How to earn and redeem miles for travel in Ireland
Hey RTE Radio listeners! Welcome to TopMiles, the world’s first interactive site that teaches users on how to travel for almost nothing using miles.
Before we dive into Irish specific credit cards, I would advise that you first look at my beginner guides that will teach you the very basics of what miles are and what they can be used for.
Miles Essentials
New to Miles? Read these guides.
Introduction to miles
All about loyalty program
Credit cards & Big Signup Bonuses
All about your credit score
How to earn your miles
Which frequent flyer program to credit to:
If you are flying with British Airways, you will want to credit your flights with British Airways. Unless you are flying over 50,000 miles annually, in which you should look into crediting your flies to American Airlines, a British Airways partner, which currently has the best award program for premium travel.
If you are flying with Aer Lingus, don’t credit your miles to them directly. Instead, credit all your flights to United, a partner with Aer Lingus. This is because United has a substantially much better frequent flyer program when compared to Aer Lingus.
Best Credit Cards for Irish Citizens & Residents:
As mentioned before, the US credit card market is much more lucrative compared to other countries in the world. This includes Ireland. Since the EU approved legislation to cut down on the amount of transaction fees cards can charge retailers, awards have been drastically slashed and cut down.
There are currently only three credit cards that earn any kind of useful miles that can be used for foreign travel, all issued by American Express. Unfortunately, the annual fees are quite steep.
Annual Fee: 550 EUR
Benefits: Priority Pass Membership, Complimentary Elite Status for Club Carlson (Gold), Accor (Platinum), and Starwood (Gold)
Annual Fee: 300 EUR
Benefits: Travel Insurance
Annual Fee: 100 EUR + 35 EUR membership reward fee
Overall the pickings are slim, and the gold card really makes no sense to me, as you’re not gaining any real benefits for the extra 150 EUR spent per year.
If you travel quite frequently for work, or can expense the fee as a business expense, then the Platinum card could be a good fit, otherwise, I would suggest you sign up for the American Express Green Card.
Unlike the US, there are NO sign up bonuses.
Best Transfer Partners:
For Irish card holders, AMEX membership award program has quite a few airline transfer partners. However, almost all of them are poor value except for the British Airways Avios and Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles.
Singapore Airlines & British Avios both have some great redemption values. You can experience the legendary Singapore suites for less than 58,000 KrisFlyer miles one way from Frankfurt to New York.
While British Avios lets you redeem your miles for intra-european routes for as low as 4500 miles. (Although that benefit is going away soon and will be raised to 7500 miles).
Irish AMEX points transfer at a rate of 3 MR points to 2 British Avios and a 1:1 ratio with Krisflyer.
Overall Recommendation:
Overall, you need to make sure you’re spending at least $7000 annually on your daily purchases to consider getting the AMEX green card. Anything less and the card is not worth paying for the annual fee.
Flights to Europe still can cost as low as 4500 miles, which can be a great value for Irish credit card holders.
Guides on How to Redeem Your Miles
Hey everyone!
Thanks for stopping by. It has been a hectic day, with
multiple media outlets covering my amazing journey. So if you’re new to the site, welcome!
If you have questions, please check the Q&A I posted
earlier as it addresses some of the more frequently asked questions.
I have been receiving a lot of questions from users on how
to redeem their miles for award travel. I recently published guides on how to redeem your miles for almost all major US airline programs, to help make it easier
for you. You can find the guides here.
Please keep in mind that our sample guides are based on a
sample departure and return city. To get your own customized guide based on
where you want to go, click the new flight option on the right hand side.
As always, if you see any bugs, please send an email to webmaster@topmiles.com.
Update regarding Mail Migration
Hey everyone, I hope you are enjoying the site and seeing what TopMiles has to offer. We are currently migrating to another mail provider to better handle the increased traffic, so you may not have received a confirmation email. Not to worry! For the moment we have activated all accounts until we finish our migration.
As TopMiles is still in the beta stage, if you encounter any bugs or suggestions on how to make the site better, feel free to send us your suggestions to webmaster@topmiles.com
-Sam
Questions and Answers from the Business Insider Article
Hey everyone, it has been one heck
of a day!
Business Insider published an
article that has 4,700,000 views and counting. I just wanted to answer a few
questions that I have been receiving.
Are you a professional travel
blogger?
