What does a travel blogger do when they can’t travel? Dream! And in between episodes of Chopped and eating my feelings with Doubletree chocolate chip cookies, I’ve been taking a deep dive into various loyalty programs that I often do not have time to explore as it’s a great time to study up and earn miles for future flights.
The constant inundation of COVID-19 news is draining, and without diminishing the seriousness of it, I think we could all benefit with having something to dream about.
I also want to give you a glimpse into some of the posts I’ll be writing in the near future and how you can travel to far off destinations for pennies on the dollar.
In the future (hopefully very near future), wheels will go up, points will be redeemed, passports will be tatted again and this will all be in the rearview mirror.
So what are we going to talk about today?
BUSINESS CLASS!
Here are 3 business class products that I want to review and how I plan to book them.
EVA: “Hello Kitty” Business Class
EVA has one of the very best business class products out there offering a first class experience in a business class seat. In the fall of 2018, EVA announced that they were unveiling a new business class, however, I’m still interested in their “old” business class that operates only on specific routes.
I’ve written about this flight previously and now I’m ready to make it happen.
Best Ways To Redeem:
- Aeroplan: 75k
- Avianca Lifemiles: 75k
- EVA: 75k
- United 80k
- Singapore: 115k
Note: EVA introduced their new business class to Vancouver and Vienna, but hopefully they introduce it on some US routes. If you’re interested in flying either, the Hello Kitty flight or their new business class, the redemption numbers (above) will be the same. And just to give you a glimpse into EVA….they are known for top notch champagne, pajamas, and Rimowa amenity kits.
ANA: “The Room” Business Class
Qatar’s QSuites have been the undisputed world champion of business class for many years. That is until ANA debuted “The Room.” Interestingly, airlines often have media, travel “influencers,” and a bunch of hype when they debut a new product. ANA quietly released their new product without any of it and from the reports that I’ve read, it takes the throne.
I was scheduled to review this product this month between New York and Japan but I canceled for obvious reasons. Additionally, Japan closed the border so I, literally, cannot visit. However, once this route is operating again, I think we will see a lot more award availability than we did prior to COVID-19.
Best Ways To Redeem:
- Air Canada Aeroplan: 75k
- ANA (Roundtrip): 75-85k (depending on high vs low seasons)
- Avianca Lifemiles: 75k
- United: 80k
- Virgin Atlantic (roundtrip): 90-95k roundtrip
Here’s a video of their new product:
British Airways: Club Suites
It’s virtually impossible to fly BA using points without paying high fees. In other words, they want a ton of miles and a ton of money in surcharges so it can make sense to purchase the flight when they have incredible business class fare deals. That’s what I intend to do, and I will most certainly credit those flights to Alaska as they have incredible earn rates.
Ways I would redeem:
This is a bit more advanced so if this is confusing, don’t worry. We’ll talk about it soon. But depending on how low the paid fares are vs my Amex balance, I would potentially use my Amex Business Platinum and book via Amex Travel with a redemption value at 1.55c (35% refund benefit).
FINAL STAMP
The list doesn’t stop there. I have a bunch of other cabins that I want to review including Oman Air, Rwandair, Korean Airlines Apex Suites (perhaps on the 747 if they don’t phase it out by then), Emirates, Aeroflot, and Delta One (on the A350 or 330-900 neo).
Do you have any airlines (or destinations) that you want to travel to post COVID-19? Perhaps, I’ll do a post that details the best way to get to your destination.
1TattedPassport 