Delta Retracts Pricey Fuel Surcharges on Virgin Atlantic Awards

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.

Delta Flash Sale: 20k Roundtrip to Florida, 25k to Caribbean

Through May 10, 2017 at 11:59 PM ET, you can book roundtrips in Delta economy...

to Florida for as little as 20k miles
to the Caribbean for as little as 25k miles

...for travel September 25 through November 14.Travel can originate in the contiguous 48 states or Alaska.

Technically the advertisement says as little as 20k miles roundtrip to Florida OR the Caribbean, but my initial scans only showed 25k roundtrips to the Caribbean.

This is a pretty good price to Florida, although the discount to the Caribbean is better. Not to mention--what would you really be saving your

Comparison of United, Delta, & American Airlines Latest 2017 Award Charts

Which airline has the best miles and frequent flyer program? United, American, and Delta are the big three legacy carriers that most directly compete with each other in the United States. For that reason, I publish charts that compare their award prices.

United and American Airlines currently have award charts that were devalued in February 2014 and March 2016 respectively. Delta's is in a state of constant devaluation with frequent unannounced price changes that come into effect for flights flown a few months later.

Delta & Alaska End Partnership May 1

Delta and Alaska Airlines are completely severing their partnership as of May 1, 2017. If you were planning on redeeming Alaska miles on a Delta flight, or a Delta miles on an Alaska flight, do so by April 30.
What This Means
No more codeshare agreement, no more earning miles nor elite credits, and no more redemptions of miles on each others flights.

Below is the timetable released by Delta of which flights on Alaska, depending on when they were/are booked, will earn SkyMiles.

Delta Flash Sale: 105k Roundtrip in Delta One to Brazil, Argentina, & Chile

Through April 19, 2017 (this Wednesday) at 11:59 PM ET, you can book roundtrips to southern South America in Delta One for travel August through November 16 for only 105,000 Delta miles. The standard price is 145,000 miles roundtrip. You can also book roundtrips in Delta economy for 50,000 miles compared to the standard roundtrip price of 60,000 miles.

This isn’t a particularly amazing award price to the bottom of the Americas in a flat bed.

Delta’s at it Again: Partner Award Devaluation

I hope you weren't saving your Delta miles for an award flying a partner airline like Virgin Atlantic or China Eastern, or you might be sorely disappointed the next time you check out delta.com.

In the beginning of 2015, Delta got rid of their online award charts. The price of a Delta award became whatever Delta's computers said it was. Travel is Free has the latest aggregation of standard Delta award prices, but at the end of the day those prices don't matter if they don't match your search results.

Anatomy of an Award: Buenos Aires Rio on Aerolíneas Argentinas & Gol

In February, my parents flew down to South America to join me for a trip in Rio de Janiero, followed by a week spent in Buenos Aires, the location I call home for at least half the year.

I booked them in United Business between Charleston, SC and Rio de Janiero using United miles, and LATAM Business between Buenos Aires and Miami using American Airlines miles.

The Cheapest Ways to Get to Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the best places in the world to visit, and judging by the number of inquiries I get about booking awards to Hawaii, it's clear that many people agree. There are a number of cheap ways to get there that I'll list in order.

1. Korean Miles Award: 25,000 Korean Miles and $11 Roundtrip, First Class 45,000 Korean Miles Roundtrip

Korean miles can book a roundtrip in Delta economy from anywhere in the United States to any of the four major Hawaiian islands for 25,000 Korean miles.

5 Ways to Earn Miles You Probably Didn’t Know About

The majority of us earn heaps of miles through sign up bonuses, maximizing category bonuses on credit cards, and flying. And at the end of the day, credit cards are the bread and butter that enable most of us to fly free in First Class.

But there are lots of other ways to earn miles, many of which are passive and all of which require little effort.

All Year! 4+ Transatlantic Flat Bed Seats per Flight

Jet Airways is releasing 4+ economy and Business Class award seats per flight from Toronto to Amsterdam all year.
The flights can be booked with American Airlines and Delta miles.
Connections from the US to Toronto and Amsterdam to the rest of the Europe are easy and free.

Jet Airways, an Indian carrier, recently revamped its route network, so its only North American flight is Toronto to Amsterdam, with connections from there to India.

Jet Airways is a partner of American Airlines and Delta miles, and both types of miles can be used to book Jet Airways award space