Travelore Tips: The 11 Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With the rising price of airline tickets, travel is becoming more expensive, and more of a luxury.

However, frequent flyer memberships are not only making air travel more affordable — they're expediting the booking process and offering many amenities that extend to the airline's partners as well.

The experts at FindTheBest used a Smart Rating scale to find the best frequent flyer deals across all major airlines. Rankings are based on factors including Web Flyer ratings, benefits, upgrades, and airline alliances.

See which frequent flyer deal works best with your travel needs.

11. Spirit Airlines

The Free Spirit rewards program has a Smart Rating of 60 and offers flights to over 35 destinations. Earned miles expire after three months, but with Free Spirit there are no blackout dates.

10. jetBlue

The True Blue rewards program has a Smart Rating of 66 and travel options to more than 65 destinations. True Blue also has no blackout dates and, with the elite program, you have access to a private booking line as well as free same-day flight changes.

Flickr/Binder.donedat

9. Virgin America

The Elevate rewards program has a Smart Rating of 68 and over 20 destinations to choose from. Elevate members' points don't expire for 18 months and elite members can check up to three bags for free.

8. Alaska Airlines

The Mileage Plan has a Smart Rating of 73 and offers flights to over 90 destinations. Earned miles last for two years and can be used with any of Alaska Airline's 14 major airline partners. Elite members can earn up to 250% of miles flown.

7. Southwest Airlines

The Rapid Rewards program has a smart rating of 76 and more than 90 destinations available. The Rapid Rewards program features no blackout dates, a two-year expiration date on miles, and you can redeem points at any of Southwest's nine major hotel partners.

6. U.S. Airways

The Dividend Miles rewards program has a Smart Rating of 81 and flights to a staggering 200+ destinations. Dividend Miles members are automatically members of the Star Alliance, meaning you can redeem Awards Miles with any of the 13 major airline partners and the 19 major hotel partners. 

Wikipedia

5. Hawaiian Airlines

The Hawaiian Miles rewards program has a Smart Rating of 84 and over 25 destinations to choose from. Members enjoy priority security screening, free lounge membership, and no blackout dates.

4. American Airlines

The AAdvantage rewards program has a Smart Rating of 91. AAdvantage members can pick from over 150 destinations, and are automatically part of the Oneworld Alliance, which allows them to redeem Award Miles with any of the 16 major airline and four major hotel partners.

3. Frontier Airlines

The Early Returns rewards program has a Smart Rating of 92 and offers flights to more than 80 destinations. Members receive free same-day standby, and elite members can earn up to 200% of miles flown.

2. Delta Airlines 

The SkyMiles rewards program has a Smart Rating of 97 and over 300 destinations to fly to. Members are automatically part of the SkyTeam Alliance, meaning you can redeem Award Miles with any of the company's 22 major airline partners and eight major hotel partners. Elite members can earn up to 275% of miles flown.

Flickr/Axel J.

1. United Airlines

The Mileage Plus rewards program is the only frequent flyer program with a Smart Rating of 100 and offers flights to over 370 destinations. Mileage Plus members are automatically members of the Star Alliance, meaning you can redeem Awards Miles from any of the 39 major airlines and eight major hotels that United partners with. Elite members can earn up to 350% of miles flown.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-frequent-flyer-programs-2014-9#ixzz3FZdwKE3n

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

Travelore News: American Airlines Will Substitute Snacks For Meals In First Class

American Airlines

First Class on American Airlines' new Embraer E-175 airliners

First-class passengers on some American Airlines flights are having their gourmet cuisine taken away. The airline announced this week that it will cease first-class meal service on most flights lasting less than 2 hours, 45 minutes. 

The policy change is set to take effect on Sept. 1 and will affect flights within the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Instead of savoring fine dining, first-class passengers will enjoy...snacks. What kind of snacks? American Airlines responded to Business Insider's inquiries with the following information:

• Flights 1 to 2 hours (less than approximately 699 miles) that previously received mixed nuts, will now receive a basket of savory and sweet snacks for customers to choose. 
• Flights about 2 hours - 2 hours and 45 minutes (approximately 700-999 miles) that previously received traditional meal service will now receive a Lite Bites basket, offering a variety of options including: fresh fruit, breakfast cakes, tea sandwiches and sweet or savory snacks.

