#Buy etihad airways miles

[millerrobert]

Review Of The Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business Card

One of the most advantageous American Airlines credit cards for small business owners is the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® because of its fantastic welcome bonus offer, 5% bonus on all total annual miles earned, and the opportunity to earn a Companion Certificate each year.

Are you a good fit for the AAdvantage Aviator Business Card?

There are a startling nine credit cards with the American Airlines co-brand, all of which have somewhat different incentive tiers, ongoing benefits, total annual fees, and sign-up bonuses.

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® is among the most flexible of these cards. It provides regular American Airlines services like:

Free first checked bag on domestic flights operated by American Airlines

Aboard American Airlines flights, priority boarding

25% off on board meals and beverages

But it also offers some additional, special advantages, such as: B. After satisfying total annual spending requirements, a domestic companion certificate and a 5% total annual bonus on all points earned through spending. There is now a fantastic welcome bonus offer as well: 80,000 bonus miles after making $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account, plus a $95 statement credit.

Even if you've never taken an American Airlines flight, you can still book award travel on several of the airline's partners, including Alaska Airlines, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, to travel almost everywhere.

The AAdvantage Aviator Business Card Is Best For Whom?

With the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®, regular travellers on American Airlines can benefit from a number of advantages and possibly save money, particularly when checking bags. Spending $30,000 or more in a single year might get you the Companion Certificate, which enables big spenders to add tremendous value.

If you want to earn American Airlines miles on your regular purchases or are striving to achieve AAdvantage elite status, which depends upon loyalty points now, you should consider getting this card also. For each dollar you spend with the card, you earn one loyalty point. So when a push is needed by you to the next status level, this could possibly be of tremendous assistance.

The AAdvantage Aviator Business Card Should Not Be Considered by Whom?

You must own an ongoing business to qualify for this little business card. You can be approved for a tiny business credit card if you work in the babysitting even, tutoring, freelance writing, or DoorDash delivery industries.

Consider personal American Airlines cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® or the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard®, which offer comparable annual fees and advantages, if you are not a small business owner but still wish to accrue American Airlines miles.

Consider a card that rewards flexible points if you don't think you'll be traveling American Airlines frequently enough to justify paying the $95 annual premium for this card. Cards like the Citi Premier® Card, American Express® Gold Card, and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earn points that can be transferred to a variety of airlines when booking award flights or used to quickly "buy" airline tickets at a set price through the respective card issuers' exclusive travel portals.

Using the AA Aviator Business Card: Earning Miles

Compared to the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard®, that is a personal card, the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercards® provides a lot more possibilities to earn additional miles. You merit:

2% of qualifying American Airlines purchases are miles (made directly through American Airlines channels including aa.com, American Airlines Reservations, American Airlines Vacations Reservations, Airpass, Google Flights, and American Airlines airport and city ticket offices)

At reputable office supply, telecom, and rental car companies, you will get 2 miles per dollar.

1 mile for each $1 spent on all other permissible items.

This could be a terrific method to begin earning American Airlines miles rapidly based on the nature of your business.

How to redeem points for American Airlines

American Airlines does not price its flights using an award table. Instead, it makes use of "dynamic pricing," a cryptic formula that takes into account the time of year, flight schedules, cash price, and other variables.

American Airlines can virtually charge you whatever they want, whenever, thanks to dynamic pricing. A route's cost can fluctuate between 6,000 and 21,000 kilometers in one day. In summary, you may use American Airlines miles to book amazing bargains provided you're flexible with your trip plans. You can end up spending a small lot on your airfare if your vacation dates and destinations are more constrained.

Also keep in mind that American Airlines miles can be quite helpful in getting you to your trip destinations, even if you never fly AA. American Airlines collaborates with airlines like:

Tahiti Nui Air

Alaska Air Group

Britannia Air

Etihad Cathay Pacific

Finnair\sIberia

Tokyo Airlines

Singapore Airlines

Qantas

Doha Airlines

The Royal Air Maroc

Jordanian Airlines Royal

Airline S7 (temporarily suspended)

Any of these carriers will let you fly with American Airlines. Therefore, even if you want to go somewhere that American Airlines doesn't fly to (such as French Polynesia, the Maldives, Morocco, etc.), you may still do it with AA points.

Additionally, American Airlines miles can be redeemed for hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, seat upgrades, access to the Admirals Club airport lounge, gift cards, goods, and more, but these options give incredibly low point values.

The AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard has several advantages

Free additional baggage

On domestic flights with American Airlines, you and up to four guests on your reservation are eligible for a free of charge first checked bag as the principal AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® cardholder (mainland US, Hawaii, Canada, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). Every year By checking luggage on just one single round-trip flight with a travelling companion, you can certainly recoup the card's $95 twelve-monthly cost. American Airlines charges $30 for the first of all checked bag.

Preferential boarding

Additionally, cardholders and up to four guests traveling on the same reservation receive priority boarding on American Airlines flights. Group 5 (of 9) has priority boarding, so you can count on having enough of space in the overhead bin.

25% off of American Airlines on board purchases

You can save 25% with this card on food and beverages when flying with American Airlines. This benefit won't have much of an impact unless you frequently buy groceries in heaven. The cost of other items, like B. WLAN, is not reduced.

Savings will take the shape of a credit applied to the card's qualifying onboard transactions. Within four weeks of the purchase, it ought to show up on your card statement.

The domestic accompanying person's certificate

You are eligible for a companion certificate for residency in the lower 48 US states if you spend at least $30,000 in a calendar year. You can bring a guest on a round-trip bus flight for a flat rate of $99 + tax (up to $43.20). An oddity is that you can only get this certificate if your account is open for 45 days following the card member's anniversary.

You have one year to use the certificate after it has been put into your account. Please be aware that this perk cannot be used on flights operated by American Airlines' partners, such as Alaska Airlines.

5% Miles Bonus Every Year

You will receive a 5% bonus on all miles accrued during your cardmember year after renewing your AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® (and keeping it open for 45 days). You shall not, however, get a 5% bonus for the welcome offer.

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/millerrobert/700548246130540544/aadvantage-aviator-red-world-elite-mastercard

[kukujain]

Best Credit Cards to Get in 2021

Financial health is an important element in our lives. In times like these, it is important that we must ensure that our financial health is in best order. Credit cards are one way where we can ensure that our spends are rewarded in a good measure through loyalty rewards which is a form of a saving. This article talks about some of the best credit cards in the UAE across categories such as premium, cashback and no fee cards.

Things to note before one applies for a credit card.

We must understand our financial ability on repayments before signing up for a credit card. Since this can have a significant impact on one’s credit score which happens to be a basic requirement for any future credit requirements, one must ensure that the need and ability to pay in a disciplined manner is evident.

Some of the top reasons why customers opt for credit card are.

Loyalty rewards in the form of cashback, reward points or airmiles are standard feature in most of the cards. Credit card issuing companies attract customers by offering value through attractive loyalty rewards.

Features such as airport lounge access, valet service, buy 1 get 1 offers, promotional balance transfer rates, free movies etc., are popular and does provided value to customers who use these services.

Most of the credit card issuing companies offer attractive joining offers to new customers. These can be in the form of promotional cashback rates for a specific period, joining bonus airmiles, free hotel stays and so on.

Soul wallet’s extensive research on products available in the UAE is primarily to cater to customer needs in clearly understanding which the suitable cards are customized to one’s individual spend patterns.

Most of the products listed below are from our partners who compensate us. However, the review is completely unbiased and an individual opinion of Soulwallet based on product features, customer feedback etc., One must be aware that some of the product features might change at the time of your application, hence we recommend that customers revalidate specific reward features prior to application.

Best Cashback Credit Cards 2021

Show 10152550100 entriesSearch:Product NameBank NameAnnual FeeProfit / Interest RateMinimum SalaryTop ReasonsApply NowCashback Credit CardFAB3153.50%5000Ramadan Offer: AED 250 Cashback for Expatriates within 30 days (valid up to 31-May-21), Ramadan Offer: AED 750 Cashback for UAE Nationals within 30 days (valid up to 31-May-21), 5% cashback on supermarket (including online), fuel and utilities.2% cashback on non-AED spends. 1% cashback on all other retail spends, including online shopping Up to 2 discounted tickets at VOX. No limits on how much you can earn with FAB Cashback Credit CardApply for FAB Cashback Credit Card OnlineWorld Credit CardRAKBANK03.25%20000Monthly spend AED 15,000 to AED 19,999 earn cashback on: Travel - 5% (max AED 300),Supermarkets - 5% (max AED 200) Monthly spend above AED 20,000 earn cashback on: Travel - 10% (max AED 600) , Supermarkets - 10% (max AED 400) Monthly Spend : Up to AED 14,999 - 3% (international), 1% (domestic) Monthly spend AED 14,999 to 29,999 - 4% (international), 2% (domestic) Above AED 30,000 - 5% (international), 3% (domestic) 50% off at VOX cinema tickets Free Delivery of Fuel by CAFU at your doorstep; Free Travel Accident & Medical Cover Free for first year.Apply for RAKBANK World Credit Card OnlineCashback Plus CardEmirates Islamic2993.49%5000Cashback on Supermarket, Education, Dining; telecom for total monthly spend level: Up to AED 2,499 - 0% cashback Between AED 2,500; AED 7,499 - 3% cashback Between AED 7,500; AED 14,999 - 5% cashback Above AED 15,000 - 10% cashback Maximum Cash Back Per Month - AED 200 for above categories, except Education as the cap is AED400 Earn up to 10% cashback on specific categories; Embedded Nol chip for RTA benefits; Unlimited Lounge Access; Complimentary Golf any day of the weekApply for Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Card OnlineSuper Saver Credit CardCBD4203.45%800010% cashback on the following everyday retail spend categories, capped at AED 200 per category, per month. A minimum monthly total spend of AED 3,000 across all categories is required to start earning cashback Bills (e.g. Telecomm Bills, Utilities Bills and Government-Linked Payments) Education (e.g. Schools, and Colleges/Universities in the UAE and abroad), Supermarket (e.g. Grocery Stores), Transport (e.g. Fuel), Earn up to 1% Cashback on every AED 2 on all other spends, with no caps. Maximum Cashback per month is AED 200 per category (800 in total). Frist year free on primary cardApply CBD Super Saver Credit Card OnlineCashback Credit CardCitibank03.25%80003% on all International Spends, 2% on grocery/supermarket spends and 1% on all other spends. No caps, no minimum spend, no redemption process and no spend categories excluded. Exclusive Soulwallet offer of AED 300 gift card on bookingApply for Citi Cashback Credit Card OnlineShowing 1 to 5 of 5 entriesPreviousNext

