Norwegian has won a Freddie Award in the categories Programme of the Year, Best Promotion and Best Customer Service. Norwegian was nominated in no less than six categories. The Freddie Awards are the largest annual global awards for loyalty programs within the travel industry. The ceremony was held in Washington D.C.

Winning a Freddie Award truly is a great honour. This is a true recognition of our loyalty programme as the award is based entirely on members’ votes. We’ve been working hard to keep giving our loyal members better flights for less and we are particularly excited that this award coincides with the launch of our renewed Reward programme in May.

May Haukedahl Wilson, VP Loyalty and Partnerships at Norwegian.

New benefits and more flexibility for Norwegian Reward members

Norwegian Reward is now being renewed with the same aim as before – to give Norwegian’s customers cheaper flights and an even smoother journey. Earning CashPoints and benefits are still at the core of the programme. The more Reward members choose to fly with Norwegian, the more benefits they receive. Norwegian is also adding a range of new benefits for the most frequent flyers.

Our members have told us that the benefits they can choose from are among the loyalty programme’s most important perks. In addition to greater flexibility when choosing benefits, our members now also can choose free overhead cabin bag as a benefit.

May Haukedahl Wilson, VP Loyalty and Partnerships at Norwegian.

Norwegian Reward has won ‘Programme of the Year’ at the Freddies, the top prize in the Europe & Africa category, four times before. In 2020 alongside ‘Programme of the Year’, Reward won the Freddie for ‘Best Promotion’ for the advent calendar, as well as ‘Best Customer Service’ and ‘Best Affinity Credit Card’. Over the years, Reward has also won several other awards, including the Freddie for ‘Best Up-and-Coming Loyalty Programme.’

Read more about all Norwegian’s awards here.

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At the moment, many of these Mr & Mrs Smith properties participate in IHG One Rewards. (click here for details)  Presumably the IHG One Rewards link will be severed once the properties are ready to transition over to World of Hyatt.

According to the press release…

The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions. At a later date following the closing, Hyatt plans to unveil direct booking access to properties within the Mr & Mrs Smith platform through Hyatt’s distribution channels, including Hyatt.com and the World of Hyatt app. The anticipated move will have the potential to unlock access to more than twice the number of global boutique and luxury properties within Hyatt direct booking channels, and Hyatt is exploring ways to enable World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points across eligible hotels in the Mr & Mrs Smith collection.

Bottom Line

Even though it is usually exciting when Hyatt adds to its global footprint, many of these hotels were already accessible to points collectors via IHG One Rewards. (often at quite reasonable award pricing)

Because these are small, boutique hotels, normal World of Hyatt benefits are unlikely to apply, much in the same way that World of Hyatt members receive few benefits at Small Luxury Hotels…

The post Hyatt is Buying Mr & Mrs Smith appeared first on InsideFlyer.

British Airways Airbus A380

At the moment you can find BA A380s flying from London to 7 destinations in the United States. These are: Boston (BOS), Washington Dulles (IAD), Miami (MIA), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). Elsewhere, Johannesburg (JNB) and Dubai (DXB) are also on the timetable. Keep in mind that the BA A380 only operates from and to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the UK.

The BA A380 offers four cabins: First Class, Club World (Business Class), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and World Traveller (Economy). The aircraft can carry a maximum of 469 passengers.

BA A380 to Los Angeles

A schedule change published on the Aeroroutes website shows that the A380 will continue to fly on a number of routes after the summer. Initially, from October 29, 2023, three daily flights to Los Angeles were scheduled with the Boeing 777-300ER. An Airbus A380-800 is now slated to be used for the afternoon flight instead of the B777. This change will be in effect until at least March 9, 2024.

Flight BA269 departs from London Heathrow at 3:15 PM (local time) and arrives in Los Angeles at 6:35 PM (local time). The return flight BA268 is at 8:50 PM (local time) and arrives at 3:10 PM (local time).

