Cuba is all the rage now. Since the U.S. Department of State announced a new course in relations with Cuba in December 2014, we’ve come a long way in getting people there. Traveling restrictions have been considerably relaxed – actually, traveling to Cuba has never been illegal, but spending money on the island was, and it’s hard to do one without the other. Technically speaking, it’s not like anyone can fly to Cuba just as you fly to any other place in the world, as you must cite one of 12 reasons so the airline could sell you the ticket.

In the last three years, all the major U.S. airline frequent flyer programs have had devaluations. Delta has gone further than everyone else though, by removing its SkyMiles award charts early last year. The goal was probably to stop complaints about program’s frequent devaluations because if you don’t have a chart you may not know that the award levels have increased. But what they are doing now has completely changed devaluations as we know them. Read on to see what we have uncovered about upcoming changes and when they take effect.

Flying in a premium class seat to Asia might be one of the best ways to redeem your miles. Being able to enjoy a comfortable seat that turns into a bed can make a world of difference. Of course, airlines know that people are willing to pay more to avoid being miserable on such a long flight and price their premium class flights accordingly. Still, good values are to be had if you know where to look for them.

There are so many excellent credit cards with no annual fee that even a moderately-priced annual-fee card can raise brows. So when it comes to ultra-premium cards that cost hundreds of dollars, most people just roll their eyes and walk away. This is often the right thing to do for many people, but if you are a frequent traveler, you might at least want to look into these offers. It might be that these expensive credit cards can actually save you some serious money.

Choosing the best airline program to fly in business or first to Africa isn’t easy. Awards are expensive, there are not as many options as there are to Europe or Asia, and some business class cabins are simply better than others. Having said that, no matter how much you’ve dreamed of visiting Africa, your plans probably don’t include arriving exhausted after a very long journey in a cramped economy seat. Let’s see how much style and comfort our miles can afford to travel to the cradle of humankind.

Economy class awards cost less and are relatively easy to secure unless you’re trying to get to places at the same time everyone else wants to go. On the other hand, awards in business and first are harder to find and are considerably more expensive. Whether you are mostly interested in premium class travel, or if you are working on enhancing one particular trip, you need to think about your goal beforehand, and applying for the right credit card or cards can help you achieve it.

If you are a business frequent flyer traversing the globe all the time, you will, at some point or another, begin appreciating little perks along the way. An upgraded seat here, access to a lounge there, speeding up through security lines and other perks can make the life of a frequent flyer much more tolerable.
Unfortunately, achieving elite status with any major U.S. airline has become a daunting task lately due to reduced benefits and introduction of the revenue component into airlines elite schemes.

You may have been using a particular credit card for a while, but the time may come when you’re not happy with it anymore. There are potentially many very compelling reasons to get rid of a card, including a reduction of benefits and changes in your own lifestyle and travel habits. Sometimes you simply want to get one that is a better fit for your travel goals. You can check RewardExpert to see if a different card might help you achieve your travel dreams sooner.

Virgin Airlines Flying Club is a program that offers excellent values when you know how to use it right. Not only does it have an extensive airline network between the U.S. and Great Britain, but also a handful of partner airlines that you can fly on to any part of the world: Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Delta, Hawaiian, Jet, Malaysia, Singapore, South African, Virgin America and Virgin Australia.

There are two ways to use your Citi ThankYou points to fly to Europe: booking your ticket with the Citi Travel Center and transferring ThankYou points to one of the Citi partner airline programs. If you want to maximize the value of your hard-earned Citi ThankYou points, the approach your take might depend on several factors.

In the world of general travel rewards credit cards, there are three competing programs that dominate the market:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou

An airport lounge is a great environment to enjoy while you’re waiting for your boarding announcement. At the very least, you get a comfortable and quiet seating area with free coffee, soft drinks, snacks and WiFi. Some lounges also have showers and quiet areas. High-end lounges can be quite luxurious and offer striking design, gourmet food, top-shelf alcohol and even day beds that can be a rather attractive feature for a weary traveler during a long transit.

The Delta SkyTeam network covers every corner of the world, at least those where you might want to go. While Delta has a very good business class product called Delta One, there can be very compelling reasons to use SkyMiles on Delta’s partner airlines instead due to availability or scheduling convenience.

When it comes to the quality of premium cabins, food, and service, U.S. airlines are often compared unfavorably with their overseas competitors. This is hardly fair. 

The Discover It Cash and Discover It Miles cards are two different products that have very similar, yet distinct features. First, understand that neither one earns you actual miles or points transferrable to frequent flyer programs. But that doesn’t mean you’re not getting a great deal. It only means that you are not getting miles. What you get is cash back and your redemption rate is always fixed at one cent per dollar. But the upside is that you will also get real miles and points when you book your flight or hotel.

When you want to fly a certain airline, you might think the best strategy is to fly and earn miles in that airline’s frequent flyer program. Sometimes, however, being loyal to one particular airline can cost you.

People are traveling in record numbers so airlines have few reasons to feel generous. With a load factor of 84%, the carriers are constantly tweaking the cost of award flights by either raising redemption levels or reducing the saver award inventory, especially in first and business classes. Airlines are increasingly unwilling to give away seats they are hoping to sell for cash.

Between United Airlines and its partners, there is an unmatched number of destinations around the world you can see with a United MileagePlus award ticket.

While an award ticket to Asia on a United partner airline can be expensive, there are three main reasons that make it worthwhile. First there is the sheer number of partner airlines you have to choose from.

There is no downside to booking South America flights on partners since United charges the same amount of miles whether it’s a United flight or a flight on one of the partner airlines.