Category Archives: Southwest

11 Miles & Points Credit Card Updates You May Not Know About

Posted on June 17, 2013 by | 25 Comments

[Disclosure:  Emily and I earn a commission for links to the Chase Ink cards, the Citi American Airlines MasterCard and the Barclays's Lufthansa cards when the post was published.  You don't have to use our links, but thanks for helping keep the blog running!]

There have been updates to miles and points credit cards in the past weeks, so I thought I’d summarize them in a separate post.  I’ve updated the Airlines, Hotels and Bank Points credit card tabs with these changes.

1.   60,000 Points With Ink Bold® & Ink Plus®

In case you missed it (tongue firmly in cheek!) you can get 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Ink Plus® and the Chase Ink Bold® after spending $5,000 within 3 months.

Chase Ink Plus

For 5 More Days: Earn 60,000 Points With the Chase Ink Plus®

This offer is available for only 5 more days and ends on Saturday, June 22, 2013.  This is one of the best offers which I’ve seen on the Chase Ink Bold® and Ink Plus®. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Bank Of America, Barclays, Hawaiian Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa, Southwest, VIrgin America, Virgin Atlantic

Southwest Fare Sale & Southwest 50,000 Point Cards are Back!

Posted on June 11, 2013 by | 21 Comments

[Disclosure:  Emily and I do NOT get a referral for the links to the Southwest 50,000 point cards.]

1.   Southwest Fare Sale.   Southwest has a 72 hour sale fare sale with flights ranging from $49 to $149 one way.  This is one of Southwest’s big fare sales and it doesn’t hurt to make bookings for trips (even if you’re not 100% sure of your plans) because of Southwest’s flexible cancellation policy.

You can also get up to 20% off Southwest fares if you book travel with a Southwest gift card.

You must purchase your ticket by Thursday, June 13, 2013, 11:59 pm (from the time zone of the city you’re flying out of) for travel between August 26 through December 18, 2013.

Southwest Fare Sale

Up To June 13, 2013 Only!  Southwest Flights From $49 to $149 Each Way.

Southwest has a revenue based frequent flyer program, so a fare sale means that both cash AND award bookings using points will cost less!

  • $49 or 2,280 points for flights up to 500 miles
  • $89 or 4,680 points for flights 501 miles to 1,250 miles
  • $119 or 6,480 points for flights 1,251 miles to 1,750 miles
  • $149 or 8,280 points for flights more than 1,751 miles Continue reading →

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Posted in Chase, Southwest

When a F5 Tornado Disrupts Your Travel Plans!

Posted on June 11, 2013 by | 27 Comments

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Last weekend Emily and I were planning to visit Las Vegas for the weekend.  Our flight was on Southwest (Emily was my companion on the Companion Pass) from Kansas City to Las Vegas with a layover or connection in Oklahoma City.

When a F5 Tornado Disrupts Your Travel Plans-009

Sleeping in the Lounge

There was a lot of turbulence as the plane approached the airport to land and the passengers to our left were taking pictures of what they described as a “black, dark, ominous looking cloud” but it didn’t strike us as too unusual and we didn’t think too much of it.  Little did we know that the tornado was the widest tornado ever recorded at 2.6 miles. Continue reading →

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Posted in Southwest, Trip Reports

The Secret to Earning Up To 20% Off ALL Southwest Flights!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by | 24 Comments

[Disclosure:  Emily and I get a commission for links to all cards and ebates in this post except for the Ink Classic as of the post publication.  We're always very grateful to readers who apply using our link, but you don't have to use our links!]

Emily and I love flying on Southwest airlines because the flight attendants and ground crew are friendly, the boarding process is among the most efficient, they don’t fly small regional jets, you can check 2 bags for free, you don’t get nickel-and-dimed with change fees, and they have a lot more non-stop flights than other airlines.

Southwest Discount

About to Get on a Southwest Flight!

And my Southwest Companion Pass lets Emily fly with me for free (just the $2.50 security fee per segment) on either paid or award tickets!

All Southwest Tickets Have a 10% Discount!

You earn Southwest points when you pay CASH for a Southwest ticket and fly on that ticket. Continue reading →

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Posted in Ink Bold, Ink Plus, Sapphire Preferred, Southwest, Ultimate Rewards

News You Can Use – Double Points on Southwest, Buying United Miles & More…

Posted on May 19, 2013 by | 10 Comments

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1.   Double Points on Southwest Flights

Via Deals we Like, Southwest if extending the double points offer for booking paid flights AND traveling on those flights up to June 15, 2013.  You can register for the promotion via this page on the Southwest website.

Southwest Double Points

Double Points on Southwest

Continue reading →

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Posted in Aeroplan, American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

Why You Should NOT Buy Points Even if You Have The Southwest Companion Pass

Posted on May 16, 2013 by | 18 Comments

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dhammer53 wrote in to say that you can buy Southwest points for 2.5 cents per point and asked if this is a good deal if you have the Southwest Companion Pass.

dfdf

Is it Worth it to Buy Southwest Points?

