OneWorld status match opportunity

Good morning from my yurt in rural Mongolia. I gotta say, it’s pretty freaking cool that I can write a travel newsletter to y’all from a place as ridiculous and remote as this.

But before my fingers freeze off (which is a real concern in -30-degree weather), let’s get to the HACKS:

• ✈️ Flying Blue Promo Rewards (January 2024)

• 🌎 OneWorld status match opportunity

• 🎁 A small gift for joining Hilton Honors

✈️ Flying Blue Promo Rewards (January 2024)

We’re all aware that it’s a new year. But it’s also a new month.

And that means more EPICLY discounted award flights to Europe, thanks to KLM and Air France’s new Promo Rewards.

Here is how this works:

• You must book your flights by the end of the month (January 31st)

• Travel can take place through June 30th, 2024

• You must book your flights using Flying Blue miles

• Only valid for select flights on KLM or Air France

This month is a bit unique because there are no U.S. cities on the list of promo rewards.

But fret not - ANYBODY can still benefit from them, especially those looking for cheap business-class flights across the ocean, and… well… Canadians (yay).

The best deal is definitely the ability to fly from Toronto to Europe for 15,000 Flying Blue miles in economy.

But even if you live in a U.S. city like Nashville, you could simply book a cash flight to Toronto to pick up one of these cheap awards across the Atlantic.

In my opinion, however, the business-class awards might be even better this month…

Specifically, business-class awards from Ottawa and Montreal are priced at just 37,500 miles, which is a steal.

And much like my previous example, there are plenty of cheap positioning flights you can book from the U.S. to take advantage of this month’s deals.

You Canadians should really be excited about this, though. 🇨🇦

In case you weren’t aware, Flying Blue miles are quite easy to earn in Canada, including the ability to transfer points from various Canadian credit cards.

For Americans, it’s even easier. 

Almost every major bank allows you to transfer points to Flying Blue, often with a tasty transfer bonus.

While Flying Blue is making Americans work a little harder this month, it could still be worth transiting through Canada if you want a cheap and luxurious flight across the ocean.

🌎 OneWorld status match opportunity

Right now, there is a somewhat obscure status match opportunity that could be valuable to many of you.

Specifically, those of you American Airlines fans who want perks like lounge access (even on domestic flights) want to pay attention today.

Royal Air Maroc (stick with me here) is currently offering a status match from various airline and hotel programs.

Here’s how it works:

• If you have elite status with any of the programs on the list (which you can see after filling out the form), you can match to a corresponding level of Royal Air Maroc status.

• Your status will be valid for six months but can be extended to 12 months if you book a single flight on Royal Air Maroc

• You will have to pay a fee which varies based on the status level you match to:

  • Safer Flyer Silver status (OneWorld Ruby): $150

  • Safar Flyer Gold status (OneWorld Sapphire): $450

  • Safar Flyer Platinum status (OneWorld Emerald): $1,000

    • If you want the business upgrades that come with this status, you’ll have to pay $1,500

But before we get too deep in the weeds, let’s hone in on the “sweet spot” of this opportunity.

If you get OneWorld Sapphire status (which you can match for $450), you get solid perks on OneWorld airlines, including lounge access.

That means that when flying on airlines like American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and more, you’ll get access to their lounges - even when flying in economy on domestic flights.

The $450 price tag could be WELL worth it for frequent flyers of American Airlines for the lounge access alone, let alone the other potential perks of OneWorld status.

While this isn’t the most lucrative status match we’ve seen recently, it’s worth considering if you want an easy, fairly affordable way to access business-class lounges for the next 6-12 months.

While we’re on the topic, tell me:

🎁 A small gift for joining Hilton Honors

New year, new you, right?

It’s the perfect time to sign up and join a hotel loyalty program to set yourself up for all the miles and points success in 2024.

And right now, Hilton is offering a little incentive to join their Hilton Honors program 👇

Here’s the deets:

• You must be a new Hilton Honors member

• Registration is not required, but you’ll earn the bonus points if you simply sign up between now and December 31, 2024

• You’ll earn 1,000 points after completing your first stay and an additional 2,000 points after you complete a second stay

• Your two stays must be completed within six months of your account creation

Why should you join a hotel loyalty program you ask?

Because points. LOTS OF POINTS. That’s why.

God forbid you book a stay at a hotel chain and don’t have a member account with them. The blasphemy of paying to sleep somewhere and not getting any points out of it is… well, blasphemy.

Seriously, the horror 😱

With a FREE membership, you’ll collect points faster than you can collect mini shampoo bottles.

So just by signing up, without any financial commitment or credit card requirements, you could earn up to 10X points per dollar by staying at a Hilton property.

Now, those 3,000 points they’re offering aren’t huge. I’m not gonna lie to you find people and say WHOA 3,000 FREAKING POINTS. THE HILTON JACKPOT.

But, bonus points are better than no points. If you’re going to sign up, you might as well get something for it.

However, those points become more valuable if you also decide to go for one of the hotel’s credit cards that will actually earn you a crap ton of points.

I personally love this card because of its premium benefits, like complimentary Hilton Diamond status, a Hilton Resort credit, and an on-property credit, among other things.

But if you’re looking for something with less of a premium price tag, this card is a great option too for its generous earning rates and complimentary Gold status.

So yeah, if you want to feel like a true travel ninja and start scoring heaps of points just by snoozing on different pillows… then sign up for the Hilton Honors program this year (and maybe consider a tasty credit card to go with it).

Your future points-earning self will thank you! 🥰

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That’s all for today, friends! It feels like we’re finally getting back into the swing of things with travel hacking.

I’m keeping my (frozen) fingers crossed for more epic travel hacks in the coming weeks.

But for now, take care, stay warm, and have a lovely day ❤️

48.1660° N, 107.7359° E