Best Reward Points Credit Cards 2021

Show 102550100 entriesSearch:Product NameBank NameAnnual FeeProfit / Interest RateMinimum SalaryTop ReasonsApply OnlineGo4it Platinum Credit CardEmirates NBD

03.25%12000Exclusive cinema offers, Life time free card along with a AED 300 Noon.com voucher Earn Plus Points for every spend and redeem them instantly at your favourite stores. You can also convert your Plus Points to Frequent Flyer Miles or Cash back. 5 Plus Points for every AED 200 spend on weekends. 4 Plus Points for every AED 200 spend on RTA. 1 Plus Points for every AED 200 spend on weekdaysApply for Emirates NBD Go4it Platinum Credit Card OnlineLulu Platinum Credit CardADCB03.25%15000No Annual Fee, Interest-free balance transfers, Redeem reward points instantly at Lulu, Benefits at Ferrari World & Yas Water world, Lulupoints can be redeemed with supplementary card. Earn LuluPoints for every 1 AED spent earn 5 LuluPoints on purchases made at all Lulu stores in UAE. For every 1 AED spent earn 1.25 LuluPoints on purchases made elsewhere subject to meeting a monthly spend goal of AED 3,500 (Lulu elsewhere). 5000 Lulupoints gives voucher worth AED 50. Points can be redeemed instantly at the checkout counters of Lulu Hypermarket across UAE. Can be redeemed for as low as 5000 Lulupoints with supplementary card as well.Apply for ADCB Lulu Platinum Credit Card OnlineEDGE CardADIB7502.99%1500010% cashback on all dining spend in UAE, Extensive travel insurance and protection, ADIB Rewards Program, Earn 2.5 reward points for 1 AED you spend on your card. ;Points earned can be used towards airline tickets, shopping mall vouchers and Club Apparel gift cards.Apply for ADIB EDGE Card OnlineGEMS Titanium Credit CardFAB03.5%5000No annual fee. Up to 4.25% fixed discount on advanced payment of GEMS fees. 10% Cashback with Shop Smart. Enjoy access to airport lounges across the Middle East. Enjoy special offers at restaurants, premium retail etc. Earn 1 Star for every AED 1 spent on Domestic purchases Earn 1.75 Stars for every AED 1 spent on International purchases Redeem your Stars for Etihad Guest Miles, Skywards Miles from Emirates, or to book tickets on any airline through Stars Travel Portal.Apply for FAB GEMS Titanium Credit Card OnlineRewards Credit CardCitibank03.25%8000Earn ThankYou Reward points on all spends, VoucherSkout-Signup offer, Enjoy a 12-month amazon premium membership free, Get AED 300 worth of gift cards exclusively on Soulwallet Earn 1.5 ThankYou Points for any USD 1 spent in foreign currency Earn 1 ThankYou Points for any USD 1 spent in local currency (AED) 10 ThankYou Points for every USD 1 spent on hotel bookings at Kaligo.com With your ThankYou Points you have the flexibility to redeem for travel rewards, merchandise, gift vouchers and many other rewarding experiences Choose from merchandise ranging from apparel to electronics to home goods and more Pay with Points for your purchases through SMS or Citibank OnlineApply for Citi Rewards Credit Card OnlineShowing 1 to 5 of 5 entriesPreviousNext

Best Travel Credit Cards 2021

Show 102550100 entriesSearch:Product NameBank NameAnnual FeeProfit / Interest RateMinimum SalaryTop ReasonsApply OnlineBooking.com Infinite CardADIB20003.29%20000200,000 sign-up reward points, Flight and hotel booking discounts, Extensive premium travel & lifestyle benefits Earn rewards on all spends & cashback on specific categories through ADIB Rewards Program - Earn 3 reward points for every AED 1 domestic or international spend Redeem your points against flight tickets/hotel bookings on Any Airline, Any Hotel Worldwide or Shopping Mall Vouchers or Club Apparel gift cards. Redemption Value: Every 10,000 points = 50; every 100,000 points = AED 1,000 Shopping mall vouchers Redeem Reward points against shopping mall vouchers: Sharjah Mega Mall, Dubai Festival City, Abu Dhabi Mall, Sahara Centre - SharjahApply for ADIB Booking.com Infinite Card OnlineEtihad Guest Infinite Credit CardFAB25003.5%3000075% Etihad Guest Miles Discount Voucher; Fast Track Enrolment to Etihad Guest Gold Membership; Complimentary Inflight Wifi Vouchers; Optional Etihad Guest Miles Accelerator;55,000 welcome Etihad Guest Miles Domestic transactions (AED): 4.5 Miles earned per AED 10, International transactions (non-AED): 6.0 Miles earned per AED 10 Etihad or Etihad Airways partners: 9.0 Miles earned per AED 10 Balance transfer (from other bank credit cards): 2.5 Miles earned per AED 10Apply for FAB Etihad Guest Infinite Credit Card OnlinePremier Credit CardCitibank03.50%15000Complimentary Movies and Golf Offers, VoucherSkout-Signup offer, Enjoy a 12-month amazon premium membership free, Get AED 500 worth of gift card of your choice exclusively on Soulwallet (pls refer to terms and conditions) Earn 2 ThankYou Points per USD on international spent and 1.5 ThankYou Points per USD of local spend With ThankYou Points you have the flexibility to redeem for travel rewards, merchandise, gift vouchers and many other rewarding experiences. Transfer your ThankYou Points to 15 airline and hotel partners for flights and hotel stays. Book flights, hotels, rental cars and holiday packages with no blackout dates for bookings Choose from merchandise ranging from apparel to electronics to home goods and moreApply for Citi Premier Credit Card OnlineEmirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit CardRAKBANK14992.45%20000Get up to 160,000 Bonus Skywards Miles, Emirates Skywards Silver Tier Status, Access to 900+ airport lounges across the world, Fast Track to Gold Tier status, 1-night free stay at Rixos JBR Earn Emirates Skywards Miles on all spends based on spend tiers AED 2,000 to AED 4,999 - 600 Skywards miles AED 5,000 to AED 9,999 - 2,000 Skywards miles AED 10,000 to AED 19,999 - 5,000 Skywards miles AED 20,000 to AED 29,999 - 8,000 Skywards miles AED 30,000 to AED 39,999 - 11,000 Skywards miles AED 40,000 to AED 49,999 - 16,000 Skywards miles AED 50,000 to AED 74,999 - 20,000 Skywards miles AED 75,000 to AED 99,999 - 30,000 Skywards miles AED 100,000 - 40,000 Skywards miles Skywards Miles award will be reduced to 50% if spend in special categories (such as Charities, Government Services, Bill Payments, Schools, Transits, Transport, Telecommunication, Real Estate, Petrol/Gas stations, Supermarkets, Health & Beauty, Club Membership, Motion Pictures & Theatres, Computer Services, Automobiles Vehicles) exceeds 50% of total spends for the month.Apply for RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card OnlineSkywards Signature Credit CardEmirates NBD7003.25%15000Best-in-class Skywards Miles earning - earn and redeem miles; Good lifestyle offers; Complimentary, unlimited worldwide lounge access; Exclusive Concierge Desk and privileges Earn Skyward Miles per 1 USD of spend: Earn 1.5 Miles on Emirates and fly Dubai spends Earn 1.5 Miles on duty free, online food delivery and car booking apps spends Earn 1 Mile on International spends Earn 0.75 Miles on Domestic spendsApply for Emirates NBD Skywards Signature Credit Card OnlineShowing 1 to 5 of 5 entriesPreviousNext

Key Tips for First time Credit Card Users Credit cards can be outstanding tools to better your financial health. Not only can they extend you valuable credit to purchase necessary goods or services, but they can provide attractive rewards that can be used for meals and vacations.

That said, for first-time credit card users, credit cards can be intimidating. It’s easy to hear horror stories about how credit cards have destroyed an individual’s financial livelihood or have led to massive interest charges that are essentially inescapable.

Because of this, it’s worth your time to learn some first principles and key tips so that you can safely use a credit card. By following this advice, you can get the most out of your credit card and safeguard your financial health—whether you are a first-time credit card user in the UAE or anywhere else.

Some Key Tips and Strategies on Safe Credit Card Use Before looking at any type of credit card, it is critical to ensure that you have a steady income. While credit cards can be immensely rewarding, you can only obtain those immense rewards if you can pay off your balance.

Without a steady income, it becomes difficult to pay off that credit card balance. The longer that you don’t pay off your balance, the more that you will be paying to your credit card company. Even if you are just making minimum payments, hefty interest expenses can be extremely costly. Double-digit interest rates can quickly add up. Therefore, before signing up, make sure that you will have consistent enough income to pay off your monthly statements. By doing so, you will avoid a very ugly financial situation.

Next, you want to make sure you are signing up for the right credit card. As similar as credit cards may seem, they offer different terms and rewards. You will certainly want to review your potential interest rate and any penalties that will come from late payments. Beyond the negative aspects, however, you will want to take a close look at your unique spend and your targeted credit card’s rewards.

Rewards are some of the best parts of using a credit card. All credit cards offer points that you can then exchange for rewards, but credit cards offers different exchange rates for certain things. For instance, one credit card may offer slightly more points for restaurant and dining spending and another may offer slightly more points for booking flights. You’ll want to read the fine print and sign up for a card that gives you more points for your common expenses.

Associated with this, try to avoid free credit cards. By free credit cards, we mean credit cards that do not have annual fees. This is for several reasons. For one thing, free cards may not be best from a savings perspective. They tend to have higher interest rates, so you may end up paying more if you don’t pay off your card in full. Along with this, cards with annual fees tend to offer better rewards. These cash-back rewards can be substantial and may even eclipse the amount that you pay in your card’s annual fee. While the initial payment may be annoying or frustrating, chances are that you will get much more value through a card with a fee, rather than a free card.

From avoiding free credit cards, you’ll next want to understand the eligibility requirements for your chosen card. For as great as a credit card may be for you, you may not meet its eligibility requirements. As just one simple example, in the UAE, a minimum of AED 5,000 to qualify for a credit card. However, different types of cards cater to different income segments, so you will want to read the fine print to see if you qualify. By reading the fine print now rather than waiting to do so after you submit your application, you won’t waste time and will find the best credit card for you.

You will also want to make sure that you are collecting and providing all necessary documents to complete your credit card application. This may vary depending on the credit card and application that you submit. However, you will need to provide identification documents like an Emirates ID (in the UAE), passport, and/or visa. You may also need to offer additional documents like income certificates, bank statements, payslips, and more. If you work for a small employer or a relatively new company, the bank may need to perform an employer visit or telephone verification.

What does this mean for you? Ultimately, make sure that you have this type of information at the ready. By having it in your vicinity before you start the process, you will make your life easier.

