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!

Review: Emirates First Class – Dubai to Milan (A380)

The baggage claim area itself was a bit surreal, with a walkway flanked by palm trees on both sides.

Welcome to Dubai

I headed into the gulf’s most decadent city via the newly built Dubai metro.  At the platform, I instinctively waited at the front of the platform and got on the next train. After getting in, I realized I was sitting in the metro’s gold class, which costs more than the regular ticket. I quickly hopped off and went to cattle class.  I guess you can’t take the thriftiness out of me ;).

The metro was cheap, clean, and I was able to avoid the pesky Dubai traffic (yes they have traffic jams in Dubai). However, the trains can get quite crowded. If I had heavy luggage with me, I would have probably hailed a cab.

Dubai hotels are notoriously expensive, but Expedia was running a sale of $40 off for any four star hotel. I managed to book a hotel in Burj Dubai for a reasonable cost.

The hotel itself had a bit of Arabian charm, complete with the cigarette smell and Middle Eastern furniture.

At night, the rooftop bar upstairs turned into a nightlife hotspot, with a wide array of “interesting” characters. Quite a few Emirates flight attendants were also mingling.

My five days in Dubai passed by quickly, with just enough time to see all of the highlights.

Selfie on top of the world’s tallest building

Dhows in old Dubai

The highlight of my stay was the Holi festival, which as luck would have it, was happening during my brief stay in Dubai. If you’ve never gone to one before, just do it! The crowd was going nuts all night long.

Soon, it was time to head back home, and I headed back to the Dubai airport.

Unlike most airports, the Dubai airport has a completely separate check-in area for First and Business Class passengers. This included a separate immigration line and walkway.

The First Class check-in area was ridiculously huge, bigger than most check-in counters, with at least five agents to ensure no passenger waited.

What I found interesting was that the Business and First class passengers have their own separate immigration area. I headed to the Emirates First Class lounge, which is located on its own level in the terminal.

Since this was the “B” Lounge, I was expecting something a bit homey, but upon entering, I was struck by how big the lounge was. It spanned almost the entire terminal, with an open air ceiling, making it feel less like a lounge and more like a hotel.

The main entrance was grand, complete with mini water fountains. 

I quickly settled in for a nice lunch. The dining room was gorgeous.

The hostess mentioned that they would start serving lunch in fifteen minutes but I was welcome to grab some food in the buffet table while waiting.

After exactly fifteen minutes, a waiter came and took my order. The menu was exhaustive and everything looked mouth watering.

In the end I went for a four course meal.

First came the quail salad.

This was actually the first time I’ve tried quail, and the chef did a great job of tenderizing the meat.

Next was roasted squash soup, which was placed in this artistic bowl. Simply delicious.

Then came the highlight of my meal, an amazing USDA Angus steak.

The steak was flavorful and tender; the sauce was a perfect complement to the steak

I was stuffed, but I still ordered dessert anyway.

The overall quality of food in the lounge blew me away. The steak was on par with some of the best steakhouses I’ve been to.

After lunch, I decided to walk around the lounge. Even if it’s the B lounge, the place is huge, a complete overkill considering the small amount of First Class passengers.

I finally sat down on one of the sofas and decided to grab some Moet champagne.

After a bit of lounging, I decided to take advantage of the complimentary spa treatment given to First Class passengers. I chose a haircut, because where else can you get a free haircut inside an airport lounge?

Feeling fresh from my haircut, it was time to take care of my shoes, which is also complimentary for First Class passengers. They even had a place to put your glass of champagne.

No shoe shine should be without champagne

Soon it was time to board, and like Melbourne, I headed to the aircraft via a private elevator meant for First Class passengers.

This time though I was joined by four other passengers in the walkway. Oh the horror ;).

I was greeted warmly by the one of the flight attendants and was quickly shown to my seat.

Like my previous flights, service was impeccable. Without hesitation, a very attractive flight attendant helped me with my bags and then poured another glass of Dom Perignon.

We soon took off from the Dubai airport.

After takeoff, my meal orders were taken. I was offered some canapés and some more Dom Perignon.

My first appetizer was another tin of Iranian Caviar. The balls exploded with each bite; it really is a unique eating sensation, and it doesn’t go away. I could see why caviar is the preferred food of the rich.

It was followed by a lobster appetizer, which was surprisingly fresh, considering Dubai is not known as a seafood haven.

And then another appetizer, this time some beef carpaccio. While not the best, it still was miles better than any beef appetizer I’ve had on a plane before.

My main dish was Seafood Biryani paired with a 10-year old Chateau Palmer. The rice was a bit dry, but the seafood was juicy and tender.

I am not a sommelier so all I can say is that it was a smooth and excellent wine. Perhaps the fact it is a decade old added to its charm.

Finally, I finished with strawberry cheesecake paired with some Johnny Blue Whiskey.

After dinner, I decided to take a look at the First Class bar. Yes, Emirates has a fully stocked bar of top shelf liquor and fruit just for First Class passengers. I actually never saw another passenger at the bar.

Our flight to Milan involved flying through Iran, which is more mountainous than what most people would think.

Sunset view over the Zagros mountains

After dinner, I decided to watch Interstellar. The TV screens in the suites are huge, and it was like watching a movie at home. Add the fact that you are in an enclosed suite, and with the beautiful view outside, I felt that life began to imitate art.

As darkness approached, I decided to take another plane shower, my fifth one of the trip so far.

As usual the shower was wonderful, although the heated floor must have been put to the maximum level, as my feet were almost burning.

We shortly began to descend into Milan. Once again, First Class passengers were let out first. As we left the plane, I knew I would cherish this flight forever. Like the jet bridge itself, it was simply art.

Up Next: Emirates First Class: Milan to New York

Previous Post: Emirates First Class: Sydney to Dubai