If you want to save big on premium flights (like booking business class for $100 instead of $5,000+), you need to start booking award flights (flights booked with loyalty points).

The first step to start earning airline loyalty points is to join an airline’s free loyalty program.

There’s no limit to how many programs you can join, but you want to start with one or two that you can focus on before branching out.

The best loyalty program is one that:

1. Has lots of partner airlines

   Most airlines have partner airlines, either through an airline alliance or interline agreements. In most cases, joining an airline’s loyalty program allows you to book award flights with any of their partner airlines.

   For example: one of the loyalty programs I use the most is British Airways Executive Club (part of the Oneworld airline alliance). I don’t use it to book flights with British Airways (never flown with them), I use it since it allows me to book award flights with other Oneworld airlines like Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.
   
   
   
   

2. Is easy to earn points with

   You might be wondering why I earn points with British Airways instead of an airline I’d prefer to fly, like Cathay Pacific.

   British Airways is the easiest Oneworld airline to earn points with as a Canadian, as AMEX and RBC points can be transferred to British Airways Executive Club. By spending with AMEX and RBC cards, I’m able to convert my current expenses to points easily.

   Make sure that you join a loyalty program that lets you earn points easily. Typically, the quickest way to earn points is by having a credit card that earns points that can be transferred to your airline’s loyalty program. For a more detailed explanation, see my last newsletter.

   Other ways to earn loyalty points are by flying with the airline or any of their partner airlines on a cash fare, staying at their partner hotels or using their online shopping portals.
   
   
   
   

3. Has lots of award flight availability

   The more partner airlines your loyalty program has, the more award availability (flights that can be booked with points) they’ll have. You also want to consider how their award pricing works, i.e: is the number of points required for a redemption fixed or variable?

   Award availability is sporadic and changes frequently, so you want to join a loyalty program that lets you book award flights on a wide range of airlines.

Still not sure which loyalty program to join? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll help you out! ✈️

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Key Takeaways:

• Etihad’s reintroduction of the A380 on flights to New York (JFK) increases the route’s capacity while also offering luxury options such as their first-class apartments and residence suite.

• The flights are timed to help business travellers make the most of their day in New York or Abu Dhabi, providing a convenient and comfortable travel schedule.

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🇨🇦🇰🇷 Westjet & Korean Air expand codeshare agreement

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• WestJet's expanded code-share agreement with Korean Air allows them to offer flights to six new Asian cities, improving travel options for both business and leisure travellers from Calgary.

• This strategic expansion is also seen as a competitive move against Air Canada, enhancing international connectivity and potentially increasing Canadian tourism and business opportunities.

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👋 Hi, I’m Taymoor! I’m a Toronto-based travel and aviation enthusiast who has spent many years learning how to unlock massive savings on flights and hotels. I created this newsletter to share tips that will help you travel more while spending less.

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DISCLAIMER: All prices quoted in this newsletter are in Canadian Dollars (CAD) unless stated otherwise. The guides presented in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be personal financial advice. This publication may contain curated content with links to source materials. Recommendations and opinions are those of the original authors, and Travel Edition assumes no liability.