In case the substitution of assorted snacks for nuts doesn't sound like such a step down for first class, bear in mind that the nuts were warmed prior to serving.

American Airlines didn't make this decision without conducting some research. 

"We looked at what the customers wanted, and a good number of customers didn't want a full-meal on a flight of less than two hours," airline spokesperson Casey Norton told Bloomberg. 

American Airlines previously served full meals to first class passengers on flights lasting longer than two hours. But the carrier has adjusted their policy to match that of their merger partner, U.S. Airways.

According to Bloomberg, U.S. Airways reduced the flight limit for first class meals from to 2 hours, 45 minutes from 3 hours, 30 minutes this April.

Getty Images/Scott Olson

Some first-class customers may complain about this reduction in premium service. Although a two-hour flight isn't very long, the amount of time spent boarding the plane and leaving the airport means that passengers could be doing without a meal for much longer than the flying time, even though they're paying a lot to ride in the front of bus.

For example, one flight likely to be affected is the 2 hour, 10 minute trip from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Atlanta: the first-class fare is more than $640 one-way.

Travelers flying American out of Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, New York JFK, and Miami will catch a break: first class meal service will remain on selected short distance routes.  

• Contributed by BENJAMIN ZHANG
 

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-end-first-class-meal-service-2014-8#ixzz39iQ8ROR5

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

American Airlines And U.S. Airways Merge Loyalty Programs, Lounge Access, More

American Airlines and US Airways are wasting little time when it comes to coordinating their operations for customers. While the entire merger integration process, set to fall under the American Airlines name, will be a long one, the first benefits are rolling out less than a month after the merger formally closed. Starting today, passengers from each airline will see reciprocity with the other half of the company in many areas.

For frequent flyers looking to earn and redeem points, it's now possible to do so across both airlines, regardless of which loyalty account they're enrolled in. Members of the US Airways Dividend Miles program can earn and redeem on flights operated by American Airlines and American Eagle, while American's AAdvantage members can do the same for flights operated by US Airways and US Airways Express.

For frequent flyers that hold elite status in the programs, the benefits are even greater. Priority check-in, special security screening, and baggage handling services will now be offered to all elite members for both airlines. Some priority seating benefits will also be available, including access to the better seats in the economy-class cabin; upgrades to first class, however, will not be available for elites from the "other" program just yet. The two airlines handle such upgrades very differently and coordinating that integration will take more time.

Finally, for travelers who have paid memberships in the US Airways Club or the Admirals Club lounges, access to the other's facilities is now available. With 35 Admirals Club locations and 19 US Airways Club locations, the combined 54 lounges at 45 airports worldwide gives the merged operation the largest lounge footprint of any U.S.-based carrier in terms of unique airports served.

These initial changes are arguably the easiest for the new American Airlines to implement. They are also some of the most important changes in terms of keeping their frequent flyers, the travelers who make the most money for the company, happy as the merger progresses. There are more changes to come in the weeks and month to follow, but, at least for now, the new American is moving smoothly in the right direction.

Contributed by Seth Miller

Photo credits: American Airlines plane, Banol2007 | Dreamstime.com

Hot Destinations And Top Travel Trends

Contributed by Emily Fisher 

As we wrap up another eventful year in travel, it’s a great time to sneak a peek at what’s ahead.

The rise of the super airline

For travelers in the U.S., one of the biggest stories of the past year is the rise of the super airline. With the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, United Airlines’ rule as the largest airline ended less than a year into its new life. Last March, Continental Airlines was fully integrated into United – the fruit of two years’ worth of work.

It will take American and US Airways time to combine their resources too, but consumers can expect changes to start early in 2014. Most notable will be when US Airways drops its membership in the Star Alliance to join oneworld. This shift in the international airline partner base will leave heavy mileage accumulators and frequent overseas travelers with some homework and head scratching to do — and maybe some tough decisions to make. It might also encourage folks who have been planning to cash in for a big trip to get moving. The switch over happens on March 31/April 1, 2014.

The new American (Image: American Airlines)

With United, Delta and the new American all truly super sized, these large airlines are sure to be very busy competing with one another with a lot of focus on international travel and amenities like lay flat beds in first class (even on domestic flights). For the price-conscious traveler, there may be less to love on those major airlines as nickel and diming for basics — like a few more inches of leg room — becomes even more prevalent.

