Wednesday, April 13, 2011

does american airlines allow stopovers on award tickets

AAdvantage One-Way Flex Awards are a new way to use existing MileSAAver and AAnytime awards one-way. These new awards require half the round-trip mileage for each one-way award.
american airlines award tickets between North America and Europe, India, Asia, and Central / South America allow a stopover at the North American gateway. However, other one-way awards do not allow stopovers for international flights booked with miles.

For awards on AA or All-Partner awards, stop overs are allowed at the North American gateway from what I understand. So if you're flying MIA-ORD-DEL use AA miles, you can stop over at ORD. If your flight departs the US directly, like ORD-LHR-JNB, then no stop over is permitted since there is no North American gateway.
One-Way Flex Awards can be booked on AA.com or via AAdvantage Reservations. A 20 EUR Award Service Fee per person applies to AAdvantage award reservations ticketed by our reservations offices.To help you create your best award trip, we've enhanced the AAdvantage award booking tool on AA.com. Don't worry – we've kept all the features you've told us are important to you and that make award booking on AA.com easy.

The easy to read at-a-glance calendar now allows you to select different award types (MileSAAver or AAnytime) or classes of service for each portion of your trip.

Another AA.com enhancement allows customers to book award travel to more than one city in a single trip with the new multi-city award option.

And, you can also now travel into one city and depart from another.

is american airlines companion certificate worth it

Citi AAdvantage credit card offer free Companion Certificate for first-time
Citibank credit cardmembers who apply for an account of Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa Signature card.

american airlines companion certificate does not ever worth it,I tried it once and the catch is to buy the ticket at "normal prices" from "specific vendors" only. The price of the ticket on cheaptickets.com and travelocity kind of sites was less than $250 + taxes per ticket whereas the price of the "specific vendor" was more than $700 per ticket. Absolutely useless promo ... unless your company is paying for your ticket and you get to take along a companion free of cost.

Companion certificate expires 12 months after the issue date. Passenger is responsible for taxes, fees and charges in association with use of companion certificate. Your companion offer will arrive in the form of a certificate 8–10 weeks after payment of annual fee that is billed at the end of first year and assignment of a discount code for use on AA.com; details, certain restrictions, conditions and restricted dates apply and will be disclosed in this mailing. Your discount code must be redeemed on www.aa.com in conjuntion with domestic travel purchased on your Citi® / AAdvantage® card. Travel must be booked in H V M L K or W inventory with a minimum fare of $299 per passenger. The companion offer will be fulfilled as a 50% discount off each passenger's travel.

Dividend Miles Signup promotion code

us airwyas offer up to 4,000 bonus miles for new member to join Dividend Miles frequent flyer program.
Sign up for Dividend Miles and you'll get an exclusive bonus — 2,000 miles! Then, book a flight within 30 days of enrolling and get another 2,000 bonus miles (on top of the miles you earn just from flying). So, if you fly roundtrip from Philadelphia to Los Angeles you'll get over 9,000 miles.*


Here's how:
Enroll in Dividend Miles
Enter promo code TF11

*All Dividend Miles terms and conditions apply. Offer is valid March 9, 2011 through March 31, 2011. 2,000 bonus miles will be posted to the new account upon enrollment. Additional 2,000 bonus miles will be posted to the same account if a flight is purchased and ticketed within 30 days of joining and flown within 6 months of the purchase date. The additional flight miles will be determined by the city pairs flown. Flight must be booked on usairways.com and be operated by US Airways, US Airways Express and US Airways Shuttle. Members with existing Dividend Miles accounts are not eligible for this offer. These miles do not count toward Preferred status, are not transferable and are not combinable with any other offer. Please allow up to 2 weeks for bonus miles to be credited to your account.

miles and more mastercard promo bonus Miles

Barclays Miles & More MasterCard limited-time promotion
Earn a free round-trip ticket to Europe!
Apply for the Miles & More Premier World MasterCard by May 31, 2011 and earn up to 50,000 bonus miles - enough for an Economy Class round-trip transatlantic flight award from the USA to europe. In order to be approved for miles and more Premier World MasterCard and all of the benefits featured here, you must meet the income and credit criteria for this offer. If you do not qualify, Barclays will automatically consider you for a Platinum card which offers fewer benefits and no annual fee.