Another key tip is to avoid getting too close to your credit limit. Every credit card user has something called a credit utilization ratio. This is essentially the percentage of outstanding credit that is available to you.

There is a fine line here. The basic rule is that you should the lower your credit utilization ratio, the better. A high credit utilization ratio can harm your credit score. However, that should not stop you from responsibility using your credit card. You should follow your best judgment here and find a credit utilization ratio that meets your needs and does not harm your credit score.

Finally, be patient. While it can be tremendously exciting getting a new credit card, you don’t necessarily want to jump at the first opportunity. Make sure that you are looking at several different types of credit cards. At the very least, you should do some Internet research on those specific cards to see if one suits you over another. Also, don’t hesitate to call the specific credit card company to find answers to any questions you may have. By being patient and completing your due diligence, you can make this experience much easier.

Getting Started on Your Credit Card Journey Getting your first credit card can be intimidating, yet exciting. There are risks but they can be mitigated. By following the tips and advice above, you will be in an excellent position to responsibly use your new credit card.

Five Reasons to Consider Doing a Balance Transfer on Your Credit Card The sudden rise of COVID-19 has presented varying degrees of economic stress among UAE residents. Institutions like the UAE Central Bank and some of the UAE’s biggest banks have acted swiftly to relieve some of this unexpected, yet very real financial pressure. Yet even with that assistance, this is a great time for all UAE residents to take a hard look at their current finances.

There are several ways that you can proceed, but we believe that one of the first things you should do is closely look at the balances on your credit cards. For many of us, our credit card balances are some of our highest payments per month. While we may be able to pay off our monthly credit card balances during “normal times, COVID-19 this increased time of uncertainty may make those payments much more difficult.

If you are feeling this type of financial pressure, you may want to seriously consider something called a balance transfer. Balance transfers, put simply, let you move high-interest debt onto another credit card that has a lower interest rate. By doing this, you can keep some of your hard-earned money in your pocket.

To better understand the power of balance transfers, we want to highlight five reasons why you should consider them. Whether one or all of the reasons resonate with you, we believe balance transfers can be compelling options in this era of COVID-19.

The first reason to go forward with a balance transfer centers on your current credit card interest payments. Simply put, balance transfers can temporarily eliminate a high annual percentage rate on your current credit card, allowing more of your payment to go toward your principal. If you are in deep credit card debt, this is a huge deal. A significantly lower (or even zero) interest rate means that you are getting significantly closer toward a zero balance. Therefore, even if there is a small fee to complete a balance transfer, a lower APR may be worth it.

Directly tied with lower interest payments is the ability to save cash in the long run. It’s pretty simple. Allocating more of your monthly payment to your debt outstanding rather than interest is going to keep more cash in your pocket. It is a substantial step on your way toward financial freedom. A balance transfer can offer that unique opportunity, letting you have a few key months where you can make your outstanding principal more manageable.

Balance transfers can also be a great idea because they may be able to raise your credit score. The effect isn’t direct, but there are some ways that your credit score can be improved with a balance transfer. Most notably, it can reduce your credit utilization ratio. This is assuming that you don’t close your old credit card account. Along with paying off your principal, you may see a bump in your overall credit score.

Fourth, a balance transfer can help you build good habits and instill discipline. One primary reason why borrowers seek balance transfers is to obtain some breathing room from overbearing interest payments and debt. Balance transfers can provide this, but they also provide great opportunities to get into great financial habits. For instance, paying down your balance every month and spending less than you make are terrific habits to build.

Finally, credit card balance transfers can make you happier. They can provide both short-term and long-term financial relief. By capitalizing on this relief and getting a better hold over your finances, you’ll feel happier and less stressed. This is a real benefit—especially as we are living through COVID-19.

A Compelling Option These are just some of the benefits of credit card balance transfers. Granted, you will want to read the fine print and find a balance transfer that makes the most sense for you. Some balance transfer arrangements have a low (or zero) APR, but ramp up significantly after several months or if you miss one payment.

Even so, balance transfers can be a valuable tool in personal finance. Whether or not you choose to use this tool, we encourage you to do your research. You may find that a balance transfer is just the thing you need to get your financial freedom.

Soulwallet is a personal finance comparison portal in the UAE. With a team of “out of the box” thinkers and a deep understanding of the UAE consumer banking industry, we help customers make the best choices while shopping for financial products such as credit cards and loans.

Read more here : https://www.soulwallet.com/

[bigyack-com]

Airbus A330-800 Receives Type Certification from EASA and FAA

The Airbus A330-800 has received joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft’s certification flight-test campaign was performed by aircraft MSN1888, which completed the programme in 370 flight test hours and 132 flights since its first flight in November 2018.

The A330-800 is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and features a new 3D-optimised wing and new Sharklets made up of lighter composite materials. Airbus says that together, these advances result in a "significant reduction in fuel consumption". Certified initially with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 242 tonnes for a range capability of up to 7,500 nautical miles, the A330-800 will typically seat 220 to 260 passengers in three classes, or up to 406 travellers in a single-class high-density configuration. To date the A330neo Family has won 337 firm orders from 22 operators. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: A330, A330-800, FAA, EASA, Certification. Headlines: AirAsia to Launch Flights from Clark and Cebu to General Santos, Philippines  MICE in North Wales - Interview with Richard Jones of venue cymru, Llandudno  Air New Zealand Extends Reduction in Flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai  Patrick de Castelbajac to Join Nordic Aviation Capital as CEO  Thai Airways Opens New Lounge at Phuket Airport  Bulgaria Air and Qatar Airways to Codeshare  Tarom Takes Delivery of First of Nine ATR 72-600s  Whitbread Signs Sixth Premier Inn Hotel in Ireland  Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Dubai Opens Royal Penthouse  COVID19: Zero Risk and Travel Advisories - Where Do We Stop?  Campbell Wilson to Rejoin Scoot as CEO  MIAT to Implement Sabre's Global Demand Data Solution  Cathay Pacific Carried 3M Pax in Jan; Reduces Flight Capacity by 40%  Roger Brantsma Joins 825-Room Hilton Tokyo as General Manger  Thai Airways Increases Passenger Screening on Flights from Cambodia  Mandarin Oriental Boston to Complete US$ 15 Million Renovation in April  Erica Antony Joins CWT as Chief Product Officer  Bjoern van den Oever Joins Alila Villas Koh Russey as Executive Chef  Unicorn Hospitality Opens 47-Room Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand  Hong Kong Airport Handled 5.7 Million Passengers in January  Vietnam Airlines Adds Wide-Body Aircraft to Hanoi - Saigon Route  Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines to Power Korean Air's New A321neos  AsBAA Appoints Jeff Chiang as Chief Operating Officer  Psychometrics at Naruna Retreats in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand  Airbus A330-800 Receives Type Certification from EASA and FAA  Hamza Sehili Joins Four Seasons Tunis as Hotel Manager  British Airways and Royal Air Maroc to Codeshare  Green Africa Airways Signs MOU for 50 Airbus A220-300s  Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals Plummet to Below 3,000 Per Day  What Does Tourism Mean to Conwy, North Wales? 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Interview with Dennis Keller, CBO of Siam Seaplane  Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA  Cambodia Airways Interview with Lucian Hsing, Commercial Director  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  Travel Trade Shows in 2019, 2020 and 2021  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News  Read the full article

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Fortunate Offers by using Coupons & Deals

In online shopping holds phenomenal offers makes us not to get tired and worried about discounts and deals. During this fast period, people easily got travel, recharge, and home products because of online shopping. It has numerous products in different brands like home accessories and electronic gadgets at a reasonable price which are so attractive to all the shoppers. In Indian online shopping e-commerce websites, Saveplus is the most popular website that helps us to buy all the requirements at an economical cost. They give free home delivery to all the products without any damage and do not take extra charges in your shopping for the products. Saveplus is the best option in your shopping time to get incredible Coupons, discounts and amazing offers to save more money.

In this smart technology, people want to get all mobile recharges in one place because now It is so simple on mobiles using recharge apps for all people and all company recharge available in one place. OxigenWallet holds the whole from the accurate mobile application to recharge your mobiles. It is one of the most secure places into all mobile wallet applications for all your mobile recharges like DTH recharge, bill payments, money transfer, and online shopping requirements. To recharge without going out there are multiple applications are accessible on the phone which helps us in countless ways. You can pay the bills and other payments at any time, at any place in your mobiles.

You can use OxigenWallet Coupons, offers, and deals in your recharge time and get special discounts. And also pay for your mobile recharge using your credit card and debit card to do your recharge. By you can also make bill payments like postpaid mobile bills, electricity bills and landline bills and take a print of your accounts at any time and from anywhere. From this store, you can buy the Himalaya products using these gift cards offers, and get 5% Off Himalaya Gift Cards by using coupons, promo codes, and discounts.

Nowadays people prefer planning any tours for a long distance to travel on the flight in big packages. In those options, CheapOair is the multinational online travel agency that trades for all travel services like airfare, hotel rooms, rental cars, and holiday packages. This air travels business started in 2005 and within three years it is one of the top booking sites and 9th most-popular air agency online. CheapOair company is headquartered in a Manhattan office in new york city and also contact centers in Las Vegas, Canada, and Gurgaon, a community of New Delhi, India and Pune, Maharashtra. 

In this CheapOair travels, you can plan your trip to the favorite vacation destination, without upsetting about the budget. You can use these CheapOair Offers on your bookings to get the Coupons and discounts. Start your journey more comfortable by booking your flight tickets from CheapOair and get 40% to 65% off Airline Tickets.

Are you are on a holiday and want a vehicle to travel with family members throughout your dream? In air travel, Etihad Airways is the largest airline service in India. You can use these Etihad Airways Deals, Coupons codes and offers on your flight tickets booking and get the discounts to register from getting 500 Bonus Miles on Your First Flight. 

It provides benefits like luxurious full beds in the premium class and lounge and spa for first-class passengers with high-level service. And also Etihad Airways Offer book your extra luggage online before you fly and save up to 10% on your booking. You can also carry extra baggage by allowance facility. Book your airway tickets and visit famous tourist places for a reasonable price and offers from the SavePlus site.

