2016-11-26

Given that it was a holiday week, I spent the week in Florida visiting my family. Thanksgiving was also my dad’s birthday, so while it wasn’t quite as exciting as the trip I took with my dad two years ago for his “round” birthday, I had a great time with my family nonetheless. This also presented some great mattress run opportunities, as hotels in Tampa were extra cheap this week, so I switched around between several hotels to maximize promotions.



On the miles & points front, it was a pretty typical holiday week. That’s to say that we saw quite a few Cyber Week/Black Friday promos, though there wasn’t much in the way of news otherwise, given that not many decisions are made this week on the corporate level. However, with the end of the year upon us, and the new year not far away, I’m sure there will be a lot of exciting developments soon.

Now here’s a recap of the blog for the week:

Featured Stories

A Generous Hotel Promotion That Works Even On Free Night Stays



I recently wrote a post entitled “Giving Credit To Hilton HHonors Where It’s Due.”

The premise of the post was that even though I think Hilton HHonors elite benefits are somewhat subpar, and even though I don’t like Hilton’s portfolio of hotels as much as some other brands, the number of points they offer for hotel stays is industry leading.

The 5 Best Credit Cards With Annual Fees Under $100

While there are a lot of excellent premium credit cards with high annual fees, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars a year to get a card that offers incredible benefits. In this post I’d like to talk about five really rewarding credit cards with annual fees under $100.

I’ve chosen these cards for different reasons — some for the long term perks they offer, some for the return on everyday spend they offer, and some for offering both.

Our Favorite Holiday Gifts

For our Holiday Gift Guide this year, we’ve put together an assortment of gifts that are perfect for any type of traveler.

We’ve tried to curate a range of items and price points, including some of our favorite presents to give and receive. And, since OMAAT is all about maximizing value, we’ve hunted for the best prices, and included some notes on how to stack offers.

TIPS: Earning Miles & Promos

British Airways First Class Is On Sale
Great Deal: Business Class From The US To Europe For Under $1,400
Great Deal: Turkish Airlines Offering 40% Off Flights For Black Friday
Fly Philippine Airlines Business Class From New York To Vancouver On The Cheap!
Why You Should Join Norwegian’s Loyalty Program
Apply Now: LifeMiles Credit Card With 60,000 Bonus Miles
American Increases Their Bonus On Purchased Miles For Black Friday
Amex Offering Big Alitalia Transfer Bonus… But Is It Worth It?
3 Hours Only: Buy A Fairmont Gift Card With A 20% Bonus
Fly Air France’s New 787 With Discounted Fares
Review: Chase Ink Business Preferred Card
LifeMiles Cyber Week Sale: Buy Miles For 1.375 Cents Each
AMAZING DEAL: Roundtrip Business Class To Southeast Asia For ~$1,500
Reminder: A Sign-Up Bonus That Gets You ~$525 Worth Of Travel
Should You Buy Alaska Miles With A 40% Bonus?
This Friday: Buy A Fairmont Gift Card With A 20% Bonus
A Unique Opportunity To Purchase Airberlin Miles For ~1.4 Cents Each
The 5 Best Credit Cards With Annual Fees Under $100
Why This Is The Ideal Time To Pick Up A $450 Annual Fee Card

TRICKS: Redeeming Miles

Is It Now Worth Redeeming Avios For American First Class?
Marriott’s Flash Sale: Redeem Points For Merchandise
Delta Black Friday Sale Offers Awards Starting At 5,000 Miles
Wide Open Business Class Awards To Europe For 36,620 Miles Roundtrip
How To Know If Your Flight Features United Polaris?
A Generous Hotel Promotion That Works Even On Free Night Stays

TRAVEL With Lucky

I Can Fly Uzbekistan Airways… At Last!
Our Favorite Holiday Gifts
7 Tips For Getting Bumped Off Your Next Flight
Which Airline Did The Mannequin Challenge Best?
When Volunteering To Bump (Sort Of) Backfires…
My Favorite In-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones Are On Sale

REVIEWS & Trip Reports

Review: Hilton Zurich Airport
Review: Air Tahiti Nui Business Class A340 Los Angeles To Paris
Introduction: A Rare First Class Opportunity
Review: Bloc Hotel Runway Suite London Gatwick
Review: A Very Disappointing Experience In Oman Air First Class
Ranking The Lounges At LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal
Review: Ukraine International Airlines Business Class 767 Kiev To New York

NEWS & Updates

What Are First, Second, Third, Fifth, and Sixth Freedom Flights?
The US Airways Livery Is Dead
The Lufthansa Pilot Strike Lives On: Day 4
The Lufthansa Pilot Strike Continues: Day 3
Ouch: Lufthansa’s Pilot Strike Extended By Another Day
IHG Clarifies Their Confusing Booking Clarification Email
Flying This Week? Get An Hour Of Free Inflight Wifi Thanks To T-Mobile
WestJet Announces New Coffee Partnership With McDonald’s
Lufthansa Will Cancel Nearly 1,000 Flights Tomorrow Due To Pilot Strike
Emirates Is Cost Cutting Your Birthday
Pakistan Airlines Flight Diverted After All Toilets Blocked
What You Need To Know About Lifetime Hyatt Globalist Status
The Alaska & Virgin America Merger Is Expected To Close This Month
Update On Aer Lingus Joining The Oneworld Alliance

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!

Show more