In previous posts, Jayce has detailed the use of Flight Connections as a tool that he relies on to plan things like mini-RTW trips with Aeroplan. One of my bones of contentions with FlightConnections was that while it was incredibly useful, it was a bit ugly and somewhat unintuitive. Well, that’s all been changed though there are still some quirks. Let’s take a look at what’s new.
The New Look and Navigation
The first thing you will notice at the new FlightConnections is that it has a new and refreshed look on the front page.
We now see a legend that explains the different coloured dots on the map, which was something that was missing on the old site.
We also see that the ability to filter by Alliance and Airline is now much easier to find.
Usage
There are many different ways to use FlightConnections depending on what you are looking to find out. Here are some of the scenarios that you might encounter and how to use FlightConnections in those scenarios.
Point A to Point B
If you are looking to figure out what airlines can get you from Point A to Point B, FlightConnections has you covered. All you need to do is punch in your origin and destination and FlightConnections will do the rest. What’s nice about this new version is that you don’t have to know IATA codes in order to make use of the service. Just type the name of the city and it will find the code for you.
I’ve been looking at a trip to Malta recently and FlightConnections shows me the most direct routings.
Airlines in an Alliance
If you are trying to determine which airlines will fly to where you want to go within an Airline Alliance like Star Alliance, simply turn on the filter and then search for the city you are trying to get to.
You can see that by narrowing down my search to Star Alliance airlines that fly into Malta, I can now see the different cities that have a direct connection.
Airline Specific
If you are curious as to what cities are serviced by a specific airline, simply use the airline filter.
Here we can see where Aegean (Greece’s National Carrier) flies.
Quirks
As with any online software service, there are quirks that some people may find a bit annoying. The one that I run into a lot with FlightConnections is the fact that you have to turn on your filters before you search for origin-destination.
As an example, if I searched for all flights out of Winnipeg (YWG), FlightConnections would show me this:
But as soon as I try to see what Star Alliance routes come out of Winnipeg, FlightConnections resets the city I was looking for and shows me everything for Star Alliance routes. Not helpful.
Why the Update?
It looks like the folks behind FlightConnections are attempting to monetize their site and I for one am perfectly fine with it. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to make something like this work so I fully support this change.
Here’s what the monetization effort looks:
If you are able to support the developers, I would suggest you do so because it’s rare to have such a well functioning and informative website available to Travel Hackers.
Conclusion
If you liked the old FlightConnections, I’m sure you will enjoy the new version. The maps and functionality are much improved and it remains an excellent resource to help plan out your complicated routings.
Wherever you are, here are 5 tips to support your American Express applications.
Context for Tips #1-2
American Express has a clause where if you are approved for the same card a second time, you cannot receive the bonus points again. However, how often that rule is enforced is not that often, especially with these first two tips.
The efficacy of these tips may vary but are generally regarded as best practices in the community. These tips have been consistent for the past few years but may change at any moment.
Tip #1: Do NOT check off “I am an existing American Express Cardmember”
… when applying for the same card you have previously received the sign-up bonus for.
The consensus amongst the crowd is you will have a greater chance to receive the bonus points again if you ignore the checkbox asking if you are currently an American Express cardmember. The theory is Amex’s system will notate your submission as a new member application and automatically distribute the bonus without cross referencing if you’ve received it before.
Tip applicable all to American Express cards.
Tip #2: Use a different business name
… when applying for the same business card you have previously received the bonus for.
To be eligible for the bonus on the same card again, apply under a different business that you have or under the same business as before but with a variation to the name.
For example, if I had previously held a Gold Business card under PointsNerd, I would not use PointsNerd on my next application. I would use another business like my main profession as Chao Business Consulting or I would just use a variation of the PointsNerd name such as PointsNerd Marketing.
Tip #3 Merge your Membership Rewards accounts before closing an account
When you close a card with a balance of Membership Reward points, you will have a couple options. Either you use the points within 60 days of closing or contact Amex to move your points to another Membership Rewards account. You can do the latter by calling or sending a secure message in your online account.
If you have another Membership Rewards account, it’s always better to merge and keep your points flexible rather than forcing a redemption or transfer.
Tip applicable all to American Express cards.
Tip #4 Apply for the American Express Platinum Personal in June/July
With the Platinum Personal card, your first annual fee of $699 grants you a $200 travel credit for the rest of the year and another $200 travel credit for the following year before your second annual fee. It’s important you give yourself time to utilize 2 x $200 travel credit benefit to reduce your first annual fee of $699 to only $299.
If you get approved for the card in June/July 2018, you will have at least 5 months to utilize your 2018 travel credit before the end of the year. You will also have at least 5 months to utilize your 2019 travel credit from January to June/July 2019 when your second-year annual fee is charged.
