Weekly Review: May 12, 2018

I spent this past week doing a quick round the world trip to review new products, and now I’m spending a week on the ground in the US, which means I’ve been planning my next couple of adventures, which I’m still finalizing the details of. In a couple of weeks I’m headed to Italy and Greece thanks to a great Emirates first class fare, which will earn me a ton of Alaska miles.

On the points & travel front, this week Alaska announced some negative changes when it comes to their fee structure, WestJet revealed their new 787 interiors, Spirit announced they’d be adding inflight Wi-Fi, Amex introduced a new 100K welcome bonus on the Business Platinum Card, and more.

With that out of the way, here’s a recap of this week on the blog:

Featured Stories

Does My Credit Card Offer Rental Car Insurance?

Whether we’re seeking lounge access, generous sign-up bonuses, or a shortcut to the next level of airline status (my personal favorite), most of us probably have a credit card strategy that is based on some perks that we are really excited to use.

But there’s a whole other side to the equation – a side that doesn’t get the same level of attention, but can end up being the biggest money-saver – and those are the perks that you don’t want to ever have to use. One of the best examples of this is rental car collision insurance.

And in case you’re wondering if I have any experience with this, why yes, yes I do. And don’t worry, you’ll hear all about it very soon.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: An Easy Start To Earning Ultimate Rewards Points

Before the launch of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was pretty much the card for beginners who wanted to start earning Ultimate Rewards points. For many, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still the preferred starting point.

Not only is this the first card many people get that earns Ultimate Rewards points, it’s the first card many people get that earn any kind of points. In fact, it was my first rewards card so I guess you can partly credit (blame?) it for my obsession with award travel.

To be clear, this post is designed to be accessible to those new (or newer) to miles and points, and long-time OMAAT readers may not find as much valuable info in this post as in some others.

What Are The Best Uses Of Qantas Points?

Qantas Frequent Flyer is by far the most profitable division of the entire Qantas Group. Qantas points are often referred to in the Australian media as ‘Australia’s de-facto second currency.’ For an airline the size of Qantas they have an enormous loyalty base and it makes a lot of money.

Why? Because in comparison with US frequent flyer programs, it is not a very good value program.  It is very easy to earn plenty of Qantas points but the values to redeem them are high.

Tiffany and I were talking about her recent trip to Australia, and she mentioned that while she was enjoying some delicious short-ribs in a Melbourne restaurant they were promoting reducing the bill by $20 for every 4,000 Qantas points you exchanged.

I pointed out that for only 0.5c per point, this was terrible value, even for Qantas points.

So we got to talking about what better uses might exist.

TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos

5 Reasons You SHOULDN’T Use An Airline Credit Card
So, Does That Collision Coverage Actually Work?
Chase Sapphire Preferred: An Easy Start To Earning Ultimate Rewards Points
The New British Airways Visa 100K Sign-Up Bonus: Crunching The Numbers
New 100K Amex Platinum Business Card Welcome Bonus
3 Hours Only: Buy A Fairmont Gift Card With A 20% Bonus
SAS Brings Back Kids Fly For (Almost) Free
IHG Flash Sale: Stay 2+ Nights At Kimpton, Get A Free Night At Any IHG Hotel
Good Luck: Daily Getaways Is Selling Hyatt Points For 1.1 Cents Each (Or Less)
Does My Credit Card Offer Rental Car Insurance?
Fly All You Want Around Norway This Summer For $435
Two Hotel Credit Cards To Consider Instead Of Marriott’s New Card
Reader’s Experience Getting Approved For First Business Credit Card
Great Deal: Buy Fairmont Gift Cards With 20% Bonus
HURRY: Cheap Air France First Class Fares From Istanbul To Sao Paulo

TRICKS: Redeeming Miles

How Much Are Ultimate Rewards Points Worth?
What Are The Best Uses Of Qantas Points?
Alaska Mileage Plan Is Making (Minor) Award Chart Changes
Choice Privileges Now Lets You Book Awards 100 Days In Advance
The Lufthansa First Class Floodgates Are Open!
British Airways Now Lets You Redeem Avios To Select Seats
More Opportunities To Book Lufthansa First Class Awards In Advance!
When Is Hyatt Points + Cash Not A Good Deal?
Don’t Fall For Delta’s New “SkyMiles Deals”

TRAVEL With Ben (Lucky)

A Series Of Unfortunate Events #2: Credit Card Required At Check-In
Why The UK’s Registered Traveller Program Is Worth It
Planning A South Pacific Island-Hopping Adventure
Comparing The Domestic Flight Experience On Delta And American
Planning A Second Rate First Class Asian Adventure
What’s Next For The Blog?

REVIEWS & Trip Reports

Review: Etihad Lounge Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
Review: Park Hyatt Paris Vendome
Hong Kong Airlines A350 Business Class In 10 Pictures
Cathay Dragon A330 First Class In 10 Pictures
Review: British Airways Concorde Room London Heathrow Airport
Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class In 10 Pictures
Review: British Airways First Class 787 San Jose To London
Vietnam Airlines 787 Business Class In 10 Pictures
Review: The Club At SJC

NEWS & Updates

Spirit Airlines Is Introducing Inflight Wifi
United States & United Arab Emirates Reach Deal On Open Skies
IHG Rewards Club Access: New Experiences Marketplace
Update On My Hacked IHG Account
EL AL Is Reportedly Refusing To Pay Compensation For Flight Delays
Apply Now For A Denali Road Lottery Permit
WOW Air Expected To Announce Flights To Delhi Next Week
WestJet Apologizes For Asking Passengers To Record Employees
United Considering Major Airbus A330neo Or Boeing 787 Order
Marriott Updates Lifetime Status Requirements & More
British Airways Intends To Lease Three Qatar Airways A330s
Alaska Airlines Increases Change & Cancelation Fees (And More)
WestJet Reveals New 787 Interiors & Livery
Video: Angry Hotel Clerk Calls Guest A “F*cking Monkey”
Some Interesting Priority Pass Insights
Welcome To The OMAAT Team, Steph!
North Korea Wants To Launch International Flights And Open Up Airspace
Miami Airport Gets Two New Priority Pass Restaurants
Etihad Rumored To Be Canceling Plane Orders As Part Of Restructuring
Changes Reportedly Coming To The Chase Sapphire Reserve
American AAdvantage Has A New Companion Upgrade Policy

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!