Weekly Review: June 8, 2019

Hello from Miami! We just returned to the US from Japan after two delayed flights yesterday, and it’s so nice to be home (even though Florida in summer isn’t exactly awesome). We had a great time in Japan, and I look forward to sharing my experience in an upcoming trip report.

On the points & travel front, this week American’s joint venture with Qantas was approved, South African Airways’ CEO resigned, LifeMiles announced a 25% bonus on select points transfers, Amex introduced a 20% bonus on Amex transfers, the Amex Gold added 4x points on dining globally, and more.

With that out of the way, here’s a recap of this week on the blog:

Featured Stories

Amex Gold Card Adds 4x Points At Restaurants Globally

The way I see it, one of the major downsides to the American Express® Gold Card had been that the 4x points category on dining is limited to U.S. restaurants. That’s pretty restrictive, given that presumably the card is also targeted at a lot of people who travel a fair bit.

So Amex is making an improvement in this regard. As of June 6, 2019, the Amex Gold Card offers 4x points at restaurants globally (As of July 25, 2024, you’ll earn 4x points on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year and then 1x). This is a fantastic change that will make this card significantly more lucrative for those who travel quite a bit.

Review: KLM Business Class A330 Abu Dhabi To Amsterdam

We boarded via stairs through the second set of doors, and then turned left into the business class cabin.

KLM only recently reconfigured their A330s with new business class seats, and with that being completed, all of their long haul planes feature fully flat seats in business class.

KLM’s A330s feature B/E Aerospace Diamond seats in business class. The cabin has a total of 18 seats, spread across three rows in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Great Ways To Redeem British Airways Avios Without Paying Huge Fees [2019]

British Airways Avios can simultaneously be one of the most valuable and one of the most frustrating points currencies out there. British Airways has a distance based award chart, meaning the currency is valuable in instances where other points wouldn’t be as valuable. However, British Airways also imposes big surcharges on many award redemptions.

So in this post I wanted to look at some of the great ways that you can redeem British Airways Avios without paying huge fees. This is an update to a post I wrote a while back, as British Airways made some significant changes to their partner award costs recently.

Ultimately the sweet spots through British Airways haven’t changed by that much, though the degree to which these are great deals have changed.

TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos

Buy Discounted Hyatt Points With Daily Getaways
Flash Sale: Buy IHG Points With 100% Bonus
How To Use The Delta Amex Statement Credit
Capital One Spark Miles Card Review
Amex Making (Minor) Changes To Hilton Credit Cards
Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card: 60K Miles Plus Annual Fee Waived
Buy Discounted Hilton Points With Daily Getaways
LifeMiles Promo For OMAAT Readers – Buy Miles For 1.375 Cents Each!
Capital One Spark Cash Card Review [2019]
Earn Delta Miles For Ticketmaster Purchases
Amex Gold Card Adds 4x Points At Restaurants Globally
Is The Chase Freedom Unlimited Right For You?
The Credit Card With The Single Best Welcome Bonus
Cheap Kenya Airways Business Class Fares From New York To South Africa
Qatar Airways Business Class Fare Sale From The US
Applying For Amex Business Cards: What You Need To Know
Comparing Hilton Amex Personal & Business $95 Annual Fee Cards
Amazing Deal: $1,000 La Compagnie Roundtrip Business Class Fares From New York To Paris
$1,435 American Business Class Fares To Cordoba, Argentina
The Alaska Companion Fare: Everything You Need To Know
Which Version Of The Delta Amex Is Best?
American Express Gold Card Review [2019]
Transiting Changi Airport? Score A Voucher For Your Layover

TRICKS: Redeeming Miles

Great Ways To Redeem British Airways Avios Without Paying Huge Fees [2019]
LifeMiles Offering 25% Citi & Hotel Transfer Bonus
New Amex Restrictions On Authorized User Points Transfers
Amex Offering 20% Bonus On Qantas Points Transfers
What’s Going On With Marriott To Lufthansa Transfers?
Why All Lufthansa Points Transfers Are Suspended

TRAVEL With Lucky

My Chase Credit Card Strategy [2019]
What’s Involved In Writing A Trip Report?
The American Airlines Experience, In A Nutshell
American Mechanics Intentionally Delayed My Flight

REVIEWS & Trip Reports

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh Review
Review: Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka
Review: Amanwella, Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Review: SriLankan Airlines Business Class A321neo Colombo To Abu Dhabi
Review: EDITION Abu Dhabi
Review: KLM Business Class A330 Abu Dhabi To Amsterdam
Review: KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam Airport
Review: KLM Business Class 787 Amsterdam To New York

NEWS & Updates

Frustrated South African Airways CEO Resigns
KLM Opens (Paid) Restaurant In Amsterdam Lounge
Virgin Atlantic Expected To Order A330neo
Thai Smile Becomes Star Alliance Connecting Partner
Airbus Says A350 Can Fly World’s New Longest Flight
Emirates Reveals When They’ll Retire A380s
American & Qantas Joint Venture Approved
Qantas To Fly Nonstop From Australia To Chicago
Hmmm: British Airways Will Make Their Own Sparkling Wine
Awesome: Air Transat Paints Plane In Pride Colors
Is This What Planes Will Look Like In The Future?
US Adds Major Restrictions On Cuba Travel
New Hyatt & Lindblad Expeditions Partnership
American’s CEO Just Bought More American Stock
Aer Lingus Adds Transatlantic A321LR Routes
Uber Copter: Fly From Manhattan To JFK With Uber
Coming Soon: Qantas A380s With New Cabins
British Airways’ First A350 Emerges From Paint Shop
American Considering Airbus A321LR Order

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!