlue members' understanding and patience.

Offer Details

TrueBlue members can book award travel on JetBlue flights for 20 percent fewer points by end-of-day today ("the earlier of 11:59 PM ET or local"), Wednesday, September 28.

Discounted awards are for travel between October 4 and December 15, with the following blackout dates: November 22-23, 26, and 28.

The discount only applies to flights on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and the final award price cannot be discounted below 5,000 points.

Deal or No Deal

No complaints about a 20 percent discount.

No complaints about the day-of-the-week restriction.

No complaints about the minimum award price.

But giving TrueBlue members less than 48 hours to become aware of the offer, consider it, and act? C'mon!

Reader Reality Check

If you were running JetBlue's loyalty program, how much time would you give members to respond to an award discount?

Other Posts of Interest

• Which Airline Programs Are the Most (and Least) Generous?
• Double Southwest Points on Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Phoenix Flights
• Alaska Airlines Doubles the Miles for Fall Flights
• United, Continental Discount Award Flights by 20%

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Win a Trip to "an Undisclosed Location"

Enter UrbanDaddy's "Vacationing in an Undisclosed Location" sweepstakes by October 7 for a chance to win a trip for two to an undisclosed location ("location to be selected at the sole discretion of the Administrator"), including air, three nights at a hotel in said undisclosed location, some meals, a $500 American Express gift card, and $2,000 worth of Tumi luggage ("specific luggage items selected at the sole discretion of the Administrator").

Approximate retail value: $4,700.

Receive one entry each time you register, but no more than one per day during the sweepstakes period.  Up to 10 bonus entries per day may be received for inviting friends to participate.

The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 21 years old at the time of entry. Void in Alaska, Hawaii, and where prohibited.

There's no telling where that undisclosed location might be.  But it looks like the airline tickets cost around $700 each.  So it's probably not a trip to Omaha.

Other Posts of Interest

• Best Travel Rewards Sweepstakes

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Earn Double Credits on All AirTran Routes

Between September 15 and November 7, A+ Rewards members can earn double credits for all AirTran credit-eligible one-way flights.

Advance registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

This offer is a case study in simplicity and value going hand-in-hand.

• All AirTran flights are eligible for the bonus. Check.
• Bonus applies to either coach or business class. Check.
• Bonus may be earned for both round-trip and one-way flights. Check.
• There's no limit to the number of bonus credits that may be earned. Check.

This promotion is refreshingly free of constraints, making it highly usable.

The biggest downside of the offer: its short duration, less than 10 weeks.

(While there is no set date, at some point, probably in the first half of 2012, Southwest will absorb AirTran's operations, including its frequent flyer program. So ultimately, A+ Rewards credits will be converted to points in Southwest's Rapid Rewards program. Those with a longer-term perspective, therefore, can view this as a Southwest promotion.)

Reader Reality Check

Thumbs up, or thumbs down?

Other Posts of Interest

• Which Airline Programs Are the Most (and Least) Generous?
• Double Southwest Points on Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Phoenix Flights
• Alaska Airlines Doubles the Miles for Fall Flights
• United, Continental Discount Award Flights by 20%

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Carlson's Free-Night Promotion Could Cost You

When is a free night not really free?

This Carlson promotion for fall stays is a case study in the potential costs of chasing "free."

Offer Details

Between October 2 and December 1, Carlson Club members will earn a free night certificate after completing a two-night stay at a participating Country Inns & Suites hotel, Sunday through Thursday, booked at the Free Night Fall rate. There's no limit to the number of free nights that may be earned.

The free night must be taken between December 15, 2011, and February 15, 2012.

Registration is required, by December 22.

Deal or No Deal

This promotion suffers from a short qualification period and, within that, day-of-the-week constraints.

Another negative: The two-month window to use the free night is awfully narrow.

The biggest downside, however, may be the requirement that bonus-eligible stays be booked at the Free Night Fall rate. In my test bookings, I consistently found lower rates for the same nights and room types.

For example, a search for Los Angeles-area Country Inns, arriving October 17 and departing October 19, displayed results for hotels in Calabasas and Ontario. At the former, the Free Night Fall rate was $119 per night, versus an available AAA rate of $107. And at the latter, the Free Night Fall rate of $91 was trumped by an AAA rate of $81.

Bottom line: While the free night makes for a compelling headline, this promotion is less enticing than it first appears. In particular, travelers should take the time to comparison-shop to be sure they're not overpaying to enjoy that "free" night.

Reader Reality Check

How much extra would you pay to earn a free night?

Other Posts of Interest

• Fall, Winter Hotel Promotions Compared
• This Fall, Earn 2,000 US Air Miles for Marriott Stays
• Earn Up to 80,000 Priority Club Bonus Points for Fall Stays
• Hyatt's Possibilities Promo: 5,000 Bonus Points After Every Three Nights
• Another Marriott Option: Up to 30,000 Miles for Fall Stays
• Up to Triple Points for Best Western Stays
• Starwood Offers Double, Triple Points for Fall Stays
• Choice Hotels Offers Quadruple Points for Fall Stays
• Marriott's New MegaBonus: One Free Night After Two Stays
• Hyatt Adds Elite Perks, Changes Award Prices
• Get Texts to Get 500 Priority Club Bonus Points
• Book InterCon Stays by Smartphone to Earn a Priority Club Bonus
• Book Priority Club Hotels for Just 5,000 Points With PointBreaks
• Hilton Points Go Further With Point Stretcher Awards
• Your Choice: Airline Miles or Hotel Points?

