Norwegian Keeps Growing, Electronics Ban Lifted for Some Carriers, July Valuations and More
Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven't covered yet. If you're an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here's the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week.
Norwegian Keeps Expanding With More US Routes to London and Paris
Norwegian Air Shuttle seemingly can't be stopped — the carrier recently announced that it'll be expanding its footprint even more in the US. The carrier plans to add Austin (AUS) and Chicago (ORD) to its route map, and it's expanding service in Oakland (OAK), Boston (BOS) and Newark (EWR).
State of the Electronics Ban — Who's Cleared, Who's Still Banned
Several Middle Eastern and African airlines have been dealing with the electronics ban since it was implemented back in the spring, but now four of the originally affected carriers (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Turkish) have been cleared for their flights to the US. So, if you have any upcoming travel planned on those four carriers, you'll now be able to bring along your full suite of electronics.
What Are Points & Miles Worth? July 2017 Monthly Valuations
It's the beginning of the month, which means it's time to check in on our points portfolio and see what they're all worth.
Top 10 Travel Rewards Credit Card Offers for July 2017
For this month's list of top travel rewards credit card offers, TPG changed it up a bit. Rather than ordering the 10 best picks based on a variety of factors such as transfer partners, redemption options and ancillary card perks, he used his valuations to rank the sign-up bonuses from most to least valuable. Additionally, he factored in annual travel credits, and subtracted the card's annual fee.
The Best Websites for Searching Star Alliance Award Availability
The largest barrier to any of us maximizing our points and miles continues to be finding award availability. Read on to find out how to understand the tools and patterns of award availability so you don't have to pay an award booking service to do it for you.
2017 Credit Card Inventory: Assistant Editor Brendan Dorsey
This week it was TPG Assistant Editor Brendan Dorsey's turn to open his wallet — check out which cards he has in his portfolio, and why.
Alaska's Upcoming Mileage Plan Devaluation for AA Redemptions
On January 1, 2018, Alaska is changing the rates it charges for award flights on American Airlines. While some of the changes are minor, it's certainly a remarkable devaluation and you should be aware of what's set to change come January.
In other news...
Austrian Adds Two Longhaul Destinations
Austrian shared this week that it's going to begin flying to Cape Town, South Africa (CPT) and Tokyo, Japan (NRT) from its hub in Vienna (VIE). It's been reported that the the Tokyo route is set to begin next summer, and will be followed by Cape Town in the fall.
Cathay Pacific Establishes Codeshare With MIAT Mongolian Airlines
This week, Cathay Pacific shared that it's begun a codeshare agreement with MIAT Mongolian Airlines. This means that MIAT will place its code on several Cathay Pacific flights from Hong Kong (HKG), and Cathay's code will go on MIAT's four weekly flights between Ulaanbataar (ULN) and HKG.
Etihad Launches New Airport Transfer Service That Will Earn You Miles
Etihad will offer all of its passengers the option to book a paid airport transfer with a service called Conxxe. While the car service itself isn't too remarkable, what's interesting is that you can earn Etihad Guest miles when you purchase a transfer. If you book before July 31, 2017 and travel before December 31, 2017, you'll earn 3 miles for each dollar you spend on the transfer.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees