Iberia awards are now searchable and bookable on aa.com!

AA.com has been slowly increasing the number of partners bookable online. You can now search and book on aa.com:

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
airberlin
British Airways
Finnair
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia
Qantas
Royal Jordanian

Many other partners are not bookable on aa.com. They must be searched on ba.com or other places and booked by calling in.

American Airlines does collect fuel surcharges on Iberia flights, but they are much smaller than fuel surcharges on British Airways flights.

This year I flew Belavia--Belarus's flag carrier--from Nice, France to Minsk, Belarus, and from Minsk to Prague, Czechia.

(I spent five days in Belarus visa-free under the new policy that allows such visits. Here is my experience with the five-day visa free program.)

Flying Belavia was mostly like flying a normal airline with a few exceptions.
Check In
Check in in Nice started two hours before departure and was handled by non-Belavia employees.

Until July 5, 2017 the Platinum Delta credit card offers 70,000 bonus miles and the Gold Delta card offers 60,000 bonus miles.

Southwest is having its twice-yearly big fare sale now through Thursday for flights from August to December. Fares start at $49 and include two free checked bags.

Because Southwest points have a (nearly) fixed value, awards are also on sale starting from 2,300 points + $5.60.

This sale is a great deal for anyone who wants to travel in the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, or the Caribbean this Fall, especially anyone with Southwest points or the ridiculously-easy-to-get Southwest Companion Pass.
How to Find the Deals
Click the deals page and look for your home airport.

Lonely Planet just named Zagreb, Croatia #1 on its "Best in Europe" hot list for 2017. I've spent the last three months here, so here's my guide to Zagreb.
Overall
It's laughable for Lonely Planet to tout Zagreb as the #1 destination in Europe. It doesn't stack up against other destinations like Paris, London, or Prague for sights, things to do, food, or along other typical tourist dimensions. Nor is it an undiscovered gem.

There seemed to be enough interest in my original post on premium cabin award space to Honolulu that I followed up with the next most popular destination in Hawaii: Maui, and will now cover premium cabin award space to Kona (KOA), the third busiest airport in Hawaii on the big island.

Hello from the verdant Santiago de Compostela, Spain! The picture above is the view from the kitchen table in my Airbnb, overlooking Alameda Park, just a five minute walk from the famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This town in Galicia is the end of the famous Camino de Santiago (or The Way of St. James), a pilgrimage that millions have made to visit the shrine of the apostle St.

Through June 2, 2017 at 11:59 CT (today and tomorrow), United is offering up to a 67% bonus on purchased miles.

The frequent flyer community freaked out over the weekend when expensive fuel surcharges popped on Delta awards flying partner Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class from the United States to Europe.

Delta already collects fuel surcharges on partner awards that originate in Europe.

But out of pocket costs skyrocketed a few days ago to around $500 for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class awards originating in the United States, and everyone thought it was yet another unannounced dig from Delta because, well, it wouldn't be that surprising. Delta devalues their award prices all the time with no notice.

The offers on this page have expired.

Today and tomorrow, May 30 and 31, are the last days to take advantage of the limited time elevated sign up bonuses–the highest we’ve ever seen–on the Hilton Honors Card and the Hilton Surpass Card, both issued by American Express.

We recommend using Hilton points on lower tier Hiltons, as you tend to get a better value for your points. Aim for what used to be Category 1 - 3 Hiltons (priced at 5k to 20k points a night).