Best bet: DEN to MCO (Orlando)

Dear Annabelle,

This is another old one I am cleaning up from when I was trying to decide how to book our flights to MCO (Orlando) for December.  We ended up paying cash on Southwest.  We were able to get it for $1424 for all 4 of us, direct, and Southwest includes 2 free bags each!

.......
DEN to MCO (Orlando): 1546 miles
With a direct flight this would fit in the 10K each way bucket for British Airways Avios.  Cutting 5K each from the rest of the carriers that are generally 25K (or a total savings of 20K for the family).  I guess the question is whether there are fuel charges and whether the miles are worth using here given the cost of the flights.

That said, I need it direct though because the two lower levels are 4500 and 7500 and these would add up to more if combined. Sadly American does not fly direct DEN-MCO, but are all showing connections. Connecting through DFW is 641 miles crow flies followed by 985, resulting in 24K points. Mostly equivalent point wise and not direct. This Denver Avios Map was helpful here.

Turns out that Avios flights "within the Americas don’t have YQ to pass on" according to here.

The ITA matrix is only showing direct flights for United and Frontier.
.......

I wonder whether Southwest shows up in the ITA Matrix, given it obviously has direct flights and I wasn't seeing them here.  It doesn't show up in Google Flights and they are running off a similar system.  I wonder why not.  

It is funny to read my analysis of the Avios points above since it will all be mute soon.  Avios is increasing their within the US points required to be 7500 for the cheapest category and going up from there.

Hugs, 

Jen

Credit Cards: What's next

Dear Annabelle,

I will eventually write about something other than credit cards ;)  But I have done so much reading and percolating today I just want to write out some of my thoughts on what we should try and get next.  In a bit, of course, once we have spent the minimum spends on the others.  That said we will be buying flights home for Christmas (or after Christmas but December), and we (at least the girls and I) are going to Orlando in December, so these flights would be good to put towards a minimum spend.

Again just to keep in my mind that Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to British Airways Executive Club, Korean Air SKYPASS, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, United MileagePlus®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Amtrak Guest Rewards®, Hyatt Gold Passport®, IHG® Rewards Club, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®.

Cards that I am considering:

- Southwest cards (Chase)

• Try and get the companion pass if their bonuses hit 50K. Need to get both of them.  
• These are synergistic with the Ultimate Rewards but the Ultimate Rewards points can't count towards the companion pass limit.  
• 2K EACH in first 3 months (4K total spend) with $69 (Plus) and $99 (Premier) fee not waived first year.

- United MileagePlus Explorer Card (also Chase):

• Currently around: 2K spend in 3 months, $95 fee after first year. 
• Andrew has the more basic card of the MileagePlus but he hasn't got the promotion before so he would be eligible for this one.  The bonus is currently at 30K but it does go up to 50K (and was there recently).  This card gives a free bag for the primary card holder and their traveling companion.  
• So there would be some advantage to both of us having this one, since I am traveling a lot alone with the kids.  I was worried about not being able to get credit cards until I had built up a history but my aunt and uncle seem to be getting them.  I am not sure if they had a financial presence in the US before they moved though (he is American).  
• The nice thing is that the baggage coverage can work even if you use points:  "Primary Cardmembers are eligible to receive applicable standard checked bag(s) free when they use their miles to book award travel on United-operated flights, as long as they pay for their award ticket taxes and service charges with their qualifying Card and include their MileagePlus account number in their reservation." 
• The bag fee coverage only works for United flights; what if you fly a code-share on one leg of the journey?

- SPG Amex (at least it isn't a Chase card, maybe Andrew should have also applied for the Delta AMEX card when it had the high bonus?!?):

• 25K Starpoints bonus with 3K in 3 months.  They transfer to a bunch of different airlines 1:1 including: Aeroplan (could be good with points that are still there, although not many left), British Airways (although they are changing to not being 1:1 I was reading), Delta (would work well if all wanted to fly Delta), United (but only at 2:1 so not ideal) and many more found here in a drop-down list.
• Annual fee of $65 after first year.

- Chase Freedom

• No Annual fee. $100 bonus after spending $500 in three months. 5% cash back on alternating categories, 1% back on all other purchase. 
• It can also transfer points (instead of just being a cash back card) to the Ultimate Rewards system, because we now have the Chase Preferred card. 
• This one also has the 0% APR for 15 months. I suppose we could put more down on the mortgage now, put our spending on this with the 0% and then pay it back with the stocks that are going to be coming. Not a bad idea except for the minimum spends on all these other credit cards ;)

- AMEX Premier Rewards Gold

• See my post here.

Hugs,

Jen

Southwest Companion Pass

Dear Annabelle,

I am home today trying to rest and heal from the surgery; Andrew has the girls at his Mom's.  It seems like it might take a while (6-12 weeks) before all the ligaments and such are feeling well again.  So I have been back to researching credit cards and financial things.

I just stumbled across the Southwest Companion Pass.  It is a pass that you can earn if you acquire 110,000 Southwest miles in a given calendar year.  It then lets you have a companion fly free (well just taxes) with you on whatever flights you take in the next year (and the remainder of the year you earn it).  The neat thing is that it doesn't matter how those flights are booked.  They can be reward tickets, your work can buy them, etc.  Andrew is currently flying a lot of Southwest flights to Mountain View for work and they generally seem the best deal for anything domestic (e.g. going to Orlando).

So how does one earn 110,000 Miles? Well it seems like they have a Premier and a Plus card and back in May they were both offering 50K bonuses with a 2K spend each.  They are currently at 25K bonus each which I don't think would be enough for us but if it goes back up to 50K I think we might be interested in going for it and trying to get the Companion Pass.  The biggest benefit would be to get it early in the year.  If you got it in January 2016 you would have the pass until the end of 2017, almost two full years.

Seems almost too good to be true so we will see if it keeps existing.  There is talk of Southwest flying to Canada by the end of the decade, which means it could be really helpful if it stays around.

I read about this here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Also of note is that Southwest Miles can be a good short haul option with the US (as compared to Avios).

Hugs,
Jen