If you’re interested only in evading the main cabin, you won’t find any deal alert services that don’t charge a fee. A bunch of free information sources can help you hunt down your own deal, but no premium airfare service is as automatic as Airfarewatchdog.

Why Are Premium Airfare Deals Difficult to Find?

One reason for the lack of a simple premium airfare system is that, for many travelers, premium flying is inextricably bound to frequent flyer programs. The best way to get into a front cabin is often by using frequent flyer miles. And for some, the game is to apply for a bunch of credit cards that offer huge initial bonuses if you meet an exorbitantly large monthly charge threshold for the first few months. So the problem of finding outright premium airfare deals isn’t easy, but it’s not insurmountable, either.

Where to Find Premium Airfare Deals

Still, premium deals are available. Airlines offer flash sales and special promotions in premium cabins just as they do in economy. A few years ago, I found (and bought) a round-trip business class ticket to Asia for just $1,500—which was less than half the nominal first-class rate.

How to Find Premium Airfare Deals

First, set yourself up for success on your hunt for the best premium airfare deals by following these booking tips.

Set Up Fare Alerts

Ideally, you’d be able to monitor every booking site at all hours of the day, ready to pounce on the best deal as soon as it goes live. Unfortunately, few of us have the time to spend hours sifting through fares. This is where airfare deal alerts come in handy. Many top flight search sites allow you to track certain itineraries and will send you alerts when fares drop on your preferred travel dates. Expedia’s “Price Tracking” and AirfareWatchdog’s “Deal Alerts” are among the best options. Setting up multiple alerts on multiple travel dates increases your chance of scoring a great rate.

How to Set Up Flight Price Alerts: Flight search sites make it easy to set up fare alerts. Oftentimes it’s as easy as searching for the route you want and toggling a switch on the flight results page. From there, you’ll be prompted to enter your email or create an account so the site can send you the latest fares. On our sister site, Airfarewatchog, all you have to do is click “track this route” to be alerted to price drops and great deals to your destination. 

Listen to the Data

Some flight search sites use predictive analysis and historical booking data to let travelers know when the best time to book a certain route may be. Momondo’s “Our Advice” section on their flight search results page offers recommendations for when travelers should buy and predictions for future price changes. On a flight search for business and first class fares from Los Angeles to New York, Momondo let me know that I should buy now and that “prices [were] unlikely to decrease within 7 days.”

Travel on Tuesdays

While there is some debate about whether Tuesday remains the peak day to fly, it can’t hurt to take into consideration. According to NerdWallet, airfare can be roughly 24% lower for flights departing on a Tuesday. This applies across fare classes, so try snagging a business or first class airfare deal.

Book on Off Days and During Off Season

If traveling during a high air traffic season, like around Christmas or spring break, booking flights on less popular travel dates can lead to better fare deals. According to Hopper, international flights that departing on Christmas Day this past holiday season saw airfare up to 17% lower than flights departing the previous Friday. Additionally, travel during your destination’s off season will see cheaper fares across the board.

Shoot for an Upgrade

Gone are the days when free upgrades were (relatively) easy to obtain. However, for those willing to do their due diligence there’s still hope. Follow our guide on how to really get an airline upgrade to try your luck.

Expand Your Horizons

Traditionally, the most luxe fares were business and first class and the rest of the cabin was stuck in coach. But recently, the emergence of fares like premium economy have made it possible for a budget traveler to fly in comparative style. Expand your search to include these alternate classes to get the same benefits at a much lower price.

Paid Services to Find Premium Airfare Deals

If managing your own fare alerts and flight searches sounds daunting, don’t worry. There are services dedicated to doing the legwork for you.

First Class Flyer

First Class Flyer is the gold standard for finding deals on premium airfare, for both performance and membership price. The minimum Silver level costs $97 per year, and gets you a daily bulletin that covers special deals for both cash payments and use of miles. Higher levels of membership cost $197 and $297 per year and add on a bunch of additional information that’s useful, but not essential, if you’re just looking for flash sales.

MightyTravels

MightyTravels’ premium option is $69 per year and offers daily bulletins on economy class deals from your home airport. Their Premium Pro ($199/year) membership includes bulletins on economy, premium economy, and business class deals from your home airport, including unpublished and “mistake fares”, while Premium Max ($159/year) adds on additional tiered benefits, such as Travel Concierge Assistance.

Going

A membership with Going—formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights—works similarly to those listed above, however the first two membership tiers are less expensive than the either MightyTravels or First Class Flyer. A Limited Membership is free and gets you access to economy deals within the continental United States from your home airport. The Premium membership is $5.99 per month ($69 annually) and unlocks both domestic (all 50 states) and international economy deals. The Elite tier is where you’ll find premium economy, business class, and first class airfare deals, for just $16.58 per month ($199 annually). Both Premium and Elite members have access to points and miles deals, mistake fares, and custom destination alerts.

Free Blogs to Find Premium Airfare Deals

A handful of free blogs also cover the full gamut of airfare deals with a minor focus on premium cabin options. All or most of the free blogs often find the same deals—so you’re probably ok finding one you like and sticking with it. Options include AirfareSpot.com, Godsavethepoints, No Mas Coach, One Mile at a Time, The Points Guy, and View from the Wing. There’s a lot about credit cards, hotels, and other stuff in them, too, but they do dig out some good premium deals.

FlyerTalk also has an online forum on premium flying. It’s not organized for easy search, but it’s especially good for deals that originate outside of the U.S.

So unless you spring for the First Class Flyer or MightyTravels paid services, you’ll have to do your own digging through blogs and websites. But that’s a lot easier than spending hours on a metasearch engine, yourself. The amount of money you’ll save warrants a bit of extra effort, anyways.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Where to Find Premium Airfare Deals on First Class and Business Class appeared first on SmarterTravel.

In addition to the option of booking directly with your airline, there are dozens of flight booking websites, also known as online travel agencies (OTAs), to choose from. The uncomfortable truth is that no one flight search engine can guarantee the best price 100 percent of the time, but using a mix of the right resources can help ensure you’re not overpaying.

The Best Flight Booking Sites

One important thing to remember about booking sites/OTAs is that Southwest fares are not sold on them. Some other airlines have also pulled their fares from some booking sites, but most airlines do make their fares available.

Here’s why these 14 are the best flight booking sites and metasearch options out there, and the best defining feature of each. Since it’s impossible to know which site will provide the best price for your particular trip, you should always compare fares from a few sources before you book.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparing Flight Types: Travelocity

It should be noted that Expedia owns Travelocity, so this flight booking site basically gives you Expedia price results with a different color scheme and organizational preferences. Travelocity’s homepage is streamlined but doesn’t offer a flexible-dates search. On the results page, bag fees are revealed by a pop-up screen that activates when clicking each fare, which makes it a little difficult to compare fees (you will likely have to scroll a bit). Travelocity charges booking fees for some but not all flights.

