Alaska Transfers Begin, Kuwait Air's 777s Take Off and More... A Look Ahead at Next Week
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
It's the first full week where everyone is finally back at work from the holiday season, which means the world of travel is gearing up as well. After a couple of slower weeks, there's a lot to jot in your calendar now, so let's take a look ahead at some of the important events happening in this upcoming second week of January...
Monday, January 9, 2017
Last Friday saw the window close on point transfers between Starwood and Virgin America, but Monday opens a new door when Virgin America Elevate members will be invited by Alaska Airlines to activate new Mileage Plan accounts and transfers should become available between the two programs. The transfer ratio will be 1.3 Alaska miles for each Virgin America Elevate point, so this could be a good time to take advantage of some sweet spots in Alaska's mileage chart.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Kuwait Airways has already taken delivery of its first 777-300ER planes and it's been testing them out on random routes, but Tuesday is the day the aircraft will officially be put into scheduled service with regular flights between Kuwait and London. A look at the premium cabins on this aircraft last month showed mini-suites in first and a lie-flat seat in business, so we're hoping our travels take us on this route soon.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
If there's one day you need to circle on your calendar in big red marker, it's this upcoming Wednesday, because that will be the final day to apply online for the Chase Sapphire Reserve's 100,000-point sign-up bonus. After that, the bonus gets cut in half, so do not miss this Wednesday deadline!
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Some interesting mileage opportunities will start on Thursday when the new codeshare and mileage-earning agreement between Air Canada and Cathay Pacific goes into effect for routes involving a number of cities in Southeast Asia and Canada. The two airlines are from separate alliances — Air Canada is in the Star Alliance while Cathay is Oneworld — so this is a chance to accumulate miles on these routes in programs that weren't previously possible.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Finally, the recent IHG award category changes will be officially implemented on Sunday, so if you're booking a property where the category is increasing, make sure you do so before the clock strikes midnight on Saturday night. On the other hand, if your travel plans include a hotel that's moving down a level, hold off until after the weekend to make your award reservation.
Have a great week, everyone, and safe travels.
