Points Miles and Bling, Author at TravelUpdate

My mattress running strategy for 2020, and why it’s never too early

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Feb 17, 2020 | Deals, Hotels, Loyalty Programs, Travel Tips | 0

I am finally getting ready to start my travels for 2020, with trips to New York City, New Orleans, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Toronto and Niagara Falls over the next few weeks. As I continue to visualize the number of elite nights and points that come along with these bookings, mattress running strategy and elite re-qualification is also on my mind. What is Mattress Running In its purest sense, mattress running involves booking and paying for hotel night/s only to earn elite nights towards status, with no intention of physically staying at the property. Mattress running is often undertaken by frequent...

Review: The New Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ International Departures T3

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Feb 10, 2020 | Airlines, Lounge Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 0

The new Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ is the latest addition to the international departures section in T3. The new lounge has been transformed from an old, dark and dated look to a modern and contemporary lounge that wows! The refurbished lounge is not just an upgrade, it is a transformation worth an experience. As a frequent Cathay flier between Toronto-HongKong, my visit to the new lounge was finally worthy of being referred to as ‘Premium’. Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ – International Departures T3 Upon check-in at Cathay Pacific desk, I was handed an invitation to the new Plaza Premium...

Review: Air China Business Class 787-9 Beijing to Montreal

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Feb 9, 2020 | Airlines, Flight Reviews, Loyalty Programs | 0

On the return leg from a recent trip to India, I routed myself through Beijing, on Air China, to Montreal as my final destination. Given that I completed this Air China business class trip just before New Years in 2019, it’s now surreal to think that it might have been the day Dr. Li Wenliang was trying to alert authorities in Wuhan about the deadly Coronavirus. Unfortunately, he contracted the virus himself while working at Wuhan Central hospital and lost that battle on Feb 7, 2020 🙁 . What makes the sequence of events surreal for me today is...

World of Hyatt 25% discount on purchase of 5,000 points or more, at 1.8 cents per point

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Jan 29, 2020 | Deals, Hotels, Loyalty Programs | 1

World of Hyatt’s latest points promotion is a 25% discount on purchase of 5,000 points or more. At 1.8 cents a piece, this may be good for members looking to top-up their accounts for their next points booking. The last promotion which offered 40% bonus on points purchase, was better positioned at 1.7 cents a point. The current World of Hyatt 25% discount promotion ends 11:59 pm (ET) February 29, 2020. World of Hyatt 25% discount on purchased points Link to Promotion Unlike previous iteration of tiered bonuses, this promotion adds a flat 25% discount on the transaction, when...

With 40% bonus promotion, buy Alaska miles at 2.1 cents a piece

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Jan 23, 2020 | Airlines, Deals, Loyalty Programs | 0

Alaska Mileage Plan is back with semi-decent promotion, up to 40% more bonus miles . This promotion to buy Alaska miles at 2.1 cents a piece is good to top up accounts close to a redemption and is applicable on minimum purchase of 30K miles, on transactions completed between January 22, 2020 and February 16, 2020. Buy Alaska Miles – up to 40% bonus Promotion Link to miles Purchase This promotion is tiered with 20% bonus on purchase of 10K miles. Minimum purchase of 30K points is required for the 40% bonus. The bonus tiers look like this;...

Air Canada Promotion: Earn up to 7,500 Bonus Miles on all routes system-wide

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Jan 21, 2020 | Airlines, Deals, Loyalty Programs | 0

This Air Canada promotion is a compelling one, an easy win if you were planning on flying Air Canada anyways. Earn up to 7,500 Bonus Aeroplan® Miles for every eligible round trip or two one‑way segments on all routes system‑wide. The bonus is available on all new bookings when members register and book by February 4, 2020, for travel between January 21, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Air Canada Promotion: Earn up to 7,500 Bonus Miles Registration Link (Must register by Feb 4, 2020) If you have been holding back on booking Spring/Summer travel, this Air Canada promotion maybe the time to earn...

These airlines offer bereavement fares, thats helpful but beware!

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Jan 17, 2020 | Airlines, Commentary, Travel Tips | 2

Although bereavement fares seem to be going the way of the dodo, there are still some airlines that offer them for grieving passengers. In time of emergency or emotional turmoil, it can hard to focus on saving costs or look for deals. And while bereavement fares may sound like the go-to option, these fares don’t always translate to savings. Below, I highlight North American airlines that offer these fares and follow up with few cautions and alternate options. Airlines that offer Bereavement fares Despite having varied policies on bereavement fares, some common elements that feature across all airlines; Bereavement...

Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class A350-1000, Toronto to Hong Kong

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Jan 10, 2020 | Airlines, Flight Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 2

December for me often signals a family reunion, which means a trip to India. In many ways, December also means flying either Swiss or Cathay business as a means to get to India. My preferred loyalty program for this trip is either Aeroplan for Swiss or Alaska Mileage Plan for Cathay redemption. Last month, I flew to India with Cathay Pacific and my flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Hong Kong (HKG) was on Cathay Pacific Business Class A350-1000, a significant improvement from the 777-300 aircraft that had served this sector for years. Booking Cathay Pacific Business Class Alaska Mileage Plan...

Last Day: Get 20,000 additional welcome bonus miles on Avianca LifeMiles credit cards

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Dec 31, 2019 | Airlines, Credit Card Reviews, Loyalty Programs | 0

Today, Dec 31st 2019, is the last day to take advantage of the increased bonus offer for Avianca LifeMiles credit cards. This promotion includes a bonus code which adds an additional 20,000 miles to the regular welcome bonus. One of the easiest ways to earn LifeMiles is through the LifeMiles credit cards in US, issued by Puerto Rico’s Banco Popular. Avianca LifeMiles features two credit cards, Vuela Visa® Card and Vida Visa® Card, both currently running a 20K bonus miles promotion until December 31, 2019. Avianca LifeMiles credit cards – Current Promotion Vuela – standard 40,000 welcome bonus after first purchase,...

Top 5 cuisines with greatest influence on world palate

Posted by Points Miles and Bling | Dec 15, 2019 | Commentary, Hotels, News | 0

Perhaps the oldest and simplest cultural exchange one can undertake, is trying world cuisines. Essentially, a plate of food can offer insight to the culture and local customs of its origin. It was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon an article that highlighted countries with the greatest influence on world palate. Joel Waldfogel’s paper, titled ‘Dining out as a cultural trade’, used restaurant listings from TripAdvisor, Yelp, Tabelog and sales figures from Euromonitor to estimate world ‘trade’ in cuisines from 52 countries. He denotes domestic consumption of foreign cuisine as an ‘import’ and foreign consumption of domestic cuisine as an...