Best Feature: Travelocity displays all fares for a selected flight in a convenient pop-out window, allowing you to compare fares on a given itinerary while still scrolling through options from the search results on the same screen.

Best Flight Search Site for Comparison Shopping: BookingBuddy

Editor’s note: BookingBuddy is owned by SmarterTravel Media, SmarterTravel.com’s parent company.

Compare multiple airfare sites with one click to find the best flight deals on BookingBuddy. This metasearch site lets you easily compare prices from other sites (like Priceline) without having to do a bunch of different searches. You can choose which flight search sites you want to compare, and BookingBuddy opens up a new tab with your selected flight dates and destinations already filled in.

Looking for a flight and hotel? BookingBuddy offers a combination flight and hotel search that can save you some decent money by bundling.

Best Feature: Sign up for a price drop alert, and BookingBuddy will email you when costs drop on your route.

Best Flight Search Site for Transparency: Expedia

As previously mentioned, Expedia is nearly identical to Travelocity, but fares did vary between the two sites on some of my searches. As with Travelocity (and to be fair, a number of other OTAs), Expedia will try to up-sell you on adding a hotel to your itinerary. This can save you money, but be sure to compare prices before you book. Expedia charges variable booking fees (and they are not always the same fees that Travelocity charges). When you select your fare from the list of options, there’s an interstitial step that displays what is and isn’t covered in the fare, including seat selection, cancellations, changes, and baggage rules.

Best Feature: Like its subsidiary Travelocity, Expedia basically double-checks that you understand what sort of fare you’re choosing before you click “select” again. It’s a helpful bit of transparency in today’s cluttered airfare landscape.

Best Flight Search Site for Nonstop Flights: CheapOair

Much like Travelocity and Expedia, flight search sites CheapOair and OneTravel (discussed later in this article) are versions of the same product, owned by Fareportal Inc. Though the sites are owned by the same company, the fare results are not always identical, so it’s worth checking both. CheapOair shows some “Super Saver Fares” for which you don’t find out the airline you’ll be flying until after you book—which means you also don’t find out what baggage fees apply until after you book. However, the savings might be worth it. CheapOair charges a service fee on air travel transactions, from $0 to $35 per ticket.

Best Feature: CheapOair prioritizes nonstop prices over itineraries with stops, organized in an easy-to-read chart that’s organized by airline.

Best Flight Search Site with Flight Reviews: Tripadvisor Flights

Tripadvisor is known for its hotel reviews, and now travelers can apply their ratings to airlines, plus search for airfare on Tripadvisor Flights. On testing this flight booking site it’s clear that Tripadvisor doesn’t always serve up the cheapest fares, but sometimes it did. It always, however, gives you the option to surface Expedia, Travelocity, and other flight booking sites’ results, so you can compare right away with one click. Tripadvisor Flights also has some helpful search options up front, like a checkbox for prioritizing nonstop flights.

Best Feature: Tripadvisor’s flight search tool is unique from others in that it offers review-based FlyScores of airlines alongside their fares, so you’re less likely to book with an obscure, poorly rated airline without realizing it.

Best Flight Booking Site for Environmentally-Conscious Flyers: Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a popular metasearch site that works with hundreds of other travel providers to find the best fares. You can specify nonstop-flights-only right from the homepage, and there’s also a handy “everywhere” option if you don’t have a particular destination in mind and want to see what’s available. Search results show the “best” option (based on a combination of price and speed) as well as the fastest and cheapest, and you can filter by airline, alliance, number of stops, and flight times. When you select a result, you’ll see a variety of places to book that particular flight. Skyscanner casts a wide net, so you’ll often see very cheap fares from booking sites you’ve never heard of; to help you figure out how trustworthy they are, Skyscanner shows user star ratings for each.

Best Feature: For flyers concerned about the environmental impact of their travel, Skyscanner has a unique “Greener flights” filter, which shows only itineraries with lower-than-average CO2 emissions based on your search. The site also highlights certain itineraries in your results as a “greener choice.”

Best Flight Booking Site for Flexible Travel: OneTravel

OneTravel has a similar interface to CheapOAir, with a convenient chart prioritizing the best nonstop flight options at the top of the results page. The search results automatically populate similar but cheaper flights on alternate dates close to the user’s original search date, which is great if there is flexibility in your plans. If you are committed to your arrival and departure dates, however, you can toggle off alternate dates in the filters section. One major drawback: OneTravel charges a steep service fee of up to $50 per ticket.

Best Feature: The search results page is subdivided into Recommended, Cheapest, Shortest, and Alternate Date tabs, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for at a high-level and continue to filter down from there.

Best Flight Booking Site for People on a Budget: Travelzoo

Travelzoo is quite different from the other sites listed here. Instead of booking specific itineraries, you can search broad timelines (this week, next month, this summer, etc.) for deals in your desired destination by either month or season. This makes Travelzoo a good fit for people with a budget and time frame, but no firm idea of when or even where they want to go. The downside is that if you do have specific plans in mind—for example, you need a flight to Omaha in March—Travelzoo is not likely to be helpful.

Best Feature: Travelzoo’s flexibility requirement can afford some great deals you won’t find elsewhere, like cheap business-class flights and multi-city itineraries that will make a dream trip a lot more affordable than you’d think.

Best For Where You Don’t Care Where You Go, You Just Want a Good Price: Google Flights

Google Flights is a powerful, simple metasearch site that comes free of ads and distractions. After you enter your departure and arrival airports, the calendar pre-populates with prices so you can target dates with lower fares. Once you have your results, you can track fares on your selected dates and receive updates by email. You can also view fares over various dates using the “Price Graph,” which shows you a bar graph that makes it easy to see when the lowest fares are available.

Best Feature: Instead of putting in a certain city as a destination, you can put in a larger region such as Europe or South Africa. You’ll then see fares to various cities within that region displayed all at once on a map. This can be helpful if you want to go to Europe in April, for example, but don’t have a particular destination in mind.

Best Flight Booking Site for Filtering: Kayak

Often imitated and frequently duplicated, Kayak was a game-changer when it launched back in the mid-2000s. And it’s still one of the most powerful metasearch tools available. You can also set up fares alerts to track prices over time. The interface is noisier than Google Flights thanks to a preponderance of ads, but still easy to use. Like Google, it has a flexible search feature that lets you search for good deals to a region like Europe or even simply put in “anywhere.” Another handy feature available on many itineraries: an “Our Advice” box that lets you know whether you should buy now or wait, depending on whether Kayak thinks fares will go up or down over the next seven days.