You will receive a free companion ticket with your first card purchase as well as every year thereafter, plus enjoy many exclusive benefits.
signup bonus of 20,000 bonus miles
Earn an additional 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days after account opening

And in addition, the Premier Miles & More World credit Card offers you:
Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated partners(2)
Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all your purchases(2)
Lufthansa Annual Companion Ticket(1)
No mileage expiration with monthly qualifying purchases(3)
Reduced foreign exchange fee
Annual fee waived for Senator and HON Circle Members(1)

air france Paris Washington DC Flight schedules

Starting 6 June 2011, the Air France A380 will operate a daily service between Paris and Washington DC.The National capital of the United States will thus become the 2nd U.S. destination served by the airline’s super jumbo, after New York, launched one year ago.

Flight bookings and ticket sales open on 30 November 2010.
“With Washington, three of the five destinations served by Air France’s A380 during summer 2011 will be in North America. This effectively illustrates the airline’s investment in the cross Atlantic route. The airbus A380 plane, highly appreciated by our customers, will strengthen our assets on one of the world’s most competitive markets”, said Patrick Roux, Senior Vice President Americas.
CDG IAD Flight schedules (local time):
- AF 28 : Paris-Charles de Gaulle 10 :40 - Washington 13 :00
- AF 39 : Washington 16 :25 - Paris-Charles de Gaulle 05 :45 (+1)

Air France’s A380 is currently equipped with 538 seats, divided between three classes: La Première (First), with 9 seats on the main deck, Business, comprising 80 seats on the upper deck, and Voyageur (Economy), with 449 seats divided between the two decks. Starting next summer 2011, the A380s will be progressively equipped with Premium Voyageur, situated between the Business and Voyageur cabins, offering 9 seats in Première, 80 in Business, 38 in Premium Voyageur and 389 in Voyageur.

The roomier cabin offers increased comfort and space. On board this super jumbo, Air France has innovated with special lighting ambiences that change depending on the various stages of the flight, special areas geared towards relaxation and conviviality and the brand new in-flight entertainment system, featuring larger video screens. Air France has been serving Washington since 1964 and currently connects Paris to the American capital twice daily.

is AF premium economy worth the extra cost

Air France’s Premium Voyageur offers traveller the chance to fly with more comfort and style for a fraction of the price.I flew Premium Economy from Paris to los angeles. I found it to be worth the extra cost.
I enjoyed early boarding with First and Business class, free champagne, alcohol with meal and post-meal liqueurs. The seats had substantially more legroom than coach and of course the fixed shell seats meant the seats in front did not recline at all. The . I think the seats are very comfortable.food and drink onboard are the same as in economy class.

The blanket and pillow were especially nice, as the pillow is the same as used by the business class. Amenity kit was also the same as used by business with socks, shoe bag, hydrating cream, toothbrush and paste, eye mask, headphone pillows, and comb.the 110/220 power plug is available for each seat. It kept Iphones and the like charged up for the whole trip. The size of tv screen was 10 inches, the same as business class and there were a very large selection of movies and shows to catch up on, all on demand which was a big improvement over prior systems.
we think It is worth the extra money to upgrade from coach. premium economy average ticket price from Paris to los angeles is about $1300. I would recommend the Premium economy class to those that need more legroom and space than economy, but do not have the ability to upgrade or purchase business class. The amenities and service were good and the new seating was comfortable and provided comfort for upright sleep.

ba airfares increase for Higher Oil Prices

The airline group created by the merger of British Airways and Spain's Iberia has warned passengers that they face rising fares and fuel surcharges following the latest surge in the oil price.Many airline shares have taken a hit on forecastsw that revenues will fall.
As a result, airfares and profits have come under pressure. The north Atlantic is the most lucrative business class market in global aviation, accounting for more than a quarter of the industry's premium revenues.
British Airways head and chief executive of International Airline Group Willie Walsh said the airline would keep the surcharge situation under review, after having gone through an increase twice in the past two months.

