Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

Travel is coming back in a big way! The pent-up demand for adventure is exploding. This photo was from our trip back in 2019 to London. However, travelers are sitting on huge stockpiles of miles and points and the hotels and airlines know it. So they are devaluing points and miles as fast as they can. 

Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

Alaska Airlines will announce a devaluation on March 1st. Marriott is announcing on March 29th. So what should you do? Spend your points and miles NOW! 

Thinking about a trip this year? Make your reservations now. Don't wait or you will end up having to pay more in points and miles. 

Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

I just cashed in almost all of my Marriott points for 5 flights from Buenos Aires back to the US. Because Marriott is a transfer partner to dozens of airlines, I was able to transfer 300,000 Marriott points to Delta Airlines. It took a few days for the transfer to occur and then I could purchase the flights. 

I'll go into detail about how to transfer Marriott points in another post soon. 

I used another 85,000 Marriott points to book 3 nights in Belfast, Ireland for an upcoming trip. 

We hear that 50% of Marriott hotels will change redemption value when the change occurs and not in a good way. 

If it does happen in a good way for a hotel you are eyeing, then you can always rebook at the lower rate. But in our experience, it's rarely good. One good change that we hear is on the horizon is being able to top off those FREE 35,000 night certificates with 15,000 points so you can redeem them at 50,000 point hotels. But if the values are changing for many hotels, some of those 50,000 point hotels may be out of reach. 

The bottom line is book your hotels and make your airline transfers now before the change occurs. 

By the way, we have teamed up with Families Fly FREE to bring more value to you. If you would like to check them out, click here and let Lyn know I sent you. :) I'll be sharing testimonials from some happy members and I'll let you know when I'll be offering webinars. 

 

Is The New Southwest Companion Pass Offer Worth It?

 

The Southwest companion pass (BOGO) on all Southwest flights is hands down one of the best travel perks out there. Normally, you have to earn 125,000 Southwest points to qualify for the pass and it's good for the year you earn it and the following year. Almost two full years if you time it right. 

Is The New Southwest Companion Pass Offer Worth It?

Now Southwest is offering a new bonus credit card offer that includes a limited companion pass. 

The offer just released is to apply for one of the personal Southwest credit cards, spend $5,000 and earn 30,000 Southwest points and a companion pass valid through Feb. 28, 2023. 

So is the new offer worth it?

It may be right for you IF......

Let's run through it so you have all the information and can make the best decision for your travel plans. 

Is The New Southwest Companion Pass Offer Worth It?

First things first. There are a couple of fine print points here that you need to consider:

• You can only hold one Southwest personal credit card at a time. You can see which one I like the best by clicking here. So if you currently have a personal Southwest card, you need to cancel it, wait 30 days and then reapply. Will the offer still be around in 30 days, maybe. 
• When is the last time you got a Southwest bonus? You are only eligible for the bonus every 24 months and it doesn't matter which Southwest card you got the bonus on.  
• Chase 5/24 rule - Chase limits you to 5 cards every 24 months so check your credit report to see if you are eligible. You can get a FREE credit report on Annualcreditreport.com

Now if you still qualify for the bonus, should you go for it? Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

• What kind of value will you get out of the limited companion pass?
• If you go for this limited pass, you will not be eligible to earn the regular pass for the next 24 months. 
• Can your partner get one and then you get the other next year when this one expires? or vice versa
• If cannot qualify for a Southwest business credit card, this might be the offer for you

This offer is good for some people, but you do need to give it some thought before jumping in. If you decide to apply, please use my referral link so I can continue to keep you up to date on FREE travel. 

What It's Like To Fly On Avelo Airlines

 

A new budget airline has landed on the west coast! Avelo Airlines claims that it was created to inspire travel. It inspired me and my mom to fly from Burbank Airport located in the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles to Santa Rosa, in the heart of the Northern California wine country for a quick weekend getaway. 

The airline advertises $29 fares from Burbank to Santa Rosa and a lot of the time, there are discount codes available or sales that actually make the flights cheaper. We were able to score round-trip tickets for $44 each.  

That being said, this airline operates like Frontier and Spirit Airlines where you pay extra for carry-on luggage, checked luggage, and seat assignments. But if you truly just buy your ticket, travel light, and sit wherever they put you, then it is priced cheap. 

What It's Like To Fly On Avelo Airlines 

The flights do not operate every day and usually offer just one flight per day. The airline uses smaller airports like Santa Rosa, Bend, Oregon, Redding, Eugene, and Eureka. Avelo does fly to Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. 

Avelo also operates flights from JFK to various cities in Florida. 

I checked right now and there is a flash sale of $20 off with the code FLYAWAY so with a random weekend in March, Avelo offered me flights for $55 round trip with no add ons. Not bad. 

Every passenger can bring a personal item onboard for FREE. According to the website, a personal item is defined as a laptop computer, purse, or small backpack. Basically, an item that can fit under the seat in front of you. If you want to add a carry-on or a piece of luggage you would stow in the overhead bin, you will need to pay $40 each way. Ouch! 

If you want to check luggage, you will need to pay $35 each way. Ouch again! 

If you want to choose your seat, you will need to pay $6-$39 depending on which seat you would like. You could get window seats for just $7 each way. 

The airline also states that you will get a better deal on add ons if you do it when you book and not wait until you get to the airport. 

What It's Like To Fly On Avelo Airlines 

Check-in was easy and online. I had decided to forgo a bag entirely and just brought a backpack. My mom had a carry-on and we easily walked right through security and onto the plane with it. Interesting sidenote, no one ever checked or confirmed verbally that she had indeed paid extra for her carry on bag. 

Avelo bought old Southwest planes for its fleet so the planes felt comfortable and clean. There is no entertainment onboard or in the app. 

There is no food service since the flights are short, but they did hand out bottles of water on board. 

Since the airline uses small airports, we walked onto the tarmac and up and down a ramp to board the plane. The boarding was so smooth that we departed 10 minutes early. 

One other note of interest, right after I booked the flights, the airline launched a sale. You can't change your flight online so I called. An operator picked up right away but confirmed that my flight could not be changed. He did offer to give me a credit for my original flight and then rebook using the credit at the lower rate. 

So now I have a $25 credit at Avelo that is good for one year. 

I would definitely fly Avelo again and not just because I have a credit. But I would probably forgo a seat assignment (there were tons of empty seats) and just pack a backpack. 

It's a good option for short flights to smaller airports, but like discount airlines, the add ons can also add up, and then it's no longer a discount at all.