1.   Double Points on Southwest Flights

Via Deals we Like, Southwest if extending the double points offer for booking paid flights AND traveling on those flights up to June 15, 2013.  You can register for the promotion via this page on the Southwest website.

Double Points on Southwest

You will earn double points which you can redeem for flights AND earn double elite status points, as long as you book and complete your travel by June 15, 2013.

This means that you will earn

•  12 points (instead of six points) per $1 on Wanna Get Away fares.
• 20 points (instead of ten points) per $1 on Anytime Fares
• 24 points (instead of the standard 12 points) per $1 on Business Select Fares

Each Southwest point is worth 1.67 cents towards the cheapest Wanna Get Away fares, so you’re getting  20 cents back per $1 spent or a 20% discount (12 Southwest points X 1.67 cents per Southwest point) for booking the cheapest Wanna Get Away fares.

You can cancel your paid Southwest flights for free and get a credit valid for 1 year from when you made the booking.  So it doesn’t hurt to see if the current prices for your upcoming trip are the same or lower than when you booked, and register for the double promotion and re-book.

2.  Bonus Aeroplan Miles Via Partners

Loyalty Lobby writes that Aeroplan, the frequent flyer program for Air Canada, is offering bonus miles for select partner activity, through August 31, 2013.

The contest is specifically targeted for Canadians, so it is unclear if US residents are excluded from the contest or if they are excluded from the partner earning as well.

Step 1

Go to Aeroplan’s Around the World page on Facebook, then click the “Like” button.

Step 1- Like Aeroplan’s “Around the World” Facebook Page

Step 2

Enter your Aeroplan frequent flyer number on the next page.  Then click the “Register Now” button.

Step 2 – Enter Aeroplan Number & Click Register

Step 3

After registering, you will be able to earn bonus miles through the following partner offers:

Aeroplan Partner Offers

3.   30% Bonus on Purchases of United Miles

The Points Guy writes that United is offering up to a 30% discount on purchases of miles, through May 20, 2013.  These miles can either be bought or gifted to someone else.

Just like with American’s bonus for purchases of miles, the bonus miles awarded vary based on the total number of miles purchased.  In fact, the tiered bonus structure for buying United miles is almost exactly the same as American Airlines’:

• Purchase/Gift 20,000 to 29,000 Miles = Earn 5,000 Bonus Miles
• Purchase/Gift 30,000 to 39,000 Miles = Earn 8,250 Bonus Miles
• Purchase/Gift 40,000+ Miles = Earn 12,000 Bonus Miles

Buying miles usually doesn’t make sense unless you need to top off your account for an award, or unless you’ve done the math to see that it makes sense for you.  As always, just because something is on “sale” doesn’t mean it is a good deal!

Through this offer, you can purchase up to 100,000 miles, which is the maximum you can purchase in any one year.  Also, your MileagePlus account must have been opened for at least 10 days.

Here’s a link to the Terms and Conditions of the promotion.

4.  Discounted Award Tickets to Las Vegas

American Airlines is offering discounted award tickets to Las Vegas through May 31, 2013.  Through this offer, award tickets from within the continental US to Las Vegas are only 10,000 miles, each way.  But it really isn’t worth it because of black-out days and the $75 close-in ticketing fee unless you were going to go to Las Vegas in any case.

American Airlines Award Tickets to Las Vegas for 10,000 Miles Each Way

I did a quick search for flights out from Kansas City, and American Airlines website showed the award price as 10,000 miles each way for travel before May 31, 2013.

American Airlines Award Tickets to Las Vegas for 10,000 Miles Each Way

However, travel from May 23, 2013 to May 25, 2013 and May 27, 2013 to May 28, 2013 is excluded from this offer, per the Terms and Conditions.  So you just have a few days to take advantage of this offer!

In addition, booking an award during before May 31, 2013 will cost you $75 extra for a close-in ticketing fee.  So this isn’t really worth it unless you wanted to go to Los Vegas in any case.

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Welcome to the next interview in our interview series where travel bloggers share their insights on having Big Travel with Small Money!