Source images: British Airways

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This deal was first announced before the pandemic, although there was substantial political pushback, given the near monopoly it would give IAG of the Spanish domestic market. Iberia, Vueling and Air Europa make up 70-75% of all domestic flights in Spain…

But with Air Europa not far from collapse – IAG already purchased 20% of Air Europa’s shares in 2022 via a convertible loan – it looks likely that the deal will be waved through.

Air Europa Will Continue Operating as a Separate Brand

Air Europa will keep its existing branding, but it will be managed by Iberia. This won’t be terribly relevant for American readers, since Air Europa’s only US destinations are New York and Miami. (although I believe that Oneworld will end up with a monopoly on Miami to Spain flights)

The lack of competition will probably be felt most in South America, where Air Europa was often the only major competitor to Iberia on many routes. (of course if Air Europa collapsed, that competition would disappear anyhow)  For Spanish domestic flights, I suspect that Ryanair will pounce on any market opportunities should IAG jack up their fares…

What About Loyalty Programs?

Air Europa is a member of Skyteam – the alliance led by Delta, Air France, etc.  If the deal completes, Air Europa will exit Skyteam. (although it may not necessarily join Oneworld)

Air Europa’s loyalty program is called SUMA. SUMA will adopt Avios as its loyalty currency, but may or may not be fully merged into Iberia Plus.

As a member of SkyTeam, you can currently credit miles from any SkyTeam flight to Air Europa SUMA – Delta, Air France, KLM, Aeromexico, Korean Air, Saudia etc.  If you aren’t a big fan of Delta Skymiles or the other Skyteam frequent flyer programs, you can always credit any upcoming Skyteam flights to SUMA and wait until these are converted to Avios.

As a little added bonus, SUMA offers new members 787 free miles when signing up for SUMA and taking their first flight. (I believe the flight must be on Air Europa itself)

The post IAG Has Finally Bought Air Europa appeared first on InsideFlyer.

What’s the idea?

BAGTAG’s electronic bag tags are a sustainable alternative to traditional non-recyclable paper tags. The reusable electronic device can be prepared and attached to your bags at home, or on the way to the airport, using the Qatar Airways mobile app. The app digitally labels your bags, which can then be dropped off at designated ‘fast drop off’ areas at the airport. This eliminates the need to queue at the airport check in desks and speeds up the passenger journey.

BAGTAG now has partnerships with Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, China Southern and Alaska, in addition to Qatar Airways – with more airlines set to join soon.

BAGTAG starts cooperation with Qatar Airways

The BAGTAG software was developed in partnership with Amadeus, the travel technology partner of Qatar Airways. Through this collaboration, Qatar Airways was able to smoothly integrate the solution into their operations and become the first Middle-East airline to introduce electronic bag tags. The BAGTAG platform is supported by the Qatar Airways app and can be used on Qatar Airways flights worldwide.

If you would like to to buy a BAGTAG, you can currently get a 10% discount on your first order using the following promo code: FIRSTBAGTAG10.

Images: BAGTAG and Qatar Airways

The post Qatar Airways Launches New Electronic Bag Tag Partnership appeared first on InsideFlyer.

But starting on March 1, 2023, these hotels will become less attractive to Marriott Bonvoy members.

Instead of Marriott’s standard 10 points per US dollar spent, Marriott Bonvoy members will only earn 5 points per US dollar spent.

Even worse, one night spent at a Protea hotel will no longer be worth one elite night credit. 2 nights will be equal to 1 elite night credit. Since you cannot earn half-night credits, this means that you will receive no credit for 1 night stays.  Similarly, a three-night stay will only count as 1 elite night.

Bottom Line

Fortunately, Bonvoy members will still receive their elite benefits (such as breakfast) at Protea Hotels.  But one does wonder whether other Marriott brands are going to join Protea in being downgraded…

The post Marriott Halves Point Earning and Elite Night Credits at Africa’s Protea Hotels appeared first on InsideFlyer.

According to the Spanish blog InfoViajera – and dozens of reader comments – Booking.com appears to have been hacked. After booking a hotel or apartment through the Online Travel Agency, the guest is being approached – often via Whatsapp message – informing them that their payment has been declined. As a result, the “property” is asking them to make payment outside of Booking.com.