Best Feature: Its Hacker Fares claim to piece together separate one-way tickets, potentially saving you money compared to similar itineraries, and its wide range of filters, sorting options, and predictive technologies put a lot of tools at travelers’ disposal.

Best Flight Booking Site That Included Southwest: Momondo

Like Kayak, Momondo is a metasearch site that takes you to other sites to make your purchase. One plus: Momondo surfaces results from Southwest, including flight times and other details from the carrier … but no prices. Only by clicking through to Southwest could I see the fare. Still, it’s nice to have a reminder that Southwest is an unlisted option. Another plus: Momondo searches for fares from a ton of smaller OTAs, which could lead to a deal that other metasearch tools miss.

Best Feature: The mention of Southwest is unique to Momondo.

Best Flight Booking Site for Multi-Stop Itineraries: Nomad from Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com is an OTA like many others; you book directly on the site (as you would on Expedia) rather than being linked off to a different site (as you would on Kayak or Momondo). But what sets it apart is its Nomad search engine, which lets you find cheap itineraries for multi-destination trips. You enter the starting and ending places of your journey as well as the cities where you want to stop along the way, including how many nights you want to spend in each place. Hit “find routes,” and the site will put together an itinerary that mixes and matches airlines and routes for the lowest possible price. (For example, I was quoted a route involving four flights—New York City to Rome to Moscow to Tokyo and back to New York—for a measly $1,031 round-trip.) You can filter your results to weed out routes with multiple layovers or flights that don’t include checked baggage.

Best Feature: This is by far the easiest tool I’ve used to research around-the-world and multi-stop itineraries.

Best Flight Booking Site for Fare Alerts: Airfarewatchdog

Full disclosure, airfarewatchdog is a sister site to SmarterTravel, so we are slightly biased with this one, but promise it is worth your while. Airfarewatchdog is the best for flexible travelers who are just looking for a great deal on airfare. Search fares from a city, to a city, or you can “choose an adventure,” which will show you fares from your city to various hotspots depending on what you are looking for – castles, caves, coffee, you name it, airfarewatchdog will point you in the right direction. Their blog features great travel tips, and one of the best features is the fare alerts you can sign up for. If you know you want to travel somewhere, but all you want is a cheap price, sign up for an alert, and you’ll find out as soon as the price dips so you can book it right away.

Best Feature: The fare alert—it allows you to stop searching daily for that perfect price! Let airfarewatchdog do the work for you.

Best Mobile-Friendly Flight Booking Site: Hopper

Hopper is primarily an app for your phone (although it can be used as a website) but it is worth putting on here just the same. Have you ever been scared to book a flight because it might go down, or afraid to not book it in case it goes up? One of the features of Hopper that makes it shine is its price predictor, which means you never have to worry about making the wrong booking decision. Another bonus is it shows you the price with all of the fees and taxes included, so there is no sticker shock when you finally go to book. After you search, if you aren’t ready to book, you can set up an alert to watch that trip, dates and all. 

Best Feature: Hands down the price predictor. 

Which Flight Booking Site is Best for Me?

In determining which of these sites are the best ones for you to compare prices with, it’s helpful to determine which sites meet your trip-booking needs. Do you want to clearly see bag fees up front? Do you want an easy “flexible dates” function, or are your dates firm? If your travel plans are loose, do you want to see prices for multiple destinations? Different flight booking sites have different capabilities.

Once you determine which site is worth your time depending on the trip, compare prices with a few to make sure you’re getting the best deal. And always check the airline’s own site: OTAs are good at displaying fees associated with an individual flight, but it’s trickier to compare fare options (classes like basic economy vs. economy) on that flight.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that this list can be separated into two main types: booking sites (also called OTAs) that you book directly with as a third party, and aggregators otherwise known as metasearch sites that’ll send you to a booking site to make your transaction. The latter are better if you want to use any frequent flyer programs you might belong to and acquire points.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Sarah Schlichter and Megan Johnson  contributed to this story. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post The 14 Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Best Overall – Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott has been a staple in the hotel industry for nearly seventy years. Their rewards program shows they love customer loyalty. 

Membership includes:

• Complimentary wi-fi 
• Exclusive member rates
• Instant redemption 
• Tiered statuses 
• Higher tiers include late checkout, welcome bonus points, and room upgrades 
• Over 8500 properties worldwide

Best for Family Travel –   Choice Privileges

Choice Hotels include Comfort Inn – great for budgeting, and WoodSpring Suites- great for extra space while traveling. 

Membership includes: 

• Exclusive member rates
• Use points toward gift cards for restaurants and retailers
• Use points toward charitable donations
• Use points for miles
• Earn points with car rentals

Best for All-Inclusive Stays –   World of Hyatt

The Hyatt brand has many all-inclusive hotels throughout popular travel destinations, and you only need 40,000 points for free stays (unlike other luxury brands that often need over 100,000). So for all-inclusive stays, look no further than World of Hyatt.

Membership includes: 

• Member rates
• Earn free nights
• Use points towards suite upgrades, free stays, spa treatments, and more
• Partners with American Airlines
• World of Hyatt credit card offers even more incentives

Best for Independent Hotels – Stash Hotel Rewards

For travelers who prefer staying in non-chain hotels, Stash Hotel Rewards is best. Independent hotels don’t find it worth having their own rewards program, as it only benefits people who stay in the same hotel several times a year, which isn’t many. Stash Rewards links hundreds of independent hotels, mainly in the United States but throughout North America and the Caribbean, so that you can get points for supporting independent hotels.

Membership includes:

• Earn 5X points when you stay at Stash Partner Hotels. Earn 1X points when you stay at non-linked independent hotels, and you book through stashrewards.com. 
• Use your points for free nights at Stash Partner Hotels
• No blackout dates or expiration on points

Best for World Travelers – Hilton Honors

Hilton is found in over 122 countries, so it makes sense if you are a world traveler to use Hilton Honors. Even better if you are an American Express cardholder – as Hilton is an Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner, you get TWO Hilton Honors points for every Amex point. 

Membership includes: 

• Lowest rates, and if you find a lower rate, they will match it, plus give you 25% off the lower rate. 
• Fifth night free with Elite Status
• Choose your room 
• Free WiFi
• Higher tiers receive spa discounts, room upgrades, free breakfast, and more

Best Rewards Program With Free Breakfast-   Best Western Rewards

Best Western may not be the most luxurious hotel brand out there, but they are efficient, and if not having to think about breakfast is high on your list of amenities, then Best Western Rewards should be your first choice. 

