Anatomy of an Award: Buenos Aires to São Paulo for 9k Points

A few months ago I booked Iberia Business Class from São Paulo to Madrid with 42,500 Avios because of the great mileage price tag and the lack of fuel surcharges departing from Brazil where fuel surcharges are illegal. This left a hole in my itinerary between Buenos Aires and São Paulo.

Here’s an index to give my whole travel experience from Argentina to Spain some cohesion.

25% Transfer Bonus AMEX to Hawaiian Miles

Until June 21, 2017, there is a 25% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Miles.

Membership Rewards to JetBlue 25% Transfer Bonus Means 1:1 Rate

Transfers of Membership Rewards to JetBlue TrueBlue points will have a 25% bonus through 11:59 pm MT, May 31, 2017.

This could be a good deal if you have an immediate use for TrueBlue points. In other words, if there’s a cheap JetBlue flight you want to book and you have ThankYou Points, pay attention.

30% Transfer Bonus: Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic

Transfers of American Express Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic miles will have a 30% bonus through May 22, 2017.

This is a fantastic deal that sets up a chance to book one way awards to Europe for 8,000 Membership Rewards+ $150.

You must transfer Membership Rewards in 1,000 point increments, so until May 22:

1,000 Membership Rewards = 1,300 Virgin Atlantic miles

Three Reasons Why You Want Virgin Atlantic Miles
1.

How Long Does it Take Membership Rewards to Transfer?

Transferable points are points you earn from a credit card that you can transfer to many different types of airline miles or other points. They are valuable because they give you so much flexibility. Each airline program has strengths and weaknesses in terms of the number of miles you need and the availability from point A to point B.

How Long Does it Take Membership Rewards to Transfer?

Transferable points are points you earn from a credit card that you can transfer to many different types of airline miles or other points. They are valuable because they give you so much flexibility. Each airline program has strengths and weaknesses in terms of the number of miles you need and the availability from point A to point B.

My Next Two Credit Cards

Update 2/7/2017: I received an email that I have earned the bonus on the Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard. The miles are also now in my account.

100k Business Platinum Card’s $450 Annual Fee Waived the First Year?!

There are data points rolling in from Reddit of people claiming the $450 annual fee on their American Express Business Platinum card is (unexpectedly) waived the first year.

This is not true of every single report, but many have noticed in their card agreements with American Express a line about the $450 annual fee being waived for the first year of card membership.

In case you missed the news: through January 25, 2017, the American Express Business Platinum Card is offering 100,000 total bonus Membership Rewards after spending $15,000 in the first three months.

How to Maximize Domestic Award Redemptions: Wrap Up & Index

Earlier this year I published a series about how to maximize each type of transferrable point when redeeming on domestic awards. By doing so, all the major types of miles were covered.
Series Index

How to Maximize Domestic Award Redemptions: Ultimate Rewards
How to Maximize Domestic Award Redemptions: Membership Rewards
How to Maximize Domestic Award Redemptions: ThankYou Points
How to Maximize Domestic Award Redemptions: Starpoints (SPG)

Let's talk about the highlights of what we've learned. Below I'll include basic details of valuable ways to redeem your miles on an award within the United States.

Earn Double the Rewards On Your Amex at Small Businesses Through 2016

Through December 31, 2016, you can earn double the rewards on purchases that normally fall into the non-bonused category of spend when you use your Amex card at eligible small businesses. The only stipulation is that you register your card first.