AS current redemption charts will only last thru Feb 2024. AS will introduce a brand new program redemption metric, and will go dynamic pricing.
So what I tell you now, only still work for a couple more months, IF you can find seats. There is Zero chance you can still find Cathay seats, Taiwan's Starlux seats, or even Japan airlines seats, since China opens its border. I redeemed that in January, almost by accident because by the time I realized others were redeeming LAX/SFO-HKG, JFK-HKG by Thanksgiving 2022, all seats were gone. Then suddenly in January there were multiple dates on the BOS-HKG, HKG-BOS flights for travelling in Sept/Oct. At that time I was holding a JFK-HKG for Nov 2023, and the HKG-JFK I wanted was not in the redemption window yet. Needless to say I gave AS a call and was super lucky to have a very competent agent who worked with me. We tried to find HKG-Australia, nothing between HKG and all Australian gateways had business class. No way we would sit in coach for near 8 hours flight. So we changed the direction to Tokyo. He worked patiently to put the itinerary together. Super nice super knowledgeable agent!
Anyway, AS has charts for EACH of its partners, with different miles required, for different travelling regions. It allows a stopover at the partner's gateway even on one way International route. However it also has a draw back, as in it only allow Single partner + AS own flight. Therefore if you are not living in Cathay's US gateway city, and your city has no AS service to the gateway, then you would need a position flight to reach the gateway city. Like we flew BOS-HKG, we had to make our own way to Boston because AS does not serve Boston.
The BEST value is redemption to Asia on Cathay Pacific, with a stopover allowed in Hong Kong even on a one way. The business class cost is 50K miles one way, the first class is 60K miles one way.
You can even go to South Africa via Hong Kong, at 60K business (no first class ever since CX retired its 747 6 or 7 years ago.)
The second best was to redeem Japan Airlines to Southeast Asia with a stopover in Japan, especially in First class. Though AS has quietly devalued this earlier this year, before it revamps the program in 2024.
Another great use is to redeem Qantas to Australia at 70K in First. But it is often very rare and last minute redemption. But such redemption opportunities are there. We flew the SYD-MEL-LAX in QF F in November a year before Covid, 70K miles.
Currently what is really interesting is, you can find American Airlines TATL business class seats that American Airlines itself does not release to AAdvantage members. AS sees the over the ocean long haul at the same AA Saaver rate at 57.5K one way business, but AA itself wants 95K for the same seat!
Once you understand how airline alliances work, and the sweet spots of each program, which "currencies" are transferrable to which programs, the combination is quite astonishing. Dont just look at the US3, wether their miles or their metals. For the North America, take a look of Air Canada's Aeroplan, amazing program. Chase and AMEX are transfer partners and often has 20 to 30% transfer bonus. Right now Chase UR offers 20% bonus runs thru Jan 14.
European programs such as BA, AF and even Virgin Atlantic, all have niches. BA Avios has become very useful ever since Qatar changed its program to the same Avios and the 2 airlines programs have instant transfer. QR sees a lot more seats for its own members that AA does not see. BA is transfer partner of ALL 4 US flexible currencies - UR, Membership Rewards, ThankYou Point, and CapOne's "miles". Again Chase and AMEX would offer 20% transfer bonus to BA at least once a year. You take advantage of the transfer bonuses when offered, based on your travel needs. AF also is a useful program once you learn how to use it.
There are so many opportunities among so many programs, hence it is a lot of fun, not just save money as in travel big, spend little. But the process of burning brain power is a lot of fun.
转眼2023 又过去了， 时间真是过的真快， 人生本来还有10000天， 现在只有9600 天了。
2023 过的挺忙， 我卖了一个物业， 买了两个， 总的来说中西部房价今年还是涨了5%左右， 不像过去两年的double digits, 房租涨了， 加上新物业， 总租金增长大概有80万， 但是开支也是增加了， 主要是投入矿大几个现有物业， 今年我毛估计大概有net cash flow 1.6-1.8， 物业自然增长5-5.5， BRRRR增长1-2。
赚钱不大好玩， 我今年撸了不少信用卡， 估计花去了大概各种积分有3百万点， 大概换取了大概5万刀的旅游价值。
今年出门11 times， 夏威夷， 葡萄牙， 马尔代夫，Vienna， NYC， 爱尔兰， Estonia/ Latvia， Finland， Bora Bora, 西班牙， SFO。
其实在我们中西部地区， 一年10万基本上花不完，再花个10万旅游钱， 所以30万一年you can live like a king, 再多就是个数字了。
得又那么少，去捐个署名的楼呗。
真花钱的地方其实不多，就是吃饭和门票，所以不花几个钱.
当然不包括我家领导买买买，她一年花在各种包医百病一劳永逸的事情是随随便便就10来20万，反正这辈子钱是花不完的， 就随便花点.
万豪JW刚开了这个， 明年目标是撸这个， $4500/night, or 120-150k points/night.
JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodgehttps://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294209-d25348962-Reviews-JW_Marriott_Masai_Mara_Lodge-Maasai_Mara_National_Reserve_Rift_Valley_Province.html
https://www.marriott.com/reservation/availabilityCalendar.mi
真正牛的是用点数去维珍老板在加勒比海的私人岛屿 Resort, Necker Island. 这个可以有方法换 很不值就是了。
我出差加旅游也得飞这么多。大佬撸卡厉害，我没办法花这么多钱。出差不能用自己的卡，没有自己的biz, 家用的有限。
AS current redemption charts will only last thru Feb 2024. AS will introduce a brand new program redemption metric, and will go dynamic pricing.