• Stay two nights, get 5,000 bonus points
• Free nights
• Often offers status matches 

Best Basic Rewards Program – Radisson Rewards

If you don’t care about transferring points or credit cards and just want a basic rewards program, go with Radisson Rewards. With locations all over the globe, you will have no trouble finding a Radisson wherever your travels find you.

Membership includes:

• Member-only rates
• Referral bonus
• Deals of the day

Best for Sign Up Bonus – Sonesta Travel Pass

Everyone loves free stuff, and with Sonesta Travel Pass, you get points just for signing up, giving you a  head start on your earnings. With over a thousand hotels in eight countries, you can start cranking out those points in no time. 

• 500 bonus sign-up points
• Member rates
• Tiered statuses

Best for European and Asian Travel –  Accor Live Limitless

Accor hotels have a huge presence in Europe and Asia, so for anyone who spends the majority of their travel there, Accor Live Limitless makes sense. 

Membership includes: 

• Exclusive savings
• Accor credit card offers sign-up bonus
• Partner benefits

Best for Small Luxury Hotels – Invited

Invited gives travelers who love luxury travel without the big name chains to get rewarded for supporting the smaller names in luxury. Choose from over 500 small luxury hotels throughout the world.

Membership includes: 

• 10% off every booking
• Early check-in
• Complimentary breakfast and room upgrades with higher tiers
• Stay just three nights to get upgraded to the second tier

Best for Luxury Hotels – Leaders Club

If you like luxury and prefer bigger hotels, Leaders Club is a better bet for you than Invited. With big names like the Ritz in London and Paris, you’ll gain points at some of the nicest hotels in the world. 

Membership includes:

• Pre-arrival upgrades
• Daily continental breakfast
• Members-only savings

Best for Historic Buildings – I Prefer

I Prefer features hotels from Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide, Preferred Hotels Worldwide, as well as Beyond Green – a cluster of hotels known for their sustainability. Stay in historic properties like the Bellwether house in Savannah, the Union League Club of Chicago, and the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly in France. 

Membership includes: 

• Exclusive member rates
• Enhanced room upgrades on all tiers
• Early check-in, late check-out
• Higher tiers receive welcome gift 

Best for Wide Range of Hotels – IHG One Rewards

Whether you are looking for a ski resort, family-friendly five-star hotel, or a hotel that you can bring your dog to all over the world, IHG has them all and more. With luxury brands like Regent, Kimpton, and Hotel Indigo, premium brands like Crowne Plaza and Voco, budget brands like Holiday Inn Express, and family-friendly suites like Candlewood and Staybridge, IHG has you covered for whatever vacation you are going on, making IHG One Rewards a no-brainer for travelers who like variety.

Membership includes: 

• Points for reward nights
• Member rates and special offers
• Late check-out
• Higher tiers include a welcome amenity

Best for Budget Stays –  Wyndham Rewards

Many travelers aren’t looking for luxury; they simply want a place to put their head after a long day of sightseeing. While Wyndham isn’t exactly bare bones, it certainly isn’t a luxurious brand. It’s a great rewards program for budget-conscious travelers. 

Membership Includes: 

• Triple points when you stay two or more consecutive nights at participating hotels
• Special member sales
• Early check-in and late check-out for higher tiers
• Rollover nights never expire

Best for American Hotels – Omni Select Guest

With just three hotels outside of the United States, and none outside of North America, Omni hotels are the perfect choice for travelers who want to stay within the continental U.S., with hotels in eleven states. 

Membership Includes: 

• Earn free nights
• Give back: with each reservation, Omni will donate one free meal to Feeding America
• Daily beverage

The post The Best Hotel Rewards Programs appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The Best Frequent Flier Programs for 2023

WalletHub compared ten major domestic carriers using 21 key metrics—such as number of international destinations, earning limits, and booking blackout dates—factoring in the travel needs and budgets of light, average, and frequent fliers. Use WalletHub’s Frequent Flier Miles calculator to get a personalized recommendation on what frequent flier program best suits your travel style.

United Airlines: MileagePlus

United Airlines’ MileagePlus overtook Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to become the best frequent flier program for 2023. Mileage Plus offers the most award destinations of any reward program and MileagePlus Premier members have access to even more perks, such as seat upgrades and complimentary baggage check. Sign up here.

Alaska Airlines: Mileage Plan

Award travel with Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan starts at 5,000 miles, and members earn up to 30% more miles on their travel than with competitor programs. Earn miles by flying Alaska Airlines (one mile earned for every mile flown), booking with one of their travel partners, or shopping with an Alaska Airlines credit card. Sign up here.

Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles

SkyMiles are earned with every Delta flight at the Main Cabin level or higher, by booking with a SkyMiles partner, or by making purchases with a SkyMiles American Express card. Sign up here.

Hawaiian Airlines: HawaiianMiles

HawaiianMiles can be earned by flying Hawaiian, shopping with a Hawaiian Airlines credit card, or booking with one of Hawaiian’s airline, hotel, car rental, or shopping/dining partners. Miles can also be purchased, with a limit of 30,000 miles. Sign up here.

American Airlines: AAdvantage

AAdvantage recently introduced a rewards level below Gold, with membership starting at just 15,000 miles and including perks like guaranteed group five boarding, preferred seat coupons, and priority privileges. Earn miles by flying American, booking with airline partners, or signing up for an AAdvantage credit card. Sign up here.

The post The Best Frequent Flier Programs for 2023 appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Membership now costs $139 annually (or $14.99 monthly); for that price, you get well-known benefits like free two-day shipping, access to exclusive deals, and Prime Video. But the real boon for travelers are the lesser-known Amazon Prime perks that deliver trip-ready extras like entertainment, last-minute delivery, photo storage, and even frequent flyer points. Here’s how to use Amazon Prime perks to become a more prepared and happier traveler.

How to Use Amazon Prime Perks for Travel

Want to give it a go? Try the Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.

Already a Prime member? Sign up here to receive a weekly member-benefits newsletter and make the most of your membership.

Free 30-Day Trial

Prime Reading and Audible

As an Amazon Prime member, you can read books like The Handmaid’s Tale and classics from Jane Austen or Louisa May Alcott for free with Prime Reading. The feature offers over a thousand free books and magazines to download on any device with a Prime membership. Amazon also offers readers access to one pre-released book per month through Amazon First Reads. I think it’s one of the best secret Amazon Prime perks out there, especially for frequent travelers. As a Fire Tablet user, I browse this section before any long flight and download at least one free book for my trip.

Offline Downloads for Entertainment

One of the best lesser-known Amazon Prime perks perfect for travelers is offline downloading for TV shows and movies. You can even search for this feature on the Amazon Video app. Just go to the Library icon, hit “Refine,” and filter by the “On Device” option. All downloads will go to a download folder on the app, or you can watch directly from the show’s or movie’s page.

Shipping Benefits: Prime Now

Yes, most people know free two-day shipping comes with a Prime membership, but did you know about the Amazon Prime perk that offers free same-day delivery? This feature is available in 10,000 cities (you can check availability by zip code here), and it’s perfect for travelers. Whether you’re packing last-minute and need a specific item or you forgot something and need it delivered to your hotel room, Prime Now is a great benefit for travelers. In select areas, Prime Members can get secure in-home, in-garage, and even in-car deliveries with Amazon Key.

Insider Tip: Did you know that you can earn rewards for future purchases with free, no-rush shipping? If you don’t need your Prime order right away, select No-Rush Shipping and receive a discount or reward for a future purchase. Prime members can also select an Amazon Day, which means you can have all of your orders arrive on a specific day of the week.

Access to Exclusive Products and Deals

An Amazon Prime membership grants access to a variety of products and deals that can save you money on travel-related products and clothes. Prime members have early access to Lightning Deals (also called Prime Early-Access Deals), Prime Exclusives, and a whole day or two dedicated to member shopping deals, Prime Day, which this year falls on July 12th and 13th.

Another one of the lesser-known Amazon Prime perks is a service called Amazon Elements. This Prime-exclusive line is limited right now, but the idea behind it—a dedicated store that uses customer feedback and reviews to create better products—has the potential to become an invaluable tool for travelers who only have enough suitcase space for high-performing products.

Amazon is also providing discounts at Whole Foods for Prime members: Get an additional 10 percent off sale items and special deals on select items.

Insider Tip: If you order through Alexa-enabled voice shopping, you get access to even more deals and discounts as a Prime member.

Prime Photos and Drive

With Amazon Prime, you get unlimited photo storage via Amazon Photos, which is perfect for backing up your vacation photos and storing your favorite memories. Photos are easily organized, you can share photos in a “Family Vault,” and you can even order prints directly from Amazon.

Prime members also get 5G of free storage for files, videos, and anything else you want to store on the cloud with Amazon Drive.

Prime Music and Video

With Amazon Prime, you get unlimited, ad-free streaming on Amazon Music. And while Prime Music has over two million songs, Prime members also get a discount with Amazon’s other music streaming service, Amazon Music Unlimited.

Another one of the lesser-known Amazon Prime perks is Prime Video streaming, which grants you access to award-winning original movies and TV shows like Manchester by the Sea and The Man in the High Castle. Amazon also hosts other network TV shows like Mr. Robot and The Sopranos. Prime Video also has a library of popular shows and movies to rent and buy.

Insider Tip: You can add premium network subscriptions to your Prime membership via Amazon Channels. This allows you to watch channels like HBO, STARZ, and Showtime without having a cable or satellite account.

JetBlue Affiliation

JetBlue passengers can earn three TrueBlue points for Amazon purchases made in flight. Just make sure you understand which products are excluded from the offer—this includes things like subscription Kindle products and Amazon Fresh.

Amazon Credit Cards and Points

Making the most of every dollar you spend is another Amazon Prime perk. Prime members have exclusive access to certain credit cards: The Amazon Prime Store Card and Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.

The Visa card gives you five percent back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases and two percent back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, with no annual fee. You can redeem your points for Amazon purchases, and the card also has travel benefits like no foreign transaction fees, baggage delay insurance, and travel accident insurance.

The Store card lets Prime members receive five percent back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, has no annual fee, and gives access to promotional financing.

Some credit card companies let you “Shop With Points” on Amazon, though you won’t get Prime benefits.

Food Delivery: Amazon Fresh

If you want to schedule a delivery at a vacation rental or to have items waiting upon your return home, check out Amazon’s grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh. Amazon Prime members have access to free delivery or pickup above a certain order minimum. Similarly, customers can place an order for delivery or pickup at nearby Whole Foods locations. Check your zip code to see available stores near you.

Discounted Memberships: Student and Family

If you’re ready to join Amazon Prime, look into some of the discounted membership services first to see if you qualify. Right now Amazon offers Amazon Family and Prime Student at discounted rates.

Amazon Family costs $119 per year with a free 30-day trial, but lets you create a household—meaning multiple users—for shared family benefits. Amazon Family also comes with discounted prices on Amazon Kids+ (previously FreeTime Unlimited)—a subscription service for kids’ entertainment—as well as special discounts on household products and diapers.

Prime Student comes at the discounted rate of $59 per year with a six-month free trial to start and a special student page filtered for college-specific needs.

Editor’s note: SmarterTravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post 10 Secret Amazon Prime Perks You Probably Aren’t Using appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The good news is that travelers sometimes have the option to choose from multiple airports in a single destination (for example, between O’Hare and Midway in Chicago). So it’s helpful to know which airport is statistically more likely to get you where you need to be on-time.

We’ve crunched the data provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). A delay is defined as a flight arriving 15 minutes or more past its scheduled arrival time. The information below is for flights that operated in the 2021 calendar year across the 30 busiest airports in the country.

Which US Airports Have The Most Arrival Delays?

If you can, you might want to avoid these airports the next time you fly.

1. Newark (25% of flights delayed)
2. Orlando (24% of flights)
3. Fort Lauderdale (23% of flights)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth (22% of flights)
5. Las Vegas (21% of flights)
6. Denver (21% of flights)
7. Chicago Midway (21% of flights)
8. Tampa (21% of flights)
9. Baltimore (20% of flights)
10. New York JFK (20% of flights)

What Destinations Have the Worst Delays?

It’s worth noting that 8 out of the 10 most-delayed airports are in the eastern half of the country, so passengers flying in or out of that region might want to leave extra time for connections or transfers. 

Which US Airports Have The Most On-Time Arrivals?

If you’re hoping for an on-time (or early!) arrival, try flying into one of these airports. 

1. Atlanta (12% of flights delayed)
2. Minneapolis/St Paul (12% of flights delayed)
3. Honolulu (13% of flights delayed)
4. Charlotte (14% of flights delayed
5. Detroit (14% of flights delayed)
6. Salt Lake City (of flights delayed)
7. Seattle (16% of flights delayed)
8. New York LaGuardia (16% of flights delayed)
9. Washington Dulles (17% of flights delayed)
10. San Francisco (17% of flights delayed)

Which Airline Should You Fly to Arrive On-Time?

