Skip to content

Inside Cathay's New A350, a 60K Citi AAdvantage Offer, Monthly Valuations, and More

June 04, 2016
5 min read
cathay a350
Inside Cathay's New A350, a 60K Citi AAdvantage Offer, Monthly Valuations, and More
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, United MileagePlus Explorer Card

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:

If you're looking for extra AAdvantage miles, this sign-up bonus could be for you.

Earn 60K Miles with the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

If you like flying on American Airlines and are looking for a way to boost your AAdvantage account balance, check out this increased sign-up offer from the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. You can earn 60,000 miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Find out what your points and miles are worth in this month's valuations.

What Are Points & Miles Worth? June Monthly Valuations

Learn all about what your points and miles are worth in TPG's valuations for June 2016. Several programs announced significant positive changes, which shook up some things, but didn't mean much in terms of this month's results.

Get a sneak peek at the interior of Cathay Pacific's A350.

Inside Cathay Pacific's Brand New Airbus A350

Cathay Pacific just took delivery of its first A350 this week, and while it'll only be flying in Asia for now, the airline has released a slew of photos for us to feast on. Check out the economy and premium economy cabins in one of the world's most exciting new aircraft.

Find out how to take advantage of stopovers and open jaws while traveling with award tickets.

Maximizing Stopovers and Open Jaws on Award Tickets in 2016

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Knowing all the details of a carrier's frequent flyer program rules can be extremely beneficial to you as a traveler. Here's how to take advantage of stopovers and open jaws on award tickets so you can visit additional destinations at no extra cost.

United and Chase are targeting certain customers with a 70,000-mile sign-up offer.

Earn Up to 70,000 Bonus United Miles with This Targeted Offer

This week we saw not one, but two increased sign-up bonuses from the United MileagePlus Explorer Card. There's a public offer which awards you 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months after account opening, as well as a targeted 70,000-mile offer (the same spending requirement applies). Here's what you need to know about both offers.

In Other News...

Want to use points to stay at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver? Pay attention to these two new transfer restrictions from Starwood.

Starwood Clarifies Rules for Transferring Points

Starwood outlined two new restrictions for transferring Starpoints this week, the first being that you can only transfer Starpoints in increments of 1,000 points — a fairly minor change, but it could still be inconvenient for anyone with a smaller number of points left over after a redemption. SPG also clarified something a bit more consequential — you can't transfer Starpoints to another account as a way of getting around the maximum of 30,000 Starpoints points that you can purchase per year.

KLM's fleet of 747s will be retired in the next few years.

KLM Will Phase Out Its Fleet of 747s

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will join the ranks of carriers retiring their Boeing 747s, a move that will surely disappoint aviation enthusiasts. No specific details as to the timeline of the retirement have been released yet, so we'll probably be seeing these aircraft in the skies for at least a little while longer.

Etihad unveiled its luxurious new First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi this week. Image courtesy of Etihad Airways.

Etihad's New First Class Lounge Opens in Abu Dhabi

This week, Etihad Airways shared details and photos of its new First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi, sure to be one of the most opulent in the world, boasting a cigar lounge, fitness room, Six Senses Spa and many other luxurious amenities.

Rent with Silvercar before June 15 to save up to 40%.

Save up to 40% with Silvercar's Latest Promo

Silvercar recently released a new promotion offering 30% off for existing users and 40% off for new users when you book your next rental by June 15.

FlyingBlue is offering discounted business-class awards to Europe. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Save on Business-Class Awards to Europe with FlyingBlue

Air France and KLM's FlyingBlue program is offering 25% off business-class award flights from Boston (BOS) and Montreal (YUL) to Europe.

You'll no longer earn elite-qualifying KrisFlyer miles on transatlantic flights operated by Virgin Atlantic.

Transatlantic Flights on Virgin Atlantic Will No Longer Earn KrisFlyer Elite Miles

Singapore Airlines notified customers this week of a change in elite-qualifying earning on Virgin Atlantic flights. You'll no longer be able to earn KrisFlyer Elite Miles for flights between Europe and the Americas operated by Virgin Atlantic, however you can still earn KrisFlyer Elite Miles on all other flights in the Virgin Atlantic network.

TPG featured card

Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4.5 / 5
Go to review

Rewards

2 - 10X miles

Intro offer

LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles

Annual Fee

$395

Recommended Credit

740-850
Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Apply for Capital One Venture X Business
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4.5 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

2X miles2 miles per dollar on every purchase
5X miles5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
10X miles10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • Intro Offer

    LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles
  • Annual Fee

    $395
  • Recommended Credit

    740-850
    Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month