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Flight Price from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia 2019

Saudi Arabia is unarguably one of the most popular travel destinations among businessmen, tourist and particularly Muslim faithful. Millions of travellers enter the country yearly for business, vacation and on religious adventures. Officially, the flight time from Lagos, Nigeria to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is about 6 hours. This official flight time assumes a non-stop flight in a commercial airliner cruising at an average speed of 500mph. It is also calculated based on the shortest straight line flight distance from Lagos in Nigeria to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. This distance is around 2,609 miles which is equivalent to 4,198 kilometres. However, it's a little different in reality. Unless you are flying on your private jet, the time it may take to arrive at your destination can go as high as 30 hours.   Saudi Arabia Visa Requirements Nigeria doesn’t have a visa-free travel agreement with Saudi Arabia. This means that you are definitely going to need a visa to visit the ever popular Arabian nation. Travellers can apply for five categories of visa, depending on their purpose of visit. Tourist can apply for visitors visa, businessmen for a business visa, students for study visa, workers for a work visa and those on transit for a transit visa. Before you are issued a Saudi Arabian visa, you'll need to put the following requirements in order; A completed and signed visa application form Copies of your recent passport which captures your full face within a light background A Nigerian passport with a validity exceeding your expected return date and some blank pages for visa stamps Copy of the passport datasheet Copies of your previous visa if any A cover letter stating the purpose of your visit to Saudi Arabia Hotel reservation for the entire duration of your intended stay in Saudi Arabia Proof of legal stay (that’s if the application isn’t presented in the country of origin) Flight itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Saudi Arabia For a business visa, you’ll need to provide an original copy of the invitation letter from the inviting company in Saudi Arabia. Also, you may need to provide proof of previous trade relationship between you and the company if it exists Certificate of employment if employed A certificate from your employer approving your business visit if employed Trade register excerpts or similar documents if you are self-employed A recent bank statement Visa fees   Cost of Flight from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia Nigeria to Saudi Arabia via EgyptAir Economy class - ₦300,000 to ₦400,000 Business class - ₦400,000 to ₦600,000 Nigeria to Saudi Arabia via Turkish Airways Economy class - ₦400,000 to ₦550,000 Business class - ₦750,000 to ₦850,000 Nigeria to Saudi Arabia via Etihad Airlines Economy class - ₦600,000 to ₦750,000 Nigeria to Saudi Arabia via Emirate Air Economy class - ₦600,000 to ₦850,000 Nigeria to Saudi Arabia via Air France Economy class - ₦82,000 to ₦1,100,000 Business class - ₦1,300,000 to ₦1,650,000   Cheap Flights to Saudi Arabia When planning a trip to Saudi Arabia, the key to getting a good deal for flight tickets is timing. As much as 30% differences may exist between tickets bought from different time periods – even on the same day. Buying your flight tickets weeks before your flight is scheduled is a pretty good way to save some extra cash. Usually, tickets bought early are always way cheaper than those bought a few days before the flight. It’s not totally unusual to experience a hike in prices of flight tickets during Muslim holidays. Saudi Arabia is the birth land of the Islam religion and hosts two sacred mosques (Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram mosque and Medina’s Masjid an-Nabawi mosque) held in high esteem by Muslims globally. During Islamic Holidays like the Hajj, traffic from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia is always at its highest peak. Booking flights during these periods could mean you will pay more than obtainable at other times.   Prepping for an International Long Haul Flight If you booked a ticket for a flight from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia, you are undeniably in for a long haul flight. No matter how utopian your destination may seem, travelling in a high flying aluminium tube for several hours can seem a little problematic. Only a few lucky travellers can sleep well on planes, if you aren’t among the lucky ones, you might want to begin your journey only after being well rested. Some airlines might allow you to choose from available seats for an extra fee if you have the extra cash to pay. This is usually a good option to explore. By doing this, you can select a comfortable spot you can rest comfortably during the hours-long long-haul flight. Another option would be to upgrade to business or first class. Both classes offer larger space, better meals and ultimately a higher level of comfort. Flights from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia could be particularly boring if you aren’t well-entertained. Make no mistakes, this is usually the case for almost every other long haul flights, especially when the provided in-flight entertainment isn’t really your definition of entertainment. If your flight makes a stopover, it’s often a good time to take a quick walk to stretch your limbs and take a few moments to rest and recuperate. It’s advisable to go for a quick massage and, maybe, use the gym for a few moments if you are lucky to make a stop at a reputable airport. Cabin air is infamously dry; you might want to pack some extra bottles of water to drink during your flight duration if you are big on gulping water. Also, consider dressing light. For long haul flights that may see you seated on a seat for hours, it’s usually good practice to use light and loose fitting clothing. You might find yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable throughout the entire duration of the flight. Read the full article

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What’s Even the Point of Credit Card Points Now added to Google Docs

What’s Even the Point of Credit Card Points Now

 Getty Images

Travel and dining rewards don’t mean much when you can’t travel or dine. Here’s how credit card companies are fighting to keep your business — and your money

Dave Grossman spent seven months planning his blowout honeymoon, which was supposed to happen in April. The plan was to fly business class on Qatar Airways to the Maldives using miles; spend six nights at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives using Hilton points, then a week in Sri Lanka; and then fly home to New York in the Etihad First Class apartments. Grossman estimates the flights and hotel stays he booked on miles and points were worth close to $40,000.

Admittedly, Grossman isn’t the average credit card user. He maintains several dozen cards that he uses strategically to optimize rewards, and has made a career out of the practice as founder and editor of credit card rewards resources MilesTalk.com and YourBestCreditCards.com. But he, like just about every other traveler in the world, has had his plans derailed due to COVID-19.

And so have the card companies competing for his business. While it’s hard to quantify the sheer scope of the credit card rewards points industry, it’s safe to say it’s massive, especially for travel brands. When Delta extended its contract with American Express in 2019, the airline said it expected to be making $7 billion annually by 2023 from the deal — and that’s just one airline. Card issuers buy points from airlines and hotels to offer their cardmembers. In April, Hilton said it sold $1 billion worth of points in its Hilton Honors loyalty program to American Express. But now, with travel at a near standstill and sharp declines in consumer spending overall, the credit card industry has had to change its approach to points and perks.

Cards that were once focused on travel and dining are, like all of us, embracing life at home. Airline cards are now offering extra points on grocery store purchases. Hotel-branded cards that come loaded with hundreds of dollars of resort credit — funds earmarked for spending at a certain hotel or resort chain — are instead counting everyday restaurant takeout and delivery purchases against those amounts. Cardholders today can get credit toward their cellphone bills and Netflix charges, or use monthly Uber ride-hailing credits toward Uber Eats food delivery instead.

These fees are easier to swallow when you’re using points and credits to book a five-star suite in Bali, but might feel less valuable when you’re using the pricey card to buy toilet paper.

“Everyone has been scrambling to try and give people more value,” says Benét Wilson, credit cards editor for the Points Guy, a website covering travel and loyalty. “They want to keep people, they don’t want you to start dropping their cards.”

They’re right to be worried. Annual fees for high-end travel rewards cards can reach hundreds of dollars annually. These fees are easier to swallow when you’re using points and credits to book a five-star suite in Bali, but might feel less valuable when you’re using the pricey card to buy toilet paper. Ted Rossman, an industry analyst with creditcards.com, was surprised by the backlash when Chase Sapphire raised its annual fee by $100 in January to a total of $550. “I heard from a lot of people that they already thought the card was a splurge and that the extra $100 did make a difference to them.” In response to COVID-19, Chase has started offering $100 credits to offset the increase.

Acacia N., a marketing manager in Los Angeles who requested we don’t use her full name, is questioning her own high-annual-fee card. While her points won’t expire, she says she’s not thrilled with the type of benefits the card offers in lieu of travel. “The high fee now comes with Lyft and DoorDash credits, but I’m not flying, can’t exactly use Lyft right now, and I won’t support DoorDash or other food delivery services until they improve worker and restaurant pay,” she says. “I’m used to earning a lot of points with this card, saving for our honeymoon, but I’m not sure the $450 fee is worth it without being able to travel or dine out like we used to.”

This, according to Rossman, is proof there’s a tipping point when it comes to the high fees premium travel cards charge. “The more people deal with unemployment and really take a hard look at their finances, we may see some more pushback there,” he says.

More than a third of American consumers say the most important reason they use one credit card over another is because of the type of rewards it offers. An additional 25 percent said they chose a first-choice card because of a higher rewards rate, according to data from Business Insider Intelligence.

“I used to really only use my card for travel or dining out, like picking up the tab while out with friends,” says Laura Faustman, a consultant in Oakland, California. “I am not a big spender personally, so I tend to seize whatever opportunity I can to capitalize on transactions that have two or three times the points per dollar. Picking up the $500 tab for a group dinner and squaring up after the fact is usually worth the effort.”

While group dining — or group anything — is pretty much off the table these days, Wilson says in the wake of COVID-19 there are now “tons” of new offers and programs, with more added every day. (Hint: Open those promotional emails from your card provider!) She says every card has a benefits guide that outlines every perk, new and old, and you should be able to find yours online. Most offers don’t require you to do anything besides use the card to get the benefits, but read the fine print. For example, American Express’s definition of a grocery store doesn’t include specialty food stores, so your local fishmonger or produce shop is probably off the table. Big-box stores like Target with dedicated grocery sections aren’t included either.

But “there are only so many categories you can add, so when everyone adds the same ones it makes it — for someone with multiple cards at least — less valuable,” says Chris Hutchins, another so-called points optimizer and head of autonomous financial planning at Wealthfront. Where previously, consumers often carried several cards to take advantage of different perk categories — one for buying plane tickets, another for everyday purchases, and a third for hotel stays — that doesn’t always make sense anymore, as your new COVID-era benefits might overlap. “I now somehow have four grocery cards, whereas a couple months ago I just had one,” says Hutchins.

Additionally, the benefit of getting a new card — which often includes a free bonus of up to 50,000 miles or more — isn’t the same as it was a few months ago. “I can’t use the miles I’m going to get,” Hutchins says. “Even if I get a signup bonus, it’s not like I’m booking trips right now.” One way airline card issuers are combatting this is by allowing credit card purchases to count toward status points. Previously, you’d have to actually travel to get those, in most cases. That’s helpful for people wanting to achieve new status, but most U.S. airlines and hotel chains have already extended existing status through 2021.

“Even if I get a signup bonus, it’s not like I’m booking trips right now.”

If you have signed up for a new card in the last four or five months, The Points Guy’s Wilson says that you’ll probably have more time to spend money to get the valuable signup bonuses. “Normally, let’s say you get an American Express Platinum. You would have three months to spend $5,000 on it to get 50,000 points and a welcome offer signup bonus. Most of the credit card issuers have extended it to six months because they realize that people are not going to be able to spend that much money in that three month period,” she says.

Really, you don’t need to maintain a drawer full of credit cards to get the most out of the ones you’re already carrying. If an annual fee totaling several hundred dollars is too much right now, experts suggest downgrading to a lower-fee version of the same card. “You can preserve the card, preserve the credit, and keep the card number. It’s not a new inquiry, but they’ll pro-ratedly refund you the higher annual fee for the lower one, and you can always re-upgrade again later,” says Grossman.