Many readers would undoubtedly notice the red flag and delete the message immediately, except that it typically contains:

• The full name of the guest
• Their phone number
• The property being reserved
• The exact dates of the reservation
• The exact amount of the reservation

And if you are accustomed to having online credit card payments declined from time to time – especially in foreign countries off the beaten track – then you can easily fall into the trap.

Luckily, no InfoViajera readers appear to have fallen into the trap.  One message mentioned a problem with “Mactercard” payment systems, an obvious scam, albeit one that you could easily miss.

What is Booking.com Doing About It?

When contacted by InfoViajera readers, Booking.com claims that all is fine.  Disturbingly, however, the prevalence of this scam suggests that:

• Booking.com has been hacked – allowing somebody access to Booking.com reservation information
• Dozens of smaller Booking.com properties have employees operating (or falling for) a phishing scam

I can’t think of any other access point for somebody to obtain every relevant detail of your accomodation reservation…

Bottom Line

If you are asked to make payment outside of the booking platform, it is surely a scam.  Even so, some scams look more realistic than others…

Have you received a similar message after making a reservation? Let us know in the comments section…

The post Has Booking.com Been Hacked (and isn’t Telling Anybody)? appeared first on InsideFlyer.

W Maldives Resort

W Maldives embodies a new breed of luxury vacation, curated by innovative trends centred on five pillars: Attitude, Sound, Scene, Taste and Body. Located 25 minutes from Male by seaplane, the five-star luxury resort is a private island playground for those seeking exclusivity.

The island is home to one of the best house reefs in the Maldives and has 77 private apartments and suites. W Maldives offers a range of dining options to suit every taste and mood. Dine on seafood with a view at FISH, an overwater speciality restaurant. Head to KITCHEN for all-day dining, or relax at FIRE – a beachfront BBQ restaurant. For a refreshing drink with a view, visit SIP at sunset, or cool off with a cocktail at WET, the resort’s pool bar and deck.

Embark on an adventure at sea with the W Maldives Resort’s own iconic 24-meter private motorsailer yacht. This luxurious, traditional two-cabin craft has been refurbished with style and comfort in mind, making it the perfect way to explore the island and sea life. The highlight of any boat trip is a visit to Gaathafushi Island, just a stone’s throw from W Maldives. There, guests can indulge in the luxury of seclusion and enjoy a romantic dinner under the stars.

For those who prefer an all-inclusive meal plan, ‘W Got You Covered’ offers the opportunity to indulge in culinary delights throughout the day.

Today’s Prize…

In partnership with W Maldives, we are giving away a three night stay for two people (including breakfast) in a Wonderful Beach Oasis Villa. Seaplane transfers from Malé Velana International Airport are also included.

How to enter

Enter Day 24 of the InsideFlyer Christmas Calendar via the following link:

By the way: If you share the giveaway on social media (after you have taken part) via the displayed share buttons you can boost your chances of winning…

The InsideFlyer team wishes you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

The post InsideFlyer Christmas Calendar GRAND PRIZE: Win A Stay At The Stunning 5* Luxury W Maldives Resort! appeared first on InsideFlyer.

We are big fans of Hilton Honors – Gold status is undoubtedly the most valuable mid-level elite status offered by any of the major hotel loyalty programs, and it’s still possible to get some superb value from redeeming Hilton Honors Points.

How to enter

Enter Day 23 of the InsideFlyer Advent Calendar via the following link:

The InsideFlyer team wishes you a very merry Christmas!

The post InsideFlyer Christmas Calendar Day 23: Win 50,000 Hilton Honors Points!!! appeared first on InsideFlyer.

 How to enter

Enter Day 22 of the InsideFlyer Christmas Calendar via the following link:

The InsideFlyer team wishes you a very merry Christmas!

The post InsideFlyer Christmas Calendar Day 22: Travel In Comfort & Style With An InsideFlyer Hoodie appeared first on InsideFlyer.