Happy Holidays MileValue Readers!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus... whatever you may celebrate--or boycott--at the end of the year, I hope you celebrate it well with loved ones. I wanted to send a quick thank you to all of those who support this blog, whether that be through credit card applications, the Award Booking Service, or just by being an active reader and commenter. We wouldn't be here without you!

And a big thank you for your continued support and patience during this period of transition for MileValue.

Guide to Restaurants & Bars in Buenos Aires

I am the token friend that lives in South America. That means I get emails pretty regularly from family members and friends who are planning travel to Buenos Aires asking for advice about where to eat and drink in the city. The requests became more frequent over time, so for ease I started a Google Document that I could share with whoever wanted a little intel about the Paris of South America.

I started the document a few years ago and it's grown into a comprehensive list.

I’m Back! Preview of Tuscany Trip Report

Hey everyone! It's been a while since you've heard from me as I just took a three week trip in Italy with my parents and boyfriend.

Below is a little taste of what my September looked like.

Our first destination was Fatorria di Maino, a hotel on an olive oil farm in the hills overlooking Florence.

United Business Class to Australia Widely Available Early Aussie Winter

The cheapest level of Business Class award space on United--that is also the only kind of award space bookable with partner miles--is pretty wide open in the early winter months of Australia's winter, which is early summer in the United States. May and June 2019 have the most days available, and with a few scattered seats open in April, July, and August. All beds are fully lie-flat.

This is news because it's not common to see this many Business Class award seats open to Australia, a notoriously hard destination to get to with miles.

Southwest to Hawaii News: Buy & Fly by Late Fall 2018

Southwest held a meeting in Honolulu yesterday that revealed approximate dates Southwest flights will go on sale and commence service. We also learned that Southwest will keep its awesome two free checked bags/free flight change policies for flights between Hawaii and the mainland.

Executive Vice President; Chief Revenue Officer Andy Watterson told the Beat of Hawaii that the announcement of flights will come by October at the latest, and service would "begin possibly just weeks thereafter".

Tons of Singapore Business Award Space Between EWR & SIN

October 11 is the day Singapore resumes services on the longest flight in the world between Singapore and Newark. Singapore previously flew this route until 2013 when they got rid of the one type of plane they had capable of the long haul flight. One of Singapore's new A350-900ULR, loaded only with premium economy and Business seats, no economy, will make the ~18 hour journey in each direction.

While the Singapore to Newark route was announced (and went on sale) at the end of May, premium cabin award space wasn't too hot until just recently.

Trip Report: Florianópolis, Brazil

With 42 options to choose from, Florianópolis, Brazil is a beach mecca so beautiful that locals call it the Magic Island. Most of the city is a 33 mile long island called Santa Catarina, with just a tiny portion of the city spreading to mainland Brazil.

The only dense parts of the "city" are the small sections on either sides of the bridge connecting the mainland to the island.

Trip Report: Buzios, Brazil

I recently spent two weeks in Buzios, Brazil. Only a 3ish hour drive from Rio de Janeiro, Buzios is an easy and enjoyable side trip if you're planning a vacation in Rio.

Buzios is a resort town nestled into a hilly peninsula with over 20 beaches. The water is a beautiful shade of dark turquoise and green, and the beaches are sandy and often lined with jungle covered hills. It's a popular spot for Brazilian and Argentine tourists, so if you don't want to share the beaches with lots of people, avoid the end of December through February.

Life as a Flight Attendant

I have a friend from childhood who works as a flight attendant for a major legacy carrier based in the United States. We have recently exchanged emails catching up a bit and I took the opportunity to ask some questions about her career. As frequent flyers, I'm sure you guys will find her answers interesting!

Emma Dare has been working as a flight attendant since 2014. All the photos in this post are from her travels.

Sarah Page: Hey Emma Dare! Thank you for taking some time to answer my questions.