Tip #5 Call the New Accounts team to expedite the application process
Unless you have a stellar credit score, you will most likely receive an application pending status with a 17-digit reference number.
Instant approvals seem to be rare with Amex and although they may have instantly approved you, a lot of times they still want to speak with you to confirm your identity before issuing you the card.
This is why it’s totally normal to have the American Express New Accounts phone number on your cellphone. Right guys? Okay, not normal but at least it’s not on speed dial.
Good number to have in your Contacts 🙂
The number is 1-800-575-2273 and they are open from weekdays 8:30-21:00 ET and Saturday 10:00-18:00 ET.
Calling them to provide any missing information will expedite the time for you to receive your new card. Super helpful if you have an upcoming trip or a large purchase that would contribute to your minimum spend of your new card.
Tip applicable all to American Express cards.
Current Ranking
And there you have your 5 tips you should know for Amex!
If you are starting a new cycle of American Express cards, here are my current preferred order of cards to apply for.
When you’re looking for a points program to invest your time and energy into, there are quite a few considerations you need to keep in mind. First and foremost, you want to find a points program that is flexible so that you aren’t locked into one type of redemption.
A second and almost equally important aspect for consideration is the ease of collection. If you had a point program that allowed you to redeem for a First Class flight after $100 in spend but you could only get the points in Mogadishu on every 4th Wednesday of the month that doesn’t fall on an even number, the program is most likely useless to you.
You also want a program that has some staying power so that you are confident that after all your efforts, the program will be around for you to redeem. Take for example the Aeroplan program. I can almost guarantee that in June of 2020, CBC will feature multiple stories of people that have 500,000 Aeroplan Miles and no way to redeem them for that vacation of a lifetime they thought they were saving for.
Today, we explore the most flexible, and I would argue, the most valuable points program available to Canadians.
What Is Flexibility So Important?
Perhaps a bit of a bold statement but 10 out of 10 seasoned Travel Hackers would most likely tell you that having a flexible points program is important because redeeming for what you want within points programs is simply getting harder and harder as the years pass by. By having multiple redemption options, you give yourself a better chance at using your points the way you want to.
I would even hazard a guess that if most Travel Hackers were to start all over again with the knowledge they have now, almost assuredly, all of them would invest their time into programs with maximum flexibility.
Not only do you want points that can be transferred into different airline and hotel programs but you also want to give yourself other redemption options if you still can’t find what you are looking for.
Which Program Is Best for Canadians?
If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, the answer will be fairly obvious to you but for those that are new to the blog or new to Travel Hacking, this information will likely save you a TON of headache and wasted efforts.
The answer, of course, is American Express’ Membership Rewards Program.
The sceptics out there might view this recommendation as a way to solicit for referral points. While we certainly do earn referrals for credit card signups, it is definitely not the driving factor for the recommendation, rather, the main reason is to ensure that you can get the most out of your points.
Why American Express Membership Rewards?
So why are Membership Rewards (MRs) so flexible? Well, that’s because American Express has done a masterful job at allowing for so many different types of redemption that the program should fit almost anyone looking for a valuable points program. From transfers to airline programs to paying off your bill with points and everything in between, Membership Rewards has you covered.
Let’s take a look at all the options MRs provide you. I can almost guarantee that you’ll find something that appeals to your inner Travel Hacker.
Remember, the biggest benefit that Membership Rewards provides is optionality or put another way, a way to ensure you can derive value from your points in ALL situations.
Airline and Hotel Transfers
The most common use of Membership Rewards points is by transferring them to airline or hotel miles/points. MRs in Canada give you the flexibility to transfer to 6 airlines and 2 hotel programs.
The transfer ratios are different for each program so be sure you understand that. Below are the transfer ratios (Membership Rewards to Program):
Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1 to 1 ratio
British Airways Avios at a 1 to 1 ratio
Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles at a 1 to 0.75 a ratio
Alitalia’s MilleMiglia Miles at a 1 to a 0.75 ratio
Delta’s Skymiles at a 1 to 0.75 ratio
Etihad Guest Miles at a 1 to 0.75 ratio
Air Canda’s Aeroplan and British Airways Avios are the most likely transfer program that you will take advantage of from Canada but that’s not to say there aren’t great redemption possibilities with Cathay, Alitalia, Delta or Etihad because there certainly are … you just have to work a little harder to unearth them.
Hotel transfer options are also an option through Membership Rewards for the hotel programs of Hilton and SPG.
