Southwest Airlines is my favorite domestic airline due to their awesome customer service, no-frills approach and great benefits, like the Southwest Companion Pass. But did you know that there are 14 Southwest international destinations to choose from?
Travelers who are also country counters always look for ways to maximize their travel time and visit more than one place per trip. Although traveling longer is the most obvious answer, sometimes traveling smarter also does the trick. Knowing special routings and which frequent-flyer miles to use where can help you maximize that time on the ground.
If you’re not already using Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue rewards program, you should start thinking about getting familiar with it. Flying Blue is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and Starwood Preferred Guest points and offers some incredible sweet spots. Let’s take a look at some of Flying Blue’s best sweet spots.
Although it’s probably hot enough for polar bears to wear sunscreen this summer, it’s never too early to start thinking about your winter vacation in a tropical climate.
The Caribbean and its beautiful islands, sandy beaches and festive umbrella cocktails are often the go-to destination for those looking to escape the snowy winter. Unfortunately, high demand also means high prices. So how do you avoid the hefty price tag when it comes to traveling to the Caribbean? Having a healthy balance of Ultimate Rewards can help. Let’s take a look at the possible redemptions with Chase’s transfer partners.
JetBlue has recently added a new route to the sunny Caribbean destination of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flights leave daily from Fort Lauderdale.
United’s frequent flyer program, MileagePlus, puts Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America into one region. That means that you can fly from the U.S. to anywhere in the region for 35,000 miles in economy. United also lets you take one free stopover per roundtrip, so you can visit two destinations in this region for the same amount of miles.
Aruba is a favorite Caribbean destination because it’s not just beaches and sunsets. The island, located in the Lesser Antilles, has its share of those beautiful beaches, and plentiful water sports, but its attractions also include great shopping, dining and nightlife. If you’d like to visit a Caribbean island but you’re afraid you’ll be bored, Aruba is a good choice.
When you’re looking for a Caribbean vacation, set your sights on St. Thomas. It’s one of the U.S. Virgin Islands just 1,100 miles southeast of Miami so it’s a snap for Americans to visit. Since the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix) are a U.S. territory, American citizens don’t need a passport if traveling from the mainland or Puerto Rico.
I don’t know anyone who didn’t want to steal away to a Caribbean island at some point during the past few months of bad winter weather. When you have a stash of miles and points, its easy to do just that. Here’s how my husband and I spent four days in Jamaica for just a few dollars.
With temperatures hitting record lows, you might be wishing you had a Caribbean island getaway planned. You may be lamenting that you missed out, but you haven’t yet. There are still plenty of seats on flights to Caribbean islands that you can snag with your miles.
Do you know where you’re going on vacation this year? Now is the time to start planning!
