Deal originally posted April 22, 2012. Deal ends November 1, 2014. Post updated 10/13/14:

Southwest Airlines and Airtran Airways' three-year merger is almost complete. For over two years, transfers have been allowed between Southwest's Rapid Rewards loyalty program and Airtran's A+ loyalty program.

These transfers present an arbitrage opportunity that caps roundtrip award flights at 19,200 Southwest points (the normal cost of a $274 award.)

This is a cool trick that can save you major Rapid Rewards.

For a long time, a major weakness of American Airlines miles has been that American Airlines Business Class featured exclusively angled lie flat seats.

New Codes at 7:13 PM ET

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There are four Business Class award seats available every day in June 2015 on Japan Airlines' flight from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan. Hat tip to reader Oren for passing along the tip.

The award space is bookable with American Airlines and US Airways miles much for as low as 50,000 miles each way. There are excellent connection options to and from Los Angeles and Osaka, so this space effectively connects all of the United States with all of Asia.

Unfortunately the seat servicing the route is angled lie flat.

Reader Steve passes along a great deal for people with lots of Marriott points.

Until October 31, 2014, you can get a 20% bonus when you transfer Marriott points to American Airlines miles.

This includes Marriott-points-to-miles transfers and transfers of Marriott points to hotel and air packages.

What are hotel and air packages?
Why are hotel and air packages often a better deal than just transferring to miles?
What airline transfer partner of Marriott points is always 10-20% better than other options?

Marriott points can be transferred to airline miles of most major airlines.

Marriott and United launched a partnership

Uber is my favorite way to get around. I no longer call or flag down taxis. On a recent trip to San Francisco and Los Angeles, I didn’t rent a car, using Uber to get around instead.

Uber is the world’s best taxi service because it has clean, courteous drivers and the easiest ride-ordering app imaginable. Tap, tap, tap, and a car whose progress you can track towards you is on its way.

American Express is currently running a promotion with Uber during which new and existing Uber customers can get a $10 American Express statement credit.

The 50,000 mile bonus offer has returned on the Premier Miles & More® World MasterCard® from Barclaycard.

The Premier Miles & More® World MasterCard® now comes with 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days. After meeting the spending requirement, you'll have enough Lufthansa Miles & More miles for a roundtrip in business class to Europe.

We've seen the same bonus run three times in the last two years, and it has been overwhelmingly popular.

Asiana has the best award chart in the Star Alliance. That means that you can book any of the 27 Star Alliance airlines, including United, for fewer miles on many routes with Asiana miles than with better known programs like United, Lufthansa, LifeMiles, Singapore, and Air Canada.

Asiana is a 1:1 transfer partner of Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints.

According to Delta's website: "Round-the-World Award Tickets will not be issued on or after January 1, 2015." (Hat Tip Delta Points)

I called Delta at 800-323-2323 to ask about booking a RTW award, and the agent said that it was just announced today to representatives that RTW awards would no longer be bookable starting January 1, 2015. She said it was a short communique announcing their demise.

I mused aloud, "I wonder why," to see if she had any insight into the thinking.

Citi ThankYou Points, which transfer to nine airlines plus Hilton, can be freely shared among ThankYou accounts.

Right now the Citi ThankYou® Premier Card offers 40,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

If you and your travel partner have both offered this card or if you have opened the ThankYou Premier and the Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, you can freely combine balances before redeeming the points for airline miles or free flights.

What is the one big restriction on shared points?
What are the two best ways to redeem ThankYou Points?

Sharing Points