Transfer ratios here are different amongst hotel programs as well. Below are the transfer ratios (Membership Rewards to Program):
Hilton Honors at a 1:1 ratio
SPG at a 2:1 ratio
What can you do with these points? Well that’s a long and varied road but Jayce from PointsNerd has put together some great guides to get you down your own personal road:
What’s great about the points transfers is that you can look for availability across multiple programs and only transfer after you find it. If you have Aeroplan Miles, you are stuck looking for availability with Aeroplan. If you have Membership Rewards, you can look for availability across 6 programs and then make your decision.
Fixed Point Travel Program
Transfers to airlines and hotels are great but even the most seasoned award bookers have times where they simply can’t find award availability. With some program, if you can’t find availability, you are simply out of luck. Not so with Membership Rewards.
In November 0f 2016, American Express introduced another way to use your Membership Rewards towards travel called the Fixed Point Travel Program. While this method does not give you the same potential for value that transfers to Airline and Hotel program might, it does open up a world of travel possibilities. Essentially what the program does is allow for the use of MRs towards travel using the redemptions charts below.
The nice thing about this program is that you are able to redeem for either Economy or Business Class travel with a few stipulations.
Fixed Point Travel Program – Economy
Fixed Point Travel Program – Business
With every redemption possibility, there are pros and cons and the Fixed Point Travel Program is no different. Here a list of the pros and cons.
PROS
CONS
More flexibility on what airlines to fly
Valid only for round trip travel
More flexibility on the route to fly
Somewhat complicated tiered system for redemption
The ticket purchase is considered a revenue fare so you are eligible for points accumulation and status segments towards status with the airline
Points redemptions only cover the base price of the ticket. Taxes are extra and your responsibility, though you can apply points for the taxes, fees and carrier surcharges or any amount over the maximum base ticket price at a rate of 1,000 MRs per $10 (1¢/point)
If you redeem for the maximum value of the airline ticket, you will see a return of 1.7 – 2.0¢/point, which is pretty good redemption value given the flexibility it provides you.
While this program may not appeal to all, the point is that it provides you with an additional option.
Flexible Points Travel Program
The American Express Flexible Points Travel Program, not be confused with the Fixed Points Travel Program above, provide an even higher level of flexibility because you can use your points for travel with NO RESTRICTIONS but the tradeoff is that you receive 1¢/point value for all redemptions. What’s great about this redemption is that you can even pay the taxes and fees with your points.
With the Flexible Points Program, you “write-off” travel expenses with your points. All you have to do is charge a travel-related expense (airfare, hotel, car rental, etc.), log into your American Express Membership Rewards account and apply the points against the expense.
Here’s a sample of qualified travel purchases on my Cobalt card. I have hidden much of the information above to protect my privacy but you can see how easy it is to use your points.
Once you choose which travel expense to write-off, simply click on “Use points” and a new pop-up will appear asking you how many points you want to use.
To me, this is an excellent use of points because of the incredible flexibility of the points. Some may find that 1¢/point is not a great redemption but I would argue that if it means the difference between travelling or not, it’s a good use of points.
Membership Rewards Points For Purchases
In this section and going forward, we start to move into redemptions that result in redemptions that are either 1¢/point value or less and while I would generally caution against using your points for these things, I still give AMEX a LOT of credit for even giving you the option of using the points for something.
Much like the FlexiblePoints Travel Program, you can use your Membership Rewards points against any and all purchases. The problem is that you will receive 0.7¢/point when you redeem. On the positive side, using the points are as easy as you saw in the Flexible Points Travel Program.
And yes, you can definitely write off a single penny using 1 MR point if you so choose. That’s we in the biz call extreme flexibility.
Merchandise and Lesser Known Redemptions
American Express allows you to use your points for merchandise like toaster and TVs. In general, the redemptions are very poor. So poor in fact, if you wanted the item, I would suggest you make the purchase with your AMEX and writing off the purchases with the Points for Purchase Program.
I did a quick comparison on pricing from Amazon.ca on one of the items they had on offer, the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, which was on their Points Drop (think sale) page. Without boring you with the math, it came out to 0.6¢/point value, which is less than the 0.7¢ the Points for Purchase offers. If that was what the value was from the Points Drop page, imagine how poor the value would be on other items.
There are a few other things that AMEX allows you to redeem your point on that you most likely have not heard about:
Amazon Shop with Points
Ticketmaster Shop with Points
Gift Cards
There isn’t much to say outside the fact that Amazon offers 0.7¢/point redemption value with TicketMaster coming it at 1.0¢/point. With gift cards, the redemption value varies but is generally very poor as well, with most gift cards clocking in at less than 0.7¢/point.
The Trade-Offs
You might already be seeing a trend after reading the above redemption options … how very perceptive of you.
