You could fly first-class for less

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Gooood morning, and welcome to the weekend (whoo!).

Does anyone else ever feel like a little airplane gremlin after a long flight? You know, a creature so completely dried out, yet greasy and disheveled at the same time?

I can’t be the only one…

But anyway, let’s get to why you’re here—to get the low down on the best travel news, deals, and tips from the week!

✅ Save up to 30% with Kimpton Hotel’s “Escape Your Everyday” promo

✅ Take advantage of the 50% transfer bonus from ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless (trust me, it’s actually good).

✅ Grab a deal with Hilton’s new global promo!

✅ Did you know that you can buy miles and points? Is this even a good idea?? Find out in this week’s YouTube video.

✅ Listen in on this week’s podcast that covers how you can justify the annual fees on your credit cards.

🏆 Favorite pick of the week: You can experience the best airline seats without breaking the (points) bank

An airplane graphic with dollar bills flowing behind it

Most of us aren’t raking in so much cash each year allowing us to drop tens of thousands of dollars on luxurious flights.

That’s just the reality (but… enter miles and points 😏).

This travel currency opens up an ENTIRE new world of luxury, premium travel experiences that would otherwise be quite untouchable for most of us.

And, our very own in-house travel boi, Mike, wrote an in-depth newsletter section about how you can experience incredible business and first-class seats while still stretching your points as far as possible.

I personally enjoyed reading it!

So enough of me blabbering here—if this interests you at all, go read his newsletter section all about it 🤗

🏃🏻‍♀️ Runner-Ups

United might not be my favorite airline, but I still fly with them somewhat regularly.

Plus, they’ll always have a soft spot in my heart since my first-ever business class award redemption was in United Polaris way back when 🥹

And it was freaking awesome.

Today, I still like to have some of their miles in my account, and that’s why I’m personally interested in this promo.

Their MilePlay promo is a sort of targeted offer that United sends to its members which allows you to earn different amounts of bonus miles.

I received this offer 👇

Screenshot of a United MilePlay promo offering 3,000 bonus miles

To qualify, my flight will need to be a cash booking (one-way or round-trip) of at least $100 or more.

This actually works out pretty perfectly for me since I have a United flight booked for this weekend 🙌

I simply rebooked my flight with this promo in mind and will now pocket some extra miles that I wouldn’t have normally gotten (and miles that I’ll be able to put toward a future award redemption on any Star Alliance partner airline 😎).

Remember, the bonus miles being offered and the number of qualifying flights will vary for everyone, but it’s worth checking your account to see what you got!

🥈Virgin Atlantic’s current status match

A Virgin Atlantic plane flying above the clouds at sunset

It seems to be a battle of the Brits with the news of British Airways’ status match from last week, and now… Virgin Atlantic is giving it a go.

I’m probably in the minority here, but I’m definitely a basic BA gal. My home airport (Vancouver), the routes I fly, and my main connecting airport (London) are all seamlessly supported by BA, so I fly them A LOT.

But, Virgin Atlantic is admittedly the cooler one of the pair, so here’s their status match:

Virgin will offer either Silver or Gold elite status to elite members of a handful of other airline programs 👇

A list of all the airlines that Virgin will match status to

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Book a flight via Virgin Atlantic (cash or award), but this flight can be with a partner airline 🎉
If you want to match to Silver, that flight can be economy
If you want to match to Gold, it’ll need to be in premium economy or business class
Fill out the form on their status match page, attach proof of existing status, and wait to hear back

If they determine you’re eligible, you’ll get status 72 hours before your flight, and that status will be valid for 12 months!

There are obviously many perks and benefits to be had if you’re granted status, so if you love Virgin and qualify for this, it’s a fantastic opportunity!