While the article that Business
Insider wrote is a great one, it has one minor slip up. I am not a travel blogger,
nor am I anywhere close to being a full-time professional blogger. I have a
separate online business that pays the bills. Like many savvy travelers, I play
the miles game to quickly rack up points and miles, so I can travel during my
free time.
If TopMiles is not a blog, what is
it exactly?
Think of TopMiles as a search engine
for air travel, similar to Kayak and Booking. However, instead of using cash to
pay for your trip, you pay for it using miles. We help compare different frequent
flyer programs, and based on your preferences, we recommend which program to
use.
For example, you would need 50,000
miles to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in Business Class using AAdvantage miles.
That exact same flight costs between 65,000-75,000 miles on United Airlines. By
using AA miles instead of UA miles, you can save up to 25,000 miles!
Not only that, we show you the best
ways to quickly earn miles using sign-up bonuses and help keep track of your
minimum spend requirement.
After you finish earning all your
points, we would show you how to use your miles to redeem your flights step-by-step.
How is TopMiles different from
everyone else?
There is a lot of information out
there regarding miles and points, but it’s quite difficult for a beginner to
understand the jargon. I’ve simplified the entire miles process, step-by-step,
so you don’t need to shift through all the clutter.
All you need to do is start searching
where you want to go, and we’ll take you through the rest of the process.
How do you make money?
Our goal is to show you the best
publicly available offers for each credit card and let you compare them, so
that you can choose the right cards for you. I may have select financial partners, but that will be fully disclosed. As I have a separate online business
that pays the bills, TopMiles will always be about helping people travel for
almost nothing.
Where can I read about your other trips?
You can find the full details of my Emirates trip around the world here. Since the trip is so extensive, I will be
updating the trip report weekly with new entries, so check back often!
How did you actually book your trip?
I booked my crazy around-the-world
trip through Alaska Airline’s website using 200,000 Alaskan miles. This may
sound like a lot, but it can be earned easily within one year without flying a
single mile. It’s a bit hard to explain, but in a nutshell, I included a bunch
of layovers between my flight from Singapore to the US and vice versa.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if
Emirates would allow me to fly my crazy trip, but to their credit everything turned
out okay. I was more than happy to take the regular routing if Emirates
insisted.
Can I still book the trip you took?
Unfortunately, the loophole was
closed a couple of months ago. A milder version still exists, though.
I found a bug, how do I report it?
Please report any bugs to webmaster@topmiles.com.
TopMiles is still in the beta stage as we are ironing out the kinks.
I am a member of the media, how do I contact you?
Please send all press inquiries to media@topmiles.com.
Ending Soon: 75,000 Sign-Up Bonus for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card
Citi
is currently offering for a limited time a 75,000 mile sign-up bonus for the AAdvantage
Executive credit card, a 25% increase from the normal offer of 50,000 AA miles.
This sign up offer won’t last long, as the card will revert to its normal sign
up bonus in the middle of next week.
Card Benefits Include:
Complimentary
Admirals Club membership, which allows you to access the lounge even if you are
not flying on American Airlines
Priority
check-in and boarding when you fly on American Airlines
25%
off on in-flight food and beverage when you use the card
However,
the card does have a very high minimum spend requirement of $7,500.00 within
the first three months after the receipt of card and an annual fee of $450.
Overall Recommendation:
Despite
the steep minimum spend requirement and annual fee, this deal is still worth
considering as 75,000 miles is more than enough for a first class flight to
Europe or Asia.
Hawaii is Calling: 20% off on United Airlines Award Redemptions
<!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<!–[endif]–>
</p–>
Every now and then, airlines hold award sales in which they decrease the
required number of miles to redeem a flight. This time, United Airlines announced
a 20% sale on award redemptions to Hawaii!
Feeling that balmy sea breeze yet? If you book between October 12 to
November 5, 2015 for flights leaving between October 19, 2015 to March 3, 2016,
you would only need a total of 36,000 miles for a round-trip ticket. The usual
number of miles required to fly from the US to Hawaii is 45,000 round-trip,
which gives you a miles discount of 9,000.
Take note of the blackout dates: November 20, 2015, through December 3,
2015; and December 16, 2015, through January 5, 2016.
Lastly, the award sale is only valid for a round-trip Economy ticket, and
only for routes between the US (excluding Hawaii) and Hawaii.
For those of you who already have United Airlines miles, Hawaii just might be your next destination.