With Membership Rewards, there’s a distinct trade-off between value and utility (ease of use). If you want more value, you have to be willing to give up ease of use. MR to Frequent Flier Programs such as Aeroplan can see redemption values of over 10¢/point but you have a LOT of work ahead of you to find that award availability.
Compare that with the Points for Purchase Program. It is INCREDIBLY easy to use but you will only get 0.7¢/point value.
To me, this is a very fair and logical way to structure a points program and it’s easy to understand.
Everyone should be able to find an equilibrium that fits their lifestyle with Membership Rewards.
Earning Points
Earning Membership Rewards is actually pretty easy. If you have a good credit history and the financial means/responsibility to pay your bills on time, you can rack up Membership Rewards quite quickly and with relative ease.
The easiest way to earn your Membership Rewards points is through credit card sign-up offers/bonuses. Below are the current offers from American Express:
American Express Colbalt – 40,000 Membership Rewards Select points. Get 2,500 points on a monthly basis based on meeting a minimum spend of $500 per month. Get an additional 10,000 points if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months – $10/month fee ($120 per year).
The offers are current as of the date of publication but if you are reading this later on, feel free to check out the most recent offers on PointsNerd’s Google Sheet of Current Credit Card Offers. That Google Sheet will always be up to date.
The links above will take you to PointsNerd’s reviews of the cards to see if they make sense for you.
Conclusion
American Express’ Membership Rewards is the most flexible points program available to Canadians bar none. What I love about the program is that it caters to the entire spectrum of people that participate in points programs. Unlike with other programs, you don’t have to be an expert to derive value out of the program because of all the options you have available to you.
Having been a member of American Express and their Membership Rewards Program since 2005, I can tell you that they have done a masterful job in providing more and more options to make the program attractive and useful for all.
Yesterday Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles announced a list of changes to their earning and redemption charts coming into effect June 22, 2018. There are a couple blog posts out there that detail the changes, however I assume most of us here just want the rundown from a Canadian perspective.
The Rundown
Changes to Earning
Zone-based earning, a change from the traditional Distance-based calculation
NOT changing to Revenue-based earning
Changes to Redemption
One-way flights at 50% miles of a roundtrip
Short to medium haul flights <5000 miles, will cost around the same number of miles as before (at a glance)
Long haul flights >5000 miles, will cost more miles than before (at a glance)
Distance-based chart with 5 distance bands, a change from 7 distance bands
New distance bands
1 to 750 miles – Ultra-short
751 to 2,750 miles – Short
2,751 to 5,000 miles – Medium
5,001 to 7,500 miles – Long
7,501+ miles – Ultra-Long
Example – Short distance (751 to 2,750 miles)
Cathay Pacific flight between Vancouver and New York (JFK) clocks in at 2,449 miles and offers a full 4 cabin service.
Here are the new redemption rates per cabin and how they compare with the old rates.
Roundtrip redemption rates for YVR JFK (2449 miles)
For further analysis, here is how the new rates stack with British Airways Avios, which also runs a distance-based chart for oneworld flights.
Roundtrip redemption rates for YVR JFK (2449 miles)
If you’re not sure what to do with your Asia Miles, “Short” distance flights under 2,750 miles cost is a pretty sweet redemption as you see above.
And now that one-way redemptions are 50% of the roundtrip cost, we’re looking at 10,000 Asia Miles in Economy, 18,000 in Premium Economy, and 25,000 in Business class. Not bad at all.
Earning Asia Miles for Canadians
You can transfer points to Asia Miles from the following programs.
AMEX Membership Rewards 10,000 = 7,500 Asia Miles (4:3)
Starwood Preferred Guest 20,000 = 25,000 Asia Miles (4:5)
RBC Avion 10,000 = 10,000 Asia Miles (1:1)
Conclusion
After reviewing some redemption examples, the June 22 changes seem quite tame to me. I would not call it a devaluation as we have a fair share of flights decreasing in miles as there are flights increasing in miles.
Whenever changes occur, we just want to continue to focus our redemptions on sweetspots within the program. Long haul flights got more pricey, but you shouldn’t be redeeming Asia Miles on journeys >5000 miles anyways.
The answer, of course, is American Express’ Membership Rewards Program.
In November 0f 2016, American Express introduced another way to use your Membership Rewards towards travel called the Fixed Point Travel Program. While this method does not give you the same potential for value that transfers to Airline and Hotel program might, it does open up a world of travel possibilities. Essentially what the program does is allow for the use of MRs towards travel using the redemptions charts below.
You might already be seeing a trend after reading the above redemption options … how very perceptive of you.