For instance, a Platinum Amex can be downgraded to Gold or Green while maintaining Membership Rewards points. The top-of-the-line Citi Prestige can be downgraded to the Premier or Rewards+ cards without losing ThankYou Points. Hutchins cautions that some card issuers may allow you to downgrade your card to another card that isn’t part of the same rewards program, which could result in losing your points balance or losing the ability to use them in certain ways, so check first. “For example, you may no longer be able to use them to transfer to partner airlines,” he says.

Then, of course there’s the time-tested trick of picking up the phone. “Call the card issuer and say, look, I’m not happy about this,” says Wilson. “Don’t call and say ‘I’m going to get rid of my card,’ say ‘I’m thinking about it because it’s cost prohibitive and i’m not getting what I thought I was going to get.’” Companies are handling these requests on an individual basis, she says, and some customers are getting annual fee credit, bonus points, or retention bonuses.

Just like the pandemic, no one is certain how long these offers and changes might last. Most of these new promotions are limited-time offers, running through the end of June or July, and whether they’re extended depends on the fate of the travel industry at large. Wilson says it could be hard for credit card companies to roll back bonus points for things like grocery shopping and food delivery if people are happy earning points that way. But when travel resumes — whenever that is — it’s possible cardholders could see their points and perks return to pre-pandemic normal.

Dave Grossman is hoping to rebook his South Asian honeymoon for later this year, using a mix of credit card points and frequent flier miles. But so far, he hasn’t had luck beyond securing one hotel stay. “I’m still trying to accrue points as fast as I can. [COVID-19] hasn’t changed my behavior at all — except for where they’re offering the bonus points on groceries,” he says. “I’m all over that.”

Kristen Hawley writes about restaurant operations, technology, and the future of the business from San Francisco. She’s the founder of Expedite, a restaurant technology newsletter that’s existed, in some form, for the last seven years.

via Eater - All https://www.eater.com/21266386/credit-card-rewards-points-travel-dining-covid-19-impact-coronavirus

Created May 26, 2020 at 11:26PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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Citi Double Cash review: One of the best cash-back cards has no annual fee, and more redemption options than you might realize

Business Insider recommends credit cards based on their overall value and ease of use. Sometimes, we receive a commission through The Points Guy affiliate network if you apply and are approved for a card, but our choices are always independent and objective. The popular Citi® Double Cash Card lets you earn a flat 2% back on everything you buy — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off.This card also comes with no annual fee, making it a long-term "keeper card" for most people. Throw in the intro APR offer for balance transfers, and it's easy to see why people sign up.Citi recently announced that Citi Double Cash customers can convert their points to Citi ThankYou points. This opens up a whole new world of redemption possibilities for Citi Double Cash customers.See Business Insider's list of the best cash-back cards » While there are many cash-back credit cards that give you 1.5% back on your spending without an annual fee, few surpass that earning threshold. That's why the Citi Double Cash card is so exceptional. This card gives you a flat 2% back on everything you buy — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. This card doesn't charge an annual fee, either, so you can keep it for the long haul without paying for the privilege. If getting 2% back without an annual fee sounds enticing, that's because it is. Still, there are more details to consider with this card outside of its earning rate. This review will break down the pros and the cons of this card as well as how it compares to other, similar offers. Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

Citi Double Cash details

Annual fee: $0 Sign-up bonus: None Rewards: Earn 2% back on everything you buy — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off Intro APR: 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by a variable APR of 15.49% to 25.49% Redeem rewards for statement credits or convert to Citi ThankYou points

Citi Double Cash earning rate

As we mentioned already, the Citi Double Cash card offers an enticing earning rate for a cash-back card without an annual fee. This card gives you 2% back on everything you buy — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. This rate will help you earn considerably more rewards over time when compared to other cash-back credit cards that give you just 1% or 1.5% back for each dollar you spend.

Citi Double Cash redemption options

The rewards you earn with the Citi Double Cash card can be used in more ways than you might think. For starters, you can redeem rewards for a check, a statement credit, or a credit to your linked account once you have at least $25 in rewards in your account. But you can also convert your cash rewards points into Citi ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, merchandise, and more. In an interesting twist, the Citi Double Cash card now lets you transfer converted Citi ThankYou points to one airline partner, JetBlue, at a reduced transfer ratio. If you also hold the Citi Prestige® Card or the Citi Premier℠ Card, however, you can combine your points and transfer them to all Citi's airline transfer partners, including Air France/Flying Blue, Aeromexico, and Etihad Guest. Click here to learn more about the Citi Double Cash card »

Cardholder benefits

One potential downside of the Citi Double Cash card is the fact it's pretty light on cardholder benefits. In that respect, the introductory balance transfer offer is all this card has going for it. Once you sign up, you'll qualify for 0% APR on balance transfers for a full 18 months, followed by a variable rate of 15.49% to 25.49%. A 3% balance transfer fee applies with a minimum charge of $5. Read more: The best balance transfer cards for paying off debt

Citi Double Cash costs and fees

While the Citi Double Cash card doesn't charge an annual fee, there are plenty of fees to be aware of. For example, you'll pay a 3% foreign transaction fee on all purchases you make outside the United States. If you're heading abroad, use a card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees instead. You'll also pay a minimum interest charge of $0.50 whenever you carry a balance, and a 5% fee will apply (minimum $10) any time you use your credit card for a cash advance. Also, consider the balance transfer fee we already mentioned, which is 3% (minimum $5) of each balance you transfer over.

How the Citi Double Cash compares to other cash-back cards

The Citi Double Cash card lets you earn generous rewards for every dollar you spend, but it may not be the perfect card for everyone. Let's see how it stacks up to a few comparable cash-back credit cards. First up is the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no annual fee. That's a lower cash-back rate than the Citi Double Cash, but if you also have a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can transfer rewards over from the Freedom Unlimited and use them to book travel with Chase's partners. Unlike the Citi Double Cash, the Freedom Unlimited card offers a sign-up bonus. New cardholders can earn $150 after they spend $500 in the first three months. Click here to learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited » Another option is the Capital One® Savor® Rewards Credit Card, which has a $95 annual fee that's waived the first year. Unlike the Citi Double Cash and the Freedom Unlimited, this card offers bonus cash back on select spending categories. You'll earn 4% back on dining and entertainment, 2% back at grocery stores, and 1% back on everything else. You can redeem your earnings for cash back in any amount, and new cardholders can earn a $300 bonus after spending $3,000 within the first three months. Click here to learn more about the Capital One Savor card » You'll notice one big disadvantage with the Citi Double Cash Card: there's no sign-up bonus. With no initial bonus in the first few months, and that means you'll need to spend more on your card to earn the same amount of cash back over time. Also note that, while the Citi Double Cash does give you 2% back, it doesn't have any specific bonus categories you could potentially maximize. If you spend a lot in certain categories like dining, groceries, or gas, you may want to consider pairing the Citi Double Cash with another card that helps you leverage the categories where you spend the most.

Consider pairing it with another Citi credit card

If you're also considering the Citi Premier or the Citi Prestige, it could be a smart move to have one of those cards along with the Citi Double Cash. This would make it possible to extract maximum value from your points, because pairing these cards opens the door to transfers to Citi airline partners, which can help you secure plenty of value when you go to book airfare. If you travel often and want to leverage airline transfer partners as much as you can, this is an important factor to consider. But before applying, you should check out Citi's transfer partners to make sure they work for your travel plans. The following partners and transfer ratios (points to miles) apply: Aeromexico (1:1) Asia Miles (1:1) Avianca (1:1) Etihad Guest (1:1) EVA Air (1:1) Air France/Flying Blue (1:1) JetBlue (1:1) Jet Privilege (1:1) Malaysia Airlines (1:1) Qantas (1:1) Qatar Airways (1:1) Singapore Airlines (1:1) Thai Airways (1:1) Turkish Airlines (1:1) Virgin Atlantic (1:1)

The bottom line

Now that Citi Double Cash cardholders can convert cash back to Citi ThankYou points, the card is considerably more valuable. The Citi ThankYou program lets you redeem your rewards for gift cards, merchandise, and even travel through the Citi ThankYou portal. If you don't like those options, however, you can also cash in your rewards for statement credits to spend however you want. But no matter how you choose to redeem your rewards, it's hard to beat 2% back with no annual fee. Click here to learn more about the Citi Double Cash card »More credit card coverageWhat's the best airline credit card?The best cash-back credit cardsSouthwest credit card reviewBest rewards credit cards Read the full article

[cathrynstreich]

7 Ways to Upgrade Your Flight Without Paying Full Price

(TNS)—For me, flying in business or first class is not about the extra attentive service or the meals—which are, let’s face it, still airplane food—or even about the endless supply of free booze (well, maybe a little about the endless supply of free booze).

It’s about comfort, especially on long-haul flights. It’s about being able to shift position, with the push of a button or two, from sitting upright to a much more comfortable lie-flat position. That’s when my spine and posterior go “aaaah.”

But airborne comfort comes at a cost. So I’m going to tell you how to fly flat for less than you might imagine.

1. Buy a Nonrefundable Business or First-Class Fare When It’s Low Airfares change moment to moment and day to day. Search for a Los Angeles to New York nonstop one-way in business class and the fare could be $499 one minute and $1,999 the next. It used to be that airlines gave away their premium seats as a perk for loyal customers, but now they prefer to get whatever the market will bear. I check multiple times as far in advance as possible and snag a deal when it appears. I’ve noticed recently that airline apps remember your last search so it’s as easy as hitting the search button again and again to see if fares have changed. Often, on domestic routes, nonrefundable business or first-class seats are just twice the cost of economy class rather than three or four times as much as they once were. As with nonrefundable economy class fares, you’ll pay $200 to change or cancel your flight.

2. Use Miles/Points to Upgrade From Economy American, Delta and United let passengers use miles (15,000 to 20,000) plus a copay of $75, on lower-48 domestic routes, to upgrade from economy. Sometimes an upgrade is available immediately when you call the airline’s award desk, but usually you’ll be put on a waitlist. How far in advance you book, the price of the economy fare and the time you check in for the flight may affect your chances. Upgrades on flights to Hawaii and international destinations will cost more miles and higher copays, and other airlines besides those mentioned also allow mileage upgrades.

3. Use Miles or Points to Upgrade As with airfares, the number of miles or points needed to book a frequent-flyer award seat will vary day by day. I recommend calling the awards desk rather than going online to search availability. Last year I was looking for business-class award seats on British Airways and found none online, but when I spoke to someone on the phone there were lots of options. That said, American was offering, on its app but not on its website, “online only” business and first-class awards at greatly reduced mileage, so it’s a good idea to try both methods. Check multiple times before committing.

If you have good credit but don’t have enough miles in your account, the fastest way to earn enough for a business-class ticket is to get a new credit card offering sign-up bonuses after you charge a specified amount to the card, usually $3,000 in the first three months after approval. Citibank, American Express and Chase typically award 50,000, 60,000 or more points or miles. British Airways has offered 100,000 points in the past.

