Welcome to my weekly miles and points roundup plus other travel news from the blogosphere. Here are some topics:
- LifeMiles improves the Award Chart
- Hyatt adds 11 SLH hotels
- All you need to know about the new Capital One Venture X card
- New Chase Aeroplan Card Details
- New Stimulus Money
- And more!
Planes
LifeMiles’s New Distance Based Award Chart For The United States & Canada, by OMAT. Hey, it doesn’t happen all the time that a frequent flyer program would really improve anything, so enjoy!
Virgin Atlantic Massively Improves Perks: Gifting, New Benefits & More, by God Save the Points. It actually sounds quite interesting. Now you can earn elite status after just four segments in Upper (Business) Class or less and that includes award flights! Now, I would never use Virgin points to fly across the pond due to their insane fuel surcharges, but intra-Europe flights are a good option to quickly earn elite status (and then match it to another airline).
Another good post by God Save the Points, this time about the coolest airport lounge experiences.
Delta Promises Premium Select Cabin on All European Flights for Summer 2022, by Upgraded Points.
Hotels
Here is a well-researched, in-depth analysis of Choice sweet spots in Scandinavia from Frequent Miler: Nordic Choice Sweet-Spots: Great Value w/ Choice Points
Radisson Rewards Extends Points Expiry Through November 2023, by Loyalty Lobby.
Hyatt Adds New Small Luxury Hotels of the World Properties [11 Total!], by Upgraded Points.
Several Marriott Hotels Sell Rooms Through Airbnb – For Less Money Or Instead Of Marriott.com At All, by VFTW. Hotel listings on Airbnb are not a rare find: plenty of hotels use Airbnb as yet another marketing platform, but I’ve never seen hotels from a major international chain on a vacation rental website, unless it’s an owner unit of some sort.
Credit cards
Everyone and their mother has posted about the new Capital One Venture X card, but if you don’t have the time to read every one, here is my own summary that includes absolutely everything you really want to know: Cutting Through the Noise: What Do You REALLY Need to Know About the New Venture X Card?
Here is another Venture X card post from God Save the Points that confirms what I’ve read elsewhere: that Capital One is approving more people for this card than it used to approve for other cards in the past.
[Rumor] Chase Aeroplan Card Details (Sign Up Bonus, 3x Grocery & More), from Doctor of Credit and his reader Chris. I’m signed up for the Chase Aeroplan waitlist, and I’d rather this rumor didn’t materialize (it seems the welcome bonus has been designed to block long-haul Business Class redemptions).
Covid-19
U.S. Now Faces Push for Domestic Air Travelers to Show Proof of Vaccine or Negative Test, by Skift.
This is a grim reminder that the pandemic is far from over: Covid cases are surging in Europe. America is in denial about what lies in store for it, by Guardian.
Other tidbits
A great Reddit report about booking several rooms in Hawaii and several tickets to Hawaii on Turkish. My goodness, I wouldn’t have the stamina. 🙂
Here is a trip report with great tips: Uzbekistan Trip Report: Mosques, Minarets and Mausoleums, by 10X Travel. Of course, I remember Uzbekistan during the USSR days, and even then it was amazing! I would choose the same cities as the author: Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
New Stimulus Money Going Out Next Week – Last Chance to Make Sure You Get It This Year! By Running With Miles
TBB
- https://travelbloggerbuzz.com/all-national-parks-unique-iceland-science-revolution-capital-one-venture-x-card
- https://travelbloggerbuzz.com/untold-story-of-sushi-in-america-marine-map-soviet-era-metros-colt-brennan-new-york-city-streets
My favorites:
- America Needs a New Scientific Revolution
- The Company Man
- The Untold Story of Sushi in America (sad but totally fascinating!)
And now just for fun
Here is a brilliant parody of Mark Zuckerberg that doubles as a brilliant Iceland travel marketing video (or is it the other way around?). Found on Skift.
