IHG Announces the Return of a Fantastic Promotion, The Big Win, for Early 2014

I almost never write about hotel promotions because they are constant and usually underwhelming except as a few extra points for business travelers who have their rooms paid for. The IHG Big Win is an exception.

IHG Rewards has announced a repeat of its current Big Win promotion for January 1 to April 30, 2014. The current Big Win has been running since September 1, 2013, and I've already earned 153,700 bonus IHG Rewards points for participating in it.

You can register for The New Big Win today to see your offers, which vary by person.

United No Longer Displays Singapore Award Space. Here’s How to Find It

Per this thread on Flyertalk, United.com no longer displays Singapore Airlines award space. This abrupt announcement might seem like terrible news to award bookers, but it's more of an inconvenience than anything else.

United.com is the easiest way to search for Star Alliance award space. It's far from a perfect booking tool, however.

Trip Report: Austrian Business Class from Vienna to Chicago

A few months ago, I flew from Oktoberfest to the Chicago Seminars. From Munich to Vienna, I flew Lufthansa business class. From Vienna to Chicago, I flew Austrian Airlines new business class product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG-Ou0vUnok

Overall I enjoyed Austrian Business Class.

Hurry: Last Chance to Get the 50k Mile Lufthansa Offer

The 50k mile bonus offer is back on the Lufthansa card mentioned in this post until 6/30/14.

Burn Delta Miles Now: Easy and Great Awards for Early 2014

Delta miles, an already low value type of miles, are being devalued further in 2014. The current award chart is only for flights flown by January 31, 2014. There is a separate chart for flights flown February 1 - May 31, 2014, and a third chart for flights flown from June 1, 2014 on.

For full details, see Delta’s Double Devaluation (Devalues its Devaluation) with No Notice.

The big changes are for business class awards.

Anatomy of an Award: Burn United Miles for Flat Bed Lufthansa Business Class Before the Devaluation

The 50k mile bonus offer is back on the Lufthansa card mentioned in this post until 6/30/14.

US Airways Will Leave Star Alliance March 30, 2014. US Airways MasterCard Will Be Updated in January.

US Airways announced yesterday that it is leaving the Star Alliance March 30, 2014 and joining oneworld March 31, 2014 as part of its merger with American Airlines that legally closed yesterday.

US *A exit date: 3/30/14.

Hurry, Lufthansa 50,000 Mile Card Offer Ends This Week

The 50k mile bonus offer is back on the Lufthansa card mentioned in this post until 6/30/14.

Comparison Table of United, US Airways, Delta, and American Airlines Award Charts

United and Delta have devalued their charts in the last few months, but American and US Airways, which close their merger tomorrow, have not devalued theirs recently.

I have made my own tables comparing the economy, business, and first class award prices on each of the big four US-based airlines' worst announced award chart.

For United, that is the chart for awards BOOKED February 1, 2014 and later. For Delta, that is the chart for awards FLOWN June 1, 2014 or later.