#1 Iberia: Washington Dulles Flights to Madrid
Iberia will launch nonstop flights between Madrid and Washington, DC as of summer 2020. This represents a service resumption for the airline, canceled in 2010.
The flight will launch on May 1, 2020, and FCF research has found good seat availability with miles/points for travel from Washington, DC to Madrid, starting at a cost of 100,000 miles round-trip, or 115,000 American miles. Credit card point transfer partners include Amex Rewards, Chase, and Marriott. For details go here.
#2 Finnair: It’s Back:
Super Cheap Business Class to Europe
Finnair has a lucrative points sale on now through Dec. 9 with up to 50% more points on offer. You can also now buy more points: 120,000 (which becomes 180,000 with the bonus) whereas you could previously only buy 100,000. Thanks to that bonus deal, a quick crunching of the numbers reveals a Business Class trip to Europe for $1,516 return. How? In off-season (usually January to March) the economy ticket for New York-Helsinki often costs $523 round-trip. Upgrading the ticket with miles would cost 100,000 miles round-trip, which you can buy now for €901 (at today’s exchange: $993), giving you a total ticket cost of about $1,516. That’s Finntastic.
#3 The British Airways “Not-a-Cent-More Upgrade”
British Airways has introduced its new Club Suite Business Class seat on one U.S.-bound route that, once you know about it, gives you an “in-class” seat upgrade, or in other words, a much nicer trip across the ditch without paying anything more.
The Route: Two Boeing 777 aircraft with Club Suite, the first of which has just been delivered and is flying on the New York (JFK)-London route.
Sample of free in-class upgrade:
B777 – BA175 at 9.30am and BA174 at 6.50pm — with the new enclosed flat-bed suite.
B747 – BA117 at 8.25am and BA112 at 6.30pm — with legacy flat-bed seats.
How to find the Club Suite when booking your flight on a B777:
The new Club Suite comes in a 1x2x1 layout and is offered in rows 5 to 17, whereas the current/legacy Business Class seat on B777 comes in a 2x4x2 and is offered in rows 10 to 14 or 15.
#4 Follow up to last month: It’s Not Too Late to Excommunicate Yourself From ‘The Elite Class’
Don’t say we didn’t warn you. But in case you needed yet more proof of the decline and fall of Elite Status, Lufthansa has announced revisions to its frequent flyer program. For 2021, points replace status miles, status will only be valid for one year where it was previously two, and Lufthansa Group airline flights will count more towards status than partner flights. Stay tuned (and read our special report here.)
#5 United award charts are no more
As of November 15, United Airlines officially no longer has published award charts for United-operated flights. The airline’s frequent-flyer program can now charge whatever it wants for award flights, without notice. Delta SkyMiles led the way among the 3 carriers in the U.S. with dynamic award pricing and no award-charts in 2015.
On the flip side, partner award charts do remain as well as an upgrade chart for United flights. But using United miles is not always the way to go anyway for partner flights. For example, All Nippon’s First Class flight to Tokyo from Los Angeles is only 150,000 All Nippon miles, and All Nippon is a transfer point partner with Amex Rewards. Redeem the award using United miles and you pay 220,000 United miles, 70,000 more. United miles are best used for United upgrades.
#6 Rare Auckland Mileage Upgrades Found on American
FCF found rare upgrade award space on American for travel in December from Los Angeles to Auckland. Upgrades can be had with any economy fare (H, K, M, L, V, G, Q, N, O, and S) plus 50,000 miles and $700 co-pay round-trip. To book the upgrade, call American at (800) 433-7300. For more details go here.
#7 All Nippon’s New First (THE Suite)
and Business (called “THE Room”) Class
ANA’s New First and Business Class cabins are now bookable as awards on the New York (JFK) to Tokyo (Haneda) route using the B777-300ER aircraft. ANA is now flying the new cabins with The Suite and The Room on some, but not all flights.
The easiest way to check whether an upcoming ANA flight has the new products is to go to ana.co.jp and under the “Award Booking” tab, search for your exact flight and cabin class. If it states “The Suite” or “The Room” for your flight, then your flight currently is scheduled to have the new product. However, keep in mind there can be last minute equipment swaps that might mean you get the older cabin.
Round-trip First class is just 150,000 miles, and Business Class is 85,000 miles. If you need ANA miles you can transfer points from Amex Rewards.