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

United Tweaks MileagePlus for 2012

In the run-up to the final consolidation of the MileagePlus and OnePass programs, there has been much speculation (and considerable worry) that the new program would be fundamentally redesigned along the lines of Southwest's revamped Rapid Rewards program, to directly link earnings with ticket prices.

United's announcement earlier this week put such rumors to rest.

While some of the changes, set to take effect in 2012, do move in the direction of rewarding more profitable customers, the overall program remains mileage- rather than revenue-based.

The highlights:

A fourth elite tier—Premier Platinum, earned after 75,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) or 90 elite-qualifying segments (EQSs)—will be added to the current three-tiered elite scheme.

Silver Premier is the new name for entry-level elite status, awarded after 25,000 EQMs or 30 EQSs, provided the member flies a minimum of four paid flights on United, Continental or Copa.

That four-flight minimum, which applies to qualification for all elite tiers, is new.

Also new for elites at this level: Complimentary upgrades to Economy Plus will be confirmed at time of check in, rather than at time of booking; and the checked bag fee waiver will apply only to one bag, rather than the two bags currently covered.

Fare-type bonuses will increase. Full-fare coach (Y, B) will earn a 25 percent bonus; discounted business class (Z, P) will earn a 50 percent bonus; full-fare business (J, C, D) and two-cabin first class (F, A) will earn a 75 percent bonus; and three-cabin first class (F, A) will earn a 150 percent bonus.

The new Million Miler program will award lifetime Gold, Platinum, 1K, or Global Services status to members and their spouses after earning 1, 2, 3, or 4 million miles, respectively.

Winners, Losers

For the great majority of MileagePlus members, the changes are of little interest or impact. For United's most frequent (and most profitable) customers, the easier access to Economy Plus seats and increased bonuses for pricier tickets will be pluses.

If there are any losers, it's United's entry-level Silver elites. While they may be the least profitable of the four elite groups, they are the most numerous. And ready access to Economy Plus has been among their most coveted benefits. The new Economy Plus upgrade policy will be a significant downgrade.

Reader Reality Check

How will the new program policies affect you?

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

The Best Current Frequent Flyer Deals & Offers

The only thing better than earning miles and points is earning more miles and points, and earning them faster.

Here we collect and summarize the best frequent flyer bonuses and discounts on offer from the airlines, hotels, rental car companies, and credit card issuers.

Know of a miles or points promotion that should be on our list but isn't? Let us know and we'll get it into the queue for a review.

Airline Promotions

• Double Elite-Qualifying Miles on Popular American Flights (3/31/2012)


• Southwest Offers Double Points for California, Denver, Atlanta Flights (3/31/12)


• Southwest Doubles the Points on Chicago-California Flights (3/31/2012)

Credit Card Promotions

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Comes With 50,000-Point Bonus (no published end date)


• New Priority Club Credit Cards Come With a Big Bonus (60,000 Points) (no published end date)


• United, Continental Align 2 Travel-Rewards Credit Cards (no published end date)

Hotel Promotions

• Winter 2012 Hotel Promotions, Compared

• Choice Hotels Doubles the Points for Winter Stays (2/29/12)


• Carlson Offers a Bonus for Award Stays) (2/29/12)


• Carlson's May Be the Best Winter Hotel Promotion (3/16/12)


• Hilton's First-Quarter Bonus Targets Weekend Stays (3/31/12)


• Another Hilton 1st Quarter Bonus: Airline Miles (3/31/12)


• Starwood's 1st Quarter Promo Is Double, Triple Points (4/8/12)


• Best Western Offers 1 Free Night After 3 Paid Nights (4/8/12)


• Marriott's Winter MegaBonus Is 1 Free Night After 2 Stays (4/30/12)


• Priority Club's Winter Promotion: Double Points or Miles (4/30/12)


• Marriott's New MegaMile Offer: 2,000 Miles Per Stay (4/30/12)


• Hyatt's Winter Promotion Is a Win for Road Warriors (4/30/12)

Rental Car Promotions

• n/a

Other Promotions

• n/a

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.

Double Southwest Points on Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Phoenix Flights

Between September 15 and November 7, Rapid Rewards members can earn double points for Southwest flights to or from Baltimore/Washington, Denver, and Phoenix.

With the bonus, program members earn 24 points (instead of the standard 12 points) per $1 spent on Business Select fares, 20 points (instead of 10 points) per $1 spent on Anytime fares, and 12 points (instead of six points) on Wanna Get Away fares.

Registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

Frontier is offering double miles system-wide—including many flights to and from its Denver hub—through September 30. Otherwise, Southwest's are the only bonuses on offer for these routes.

That makes this promotion a no-brainer for Southwest loyalists. And it could be reason enough for fans of other carriers to book their flights on Southwest as well.

Other Posts of Interest

• Which Airline Programs Are the Most (and Least) Generous?
• Alaska Airlines Doubles the Miles for Fall Flights
• United, Continental Discount Award Flights by 20%

Stay in Touch

For more news like this, sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. You can follow us on Twitter, too.