Six out of the top 10 on-time airports are Delta hubs; in fact, Delta has the second-best on-time ranking out of the 13 major airlines operating in the US (after leader Hawaiian Airlines). 

For travelers in the New York area, LaGuardia has the best on-time performance of the three major airports in the city

If you’re in Washington DC, Dulles International Airport (IAD) ranks better for on-time performance than Baltimore and Reagan National

Even with its frequent fog, San Francisco is still in the top third of airports for on-time arrivals

Which Airport Has The Most Delays In The World?

It’s important to keep things in perspective. Whilst a 25% delay rate for New York’s Newark Airport is definitely not ideal, there is a major hub in Asia at which almost half of arriving flights are delayed.

That prize goes to the Indonesian capital Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which has a 48% (!) delay rate. Rounding out the top 5 are Mumbai, Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

In fact, no US airport makes the list of the top 10 worst international airports for delays; it’s solely airports in Asia and Europe that round out that ranking.

The post The Top 10 U.S. Airports With The Most Delays, Ranked appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Flying is almost back in full force now that vaccinations are becoming readily available, and with each additional plane in the sky, prices are starting to soar back to pre-pandemic costs. 

As the daughter of a flight attendant, I’ve picked up some insider knowledge about getting the best flight deals, and I’m going to share my secrets with you.

Below are my eight best travel tips for finding an affordable flight to save you money.

Try an Incognito Window to Browse or Clear Your Cookies

An incognito window is a way to browse the internet that doesn’t save your history, cookies, site data, or information entered on forms by users.

Some articles have debunked using incognito web browsers, claiming that if flight prices fluctuate mid-search that it’s “likely a coincidence.” However, I know first-hand from my own personal experience that browsing privately, and avoiding being tracked, has usually always paid off.

According to Million Mile Secrets, “studies show that it is a good idea to search for travel using different browsers, both logged in and incognito to find the best deal.”

At the end of the day, it won’t hurt you to try both and see what results you get. You can find out how to open an incognito web browser here.

Purchase Your Flight at the Optimal Day and Time

Comparefare states that “the best time to book a U.S. flight is usually Tuesday at about 3 p.m. eastern time.” Flights are cheaper on Tuesdays because many airlines release discounted tickets on Monday nights. 

By booking on Tuesday, Skyscanner has determined that “you’ll save somewhere between 15 and 25 percent.”  It’s also typically more affordable to fly on a weekday. Departing on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday should lower your flight cost. Flight prices tend to start increasing on Thursday, and skyrocket on the weekends.

When it comes to flights overseas, “in general, the best time to buy an international plane ticket is between 120 to 160 days before departure,” Trip Savvy, says. “While this isn’t true for every destination, this is generally the case for Asia and Europe.” 

Like domestic flights, international plane tickets are usually cheaper when purchased on a week day.

To be sure you get the best rate, you should be checking fares at least a few times a week. Cheap Air has set up a website to give you peace of mind to cross-reference if you are getting a decent price, but I would personally trust your own market research.

Pick Destinations Based on What’s on Sale at the Moment

Have you ever heard of someone throwing a dart at a map, or stopping a spinning globe with a finger, and then choosing that mark as their next travel destination?

Well, if you have, the dart thrower might have spent an arm and a leg for that snap-decision, but luckily you don’t have to!

Instead, Google cheap flight destinations and see where it’s affordable to go during the time you are searching, then plan accordingly. I once met a woman who traveled to countries exclusively based on the deals she found, and that is how she was able to venture to as many exotic places as she did.

Google Promo Codes and Promotions for Your Airline of Choice

You might not know this, but some airlines offer promo codes. You can easily find them by doing a quick Google search. Simply type the words “promo code” and the airline you want to book with into the search bar to check. Bargain hunters should also know that airlines occasionally offer timely promotional deals. For example, Alaska Airlines gave new California Mileage Plan members a “California, on us” trip to the first 25,000 California residents who signed up for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan by March 3rd, 2021, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for when those deals surface, which leads me to my next tip…

Check Prices Often and Sign Up for Free Price Alerts

The more you check flights for a certain destination, the more you will be able to recognize when a ticket goes “on sale.” Think about how you shop for clothes. If you watch a certain shirt you’ve been eyeing at full price suddenly dip down, you know it’s a good time to buy. The same principle holds true for flights!

If you have exact travel dates in mind, you can cut down your efforts by signing up for free price alerts. These alerts notify you when the specific trip you have your heart set on scales its price back. 

Fly on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, July 4th, or Other Major Holidays

Flying on a holiday is often considered the best time to find the cheapest ticket. Any time I wanted an economical ticket to my hometown, New York, from Los Angeles, I would sacrifice a holiday. 

I either flew directly on Christmas, Thanksgiving, or even July 4th for the cheapest rate possible. It is not always fun or ideal to give up a day that comes around only once a year, but it’s worth it if you are really trying to save big and stretch your money.

Keep in mind that if you do choose to fly in on a holiday, you probably want to budget for a shuttle, Uber or Lyft— that way you won’t be pulling your family or friends away from their festivities to meet you at arrivals.

Be Flexible With Your Travel Dates and Times

If your travel dates are adjustable, you can be patient and wait for the best deals. Patience pays at the airport. What most people don’t know is that if you are waiting to board your plane, and a flight is overbooked, it won’t be long before you hear your gate agent over the loudspeaker asking for volunteers who can wait for the next flight out. If you’re fortunate enough to have a go-with-the flow attitude and the flexibility to wait, you should because the airline will often reward you a few hundred dollars in travel vouchers for being so accommodating. 

Accrue and Use Travel Points From Airlines, Credit Cards, Etc. 

When you use the right credit cards, you can acquire points and miles to help fund your next adventure. For instance, when you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening with Capital One’s Venture card, you get a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles. You can find tips on choosing the best travel credit card here.

Airlines also offer loyalty programs such as frequent flyer miles or travel points that can be used towards future flights. These programs are free, and you can easily rack up miles with every flight you take with the airline, or its affiliate airlines. Once you sign up, you will receive a number that you input every time you purchase a flight on their website. Once you accumulate enough points, you can redeem them for a free or reduced flight.

The post 8 Tips from a Flight Attendant’s Daughter to Save Money on Your Next Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

As frequent flier and hotel loyalty programs have become increasingly more restrictive and even, well, unrewarding, credit card companies have responded with more flexible and versatile travel reward cards for travelers. Figuring out the best travel credit card for you in this booming crowd can be daunting, however; to help you pick the right card, here are the most important things to know and to beware of, as well as some recommended cards. Happy points compiling!