Miles & Points Interview: Free Travel Genius

Dave writes Free Travel Genius to show his wife and family how to travel the world for less.

Jerusalem

How and when did you start collecting miles and points?

I joined American Airlines’ AAdvantage on Thursday March 30, 1989 at the ripe age of 13 and never looked back.  

Why did you start your blog?  What’s special about it?

In the first 7 months of 2011, I took my wife to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Tanzania, Netherlands, Israel and France.  The longest of those flights were in first or business class and we stayed at many luxury hotels.  We didn’t pay for any of it.

When my friends and family caught whiff of what I did, they started asking questions.  After answering the same questions unknown times, I wrote it down and soon thereafter put it online.  It started as just one article.  I soon decided to make it a professional website and renamed it freetravelgenius.com.

Cooking Class in Thailand

What’s the one single thing people can do to get more miles?

Credit card bonus offers, of course, but you don’t need me to tell you that if you are reading Daraius’ blog.

What’s your most memorable travel experience?

Wow, there are so many, but summiting Kilimanjaro with my wife stands out the most.  It was a pretty easy walk up a hill other than the whole lack of oxygen thing.  It certainly hit me a lot by 18,000 ft., but gave us a huge sense of accomplishment.

I loved being able to fly to Kilimanjaro airport from Boston with only one plane change in Amsterdam on KLM (as compared to most that need to fly to Nairobi or Dar-al-Salam and spend a day on a bus).  Best part is that I received over 90% of the points needed for BOTH my wife and I to get there from a single American Express Platinum card application; and Capital One Venture Card was nice enough to pay for my wife’s climb.

Kilimanjaro

What do your family and friends think of your miles & points hobby?

About half of them want to do it too.  So I do it for my core family and advise many others.

Is there any tool or trick which you’ve found especially useful in this hobby?

Two websites are key: matrix.itasoftware.com and wandr.me.  Bookmark them!

What was the least expected way you’ve earned miles or points?

Calling up American Express and just asking for them.  Just a few years ago, they would oblige (but not so much more).

What do you now know about collecting miles and points which you wish you knew when you started out?

I started caring about miles quite a while ago, but I never brought it to scale until a few years ago.  I am kicking myself thinking about all of the cash that I spent on travel during the first 35 years of my life; imagine if I invested it in Google instead!

What would your readers be surprised to know about you?

That I am an online marketing professional for one of the world’s fastest growing agencies.  This is a bit embarrassing since I do almost no marketing for freetravelgenius.com and have a relatively rudimentary web design.  The funniest part is that I sometimes use my site as an example of what not to do when speaking with clients.

Any parting words?

Use your points – I hear Charon doesn’t accept them.

Masai children in Tanzania

Dave  – Thanks for sharing your thoughts on having Big Travel with Small Money!

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Emily:  Daraius surprised me with a stay at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.  I had never stayed in a Waldorf Astoria hotel (part of the Hilton chain), and was looking forward to our visit to see what the fuss was about!

Daraius:  The Rough Guide says that “…minimalism is a dirty word” at the Grand Wailea.   And, boy, were they correct!

Poolside at The Grand Wailea

Trip Report Index:

• Introduction and Planning
• Alaska Airlines First Class & Getting Locked Out of Our Car!
• Hyatt Regency Maui, Ocean Suite
• Hyatt Regency Maui
• Eating Around the Hyatt Regency Maui
• Activities Around the Hyatt Regency Maui
• Hyatt Regency Maui Ocean Front Room
• Grand Wailea – Terrace View Room
• The Grand Wailea

The Grand Wailea

Emily:  We pulled up to the entrance, and the staff took our luggage and parked our car.  Valet parking is mandatory and expensive at $30 per day.  Daraius couldn’t find any cheaper parking by the hotel, so we paid the valet fee.  But we didn’t have to pay the $25 resort fee since we booked the hotel using points and free night certificates from the Citi Hilton Reserve card.

Grand Wailea Entrance

The building was painted in bright white and peach.

Peach and White Grand Wailea

As you drove up, there was a waterfall with pretty flowers.

The Waterfall

There was a very large lobby and in the center was a bar.

