Award News

Hey AwardTrail readers, are you hoarding British Airways Avios for that dream trip? Well, good news! Unlike some airlines that make your miles vanish faster than free airport Wi-Fi, British Airways gives you a reasonable amount of time to use them – 36 months, to be exact. That's three whole years! But here's the catch: inactivity can be a mile killer. The good news is that it's super easy to keep your Avios from expiring. Seriously, you've got tons of options! Earning even a single Avios, spending them on a flight, or even transferring points into your BA account will reset the clock. Think of it as giving your Avios a little jolt to wake them up. Why does this matter? Because those Avios are valuable! You don't want to lose them to inactivity. Whether you're saving up for a fancy first-class flight or just need a few miles to top off an award booking, keeping your Avios alive ensures you can use them when you're ready to travel. So, set a reminder, earn or spend a few Avios every couple of years, and keep that dream trip within reach!

Thinking of using miles for a Oneworld flight? Hold up! Before you jump on American Airlines' AAdvantage program, check out Alaska Airlines' Atmos Rewards. Turns out, Alaska often has way better mileage deals for the exact same flights on partners like British Airways, Japan Airlines, and Qantas. We're talking potentially saving thousands of miles! Why does this matter to you? Well, fewer miles spent means more trips you can take! It's all about maximizing your rewards. Award programs aren't created equal, and Alaska Airlines frequently offers better redemption rates than American, especially for premium cabin awards (think business or first class) to popular destinations. So, next time you're planning a Oneworld adventure, do a quick comparison between AAdvantage and Alaska's Atmos Rewards. A few minutes of research could save you a serious chunk of your hard-earned miles. Happy travels!

Okay, award travelers, listen up! You've probably got a sweet stash of credit cards, each strategically chosen for its rewards and perks. But all that planning goes down the drain if your accounts get closed due to inactivity! Banks don't like unused cards and might shut them down, costing you valuable credit history and potentially tanking your credit score. The good news is keeping your cards active doesn't require a ton of effort. The easiest way is to just set up small, recurring bills (like your Netflix or Spotify subscription) to automatically charge to each card every month. Another simple trick is to make a small purchase, like a coffee, every few months. Finally, you can use each card to buy gift cards that you know you'll eventually use. Why should you care? Keeping cards open helps your credit score by increasing the available credit, which lowers your credit utilization ratio, a key factor in credit scoring. Plus, those cards might have perks you're not even thinking about – purchase protection, extended warranties, or even just the simple ability to earn points on everyday spending. A little effort goes a long way to keeping your credit card strategy humming.

American Express has seriously upped the hotel game for Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders! They're now offering a whopping $600 in annual hotel credits. This is a fantastic development if you're already holding one of these premium cards. Essentially, this means you can get up to $600 back each year on hotel bookings, making a noticeable dent in your travel expenses. Think of it as free money towards a luxurious getaway or a convenient business trip. The AwardWallet blog post dives deep into how to actually use these credits, so you can be sure to get the most value. But the perks don't stop at the credit! The article also highlights the potential benefits you could unlock when you stay at the hotels you book with the credit, such as room upgrades, free breakfast, or other VIP treatment. If you want to be sure that you're maximizing the perks from your card, give the article a read!

Heads up, award travelers! Are you tired of missing out on those amazing flight deals, hotel promotions, or last-minute transfer bonuses? The AwardWallet Blog has a ton of content coming out every week - around 50 posts! - and you can now customize how you get notified about it. Basically, you can choose how you want to stay in the loop: instant notifications, daily or weekly digests or just check back to the site. This is awesome because you can tailor your alerts to only see the stuff that *really* matters to you, cutting through the noise and ensuring you never miss a sweet spot for redeeming points or an expiring promotion that could save you big bucks. Think of it as having your own personal award travel news ticker! So, ditch the FOMO and head over to AwardWallet Blog to set up your preferred notification style. Trust me, your points balance (and your wanderlust) will thank you for it!