Types of Travel Credit Cards

Airline, hotel or car rental company branded cards: These are cards that have affiliations with a specific travel company rewards program and will allow you to redeem points with all of their program partners, which can sometimes be a limited list.

One important potential upside of airline-branded cards is the perks they offer at the airport, as many include priority boarding, expedited security, free checked bags and lounge access. If you fly one airline almost exclusively, an airline credit card can be a really good bet; otherwise you may find your redemption options somewhat limited.

General travel credit cards: These allow you to accumulate points and transfer them to card company partners; the upside here is that the partner lists tend to include a longer list of options, such as multiple and even competing airlines. The best cards offer one-for-one points on multiple airlines, matching even those airlines’ own cobranded offers.

What to Consider When Choosing a Travel Credit Card

You might think that finding a card with the lowest interest rate, no (or low) annual fees, biggest sign-up bonus and best rewards would be relatively straightforward; unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Every card has a different mix of benefits and costs, and reconciling them all to land on the card that works best for you is a true chore. Here are a few things to consider.

Interest rates: This is an obvious one, although if you are able to pay off your charges in full each month, the interest rates are not really a concern, as they apply only to balances carried beyond each monthly due date. Some experts say that if you are not planning to pay off your balance each month, you should worry far less about benefits than about finding the lowest APR.

Annual fees: These fees are a nuisance that you can often avoid. Some cards waive them for the first year and continue to do so if your charges remain above a certain amount; you will want to research this directly and compare each card’s terms to your buying habits.

Expiring points: Some cards have your points expire regularly, others not at all.

Points loss at redemption: When transferring points from your card to a travel partner, for example, sometimes you lose some points in the offing.

Foreign transaction fees: Many standard cards charge you for overseas transactions, typically at a rate of 3 percent. Most travel-specific cards waive this fee, but you’ll want to check before signing up, as 3 percent surcharges on every purchase during a trip can pile up fast.

“Cash back” deflation: Many cards that offer a “cash back” option do so at a fraction of the amount they will give you compared to other benefits; for example, some will give you 50 cents cash back on every dollar they would otherwise give you to cover past travel purchases, to get gift cards, etc.

Reward program revisions: It’s an unfortunate fact that travel companies such as airlines and hotels are constantly revising their program structure and rules — usually to reduce the value of your points. This is a potential reason to get a general travel credit card vs. an airline card; with a travel card, if one airline devalues its points, you can redeem your miles on another airline.

Sign-up bonuses: Many cards offer bonus miles when you sign up, but these offers can vary significantly, even for the same card. Online sign-ups may give bigger bonuses than phone sign-ups, for example. Once you have chosen a card, look for deals before you sign up.

Tax considerations: Credit card rewards may qualify as taxable income. We don’t claim to be tax accountants, but here is a primer on the topic from Investopedia.

Understand Your Cash Back and Other Non-Travel Options

Even if you intend to rely on your card for miles or points, it’s worth checking whether it also has a cash-back option. This way you can still get some benefit from your points even if you’re faced with a travel dry spell or a temporary lack of cash flow.

The Best Travel Credit Cards

After clicking through pages of card benefits and pitches, and then consulting a heap of “money hacks” websites, I found a few travel credit cards floating to the top of the pile.

– The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is on almost every list out there; it has a big signing bonus, 2x points on travel and dining, no foreign transaction fees, primary car rental insurance and more.

– The BankAmericard Travel Rewards card, cited as the best travel card with no annual fee by several sites, grants 1.5 points for every dollar spent on all purchases. Points don’t expire, and there’s no foreign transaction fee.

– Capital One Venture Rewards Card offers 2x points on all purchases (not just travel) — a sweet perk. The lack of expiration dates is another nice feature.

– Barclaycard Arrival Plus World MasterCard is similar to the Capital One card above, with a slightly higher miles bonus upon redemption, but also a slightly higher annual fee (which is waived for the first year).

– Discover it Miles offers 1.5x points on all purchases and then matches the points at the end of your first year for an effective 3x points tally. It also has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee. The downside: Discover cards are not widely accepted, especially overseas.

– The Platinum Card from American Express is an old faithful card that counters high annual fees with some powerful benefits that others don’t have, including TSA PreCheck and Global Entry fee refunds, a $200 annual airline rebate, and airport lounge access. Like Discover, AmEx is not always accepted overseas.

To learn more about travel credit cards, check out sites such as NerdWallet.com, WiseBread.com and ThePointsGuy.com.

Do you have a travel credit card? How do you like it? Let us know in the comments.

More from SmarterTravel:

• 10 Travel Money Mistakes to Avoid
• The Best Way to Carry Money Overseas
• 11 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft While Traveling

The post How to Choose the Best Travel Credit Card appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If you’re avoiding booking flights for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19, you might be wondering what’s going to happen to your frequent flyer status and/or airline points in the meantime.

For many frequent flyers and business travelers, the most important benefits of frequent-flyer membership are through special “elite” status: The prime benefits are no-cost upgrades to available premium seats via various priority lists, as well as preferential treatment on relaxed baggage restrictions, better boarding group, fewer or no seat-assignment fees, and faster ways to earn more miles/points.

Those upgrades are a powerful loyalty attractor. Elite members go to great lengths to retain or upgrade their status level, and the schedule reductions and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have seriously thwarted their ability to retain and improve status. The same goes for hotel chains with loyal members.

Recognizing this problem, and wishing to retain loyalty of their best customers, many airlines and hotels have started to ease status requirements for the duration of the epidemic. They’ve also extended validity of some important elite-status benefits. And some airlines have even eased restrictions on use of miles for ordinary, non-elite flyers.

Airlines Changing Points Terms Due to COVID-19

Several airlines have already announced their changes; others are sure to follow. The changes listed below are effective as of April 20. They’re moving targets: Look for further, rolling, extensions, especially those scheduled to end this month or next. Further down are the hotel chains offering points or elite-status term changes.

Alaska Airlines

Elite flyers can retain their current status on Alaska through at least December 31, 2021.  Companion certificates earned through the line’s credit card slated to expire in 2020 are extended: Apply certificates by December 2020 for travel through November 6, 2021. Status-earning miles acquired between January 1 and Apr 30, 2020, will roll over to 2021. You can find more information here.

Air Canada

Elite flyers on Air Canada retain their current status through December 31, 2021. Frequent flyers will not have to pay a fee to redeposit miles used to book award flights, through at least April 30. Accrued miles will not expire through May 14. You can find more information here.

