If you are planning on traveling in 2023 there are some neat tips and tricks you can use to save money while increasing loyalty status this year.
1) Status Matching
Many airlines and hotels have a status matching program. This means that if you have status at a competing airline or hotel, it could be matched with specific terms and conditions. For example Southwest Airlines offers a status match for eligible customers. I have United Airlines Premier Silver status so Southwest honors that with A-List. This includes perks such as priority boarding, priority security lanes and earning bonuses. The simple catch is that you need to fly 6 single trips or 3 round trips totaling 6 flights within a 90 day period to maintain A-List status. Delta and Alaska Airlines provide status match offerings after submitting proper documentation. Choice Hotels, Marriott and Hilton have status match programs available as well. Status match programs are a great way to take advantage of loyalty programs without breaking the bank.
2) Partner Programs
Airlines and hotels have some great partnerships to take advantage of. Something as simple as taking a ride share can be enhanced with partner programs. If you are a Delta SkyMiles member, you can link your Lyft account with Delta SkyMiles and earn one mile per dollar spent. Car rental companies such as Avis and SIXT partner with American and United offering perks such as Avis Preferred and mile bonuses.
Marriott Bonvoy’s rewards program offers a strong partnership with United MileagePlus. Marriott Bonvoy partners with over 35 different airlines offering the unique opportunity to transfer Marriott Bonvoy Points toward airline miles. We have posted a dedicated article further explaining the process. Hyatt offers a similar program with a strong partnership with American Airlines.
American Airlines AAdvantage has a robust loyalty program. They have some great partnerships that can be used in almost every facet. I personally have taken AAdvantage (no pun intended)of a HelloFresh offer awarding me 2200 miles for just signing up for a HelloFresh subscription. One of my personal favorite tricks with AAdvantage is their web browser plugin. The plugin lets you know if a particular website is a participating partner. At the time of this publication Nike’s website was offering a 4 miles per dollar special. This is a great hidden perk that can make a sought after destination quite attainable.
3) Flight and Train Search Engines
Skyscanner and Rome2Rio save time and money when comparing different flight options. This made travels in 2022 quite easy and will for sure help with 2023 travel booking. Both of these sites compare different flight and rail options between the users selected destinations. Everything from Ryanair to Greyhound have live pricing that is compiled together. Skyscanner and Rome2Rio are sites worth visiting when making travel decisions this year.
There are plenty of great travel hacks out there that you can use when traveling this year. A little bit of research may turn up some great perks that are not always advertised but, that’s not always a bad thing!
