Saturday Recap: Get 50% more miles on Points Hound, Discounts for SPG Escapes, Fly the New American Airbus A321, $25 Membership Fee For El Matmid Frequent Flyer Mile Program Waived, and More
Here's a recap of the interesting points and miles news from this week:
PointsHound Is Offering A 50% Bonus On All Miles Earned For Bookings Made By January 1st: Get a 50% bonus on all miles earned when you book before January 1, 2014. The additional miles are included in the amount shown when you search for hotels. Simply create an account, search for a hotel and earn points for your preferred frequent flyer mile program.
SPG Escapes Offers Weekly Discounts: SPG members who take advantage of these deals can save 25% off the daily rate, while non-members will receive a discount of 20% off. These will be going on each week from Wednesday through Saturday, so make sure to check out the deals for this week and book. Some of the deals this week include (pricing is per night): the Westin Chicago River North for $99, the Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi for $87, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites Los Angeles for $127, and many more.
American Introduces New Airbus A321 In January: American Airlines will introduce brand-new premium Airbus A321 planes on its transcontinental routes from New York to Los Angeles beginning January 7, 2014. A huge upgrade from the AA's current 767-200s, American plans to be the only carrier to offer a three-class cabin, plus fully lie-flat First and Business Class seats including all-aisle access from every First Class seat on the Airbus A321. The planes will also offer the option of up to six more inches of legroom with Main Cabin Extra seating. Flights on the new planes from JFK to SFO will begin March 6, 2014. Just look for "32B" listed as the aircraft type and be one of the first onboard.
Join El Al's Frequent Flyer Mile Program El Matmid For Free: Normally joining El Matmid will cost you $25, but for a limited time this fee is waived when you sign up using the promo code here. You can also join for free via the AMEX Membership Rewards portal. Once you are a member you will be able to check award availability online. You can use American Airline miles to book El Al flights as well, but that must be done by calling American.
Forbes Picks Best Airlines For Business Travelers: A good business airline gets you where you want to go and gives you a variety of times and options to get there. I was quoted in this article talking about American Airlines and why I think it is one of the best options for business travelers, because they are updating their fleet and have not yet devalued their frequent flyer program. Another pick is Delta for their inflight WiFi availability and frequent schedules across many networks. It often comes down to which airline hub you live close to, as this can easily affect which airline options are best for you.
Win A Trip To South America: Simply enter your information and you could win a trip to one of three South American destinations on LAN or TAM airlines. The three prize trips are: Luxe Adventures in Chile, Legandary Escapes in Peru and Ecuador, and Epic Discoveries in Brazil. You must enter by January 3, 2014.
Vote For Your Favorite New Tablet Hotel To Win Free Nights: Pick your favorite Tablet Hotel on Facebook and win a free hotel stay with VIP treatment. On Facebook, first you must like the Tablet Hotel Facebook page and then you have the option to pick. After you choose your favorite, you have the option to invite your friends to pick their favorite. Every time a friend enters, you also get one bonus entry. Enter soon as this contest is valid for a limited time only!
Win a Two Night Stay at the Beverly Wilshire: The Four Season Beverly Wilshire hotel is giving away a two-night package valued at $2,000 for two people, tweets @JohnnyJet. The package includes: two nights accommodation in a Signature Room, dinner for two at the BLVD Restaurant, and two one-hour custom massages at the hotel spa. Enter by signing up for the Johnny Jet newsletter, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook for additional entries. You can use the form to follow the Beverly Wilshire on Twitter and like their Facebook page for more entries—and for one last entry, you can agree to send out a preset tweet noting that you've entered. You have until midnight on December 31, 2013 to enter.
[card card-name='Ink Plus® Business Credit Card' card-id='22129636' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide.§ *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.