Buying points usually is not a great deal unless you’re topping-up for an award or if you’ve done the math to see if buying points is cheaper than paying cash for a ticket.

Does Buying Southwest Points Makes Sense

But perhaps it could be different if you’ve got the Southwest Companion Pass? Continue reading →

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Posted in Southwest

News You Can Use – Southwest Holiday Schedule & [Targeted] 5,000 Points on Hyatt Credit Card

Posted on May 9, 2013 by | 14 Comments

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1.    Southwest booking Schedule Extended

Southwest extended their schedule and you can book flights up to January 5, 2014.

Christmas in Michigan!

Christmas in Michigan!

There is no penalty for cancelling a Southwest flight made with points (the points go back to your account when you cancel), so it doesn’t hurt to book your fall & holiday trips before you firm up your plans.  You can always cancel and rebook your ticket for no fee if the number of points required for the award drops since you booked the ticket or if your plans change. Continue reading →

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Posted in Airlines, Hyatt, Southwest, Travel Tips

Spring Break to Maui: Introduction & Planning

Posted on April 24, 2013 by | 52 Comments

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Over Spring Break in March, Emily and I visited Maui in Hawaii.  This was our first time to Hawaii so we were very excited!  We spent only $570 dollars for a trip which has a retail cost of $8,731 for some Big Travel with Small Money!

Of course we wouldn’t pay the retail price ourselves, which is why we collect miles and points.

Can't Wait to Go Back!

Can’t Wait to Go Back!

I always thought that I’d “save” Hawaii for when I retire because it would be relatively easy to visit and explore later in life.  But one of the most common reader questions is “How do I get to Hawaii?”

And almost everyone who has visited Hawaii wants to go back (if that isn’t a ringing endorsement, what is?) so we decided to go!  As luck would have it, I fell sick the first 2 or 3 days, but still had a wonderful time. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Citi American Airlines, Hilton HHonors, Hyatt, Ink Bold, Southwest, Trip Reports, United Airlines

Daraius’ March 2013 App-O-Rama – 6 Cards. 265,000 Miles & Points

Posted on April 11, 2013 by | 82 Comments

[Emily and I get a referral for links to the Chase Ink Plus & Credit Sesame.  We do not get a commission for links to the US Air, Mercedes-Benz Platinum, and the Citi American Airlines cards because of the mother-in-law rule. We thank all readers who apply using our links!]

Warning:  If you’re new to miles and points, you should NOT apply for more than 1 or 2 cards at time.  Much better to start small, gauge the impact for yourself and then work your way up to more.  Also read The 5 Dangers of Credit Cards before applying for a credit card!

Emily and I set travel goals and we then collect miles and points to get to those goals. Our goals are quite simple.  We want to have enough miles and points to travel within the US in coach to visit friends, to go to Michigan or Ohio to visit family and to have weekend getaways.

We also want to travel internationally 2 to 3 times a year – ideally in business or first class, but we’ll choose a flight in coach if it means less connections and more time on the ground (like we did when we visited Brazil during Carnival).

We also need hotel points since we have to stay somewhere. We don’t really care which airline we fly or hotel we stay in as long as we can save money while traveling.

daraius’ March cards

Credit Card
Sign-on Bonus
Minimum Spending Required
Annual Fee
Total265,000 Miles$7,000 in 3 months + $3,250 in 4 months$494 Waived for 1st year + $475 Not Waived for 1st year
Chase Ink Plus50,000 Bonus Points$5,000 in 3 months$95 Waived For 1st Year
American Express Mercedes Benz Platinum50,000 Bonus Points$1,000 in 3 months$475 Not Waived For 1st Year
American Express Premier Rewards Gold50,000 Bonus Points$1,000 in 3 months$175 Waived For 1st Year
Citi American Airlines Visa50,000 Miles$2,500 in 4 months$85 Waived For 1st Year
Citi American Airlines MasterCard30,000 Miles$750 in 4 months$50 Waived For 1st Year
Barlcays US Air35,000 MilesAfter First Purchase$89 Waived For 1st Year

The minimum spending requirements may seem high, but you can meet the minimum spending requirements quite easily these days! Continue reading →

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Posted in American Express, Barclays, Chase, Citi American Airlines, Credit Cards, Denial & Reconsideration, Earn Miles, Southwest, United Airlines

Match Your Southwest Companion Pass to Virgin Elevate Gold Status

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | 12 Comments

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Million Mile Secrets reader Jefferey (thanks!) passed on an interesting link for folks who have a Southwest Companion Pass.  Via Miles, Points, and Mai Tais, Virgin America is matching Southwest Companion Pass holders (in addition to American Airlines and United elite members) to their top-tier Gold Elevate level.

Virgin_2A

Match Your Companion Pass Status to Virgin Elevate Gold

Virgin America has two tiers of elite status, Elevate Silver and Elevate Gold. Continue reading →

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Posted in American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines, VIrgin America