But do us all a favor and apply for these cards directly with the issuing bank and not through websites that get millions in referral commissions since we consumers end up paying for these bounties in the form of higher interest rates and fees. In an attempt to circumvent those “points” websites, airlines are marketing credit cards onboard flights with added incentives not available online. On a recent American Airlines trip, the flight attendants handed out applications for a co-branded AA/Mastercard with no annual fee for the first year, and just a $1 minimum spend. Yes, I applied and got approved and used the miles for a free business-class trip.

4. Last-Minute Upgrade Offers Checking in online for an Alaska Airlines flight last year, I was offered a $50 upgrade to first class on a Seattle to Los Angeles flight. You’re darn right I took it. Waiting in line to board an Etihad Airways flight, I was approached by an agent who asked if I would like to upgrade from business to first class for $500. That one I didn’t take, but you get the point: Be alert to, and ask about, last-minute upgrades. Do it when you check in at the airport. And don’t ignore emailed upgrade offers: American sends me these all the time, mostly on shorter domestic flights. TAP Air Portugal sells upgrades to business class at the ticket counter or gate for about $400 to $500 per flight, depending on load factors.

5. Buy Through a Consolidator Consolidators are like the TJ Maxx of business and first-class airfares. I’ve never used one, but my friend Ken did recently on a New York to London trip in business class for 50 percent less than Virgin Atlantic was asking online. Consolidators have been known to cease operations without warning, but one that’s been in the business for decades is Planet Amex (planetamex.com, no relation to American Express). 6. Bid on an Upgrade Through an Auction Four dozen carriers (Air New Zealand, Etihad, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas, SAS and Singapore Airlines among them) offer upgrade auctions through PlusGrade.com. Check the site for the whole list, but you must bid on each airline’s site where you’ll see rules and procedures, with some allowing upgrade bids on award tickets and some offering instant upgrades as well as auctions. TAP Air Portugal runs auctions on flytap.com from 72 to 24 hours before departure and at Seatboost.com from 24 hours to flight closing.

7. Be Loyal to One Airline Although some airlines give away fewer free seats in business and first class than in the past, passengers with higher status in frequent-flyer programs do get upgraded for free at times, and those folks also have higher priority on waiting lists for mileage upgrades.

Oh, and one other way: Be nice, dress well. Time and time again, I’ve heard from friends and readers that they have been upgraded to business or first class simply because they made some effort to dress decently. It only happens occasionally, but what do you have to lose?

A British Airways employee whose job it is to escort VIP passengers confessed to me that, “Yes, we do take note of a passenger’s behavior and whether they’re presentable. When I was a check-in agent we would place a note in the comments section of the reservation: ‘This person was very nice, consider available upgrade, or this person was very nasty.'”

And several people I know have gotten Best Dressed Upgrades, most recently Susan Andrews, a real estate agent in LA, on a flight to London on British Airways, an airline on which she had zero status. It’s just human nature. Airline employees are required to dress smart when flying nonrevenue and they disdain passengers who dress like slobs.

I worked for Eastern Air Lines in the 1980s when it was company policy to fly employees in first-class if seats were available (back then, they almost always were). One day I showed up for a flight, in my best suit and good shoes, but no necktie, and was handed an economy-class boarding pass. When I asked why the gate agent scoffed, “Dressed like that you don’t deserve to fly at all!”

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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[letsdeepvoidbouquet]

Aviation Industry

We live in a time when saving time is more important than saving money. Perhaps this is the reason why air transport, previously reserved for extremely well-off people or in emergency situations, is now used on a par with its competitors, that is, rail and road transport. The number of passengers has increased several times in the last two decades and the number of passengers continues to increase. A few decades ago, only mature, developed and rich nations such as the United States, European countries, Japan, Singapore, etc. they were those that had air connectivity with the main national cities and also international destinations. But now the number of countries connected to each other by plane has increased considerably, and that has not stopped there. National air connectivity has also increased, connecting many cities in many different countries. Not only developed and rich countries, but also developing countries such as China, India and Brazil, etc. They have gained a lot due to the increase in air connectivity. Not only has connectivity improved, but the flying experience has improved. Let's take a look at things that have changed a lot in the last decades. Travel time Air transport, which has been the fastest mode of transport since its inception, has become even faster over time. The flight from the Australian subcontinent to London was, and still is among the longest flights known. At the end of the 1950s, the cities of Sydney and London were connected by Qantas Airways of Australia. The trips was then a 4-day trips with 55 hours in the air and the flight touching the ground in six different places in Sydney and London. The airline always runs between countries, but in a different way. The new Kangaroo Route 2018, as Qantas Airways calls it, connects Perth with London without stopping or landing anywhere else. The trips now only takes 17 hours in the air, covering more than 9,000 miles in the air in a single takeoff. It is not even the largest amount of time in the air or the longest distance covered in a single takeoff. As aircraft became more and more efficient and technologically more advanced, flights with longer times and longer flight routes were achieved. Another Qatar Airlines company between Auckland and Doha is now the longest flight, covering an impressive distance of 9025 miles on a single flight (or flight) from 16 to 18 hours in the air. Imagine the passengers hanging in their seats for so long! Meals in flight There is a reason why the first flight period was called the "Golden Age" of the flight. For the price that the passengers paid for the trip it was compensated with the food and drinks served during the trip. But the airline had their own problems to deal with. The prospects of the early 1920s had to deal with weighty issues when there were cases in which passengers were weighed before boarding. The same rule applies to food, which limits the amount of food transported in the sky. As the planes got better and the trips were longer, the food became better and warmer. The food was more than an essential survival. Flights in the early 1930s had kitchens, which could provide a hot meal and a dining room where passengers gathered and feasted in the air. Then, in the 1940s, the era of frozen foods arrived, thanks to which a variety of meals were served in the sky. As the aircraft grew, the number of passengers increased, as did the storage space for air meals. But now, personalization has become important, compared to the offer of exotic unified meals throughout the group of passengers. Currently, airline allow passengers to order food of their choice before boarding, which would be delivered directly to their seats. For example, iFLEAT is a mobile service that delivers food ordered by passengers from a restaurant directly to their place. The service is now associated with Air Berlin and plans to partner with more airlines in the future. While FLS providers will feel the impact of this service, it is a win-win situation, since they get the food they choose, as well as airlines because they can probably keep their customers. allowing them to do what they want. On-board entertainment and connectivity A recent survey of airline passengers revealed that Wi-Fi was more important than food for passengers traveling by plane. This shows how connected people are connected to the Internet. And even airlines are trying to retain existing customers and attract more customers by offering entertainment and connectivity. Many airlines already offer Wi-Fi on at least some of their flights, but travelers must buy the service. Airlines offer free Internet access only for first class travelers. Big names in the aviation industry such as Etihad, Finnair, Lufthansa, etc. provide Internet access in all or part of its fleet, but at a cost to the passenger. On the other hand, there are some others like Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, etc. They offer free Wi-Fi access to their passengers. There are many travelers who pray for this to happen on all airlines, and I hope it happens soon. With the number of travelers expected to double by 2035, according to a market research company, airlines will make many changes to attract new passengers and retain existing ones.

Aviation Industry Airline, connectivity, trips from Travel the world https://ift.tt/2I8TFkF via IFTTT

[touristguidebuzz]

Points International Claims 2017 Growth for Its Loyalty Tech Platform

On the consumer side, Points helps travelers make their loyalty points more flexible for redemption and purchases. On the business services end, the Canadian company helps travel brands increase customer usage of their loyalty programs. Points International

Skift Take: Points, a reseller of airline miles and hotel points, has begun to sign up travel companies to its newer ways of squeezing money out of their programs. But it's still too early to tell for sure how successful these efforts will be.

— Sean O'Neill

Points International, the world’s largest miles and hotel points reseller, wants its stock price to go up after three-and-half-years of little movement.

Just about every company wants their share prices to rise.

But on Wednesday, the Toronto-based technology provider for travel loyalty programs issued a statement weeks in advance of its fourth quarter earnings report to tease its full-year 2017 performance.

The forecast that after it finishes tallying its “gross profit” and its “adjusted earnings” — metrics defined by the company — will have been up 10 percent each for the year, broadly in line with a six-year trend.

Investors will have to wait until next month for the financial and performance data on profit and earnings, metrics which use generally accepted accounting principles.

Growth Across Segments

Points doesn’t operate airline or hotel loyalty programs. But it does provide services that help airlines and hotels make the most money out of their programs, including through third-party partnerships. One of its clients is Air France-KLM, which uses the company’s mileage retailing business to sell customers on miles to “top up” their accounts and to use its platform to sell miles to third-party companies.

Skift last profiled Points in June with a CEO interview. Here are highlights of its big loyalty accomplishments since then.

Three Divisions

The company is best known for its loyalty currency platform, which lets users trade points and miles between programs for 37 companies, including United, Lufthansa, and Hilton. Consumers typically tap this service to top off their accounts to meet redemption thresholds.

Points is expected to report that it processed the sale of more than half a billion dollars worth of miles in 2017. Its largest new program in 2017 was enabling members of Hilton’s rewards program to combine points with up to 10 friends or family members.

Another division, Points Travel, aims to help airlines use their brand direct websites to sell hotel stays at standard rates either with miles or with cash in exchange for mileage bonuses.

Here’s how it works, using launch partner Lufthansa as an example. When a traveler books a hotel stay via Lufthansa’s website, Points goes out to find the lowest hotel cost for that room on the wholesale market. It takes an approximate 25 percent commission and then uses the remaining cash difference to buy miles in Lufthansa’s program. It uses the miles as a sweetener to lure customers to book travel on Lufthansa instead of from another source — perhaps 4,000 for a $400 a night stay. The product also works for rental cars.

Competition is heating up, though. For example, Booking.com’s RocketMiles enables consumers to earn miles for hotel bookings, including bookings made via Southwest Airlines’ website.

In 2017, All Nippon Airways began using Points’ services, Etihad expanded its participation, and Air Europa, Carlson Hotels, and two other travel brands will be joining in the first half of 2018, according to Points.

More Partnerships

Points’ third segment is platform partnerships. The company is opening up its loyalty commerce platform to enable companies to tap into the loyalty programs that it works with. Points boosted the number of travel loyalty programs it works with from about 50 to about 60 in the past year, according to our comparison of the old and new list.

In late spring 2017, Points launched a deal with Apple. In 2017, InterContinental Hotels Group began using Points’ technology to offer a members a points bonus for electronics purchases at Apple’s online store. In the first half of 2018, another hotel program will start to use Points to sell via Apple, too.

Last autumn, Points debuted with flash deals service Groupon to offer travel points for every dollar spent.