"We have had recent surcharge adjustments," he said, referring to BA increasing its fuel levy twice in as many months. "We will keep the situation under review. Everybody needs to understand that a high input price for oil does ultimately find its way through to the consumer."

This month BA increased the charge for long-haul return trips in economy and premium economy cabins by £24 a return trip, with business and first-class return journeys rising by £34. The levy for a family of four travelling economy class to Florida is now £704 for a return journey.

The former BA chief said: "What we have seen is some prices increasing, and you will witness that even with low-cost carriers. You will see them looking in their usual innovative way at getting more money out of the consumer."

Fare levels are already recovering from the global downturn, rising 10% last year as demand for business class tickets revived.
“With fuel prices rising, carriers need to offset this with extra revenue however possible. We’ll see air fares increase, fuel surcharges and baggage fees all steadily rise,” said Saj Ahmad, aviation analyst with London-based FBE Aerospace.

Virgin America cancel Toronto California route

Virgin America's foray into Canada apparently will be short-lived.

The San Francisco-based carrier would cancel flights between Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Los Angeles and San Francisco on April 6, according to the National Post of Toronto.

with Virgin America out of the market, Axelrod says Air Canada's fares have risen to more than CDN$600 for that itinerary.

Virgin America serve Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) with daily flights from California's West Coast starting June 23, 2010.

"We would like to thank the Toronto airport and community for supporting us," Virgin America Vice President of Planning and Sales Diana Walke says in a press release. "We hope to return to YYZ (Toronto) at some point, but in the smaller Toronto-West Coast markets we were not able to stimulate demand as quickly as we would have liked."

Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Orange County (ends May 26), Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando florida.

airlines increased fares for rising crude oil prices

crude oil prices rise past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008 has the industry recalculating financial flight plans that were based on forecasts of oil at $85-$95.

American Airlines, United-Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines this month revised downward their 2011 capacity growth plans as crude oil traded above $100 per barrel. The carriers follow Delta Air Lines, which in early February was the first major U.S. airline to curtail 2011 growth plans. Analysts expect further cuts unless fuel costs abate. Southwest Airlines this past weekend "pushed the entirety of its domestic fare structure higher by $5 one-way, marking its fifth broad-based increase since early December."

It’s also a financial challenger for passengers, since the fuel costs are passed on to them as higher fares and more fees.
Advito, a travel consulting firm, forecasts international fares will jump 9 percent on economy seats and 8 percent in business class in 2011 compared to a year ago. U.S. domestic fares are forecast to go up 8 percent on economy seats and 5 percent for business class, according to Advito.

Though US Airways has yet to join its largest competitors in adjusting capacity, CFO Derek Kerr during the carrier's fourth-quarter earnings call in late January noted that "as we move into the fall schedule, we would much more likely reduce capacity." US Airways expects 2011 mainline capacity to grow 2 percent from last year.

Airlines hedge against volatile fuel prices partly by trading oil futures contracts. By locking in future prices on barrels of oil, they gain some control over their costs for fuel, since oil and fuel prices move similarly. While hedging allows for more accurate budgeting, it’s a gamble that the airlines win only if they bet correctly on oil prices months ahead of time.

United Continental Holdings – parent company of the merged Continental and United – has hedged about 40 percent of its planned 2011 fuel consumption.

Southwest Airlines has hedges in place to protect its fuel costs against oil prices above $105 a barrel.
U.S. airlines raised fares at least $10 per round trip last week, the sixth attempt to bump fares since the start of this year, reported Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com. Some attempts to raise overall fares fail if an airline tests an increase and its competitors don’t follow suit.
Swierenga said higher fares might affect business travel somewhat, but are more likely to cause leisure travelers to cancel or change their flying plans.

“Maybe instead of going to Hawaii you might think about going to Florida,” he said.
Julie Thomte, vice president of consulting for Advito, the travel consultant, agreed that businesses will continue to send their employees on trips to generate more company revenue.

lufthansa Miles & More Card annual companion ticket

As a thank you for choosing lufthansa Barclays Premier World MasterCard, LH M&M World and Premier World credit cards or Miles & More Platinum Card, you are eligible to receive lufthansa Economy Class Companion Ticket upon the first use of your new Account for a purchase or balance transfer, as well as, on the anniversary date of your opening your Miles & More Mastercard, provided you are still a cardmember.

