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Flying Blue ‘Buy Miles’ Offers + April Promo Rewards – Portland in Business for 45,000 Miles
Flying Blue, the loyalty programme of Air France and KLM, has just launched a Buy Miles promotion running until 16th April.
It’s a targeted offer, so you’ll either see:
- Up to 45% off the cost of purchased miles
- 80% bonus on the miles purchased
Whether Buying Miles is worth it comes down to how you plan to use them. If you’re planning a redemption soon, compare the cash price with the miles price and work out how much it would cost to purchase the miles required. If it’s less, buying miles is the best option.
Miles are priced at:
- 4,000 – 10,000 – 1.45p per mile
- 12,000-22,000 – 1.34p per mile
- 24,000 miles + – 1.23p per mile
These certainly aren’t the best Buy Miles offers we’ve seen, but whichever offer you’re given, there will be some flights that are cheaper to purchase with miles. You can find your offer under ‘Manage My Miles’.
During the promotion, purchase up to 300,000 miles per transaction (before bonus) with status. Without status, you’re limited to 100,000 miles per year. Once purchased, they should appear in your account within 72 hours.
There is already some pretty good pricing on award tickets, especially in Business. Flying Blue releases ‘Promo Rewards’ – a set list of routes that changes each month, where you can book selected reward tickets at up to 25% off.
This month, there are some great Business Class deals if you book this month to travel before 30th September, including:
- Amsterdam to Portland – 45,000 miles
- Amsterdam to Mumbai – 63,750 miles
- Paris to Gothenburg – 18,750
- Paris to London – 18,750 – (Flying Blue Extra Subscription needed)
- Amsterdam to Venice – 18,750
- Amsterdam to Porto – 18,750
Portland is a great offer! If you were to purchase 50,000 points in the promo, it would cost just £613.25 plus £315 flight taxes and charges, so you’d pay just £928.25, and even less if you already have miles to spend. On the dates I checked, the same flight was priced at £4,349 on KLM.
United App Adds TSA Wait Time Tracker to App
United Airlines has added a new TSA wait time tracker to the mobile app, so you can view real-time estimates for airport security queues, with separate times for standard security lanes and TSA PreCheck. While estimates won’t always be completely accurate, it’s a useful feature for preparing for what’s ahead, especially as wait times are longer than usual right now.
The tracker is being piloted and is available in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
While airports and the TSA already publish their own estimates, having them in an app is much more convenient.
United’s Chief Information Officer, Jason Birnbaum, said:
“We appreciate the work and professionalism of our TSA agents, and while most began receiving back pay earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues and people want to stay informed about expected security wait times at our airports.
“Our customers rely on our mobile app for all their travel needs, and this new feature lets them know what to expect and better plan their trip.”
This feature builds on United’s other digital innovations, which include package-style bag tracking, Airtag integration, personalised directions for connections, automatic rebooking during disruptions, and even a heads-up on whether they can hold the plane if you have an extra-short connection.
The United App is a must-have. It’s a great improvement to what is one of the most unpredictable parts of the airport experience.
The app is available via App Store and Google Play. More info here
First Glimpse of the New Royal Jordanian 787-9 Business Cabin
Royal Jordanian has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is fitted with the latest Business Class cabin. The new cabin has a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout, which has more privacy and space.
The 787-9 seats 312 passengers, including 32 in Business class and 280 in Economy. That’s a 33% increase in Crown Class capacity.
Six more 787-9s are also on order, and Royal Jordanian will retrofit the 787-8 fleet to the same standard, so you can enjoy a consistent product and no more 2-2-2 layout.
The aircraft is scheduled to begin service on 7th April, starting with an Amman-to-Heathrow flight. In the coming days, scheduled routes include New York, Bangkok, and Dubai. Alongside the new seating, Viasat Wi-Fi is being rolled out across the Dreamliners.
This certainly makes Royal Jordanian a more competitive Oneworld option. The upgrade is much needed.