Grand Wailea Resort Lobby

The hotel is very large and has several restaurants, a spa, seven pools, and more. I liked how it was not very crowded and quiet.

Resort’s Interior

The open lobby and bar made the hotel look even larger.

Open Lobby and Bar

There was even a painted ceiling in the bar and lots of sculpture, graphics, murals and artifacts everywhere.

Artwork and Bar

We took a few pictures and then walked around the hotel.

Picture Time!

There was an ornate bar.

The Botero Bar

I loved how well-kept everything was.

Beautiful Garden

There was a sculpture of Three Male Hula dancers.

Daraius in Front of Three Male Hula Dancers

The hotel was as beautiful outside.

Outside View

There were lots of palm trees and paths.

Palm Trees and Marble Paths

I loved the little white canopies.  They were so pretty!

White Canopies

There’s also a reflecting pool which is a great place to take a picture.

Reflecting Pool

The Reflecting Pool

To the right of the reflecting pool is a small chapel.

Small Chapel

We went inside to see the stained glass.

Chapel’s Front View

The chapel was open so we peaked inside.

Stained Glass Interiors

Outside were the Nai’aKauhulu (Gathering of Dolphins) sculpture.

Dancing Dolphins

The beach is also right by the hotel, providing an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean.

By The Beach

There were lots of lounge chairs to enjoy the view.

Lounge Chairs

The pool area, Wailea Canyon, includes everything from slides, jungle pools with a rope swing, waterfalls, caves, a sand beach, Jacuzzis, a swim-up bar, and a water elevator.

The pools are some of the best I have seen at a resort!  There are nine pools on six different levels.  The pools are connected by a river that carries swimmers along whitewater rapids and gentle currents.

One of the Many Pools

The connecting river made the pools seems like one giant pool.

River Connecting the Pools

There was an adults-only pool…

Adults-only Pool

…a kids’ play area pool…

Kids’ Play Area Pool

…a scuba dive training pool…

Scuba Dive Training Pool

…a volleyball pool…

Volleyball Pool

…a pool with a water elevator…

Water Elevator

…a pool with a waterfall…

Pool with Waterfall

…a kids’ pool with sand, to imitate a beach…

Sand Beach Kiddie Pool

…a general pool…

General Pool

There were more pools than we had time to try!

A Pool a Day Keeps Daraius Happy

…a snake pool…

Snake Pool

…pools with waterslides…

Waterslides

…a pool with a bar…

Pool with Bar

Grotto Bar

..more snake pools and passageways…

Snake Pools and Passageway

…and a bar/restaurant.

Resort’s Bar and Restaurant

There was even a koi pond.

Koi Pond

There was a concrete pathway which connected the Grand Wailea to the other hotels and condos in the area.

Pathway

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dhammer53 wrote in to say that you can buy Southwest points for 2.5 cents per point and asked if this is a good deal if you have the Southwest Companion Pass.

Is it Worth it to Buy Southwest Points?

Buying points usually is not a great deal unless you’re topping-up for an award or if you’ve done the math to see if buying points is cheaper than paying cash for a ticket.

Does Buying Southwest Points Makes Sense

But perhaps it could be different if you’ve got the Southwest Companion Pass?

Emily and I have a Companion Pass and this is perhaps the best miles and points perk which we have.  Why?  Because it lets a companion travel with you for free whenever you travel on Southwest.  It doesn’t matter if your flight is booked with points or paid for with cash – your companion flies free!

You can redeem 1 Southwest point for a fixed 1.67 cents towards their cheapest Wanna Getaway fares.  This is a bad deal because each point costs 2.5 cents, so you’re buying 1 point for 2.5 cents and then using that 1 point for flights worth only 1.67 cents.  That said, buying points could make sense if you’re just a few points away from an award.

But if you have the Southwest Companion Pass, 1 Southwest point gets you 3.34 cents (1.67 cents X 2) towards Wanna Getaway fares.  That’s because your companion gets to fly with you for free (you only pay $2.50 per segment in security fees) even if you book your flight with points (or if someone else books your flight with points).

So maybe it does makes sense to buy Southwest points for 2.5 cents per point if you’re going to redeem them for 3.34 cents per point!