Terms & Conditions of the Economy Class annual companion ticket

Application: select published fares in Economy Class. The paid Economy Class ticket must be for travel departing from the U.S. to Europe/Middle East/Africa and Far East Eligibility: Miles & More MasterCard holders residing in the U.S. Class of service: Economy Class Booking class: both revenue and companion ticket must be booked in H/Class or higher Type of transportation: based on paid Economy Class fare Travel: valid only on Lufthansa operated flights (no code-share or Lufthansa train). Both paid Economy Class ticket and Companion Ticket must travel on the same flights on the same day. Reservations: must be made by calling Miles & More Companion Ticket Service at 1-866-461-5399 Taxes/fees: All taxes/fees must be paid for the revenue as well as the companion ticket. (Companion portion is only the airfare) Ticketing: will be ticketed by the Miles & More Companion Ticket Service Seasons: per paid Economy Class fare Minimum stay: per paid published Economy Class fare Maximum stay: per paid published Economy Class fare Rebooking: per paid published Economy Class fare Rerouting: per paid published Economy Class fare Weekend surcharge: various based on the paid Economy Class fare (generally $60 round-trip but in some instances it may not apply or the amount may be lower) Combination: This offer, may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other promotion, discount, add-ons or coupons. Not combinable with child, infant or senior citizens fares, travel agent discounts, other promotional offers, group fares, frequent flyer awards or special credit vouchers. Please note: Depending on the season of travel fares offered on www.lufthansa.com may be less expensive than this offer.

Mabuhay Business class fare from Manila to Honolulu

philippine airlines Mabuhay Business class fare from Manila to Honolulu. Valid for sales and ticketing until 17 December 2011.

Hurry Book now! Limited seats only! Valid for sale through the internet only.
*For travel between Manila and USA, fares do not include USD56.70 (or its equivalent) U.S. Government Taxes and Fees including the September 11th Security Fee.
From
Manila HNL
Mabuhay class special offer

USD 1,558* 260 1,818

Changes - Changes must be within the validity of the ticket
Before Departure - Ticket must be presented at the Ticket Office and shall be reissued to an applicable fare in effect during date of change (current fare). The new fare must be equal to or higher than the original fare paid. Change fee shall be collected in addition to any fare difference plus No Show fee if applicable.
After Departure - permitted at a charge of USD 100 for changes within the same booking class code. For changes involving a change of Booking Class code, ticket must be presented at the Ticket Office and must be reissued to an applicable fare based on the date of original ticket issuance. The new fare must be equal to or higher than the original fare paid. Change fee shall be collected in addition to any fare difference plus No Show fee if applicable.

volaris airline service to las vegas McCarran airport

The fast-growing Toluca, Mexico-based airline will add two more round-trip flights a week between Mexico’s second-largest city and las vegas McCarran International Airport in Nevada. The new flights will operate Fridays and Sundays, in addition to the daily service that began Wednesday.

The airline operates Airbus A319 and A320 airplane on its Las Vegas route. The planes are configured to hold 144 passengers on the A319s and 174 on the A320s.
The three-hour Las Vegas flight leaves Guadalajara at 1 p.m., arriving in Las Vegas at 2:20 p.m. PDT. The return flight leaves McCarran at 3:50 p.m., arriving at the Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport, also known as Guadalajara International Airport, at 7 p.m. local time.

Volaris tickets can be purchased online at southwest.com, Volaris has three tiers of pricing and the different tiers offer different premiums for the passenger. The least-expensive advanced-purchase round-trip airfare between Las Vegas and Guadalajara cost $543 as of March 30, which includes a $21.91 tax, and restricts travelers to 55 pounds in luggage.
Las Vegas is the fifth U.S. city on the Volaris route map. It also has flights to Guadalajara from San Jose and Oakland, Calif., and Chicago’s Midway Airport. The airline flies to Monterrey, Zacatecas, Morelia, Guadalajara and Toluca from Los Angeles International Airport. Guadalajara service also is planned to and from Fresno, Calif., beginning April 14.