However, this battle among the power airlines will likely leave room for newer and smaller players competing on base price to emerge, for established “budget” airlines like Southwest and JetBlue to gain even more ground and for regional airlines like Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines to expand the number of markets they serve.

Travel hot spots

In 2013, a number of new travel hot spots began to emerge (or reemerge). Domestic travel is still by far the most popular in the United States, but we did find that people are increasingly including the U.S. territories in their vacation plans. Searches to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, jumped 40 percent while those to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where up 34 percent. Puerto Rico also saw a 10 percent spike in popularity.

Good budget airline service can also deliver a boost to the popularity of a destination. Two prime examples: Denver, Colo., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Denver is not only a great city and jumping off point for a mountain getaway but also a strategic low-cost carrier hub. Southwest, Frontier, JetBlue and Spirit all serve Denver International and the competition works in the traveler’s favor. So it’s no surprise that Denver saw a 17 percent increase in travel searches for the year. Likewise, Myrtle Beach’s small but growing airport now offers non-stop flights to 25 different cities – the majority offered by low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Airlines. That has served as pricing pressure on the flights US Airways, United and Delta offer into Myrtle Beach, which led to a 20 percent increase in travelers looking to visit this southern beach town.

All year we’ve been tracking Los Cabos’ continued appeal as a year-round beach destination with something to offer at pretty much any price point. Despite the troubles that have plagued many parts of Mexico, Los Cabos has been a relative safe haven for tourists. Now, as Mexico tourism begins to bounce back for many parts of the country, Los Cabos is leading the pack. In 2013, we saw a 4 percent increase in travel searches to Los Cabos.

For 2014, we see signs U.S. travelers will continue to chase warm weather and sunshine, look for new bargain destinations and travel for events. Here are some destination trends to watch for:

The year of Brazil

With the Olympics on the horizon and the World Cup coming this summer (June 12 to July 13), Brazil is working hard to be a welcoming host country to sports fans and tourists in general. Already a popular destination, especially during Carnival, Brazil is building out infrastructure for its major upcoming events. Even so, capacity is tight. If you’re planning to visit during the World Cup, act now. Even during the offseason, it’s advisable to book four months in advance.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Image: pedrokirilos)

Paying homage in Europe

2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I so this may be a year for history buffs and family members to visit the battlefields to reconnect with and remember loved ones who sacrificed across Europe in the “war to end all wars.”

Caribbean distinction

Images of crystal blue water and white sandy beaches are the ubiquitous daydream of the Caribbean. However the islands have a mix of cultures, climates and currencies that make it worthwhile to do your homework before you book. Some recent changes, especially in the Dutch Antilles, mean some key island countries have new-found autonomy. As a result, they have – and will – continue to ramp up how they market themselves.

Be prepared to see an increase in other parts of the Caribbean pushing what makes them stand out. Price will be one point but so will ease of access (for example, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with no passport requirements for Americans), travel style (nightlife versus beach views, family versus adventure, chic versus laid back) and activities (diving and bare boating – or cruise ships and shops).

Staying ahead of the crowds

As deal destinations get popular, they lose their unique appeal-of-the-new charm – and their bargain status. The challenge is to spot the next wave of alternatives and beat the growing crowds and climbing prices. This year’s list: instead of Costa Rica, try Nicaragua. Skip Malta and head for Albania. Swap Bulgaria for Estonia. Opt for Laos over Vietnam

The connected passenger

As we flip the calendar, we are in the heyday of a major transition in terms of the individual flier’s travel experience. Gone are the days of simply reading a book or flipping through a magazine to pass the time on a flight. Whether you are watching satellite TV or playing trivia against your cabin mates on the airplane’s infotainment system or, more likely, glued to your tablet, laptop or phone for videos, games or news from the outside world, you are now a “connected passenger.”

Inside a Virgin America plane (Image: Albert Domasin)

The rules and technology will push this trend even further over the next 12 to 36 months. In-flight WiFi is on the verge of blazing new speeds with vendors eyeing satellite technology to deliver more capacity. Meanwhile, the FAA has relaxed the rules about personal electronic device use below 10,000 feet so you will soon find you can keep reading, playing your games and watching your movies right through landing and takeoff.

The real question now is whether you will be able to chat away on your cell phone during flights. The debate is on as the FCC is currently considering lifting a ban on cell phone use on planes. Some members of Congress are already moving to block in-flight calls.