Reading Time: 6 minThis week I’ve got a great discount on awards to Europe in business class, plus new ways to earn bonus miles from your online shopping, and even more rewards on your rides to the airport.
You’ll also find a free tool to help track transfer bonuses, a great price on Apple’s cheapest earbuds, and a few other handy travel items we personally love. So let’s unpack the best travel deals and tips to help you get more out of your miles.
Singapore Airlines is back with its monthly list of Spontaneous Escapes, and you’re in luck if you’ve been looking to get away to Europe this summer.
When you book by July 31st for travel any time in August, you can get 30% off the business class award price for Singapore’s flight from New York’s JFK too Frankfurt, Germany. That means you’ll pay just 56,700 miles for an amazing business class experience to Europe.
In the recent past when I’ve seen this promotion, it’s only been available from Europe to the U.S. But this time it’s the other way around, and only from New York to Frankfurt. However, that’s often the harder direction to find awards for, so this could be a great fit.
Don’t have Singapore miles? You can transfer points from American Express, Citi, Chase, or Capital One, all at a 1-to-1 ratio. Just keep in mind that these Spontaneous Escapes awards are non-refundable, so make sure you’re committed to the trip before booking.
Whenever you’re shopping online, it’s always a good idea to go through a shopping portal first to earn bonus rewards. And right now, a trio of airlines are offering even more miles on top of what you’d already earn.
You’ll currently find back-to-school specials on the Alaska, United, and Southwest shopping portals. Here are the terms for each:
Remember that you can use any credit card with shopping portals and still earn bonus miles. All you need to do is sign up to that airline’s frequent flyer program (which is free to do) and make sure to go through the portal first when making your purchases. Thanks to our friends at Frequent Miler for flagging these deals.
One of the best ways to make your credit card points go further is by transferring them to airline and hotel partners. And now, there’s a free way to be alerted whenever a new bank transfer bonus appears.
Our friends over at Your Best Credit Cards have a Transfer Bonus Alerts service that’s completely free to use. Once you sign up, you’ll automatically get an email whenever a new transfer bonus appears. You can also select specific banks you want to receive alerts for, and if you want a reminder before the bonus expires.
I tried this service out myself, and I thought it was terrific. It took literally about 30 seconds to set up, and now I never have to worry about knowing what transfer bonuses are in effect or when they end.
You can also have Your Best Credit Cards alert you when new credit card bonuses appear. That way you can be sure you don’t miss an amazing welcome offer in the future. They’ve got some other pretty cool tools over there too, so make sure to check out the entire site.
The ridesharing app Lyft has partnered with Alaska Airlines for a few years now, and this week, the two companies announced that riders can now earn more Alaska miles when using Lyft.
Lyft users who connect their accounts to Alaska now earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on Standard, Priority, and XL Lyft rides, and 3 miles per dollar for Extra Comfort, Black, and Black SUV trips, and on rides to the airport. Only rides in the U.S. and Canada are eligible, and Wait & Save and Shared rides are excluded.
Now, keep in mind that Bilt Rewards members can earn 2 points per dollar on Lyft as well, and you can transfer Bilt points to Alaska (and 21 other airlines and hotels) at a 1-to-1 ratio. Plus, you don’t have to have a Bilt credit card to get a free Bilt account.
Unfortunately, you can’t connect both Alaska and Bilt to your Lyft account at the same time — you have to choose one or the other. But for people who have a lot of trips to the airport, picking Alaska as your Lyft partner may be the best option.
While Amazon’s Prime Day event is over, there are still a few lingering deals, and the best one may be Apple’s entry-level Bluetooth earbuds at the lowest price we’ve seen.
Right now you can pick up a pair of Apple AirPods 4 for just $89.99, or AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $119.99. Both of these prices match the all-time low we saw during Prime Day this year.
I personally use a pair of AirPods practically every day. They’re terrific for Zoom calls and listening to music, but just as great when you’re on the road. The models with active noise cancellation are particularly useful for drowning out the noise of an airplane’s engines (or a screaming baby in the cabin).
If you’re already got earbuds covered but you’re on the hunt for deals on travel gear, there are still discounts on some of our favorites, including sleep eye masks, a popular portable handheld fan, and a top-rated travel luggage scale.
Those are this week’s best deals on travel. But if you want to learn how to pack like a pro, check out our list of 16 carry-on must-haves and skip checking a bag on your next trip. Have a great weekend!
