Airline Status Isn’t What It Used to Be
In today’s travel landscape, airline status doesn’t seem to carry the same weight it once did. Travelers loyal to American Airlines, Delta, and United are finding that upgrades are becoming fewer and farther between, even at higher tiers of status. The question many flyers now face: is chasing status really worth the effort anymore… READ MORE
Unlocking the Value of American Airlines Status
For frequent flyers, achieving airline status can make the difference between a cramped, frustrating travel experience and one that feels just a little more rewarding. American Airlines offers one of the most versatile and accessible status programs in the industry, and after holding every tier from Platinum to Executive Platinum, I’ve discovered several strategies and hidden perks that can help travelers maximize the value of their loyalty… READ MORE
Why I Keep Earning United Miles Even Though I Don’t Like Them
Today, I rarely fly United unless it’s highly convenient or an unbeatable international deal. I downgraded my United credit cards to just the no-fee Gateway card, mainly to keep a United account open in case things change. Yet, despite my disappointment with MileagePlus, I continue to earn thousands of United miles each year… READ MORE
2025 Status Requirements for United, American, and Delta
In 2025, United Airlines is implementing significant changes to its MileagePlus program, particularly affecting Premier status qualifications and benefits. These adjustments are noteworthy when compared to the loyalty programs of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines… READ MORE
How to Use Iberia Avios and British Airways Avios for Top-Value Flights
Iberia Avios, the loyalty currency for Iberia Airlines, offers impressive redemption opportunities, especially for those seeking business class travel between the U.S. and Europe. Iberia’s reward redemption rates for a one-way business class flight across the Atlantic can be as low as 34,000 Avios. This is a remarkable value when compared to the higher redemption rates typically required by other airlines… READ MORE
British Airways Business Class Review: Luxurious Experience Marred by High Taxes and Fees
We recently flew British Airways Club World Business Class from Rome to Washington, D.C. The experience was pleasant and certainly better than any economy or premium economy experience, but we felt somewhat let down by the high taxes and fees we paid… READ MORE
Stacking American Airlines Loyalty Points
The American Airlines loyalty program has become one of the major airlines’ most popular and talked about programs. In 2022, American Airlines completely overhauled the program, eliminating miles flown and the amount of money spent directly with the airline as the primary metrics for earning status. They replaced the previous requirements with their new Loyalty Points program, which focuses on a single metric, loyalty points, that can be reached in multiple ways. Paid flights, credit card spending, hotel purchases, car rentals, and a shopping portal were ways that members could earn LPs for status. The LPs required to meet status thresholds seem high at first glance. Still, considering the various ways flyers can accumulate them, American status is now easier to achieve than status with their primary competitors… READ MORE
Airline Review: Delta Comfort+
On my first trip after receiving the card, I was pleasantly surprised. One of the card’s exciting perks is adding the cardholder to the upgrade list on Delta-operated flights (when you pay with the Delta Reserve Card). Upgrades are for Delta One and Comfort+ and clear after all status holders, placing non-status Delta Reserve cardholders at the bottom of the upgrade list. Because of this, I assumed that cardholder status would only amount to a few upgrades… READ MORE
United MileagePlus X: Super-Powered Rewards App
There are many great shopping portals and phone apps that provide extra rewards for people willing to put in the time to learn and use them. Most airlines have shopping portals that shoppers can use to earn additional air miles, and several credit card providers have portals where rebates can be exchanged for retail gift cards. Ratuken and similar sites provide cash refunds for products purchased through their portal, and apps like Fetch allow users to upload receipts from almost every purchase to accumulate reward points that can be exchanged for gift cards. All such apps and portals are super-powered for the reward hunter because the rewards they provide are in addition to the points or cash-back shoppers earn with their credit cards.
Yet, in my experience, one program stands out above the rest of the pack: the United Airlines MileagePlus X app… READ MORE
The Rewards Master 