American Express Platinum Card Holders Get Free Hilton Gold Status
American Express announced recently that it would be giving its American Express Platinum cardholders free Hilton gold status. This is a very nice benefit because it entitles you to a number of elite perks every time you stay at a Hilton hotel. My personal favorite is the room upgrade you get when there is space available in the Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Hilton and Double Tree hotels. Other perks include the following:
- 25% bonus on Base Points earned
- In-room and lobby Standard Internet access during stays
- Access to health club or fitness center where available and where the health club or fitness center is owned or operated by the hotel during
stays
- One night is free if you stay for five or more nights
- Two complimentary bottles of water per stay
Usually, you could only get a Hilton Gold status if you have an accumulated 20 stays, 40 nights, or have earned 75,000 HHonors base points within a calendar year. But if you have an American Express Platinum card (Platinum, Business Platinum or Mercedes-Benz Platinum), all you have to do is register on American Express’s site, enter your HHonors number, and wait for a
notification of your status. If you have a supplementary card, you may register that too by calling the customer service hotline.
Sign Up Bonus Alert: Get 50,000 AAdvantage Miles or ThankYou Points by Opening a Citigold Checking Account
One of the best things about living in the US is the amount of benefits you could get by simply opening a bank account. Citi is currently offering a whopping 50,000
AAdvantage miles or ThankYou points if you open a Citigold checking account.
To get the bonus AAdvantage miles, you only have to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within 60 days after you open your account, plus one bill payment in 2
consecutive months. This sign up bonus is offered to existing Citi AAdvantage
Mastercard holders.
If you prefer the 50,000 ThankYou points, you only have to make one bill payment in 2 consecutive months after you open a Citigold account. This offer is extended to existing ThankYou Preferred, ThankYou Premier or Citi Prestige cardholders.
The best part of all is that you can even fund the Citigold checking account with a VISA or Mastercard for up to $100,000! You just have to submit a form to choose this option.
If you’re worried about the $350 annual fee for maintaining a Citigold account, you may opt to downgrade to a basic account or cancel it. Just make sure you already have your miles or points before doing so. For Citi Prestige holders, the annual fee is reduced to $100 instead of $350.
To apply for a Citigold account under this promotion, simply go to the Citi website and input the following promotion codes:
For AAdvantage miles, key in 42ERCWNQU6
For ThankYou points, key
in 42ERCZ42PY
<!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–>
<!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
JA
X-NONE
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–>
<!–[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<!–[endif]–>
<!–StartFragment–>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"–>Some of you may be worried about the 1099 that Citi
sometimes sends to people who receive big sign-up bonuses. While Citi has been
more lenient with this in the past few years, it is important to bear in mind
that the valuation of the miles is subject to appeal with the IRS, and is
really not that bad if compared to the value that you will get.<!–EndFragment–>
20% Decrease in American Express to British Avios Transfers
<!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>
</xml><![endif]–><!–[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<!–[endif]–>
For fliers who earn their miles using American Express and are frequent users of British Airways or its partners, you might want to transfer your points ASAP.
A statement has been released saying the transfer rate will decrease by 20% – from 1:1 to 1:0.8. This means that if you have 1,000 American Express points, you will only be able to get 800 British Avios miles, which is a significant devaluation in my opinion. This comes as a
surprise as the companies encouraged transfers before by giving bonuses. It’s such a shame because British Avios miles are so useful for redeeming short haul
flights.
The devaluation will take effect starting October 1, 2015. If you use a lot of British Avios miles, or if you’re
sure that you’re going to use them in the future, I highly suggest you transfer your American Express points before then.
Welcome to the revamped TopMiles!
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal" –>Our site recently underwent a major
overhaul. We’ve added three new features that will help make award travel even
simpler.
The star of the show is the all new My Trips tool, which can be accessed
when you sign in with your TopMiles account.
It is an extremely easy-to-use
system that breaks down the booking process into five easy to follow steps.
Other new features include:
Guides: an archive of articles about
anything miles-related – from the basic introduction to miles to how to redeem
free flights.
Trip Reports: this is where I will
update you with my latest adventures and misadventures around the globe.
But of course, the old features that you
loved are still here:
Best Offers: this is where you will
still find the latest credit card offers. Always check this page so you don’t
miss out on limited time promotions.
News: this is where we will keep you
posted on news about frequent flyer programs, exciting travel promotions,
mistake fares and much more. We know everyone hates reading through fluff so we
will only post the most relevant news that we feel are beneficial for you.
We hope you enjoy the
new TopMiles site!