Why You Should NOT Buy Points for a Southwest Ticket With the Companion Pass

No, you’re still better off paying cash even if you have a Southwest Companion Pass!

Let’s say that you ran out of Southwest points and were considering paying $100 in cash for a Southwest Wanna Get Away ticket and adding your companion for free.

A $100 ticket will cost you $100 in cash and you will earn 600 Southwest points (you earn 6 points per $1 towards a Wanna Get Away Fare).  600 Southwest points are worth $10 towards Wanna Get Away fares, so you’re effectively paying only $90.

You Earn 600 Points With a $100 Wanna Get Away Ticket

On the other hand, you will need 6,000 Southwest points to buy a $100 Wanna Get Away ticket ($100 ticket price X 60 points per $1 ticket price).

You Need 6,000 Southwest Points (60 Points Per $1 X $100 Ticket Price) for a $100 Ticket

But it will cost you $150 (6,000 X 2.5 cents per Southwest point) to buy 6,000 points, so this is NOT a good value!

Why Pay $150 When You Can Pay $100?

If you have a Southwest Companion Pass, you’re much better off paying $100 for a Southwest flight and earning 600 Southwest points worth $10, than to pay $150 to buy Southwest points and then redeem them for a Wanna Get Away fare.

Note that the calculations for Business Select and Anytime fares also show that you are better off paying cash for a ticket than buying Southwest points.

Bottom Line

You’re better off paying cash to buy a Southwest ticket once you run out of Southwest points than to buy Southwest points at 2.5 cents per point.  This is true even if you have a Southwest Companion Pass!

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Emily’s grandmother, Vena, passed away last week.  She was 89 years old and had a very long and happy life.  Because Vena was a retired teacher, it is appropriate to remember her with three mile-and-points lessons.

Vena’s Last Lessons

1)   Use Your Miles How YOU Want

I can’t stress this enough.

Some people always say how you should use your miles and point only for First or Business Class travel.  Or how you’re not really using your miles and points well if you use them to travel within the US instead of visiting some far-away exotic land.  Nonsense!

Some people hoard miles and points and don’t redeem them.  The best use of miles and points are to make happy memories which will stay with you for a long time.  For some that is flying across the world to collect a rubber duck in a lounge in Germany.  For many others, happy memories are from visiting friends and families & visiting new destinations.

There’s nothing wrong with using your miles to visit family or friends within the US.

Emily visited Vena in February for her 89th birthday and Vena was talking about visiting the Tampa Theatre and the Empress Tea Room for weeks afterwards.

3 Generations Together For the Last Time

Emily will always remember this trip as the last time she was with Vena.  In contrast, our trip to Hawaii in March was just one of many vacation trips.

2)   REHEARSE Emergency Trips

Life is short and we could suddenly get a call asking us to travel across the country or the world at very short notice.  Last minute airfare is usually very expensive, so using miles and points can save you lots of money.

But you’re usually not functioning at 100% when you suddenly get the call in the middle of the night.  So start thinking of your emergency travel plans from now.  And mentally rehearse the steps you’ll take to suddenly get to where you need to be.

• Which airlines serve the airports you will have to visit?
•  Are last minute fares typically very expensive?
• Do airlines typically have good award availability to your destination cities?
• Which airlines and routes are more easily available as awards?
• Can you avoid the last-minute fees for booking award travel (usually if you have elite status on the airline or if you have certain credit cards).

Are there any tricks to save you miles or money?  Such as using British Airways Avios points for short distance flights with the US on American Airlines.

Or do you have the Southwest Companion Pass and can reduce the pain of buying a ticket since your companion can travel virtually free?

3)  Have Miles in Different Programs

You get more choices if you have miles and points in different accounts.  Emily and I flew on Southwest to Tampa because we had the Southwest Companion Pass.

But we could have also used American Airlines and United miles to-and-from Tampa as well.  There were no round-trip awards on either American Airlines or United, but we could have flown 1-way on each airline.

BOTTOM LINE

Life is short and unpredictable.  So use your points and miles to create as many happy memories as you can!

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