🇫🇮 Finnair has some discounted fares to Scandinavia (and beyond) with round-trip fares under $500 for travel through next spring. Book by September 17 to take advantage of these deals from JFK and LAX. Read more here.
Good morning from Brunei, the tiny country nestled in the jungles of Borneo!
I’ve got some good travel stuff for you to chew on, so let’s get to it:
✈️ A new (cheap) way to fly to Europe with points
A couple of weeks ago, Scandinavian Airlines (otherwise known as SAS) did something bold.
It broke up with its long-term boo (Star Alliance) for a sleeker, sexier boo (SkyTeam Alliance).
As of September 1st, SAS is now a member of SkyTeam, which includes other airlines like Delta, Air France, KLM, and many more.
The first of those programs to roll out SAS award flights is Flying Blue, and I’m pleased to say that it’s GREAT news.
The big plus to this development is that there is a new way to fly to Europe using points and miles, and booking SAS with Flying Blue miles is one of the best deals in town.
For example, you can fly from Chicago to Copenhagen nonstop on SAS for 21,300 Flying Blue miles in economy.
This is slightly more than what KLM and Air France charge (20,000 miles), but without a layover if you’re flying to Copenhagen, which could be worth it.
But here’s the best part…
The business-class awards are actually cheaper than what KLM and Air France charge.
The same flight can be booked in business class for just 40,900 miles.
Compare that to prices on KLM on the same date…
Yikes. 😳
Anyway, the rates for SAS flights to Europe do fluctuate based on which city you’re flying from.
Boston to Copenhagen, for example, only costs 18,300 Flying Blue miles.
Both of the flights I’ve referenced above are even on SAS’s Airbus A350, which has very nice pod-style lie-flat seats in business.
So here’s the bottom line:
Flying Blue is a freaking awesome program. Every couple of months, they add a new partner or make a positive update to their program.
Given how easy it is to transfer points from basically every bank, SAS is yet another excellent way to get across the Atlantic (or beyond).
💳 Last chance to earn up to 120k Southwest points + Companion Pass
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that two business cards from one of our favorite airlines have had elevated offers for a very long time now:
This card for under $100 a year
And this more premium version
And they are very, very good offers.
The bad news is that these elevated offers are ending really soon 😭
But what I love most about these welcome bonuses is how flexible they are—both cards allow you to earn up to 120,000 Southwest points depending on what spending requirement you hit.
And we should know by now that 120,000 Southwest points is a baller number of points 😏
For example, for just over 4,000 points, you could fly non-stop from Seattle down to Vegas.
With 120,000 points in your bank, you could make that trip over 28 times (if you really wanted to) and only pay the $5.60 in taxes and fees 🤯
Or you could jet-set from Houston down to Cancun for just 8,715 points and $43 in taxes and fees…
BUT WAIT.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about these elevated offers is how “in reach” Southwest’s famous Companion Pass becomes.
That’s because earning Companion Pass normally requires 135,000 points in a calendar year… which is steep.
But by simply applying for one of these cards, earning the 120k-point welcome offer in addition to the bonus points earned just from meeting the spending requirement, that Companion Pass could be all yours 🥹
💡 If you’re new around here, Southwest’s Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (except for the small amount in taxes and fees) for an unlimited number of times. Once earned, you’ll hold the Companion Pass for the remainder of the current year plus the entire following calendar year!
Now that is maximizing value to the very finest right there.
Plus, if you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, both cards offer some nice perks like anniversary points and high-earning rates with the airline and everyday spending categories (among other things).
So if you have a small business and a travel buddy that could take advantage of a Companion Pass, jumping on one of these offers before they’re gone could be a very wise decision 🤗
Check out this card or its more premium sibling before it’s too late!!
🏨 Quick Tip: Earn 500 bonus Hyatt points per night
Some of the best travel tips in life are the simplest ones.
Like the fact that at any given time, Hyatt has a big list of new hotels that will offer you 500 bonus points per night.
This list is generally meant to be an incentive for people to stay at new properties that they may not know about yet.
As of a couple of days ago, this list has been updated with dozens of new properties that will award these bonus points, offering an easy way to rack up some extra points.
As you can see, the list includes properties in China, Peru, Mexico, and even some at home in places like New York, Maryland, and California.
And if you think 500 points is a waste of your time, don’t forget that these are Hyatt points we’re talking about.
For example, if you book a 7-night stay at any of the properties on the list (which includes plenty of new properties around the U.S.), you’d earn 3,500 bonus points.
That’s already enough to book a free night at a whole cornucopia of potential properties around the world, like this Category 1 hotel in Mexico City:
So here’s the bottom line:
You shouldn’t go out of your way to spend extra money in order to rake in these 500 points per night…
At the same time, if you have travel plans, I’d consult this list to see if you can strategically book a room at a newer hotel to get a fairly meaningful amount of added value from your hotel stays. 👍
The Daily Drop Podcast is back with another deep dive!
This time, we’re getting into all things about the bank that gives us the beloved travel currency known as ThankYou points.
If you want to learn more about the specific cards this bank offers, how to maximize those points, and what rules you should be aware of, this is your podcast 😎
That’s all for today, folks!
This might be bold, but I think Flying Blue miles might be my favorite points currency… they offer amazing value, have some of the best airline partners, and are usable all over the world.
It doesn’t get much better than that, folks. Anyway, take care and have a GREAT day. See you tomorrow ❤️