Overall, the diversification into other loyalty monetization programs is important. Because companies like Booking.com, Switchfly, TravelBank, TripActions, and Upside are all innovating in aspects of loyalty monetization. All of them face a marketing challenge in modifying customer behavior from just booking a room to trying to book a room while also earning loyalty miles or points.

As we’ve noted before, the biggest knock against Points is that its business model may be too dependent on four loyalty program partners, who make up three-fourths of the company’s total revenue. Points doesn’t disclose the names of those partners.

Investors will be watching for the official fourth quarter and end-of-year numbers to make their judgments.

[bigyack-com]

Thai Airways Launches Promotion for Royal Orchid Plus Members

Thai Airways has launched a promotion for members of its Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) frequent flyer programme. ROP members can now redeem award tickets, in all classes, to 34 destinations in Asia, Europe, and Australia for 30% less miles than normal. The promotion will run until 29 February 2020. The mileage required for redeeming award tickets starts at 8,750 miles per flight for Economy Class tickets and 14,000 miles per flight for Royal Silk Class.

ROP members can use the miles to redeem round trip tickets on Thai Airways and Thai Smile from Bangkok to Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Colombo, Dhaka, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, Luang Prabang, Mandalay, Melbourne, Moscow, Nagoya, Oslo, Penang, Perth, Phnom Penh, Pusan, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Stockholm, Taipei, Vientiane, Xiamen, Yangon and Zhengzhou. Tickets can be redeemed until 29 February 2020 for traveling from now until 29 March 2020 and between 30 April and 30 June 2020. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Thai Airways, ROP, FFP, Thailand. 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Thompson as VP Global Internal Communications & Culture  Vietjet Launches Daily Flights Between Hanoi and Bali, Indonesia  WTTC Moves April's Global Summit from Puerto Rico to Mexico  Andy Flaig Joins Wyndham as Head of Development South East Asia / Pacific Rim  Air Astana Reports 2019 Net Profit Increase of 461%  NASA Orders Three Airbus H135 Helicopters  Hahn Air Simplifies Distribution of Corporate Shuttle Flights  Sydney 7s to Take Place at Bankwest Stadium on 1-2 February  Russia's Sirena Travel Signs Multi-Year Retailing Deal with ATPCO  Shell to Use Airbus H160 for Offshore Transportation  ANA to Operate International Flights Out of Haneda T2 and T3 from 29 March  CAL Group Makes Changes to Inflight Services on Taiwan-HK / Macau Routes  Philippines Suspends Visa Upon Arrival Service for Chinese Nationals  UK Visitor Arrivals Spending Up 19% in October 2019  Todd Probert Joins CAE as Group President, Defence & Security  Six Senses Appoints Mark Sands as Vice President of Wellness  Air France and Sata Azores Airlines Start Codesharing  Norwegian Implements New Hand Baggage Policy  AirAsia X Launches KL - Taipei - Okinawa Flights  First Boeing 777-9 Begins Flight Tests  Accor Commits to Global Elimination of Single-Use Plastics by 2022  Etihad Receives EASA Approval to Train Boeing 777, 787 Pilots  Jeane Lim Appointed GM of Grand Park City Hall Hotel in Singapore  Whitbread Opens First hub by Premier Inn Hotel Outside of London's Zone 1  Delta Enhances Travel Experience for Pets  All Blacks Sevens Make History in Hamilton  Air Canada Becomes Official Airline of Cirque du Soleil  Pictures from Ascot United vs Hanworth Villa  SHOW DC Hall to Give Bangkok's MICE Industry a Significant Boost  IHG Signs First voco Hotel in New Zealand  OYO Signs Global Distribution Agreement with Sabre  Hong Kong Cancels Chinese New Year Carnival  NAC Orders 20 Airbus A220 Aircraft  IHG to Launch Customer Insights Portal for Large Enterprises  Cathay Pacific Reports December 2019 Traffic  Duetto Appoints David Woolenberg as CEO  Phuket to Host Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+) 2020 in June  Sabre and Accor to Create Unified Technology Platform for Hospitality Industry  Groupe Couleur to Manage RWC 2023 Official Travel Agent Selection Process  Two Senior Global Marketing Appointments at IHG  ANA Begins Autonomous Electric Bus Trial at Haneda Airport  China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines Cancel Flights to Wuhan, China  Rosa Wong Joins Hotel Alexandra HK as Director of Event Management  Four Seasons Madrid Now Accepting Reservations  UK Military Flight Training System Orders 4 More H145 Helicopters  Sabre Forges 10-Year Partnership with Google  Accor Expands Pullman Brand to Rotorua, New Zealand  Korean Air Reveals More Details of New SkyPass FFP  Airbus to Produce A321 Aircraft in Toulouse, France  Cornelia Mitlmeier Joins Four Seasons Dubai as Resort Manager  Hotel Alexandra Appoints Daniel Chan as Executive Chef  SITAOnAir Acquires GTD Air Services  Boeing Hoping for 737 MAX Ungrounding in Mid-2020  1.5 Billion Int. Tourist Arrivals in 2019; UNWTO Forecasts 4% Increase in 2020  Hong Kong Airport Handled 71.5 Million Passengers in 2019  Ascott Opens First Citadines in Osaka, Japan  Thai Airways Appoints New Chairman  Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit to Take Place 9-10 Feb  PATA Forecasts Over 971 Million Int. Visitor Arrivals into Asia Pacific by 2024  Green Light for Garmin G5000 Avionics Upgrade on Learjet Aircraft  Four Seasons Silicon Valley Installs High-Tech AI Gym in Select Rooms  Assistance Requests for Airline Pax with Intellectual Disabilities up 762%  Accor Opens Mercure Resort in Vung Tau, Vietnam  Vietjet Launches Flights Between Dalat and Seoul  FlyArystan Reports First Year Load Factor of 94%  Amadeus Looks at How Technology Will Shape Airports of the Future  CALC Signs Purchase Agreement for 40 A321neo Aircraft  Daniele Polito Joins Four Seasons Seoul as Boccalino's Chef de Cuisine  Charlotte Svensson to Join SAS as EVP and CIO  Airbus Helicopters Appoints Head of External Communications  Thailand: Did Strength of Thai Baht Affect Number of Arrivals from UK in 2019?  What Does TAT Have Planned for Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+) 2020? Exclusive Interview  Seaplanes in Thailand? Interview with Dennis Keller, CBO of Siam Seaplane  Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA  Cambodia Airways Interview with Lucian Hsing, Commercial Director  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  Travel Trade Shows in 2019, 2020 and 2021  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News  Read the full article

[rollinbrigittenv8]

Points International Claims 2017 Growth for Its Loyalty Tech Platform

On the consumer side, Points helps travelers make their loyalty points more flexible for redemption and purchases. On the business services end, the Canadian company helps travel brands increase customer usage of their loyalty programs. Points International

Skift Take: Points, a reseller of airline miles and hotel points, has begun to sign up travel companies to its newer ways of squeezing money out of their programs. But it's still too early to tell for sure how successful these efforts will be.

— Sean O'Neill

Points International, the world’s largest miles and hotel points reseller, wants its stock price to go up after three-and-half-years of little movement.

Just about every company wants their share prices to rise.

But on Wednesday, the Toronto-based technology provider for travel loyalty programs issued a statement weeks in advance of its fourth quarter earnings report to tease its full-year 2017 performance.

The forecast that after it finishes tallying its “gross profit” and its “adjusted earnings” — metrics defined by the company — will have been up 10 percent each for the year, broadly in line with a six-year trend.

Investors will have to wait until next month for the financial and performance data on profit and earnings, metrics which use generally accepted accounting principles.

Growth Across Segments

Points doesn’t operate airline or hotel loyalty programs. But it does provide services that help airlines and hotels make the most money out of their programs, including through third-party partnerships. One of its clients is Air France-KLM, which uses the company’s mileage retailing business to sell customers on miles to “top up” their accounts and to use its platform to sell miles to third-party companies.

Skift last profiled Points in June with a CEO interview. Here are highlights of its big loyalty accomplishments since then.

Three Divisions

The company is best known for its loyalty currency platform, which lets users trade points and miles between programs for 37 companies, including United, Lufthansa, and Hilton. Consumers typically tap this service to top off their accounts to meet redemption thresholds.

Points is expected to report that it processed the sale of more than half a billion dollars worth of miles in 2017. Its largest new program in 2017 was enabling members of Hilton’s rewards program to combine points with up to 10 friends or family members.

Another division, Points Travel, aims to help airlines use their brand direct websites to sell hotel stays at standard rates either with miles or with cash in exchange for mileage bonuses.

Here’s how it works, using launch partner Lufthansa as an example. When a traveler books a hotel stay via Lufthansa’s website, Points goes out to find the lowest hotel cost for that room on the wholesale market. It takes an approximate 25 percent commission and then uses the remaining cash difference to buy miles in Lufthansa’s program. It uses the miles as a sweetener to lure customers to book travel on Lufthansa instead of from another source — perhaps 4,000 for a $400 a night stay. The product also works for rental cars.

Competition is heating up, though. For example, Booking.com’s RocketMiles enables consumers to earn miles for hotel bookings, including bookings made via Southwest Airlines’ website.

In 2017, All Nippon Airways began using Points’ services, Etihad expanded its participation, and Air Europa, Carlson Hotels, and two other travel brands will be joining in the first half of 2018, according to Points.

More Partnerships

Points’ third segment is platform partnerships. The company is opening up its loyalty commerce platform to enable companies to tap into the loyalty programs that it works with. Points boosted the number of travel loyalty programs it works with from about 50 to about 60 in the past year, according to our comparison of the old and new list.

In late spring 2017, Points launched a deal with Apple. In 2017, InterContinental Hotels Group began using Points’ technology to offer a members a points bonus for electronics purchases at Apple’s online store. In the first half of 2018, another hotel program will start to use Points to sell via Apple, too.

Last autumn, Points debuted with flash deals service Groupon to offer travel points for every dollar spent.

Overall, the diversification into other loyalty monetization programs is important. Because companies like Booking.com, Switchfly, TravelBank, TripActions, and Upside are all innovating in aspects of loyalty monetization. All of them face a marketing challenge in modifying customer behavior from just booking a room to trying to book a room while also earning loyalty miles or points.

As we’ve noted before, the biggest knock against Points is that its business model may be too dependent on four loyalty program partners, who make up three-fourths of the company’s total revenue. Points doesn’t disclose the names of those partners.

Investors will be watching for the official fourth quarter and end-of-year numbers to make their judgments.