Heads up, award travelers! Office Depot/OfficeMax is running its recurring deal where you can score an instant $15 discount when you buy $300 in Visa gift cards. This deal is valid from December 21st to December 27th, so get moving! You'll need to head to a physical store to take advantage of this offer, as it's in-store only. Here's why this matters to you: This is an easy way to rack up points or cashback! You'll pay a small activation fee (around $5-$8) per gift card, but the $15 discount more than offsets that. The sweet spot seems to be buying three $200 Visa gift cards to maximize your savings. Plus, if you use a credit card that earns bonus points at office supply stores, like the Chase Ink Cash or Ink Plus (which gives you 5x points!), you're essentially double-dipping on rewards. Also, check your Chase Offers or BankAmeriDeals, as you might have an additional offer for Office Depot, stacking the savings even higher! This is an easy way to manufacture spend (spending money on gift cards to earn rewards) without really spending any extra money!

Want a quick boost to your travel fund? First National Bank of Fort Smith (and its divisions) is offering a bonus of $200 for opening a personal checking account and $250 for a business checking account. This offer is valid for residents of Arkansas and Oklahoma and runs until December 31, 2025, so you have plenty of time to consider it. To snag the bonus, you'll need to use the promo code "NEW2YOU" when you open the account, set up a direct deposit within the first four statement cycles, and enroll in online banking. Keep the account open and in good standing, and the bonus should hit your account within 30 days after that fourth statement. Best part? No monthly fees as long as you opt for e-statements! This is a pretty straightforward offer, but a few things to keep in mind: you can't have an existing checking account with them, and you can't have received a bonus from them in the last 12 months. It's also unclear if they do a hard or soft credit pull (a hard pull can ding your credit score slightly), or what counts as a direct deposit for a business account, but it's worth considering if you're in the area and looking for some easy money! Just remember that the bonus will be reported as income, so you'll owe taxes on it.

Carter Bank is offering an easy $300 bonus for opening a new checking account, and it might be worth a quick trip to the branch! The deal is available in NC and VA, and requires you to set up direct deposits totaling $1,000 and maintain an average daily balance of $500 within the first 90 days. That's it! This is a pretty straightforward bonus, and the Lifetime Free checking account has no monthly fees, so you don't need to worry about those eating into your profits. Just make sure you keep the account open for at least 90 days to avoid a small $15 early termination fee. The big question mark is whether opening the account involves a hard or soft credit pull (meaning whether or not it impacts your credit score), so be sure to ask before you apply. Still, if it's a soft pull, this is an easy way to pad your travel fund!

Heads up, deal hunters! TopCashback is once again offering a whopping 130% cashback on new PureVPN subscriptions. Basically, you can *get paid* to try out a VPN service. The current deal lets you snag a 27-month plan for around $54, and after the cashback hits, you should pocket roughly $11. Who doesn't love free money? Why should you care? Well, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be useful for secure browsing on public Wi-Fi, accessing region-locked content, and generally keeping your online activity a bit more private. Plus, you're getting paid to try it! Just a couple of things to keep in mind: the charge comes from Hong Kong, so use a card without foreign transaction fees, and there's always a *slight* risk with cashback portals. If the tracking fails, PureVPN offers a 31-day guarantee so you should be able to cancel. This offer keeps popping up, so if you miss it this time, keep an eye out for its return!

Heads up, awardtrail readers! Staples is running a promo where you can snag $200 Mastercard gift cards without paying the usual activation fee (normally $6.95). This deal is valid from December 21st to December 27th. You can purchase up to nine gift cards per customer, per day. Why is this exciting? It's a fantastic way to rack up rewards points! Use a credit card that gives you bonus points at office supply stores (like the Amex Business Gold with its office supply credit, or a card with a Chase Offer). Basically, you're buying cash equivalents and getting rewarded for it. Just remember to check with your local Staples about any specific rules they might have. So, if you're looking to boost your points balance for that next dream vacation, head to Staples before December 27th and grab some fee-free gift cards! It's a simple way to turn everyday spending into valuable travel rewards.