So what I tell you now, only still work for a couple more months, IF you can find seats. There is Zero chance you can still find Cathay seats, Taiwan's Starlux seats, or even Japan airlines seats, since China opens its border. I redeemed that in January, almost by accident because by the time I realized others were redeeming LAX/SFO-HKG, JFK-HKG by Thanksgiving 2022, all seats were gone. Then suddenly in January there were multiple dates on the BOS-HKG, HKG-BOS flights for travelling in Sept/Oct. At that time I was holding a JFK-HKG for Nov 2023, and the HKG-JFK I wanted was not in the redemption window yet. Needless to say I gave AS a call and was super lucky to have a very competent agent who worked with me. We tried to find HKG-Australia, nothing between HKG and all Australian gateways had business class. No way we would sit in coach for near 8 hours flight. So we changed the direction to Tokyo. He worked patiently to put the itinerary together. Super nice super knowledgeable agent!
Anyway, AS has charts for EACH of its partners, with different miles required, for different travelling regions. It allows a stopover at the partner's gateway even on one way International route. However it also has a draw back, as in it only allow Single partner + AS own flight. Therefore if you are not living in Cathay's US gateway city, and your city has no AS service to the gateway, then you would need a position flight to reach the gateway city. Like we flew BOS-HKG, we had to make our own way to Boston because AS does not serve Boston.
The BEST value is redemption to Asia on Cathay Pacific, with a stopover allowed in Hong Kong even on a one way. The business class cost is 50K miles one way, the first class is 60K miles one way.
You can even go to South Africa via Hong Kong, at 60K business (no first class ever since CX retired its 747 6 or 7 years ago.)
The second best was to redeem Japan Airlines to Southeast Asia with a stopover in Japan, especially in First class. Though AS has quietly devalued this earlier this year, before it revamps the program in 2024.
Another great use is to redeem Qantas to Australia at 70K in First. But it is often very rare and last minute redemption. But such redemption opportunities are there. We flew the SYD-MEL-LAX in QF F in November a year before Covid, 70K miles.
Currently what is really interesting is, you can find American Airlines TATL business class seats that American Airlines itself does not release to AAdvantage members. AS sees the over the ocean long haul at the same AA Saaver rate at 57.5K one way business, but AA itself wants 95K for the same seat!
Once you understand how airline alliances work, and the sweet spots of each program, which "currencies" are transferrable to which programs, the combination is quite astonishing. Dont just look at the US3, wether their miles or their metals. For the North America, take a look of Air Canada's Aeroplan, amazing program. Chase and AMEX are transfer partners and often has 20 to 30% transfer bonus. Right now Chase UR offers 20% bonus runs thru Jan 14.
European programs such as BA, AF and even Virgin Atlantic, all have niches. BA Avios has become very useful ever since Qatar changed its program to the same Avios and the 2 airlines programs have instant transfer. QR sees a lot more seats for its own members that AA does not see. BA is transfer partner of ALL 4 US flexible currencies - UR, Membership Rewards, ThankYou Point, and CapOne's "miles". Again Chase and AMEX would offer 20% transfer bonus to BA at least once a year. You take advantage of the transfer bonuses when offered, based on your travel needs. AF also is a useful program once you learn how to use it.
There are so many opportunities among so many programs, hence it is a lot of fun, not just save money as in travel big, spend little. But the process of burning brain power is a lot of fun.
那个现在得5-6万一只。我的梦中情包不是鳄鱼皮Birkin, 是蜥蜴皮Kelly, 稍微便宜一点，哈哈哈
主要是没什么好的transfer partners.
美联航，加航 英航 和 法航 有二到四个 transfer partners 还经常有 transfer bonuses. 这已经涵蓋了 三个联盟 每个 program 都有 sweet spots。网上大把大把教学。很佩服一个北京來加拿大唸書的年輕人 用了两年時间把他 面向 加拿大 based 人群 如何善用里程酒店点数的英文博客做成了一个事業，这个是在大瘟疫前两三年的事。加航的 program 在博客群中公认是最有用的 draw back 是有 CAD 39 伙伴航班 booking fee 和 仍然收取改签 取消 的费用 好像是 CAD 150. Chase 的加航卡的 earning structure 也比 美联航卡好很多。加航还有个 family sharing plan, and pay yourself back plan. 不过 family sharing plan 被中國人玩坏了 （cheating on family member status) 导至加航 suspend 这个 2024 才重新啟动 相信会仿效亞洲航司 要求有证明文件 來证明家庭成员关系。 实话实说 中國人玩坏了很多里程计劃里的好东西。比方英航好幾年前在國泰的要求下 不再提供出发前七天内的國泰亚洲航班 特别是香港大陸之间的里程票，因為 rampant frauds from mainland China accounts.
不怕麻烦的，电话溝通设问题的 可以 研究一下 Avianca 哥倫比亚航空 和 Turkish 土耳其航空 - 两个都是星空联盟 Avianca 换星空联盟的伙伴航班性价比最高。想去夏威夷的 土航换美联航去夏威夷简直是半价。