American

Elite flyers whose status expires on January 1, 2020, will retain their current status through January 2022. Upgrade certificates slated to expire on January 31, 2021, are extended to July 31, 2021. You can find more information here.

Delta

Elite flyers with Delta retain their current status through January 31, 2022. Status-earning miles acquired in 2020 will roll over to 2021. Sky Club memberships set to expire March 31 or later are extended for six months. You can find more information here.

Upgrade certificates and vouchers scheduled to expire March 1 through June 30 are extended until December 31, 2020. Certificates and vouchers expiring after June 30 are extended for six months.

Hawaiian

Hawaiian “will not be expiring any miles from March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Members with miles set to expire within this time period will retain their full mileage balance. [Prior] standard expiration policy will resume on January 1, 2021.” You can find more information here.

Southwest

A-List and A-List Preferred flyers with elite status through December 21 will have status extended through December 31, 2021. Companion passes earned through December 31, 2020 will be extended through June 30, 2021. You can find more information here.

United Airlines

Elite flyers on United retain their current status through January 31, 2022. United has lowered mileage and spend requirements for the 2021 status year to earn various status levels by 50 percent.. Frequent flyers will not have to pay a fee to redeposit miles used to book award flights, through at least May 31. You can find more information here.

Expiration dates on several annual-pay programs, such as Wi-Fi, checked, bags, United Club membership, and seating in Economy Plus are extended by six months. Electronic travel certificates are now valid for 23 months.

WestJet

WestJet has upgraded or extended members who were on track to attain status in March through May, and it will “continue to look after” other travelers whose elite status might be affected by coronavirus changes. WestJet is also extending the validity of various vouchers and certificates, by varying periods—check the website for details. You can find more information here.

Other North American Lines

Clearly, the other big airlines with robust elite-status programs—specifically, American and Hawaiian—are likely to announce similar policies, within weeks if not days. On other U.S. and Canadian lines, status is a lot less important, but you can expect some relaxation of various frequent flyer rules from those lines fairly soon, as well.

Foreign Lines

Big foreign lines, too, are easing rules and extending status. Lines that have extended status for a year include LATAM, Qantas, Qatar, and Virgin Australia; Virgin Atlantic has extended status six months. Air France/KLM, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and Etihad are adding miles to accounts or lowering status requirements. Many of these lines are also extending validity of various upgrades and companion certificates—check their respective websites for more information.

Bonus: Amtrak

Even Amtrak is relaxing some rules. Upgrade, companion, and various other certificates earned through the Guest Rewards program due to expire are extended through September 25, 2020. And earned points expiration dates are also extended to that date.

Hotels Changing Points Terms Due to COVID-19

The giant hotel chains operate frequent-stay programs that offer substantial elite-level benefits such as room upgrades, free meals, and early check-in/late check-out, along with the room awards available to ordinary members. They, too, are reacting to the fact that members can’t earn credit as quickly as they can during normal periods. In fact, their extensions are generally more generous than those of the airlines.

Accor

Accor has added bonus points to member account that reduce the points required to qualify or requalify for elite levels. You can find more information here.

Best Western

Current member status levels are extended through January 31, 2022. You can find more information here.

Hilton

Current member status levels for 2019 scheduled to end on March 31, 2020, are extended through March 31, 2021. Members with 2020 status is extended to March 31, 2022. Accrued points due to expire in 2020 will remain valid through December 31, 2020. Accrued Weekend Night rewards are extended through August 31, 2021. You can find more information here.

Hyatt

Elite status levels as of March 31 are extended through February 28, 2022. Unused awards with expiration dates between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 are extended to December 31, 2021. Accrued points due to expire in 2020 will remain valid through December 31, 2020. You can find more information here.

IHG

Qualifying points required to reach the several elite levels are reduced by at least 25 percent , through 2021. Points due to expire between April 1 and December 31 will remain valid through December 31, 2020. Award night certificates due to expire between March 1 and December 31 will remain valid until December 31, 2020, and certificates issued in 202 will have an 18-month validity period. You can find more information here.

Marriott

Current elite status is extended through February, 2022. Expiration dates for accrued points are extended to February, 2021. Active award night awards expiring in 2020 are extended to January 31, 2021. You can find more information here.

Radisson

Current elite status is extended through February, 2022. Certificates and scheduled to expire through July 31, 2020, will remain valid through June 30, 2021. Point expiration is extended by six months. You can find more information here.

Wyndham

Wyndham says it is “pausing the expiration of any Wyndham Rewards points until September 30, 2020 and [has] extended current Wyndham Rewards Member Levels (status) for all members globally through the end of 2021.” You can find more information here.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Travel in the Time of COVID-19: What You Need to Know
• Travelers Are Owed Swift Refunds for Canceled Flights, DOT Warns Airlines
• OP-ED: You’re Entitled to a Refund During a Pandemic

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuse every day at SmarterTravel.

The post COVID-19 Could Impact Your Points and Frequent-Flyer Terms—for the Better appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The State Department defines that emergency in-person service as only for “serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g., parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc.).” A more complete list is available on the State Department’s website.

However, if you have travel plans on the far horizon (or hope to) you can still apply for renewal by mail, with some caveats. Expedited service is not available, and the State Department notes that you can “expect significant delays.” It’s unclear how long that delay will be, and it’s worth noting that for a renewal you’ll need to mail in your current passport with the renewal application. The department urges travelers to “please consider waiting to apply until we resume normal operations.”

Even if you qualify for emergency in-person service, options are currently very limited: The State Department says that passport offices in Atlanta, Connecticut, New Orleans, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) are among those completely closed until further notice. And many of the other acceptance facilities, such as court clerks and post offices, are either closed or no longer accepting in-person passport applications.

At any in-person facility you will need an appointment, which you can make through the National Passport Information Center here, or by calling your local court or post office. For that appointment, you’ll need a completed application, supporting documents, proof of the life-or-death emergency, and proof of international travel specific to the emergency.

If you have an application in process, the State Department will continue to process it, but you can expect those undefined delays. Check the State Department’s website for details and application tracking.

The State Department says these current limitations will remain in effect until “normal operations” resume, which is clearly a very uncertain deadline at this time. If you will need a new or renewed passport in the near future, bookmark the above links for up-to-date information.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How to Renew a Passport: The Ultimate Guide
• Passport Book vs. Passport Card: Which Do You Need
• 17 Essential Passport Wallets and Holders

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuse every day at SmarterTravel.

The post Non-Emergency Passport Applications Have Halted appeared first on SmarterTravel.