[feegouk-blog]

Edinburgh to Sydney Travel Info

Want to understand more about the remarkable magnificence of Australia? It is known as the Harbour city, this sophisticated gem is the biggest and the earliest town in the country. The colourful city is home to various cultural groups making it a stimulating city. Tourists from around the world guide flights to understand more about different aspects of Sydney. Travellers buying tickets to fly from Edinburgh, There is no direct flights from Edinburgh to Sydney. Etihad Airways has two stop point at Dublin and Abu Dhabi on this route. It is best airlines of this route and KLM Royal Dutch, Qantas and Turkish Airlines ar less popular airlines on this route.

Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh is the most popular international airport in Scotland and located around six miles from the city. The airport is readily accessible by various means of transport. Car rentals, pre-booked taxis, 24 / 7 bus service, formal black taxis and trams are popular ways to travel between international airport and various parts of the town. Tourists waiting for their flights at the international airport can relax at exclusive lounges namely Number 1 and Servisair Executive Living room. Both these lounges are stuffed with upmarket passenger-friendly facilities. This international airport also features two world-class international airport resorts - Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel and Holiday Inn Express.

Sydney Airport The most popular airport in Australia is known as Sydney Airport. It is one of the earliest airports in the world. Qantas, the nation’s flag carrier, uses this airport as its main hub. For Virgin Australia, it provides as the additional hub. The airport is situated near commercial establishments around eight kilometers from city and various means of transportation link both. One can buy rail tickets to achieve the town from the airport in around 13 minutes. Flyers looking for assistance at the airport can get in touch with volunteers at Gold Ambassador Desk. Free of charge assistant service is available at Travel Concierge. Duty-free shopping and snazzy cusine are two popular features of passenger-friendly services here.

Sydney Accommodation Sydney's sky line reflects a perfect sophisticated part of Australia. Few of these sky-piercing edifices house the top-rated resorts of the world. Visitors looking for luxurious resorts in the town can consider staying at qualities belonging to well known kindness manufacturers such as Shangri-La, Marriott, Hyatt, Radisson and Sheraton. Visitors who don’t want to stay too far from the airport can provide themselves at Rydges, Holiday Inn, Stamford Plaza and ibis. This wonderful Australian city serves to all costs. Visitors looking for mid-range options can choose from resorts located in North Sydney, southeast Haymarket end at Central Business District and the Inner West.

Flights From Edinburgh to Sydney Info

The cheapest return price from Edinburgh to Sydney  was £633.

The most popular airline flying from Edinburgh to Sydney Kingsford Smith was British Airways.

The average flight time from Edinburgh to Sydney Kingsford Smith is 24h 3min.

The flight distance between from Edinburgh to Sydney Kingsford Smith is 10,506 miles.

Edinburgh airport is Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) and Sydney Airport is Sydney International Airport (SYD).

When flying to Sydney from Edinburgh it is often possible to stopover in London Heathrow, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Central Edinburgh lies within eight miles of Edinburgh Airport.

Edinburgh Airport is located in Turnhouse, west of the city of Edinburgh.

Popular airlines that fly from Edinburgh to Sydney are British Airways, easyJet and Thomson Airways.

Usually flights to Sydney from Edinburgh leave in the Evening.

Exchange rate is £ 1.00 = $ 1.68.

Edinburgh is 8% cheaper than Sydney.

Airlines that fly from Edinburgh to Sydney

Virgin Australia, Etihad, China Southern, Air France, FlyBE, KLM, Asiana, Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways, BA Cityflyer, Singapore Airlines, Finnair, Qantas, Air Canada, Aer Lingus, Air India, Thai, and China Eastern are popular airlines that fly to Sydney from Edinburgh. Content Source from http://www.feego.co.uk/australia/sydney/edinburgh

[touristguidebuzz]

Will Travelers Buy Singapore Air’s New Suites? — Airline Innovation Report

Singapore Airlines last week introduced a new suite for its A380s. But will enough customers buy it? Brian Sumers / Skift

Skift Take: Singapore Airlines has created one of the world's most luxurious airline products. But is that enough to make the six-seat cabin profitable? Perhaps on a few routes. But we're skeptical about others.

— Brian Sumers

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry.

We will provide insights on need-to-know developments in passenger experience, ancillary services, revenue management, loyalty, technology, marketing, airport innovation, the competitive landscape, startups, and changing passenger behavior. The newsletter, which will pop into your inbox on Wednesdays, will be written and curated by me, and it revolves around the business of airline innovation. We will look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports that are driving the next-gen aviation industry. You can find previous issues of the newsletter here.

Singapore Airlines unveiled its new suite last week — it looks more like a miniature hotel room than an airplane cabin — and I flew thousands of miles to be there when the curtain dropped.

It’s a nifty product, especially when passengers combine two suites, allowing them to create a double bed. Even the single suite is impressive, as it includes a giant leather seat, and a bed, along with a big television and space for working. Singapore executives say the suite is 60 percent larger than the 2007-era one it replaces, and when it launches next month it will probably be the world’s best, even more opulent than Etihad’s “Apartment.”

But while I was there, I wondered about the new suite’s purpose. Yes, it’s a niche product, only available on the 19 Airbus A380s the airline plans to keep longer-term. And yes, Singapore is shrinking the cabin’s size considerably, from today’s 12 seats to six. Few airlines can sell a dozen first class seats on any route anymore, no matter how impressive the product.

It’s possible, though, that six is too many for most routes, even if Singapore is one of the world’s strongest premium markets.

London might be an exception, given the lengthy flight time from Singapore, and the two cities are major financial centers. New York could be strong, too, but remember this plane doesn’t have the range to make it, and instead must stop in Frankfurt. Soon, Singapore expects to fly nonstop to New York using an A350, so presumably even the wealthiest travelers will prefer saving time over luxury.

Singapore also flies its A380s to other cities where premium cabins usually perform well. But there’s a big difference between selling lots of business class seats, and filling suites with paying customers. Do travelers to places like Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Paris and Tokyo need so much space? Will they pay a premium for it? Perhaps certain one-stop routes, where there is no nonstop competition, such as Sydney-Singapore-London, will perform well. But what about everything else?

I’m curious whether this product is less about selling seats than marketing. Singapore wants to be known as a premium airline, and having over-the-top suites presumably helps it cultivate that image, even if the suites don’t make sense for every A380 route.

Perhaps the airline is calculating a passenger will chose its premium economy cabin over a competitor because the traveler saw photographs of the suite on a website. We’ve heard from several airline executives, including one from Singapore, that the “halo effect” can be strong when an airline introduces a luxury product that few will fly.

What do you think? Are Singapore’s new suites a rational commercial response to demand for a premium product? Or is this more of a marketing ploy?

Send me an email at bss@skift.com or tweet your thoughts.

— Brian Sumers, Airline Business Reporter

Aviation This Week

Singapore Airlines Unveils a Massive First-Class Suite to Compete with Gulf Rivals: We expect Singapore’s new first-class suites will be considered among the world’s best products. But the airline still faces intense competition from Gulf and Asian airlines. It’s not clear how much this cabin update will help on that front. This is my story from Singapore.

British Airways CEO Plots Return to a ‘Golden Era’: Newish British Airways CEO Alex Cruz might have discovered he cut too much from the passenger experience, Skift’s Patrick Whyte reports from London. Cruz, who joined British Airways from low-cost airline Vueling, told an audience that the airline’s buy-on-board program on short-haul flights will remain, but that British Airways will be less stingy about feeding passengers on longer routes. Last year, the airline ditched the second meal on many of its shorter North America routes, and the Internet freaked out. British Airways may restore other passenger-friendly amenities, too.

Business Class Must-Haves That Airlines Neglect at Their Peril: Skift contributor Colin Nagy knows long-haul business class. And he argues airlines always must deliver eight items, including a flatbed seat, “thoughtful bedding,” curated entertainment, seamless check in, and Wi-Fi. I agree with all of Nagy’s suggestions except entertainment. I never rely on an airline for content. I always bring my own.

Qatar Air Spends $662 Million on Stake in Cathay Pacific: Given Cathay Pacific’s recent struggles, airline investors had been pushing for a merger with rival (and shareholder) Air China. Qatar Airways’ surprise investment means Cathay’s independence will likely be preserved, at least in the short term. Bloomberg fills us in on what it means.

British Airways Hints at Disrupting Its Loyalty Program in 2018: British Airways may be moving award bookings through its Executive Club to dynamic pricing, shifting the way loyalty program members redeem free tickets. Skift contributor Grant Martin looks at how British Airways may proceed.

The 747 Flies Into the Sunset: United Airlines flew its final Boeing 747-400 flight Tuesday, a special 1970s-themed departure from San Francisco to Honolulu. United is not the final U.S. 747 operator — the honor goes to Delta Air Lines, which will retire its fleet by next month — and it’s far from the last airline in the world flying the humpbacked jet. Korean Air, Lufthansa and Air China all fly relatively new 747-8s, and they’ll be around for years. But, hey, United needed some positive publicity, and this farewell tour is helping. Many reporters have covered United’s 747 retirement, but I enjoyed this CBS piece by Kris Van Cleave more than most.

Air Travelers Resisting the ‘Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat’: Yup. Another article about how profit-hungry airlines are shrinking airline seats, this one in The New York Times. You know how this works. Passengers say they want more space, but when they have a chance to pay for it, most stay in regular coach seats. If travelers want cheap fares — and they do — they need to stop whining and accept that life comes with tradeoffs.

When Hacking an Airline Upgrade Consider a Smile and a Blazer: I don’t buy it, but the Associated Press is giving hope to all passengers who believe they can talk their way into first class by dressing nicely and smiling. Perhaps it happens every now and then, but it must be rare. I feel bad for airport gate agents who will have to say no to every person who reads this article and wears a sport coat in hopes of scoring an upgrade.

This Woman Has Been an American Airlines Flight Attendant for 60 Years: Are you an airline public relations professional? Do you need a ‘can’t miss’ feature story to pitch lazy journalists? Find your longest-tenured flight attendant, and email your favorite reporters. Try to tie it to a time angle, like the person’s 60th anniversary of joining your airline. Then watch the magic happen. Recently, American went with the approach, and it worked. Even Conde Nast Traveler wrote a sweet story about Bette Nash, who “started her career as a flight attendant [when] Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and I Love Lucy was airing its final episodes.”

Subscribe

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is curated by Skift Airline Business Reporter Brian Sumers [bss@skift.com]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.

Subscribe to the Skift Airline Innovation Report

[hoteles5estrellas]

I am going to be flying either IAH or DFW to KTM. It appears that either Etihad or Qatar Airways are going to be my best bet as I would prefer IAH. What are the best ways to start accumulating miles so that I can either upgrade from an economy to a business seat, or buy the business seat outright with miles. It appears Citi TYP are the way to go here as they transfer to both airlines at a 1:1 clip. Thanks!

submitted by /u/georgiagator15 [link] [comments]

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