THE BIG TRAVEL DEAL

Southwest/Chase: Three Cards, One Smashing Acquisition Bonus
Once upon a time, there was a hardy cadre of "never Southwesters" among frequent flyers. No first class, they sniffed. Cattle-car coach without assigned seats, they noted. No meals, no clubs, no perks. Yeah, well, you don't hear much from those folks anymore since competitive airlines are little better--and some are notably worse. Besides, Southwest has done just enough to make its service proposition more palatable. Plus there is its killer app: The Companion Pass, which allows a fellow traveler--spouse, special someone, whomever--to fly along free. Its arguably the best perk in the sky. Which is a long-winded way of saying: Southwest will gift you a Companion Pass valid until February 28, 2023, if you take one of its three Chase-issued credit cards. For a fringe benefit as good as the Companion Pass, the minimum spend is surprisingly modest: $5,000 in the first three months you have one of the cards. Chase will even sweeten the deal with another 30,000 bonus points. The promotion is valid on the Plus ($69/year), Premier ($99/year) or Priority ($149/year) cards, which each have slightly different benefits. (See the comparison chart here). The catch? You can't get the bonuses if you already have a Southwest card or have received an acquisition bonus in the last 24 months. You must apply by March 14.

THE DISCOUNTS UP THERE

Neos: $599 One-Way Premium Class to Milan
The current version of Alitalia flies into the sunset on October 14 and its official replacement, ostensibly named ITA, doesn't yet have the right to sell tickets in the United States. That leaves only one Italian carrier in the market: Neos, a 20-year-old charter line turned scheduled carrier looking to carve itself a niche in the very crowded U.S.-Milan market. At the moment, it is only serving one route--New York/Kennedy to Milan/Malpensa--and only twice a week. Still, the carrier has some nifty Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and configured its Premium Class very much like the late, lamented Norwegian Air. There are 28 seats configured 2x3x2. Chairs are 20 inches wide with 42 inches of seat pitch and 30 degrees of recline. That makes it sort of a glorified premium economy class. There's at-seat power and USB ports, 11-inch monitors and WiFi. But the big lure is the price: as low as $599 one-way on off-peak days. Certainly worth a shot if you are aiming at Northern Italy soon. Information: the Neos NEW YORK page.

MILES & POINTS PROMOTIONS

Hotels: The Endless Points Promotions
Unlike airlines, hotel chains haven't stopped promoting during the pandemic. Whether their points offers match your travel predilictions is something only you can decide. Here's what's on offer just now:
        Best Western Rewards is courting members planning to claim awards. Until May 8, you'll receive a 2,000-point bonus for every Pay With Points booking you make at a Best Western in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Advance registration is required.
        Hilton Honors is promoting 2,500 bonus points per stay until May 1. Advance registration is required, of course.
        World of Hyatt is offering 2,022 points for each two qualifying nights until April 20. You'll earn an additional 1,000 points per stay at Hyatt properties in ten U.S. cities. Advance registration required.
        IHG Rewards is offering double points on each stay and those bonus points also count toward elite status. The promotional period extends through March 31. Advance registration is required.
        Marriott Bonvoy is going with a two-pronged offer: 1,000 bonus points and one bonus night of elite-status credit per night. The promotion lasts until May 4, but advance registration by April 20 is required.
        Radisson Rewards is leaning into a multiple-night stay promotion. Three nights stayed before April 30 will earn 30,000 points. Six nights earn 60,000 points and nine nights earn 90,000 points. The promotion, for Radisson Americas members, is valid at hotels in United States, Canada, Latin America or the Caribbean. Advance registration is required.

LODGING DEALS

Omni Hotels: 20-25 Percent Discounts for AAA Members
Like many chains, Omni Hotels offers a discount for AAA members. The saving is usually modest--usually 5 percent, sometimes 10 percent--but Omni has broken from the pack. Use the chain's prepaid AAA rates and the saving is 20 percent at hotels in San Diego, San Francisco and Atlanta. It's even more--25 percent--in Washington, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Providence, Montreal and Toronto. Information: the Omni AAA-RATES-SPECIAL page.

Burj Al Arab: Would You Pay for a Tour of a Glitzy Fantasy?
Burj Al Arab in Dubai was designed to be a glitzy, over-the-top fantasy as well as an outrageously expensive lodging and dining venue. It's built on its own island, is designed to look like the sail of an Arabic dhow and makes the ludicrous claim that it is a 7-star hotel. (They never quite say who awarded the seven stars, of course.) But the place is something to behold. And now they'll sell you a 90-minute tour--ahem, "exclusive" tour--that covers some regional history, the design and creation of the gigantic property, a visit to the wacky atrium and a peek into the hotel's huge Royal Suite. Whether you think such a thing is worth AED399--that's about US$110--may depend on how much free time you have in Dubai and whether you're interested in how the 2% of the 2% live on the road. Information: the Jumeirah TOUR OF AN ICON page.

GROUND DEALS

Oxford: Your Summer as Not-a-Rhodes Scholar
The Coronavirus wiped out the last two years of summer-learning programs at Oxford's Christ Church College, so let's hope the third time is the charm. The Oxford Experience has scheduled seven discreet weeks of courses from July 3 to August 20 and the categories are as eclectic as ever. You can spend a week learning about Russian opera or The Beatles; take a course called The Meaning of Life; do deep summer dives on Shakespeare or Chaucer; do a course on the history of feasts or life in a Medieval Village; and even study Churchill or terrorism. Prices range from 1,120 pounds for non-residential studies to 1,635 pounds including a single accommodation and all meals. All of the six weekly "fee options" include: small-group studies; access to areas of Christ Church not usually open to the public; walking tours and excursions; and receptions and final gala dinner. Although you can book until May 1, act fast because many courses sell out quickly. Information: the OXFORD EXPERIENCE 2022 page.

CREDIT CARD ACQUISITION BONUSES

Capital One: The Long-Awaited Premium-Travel Card Play
Capital One isn't exactly the most targeted marketer out there. It made its bones going after customers who roll over balances rather than high-value customers who pay immediately to avoid interest. Yet Cap One was also one of the first banks to promote credit cards that didn't charge foreign exchange fees and it recently made massive upgrades to its reward plan to appeal to frequent flyers. Now its next strategy: a super-premium travel card to compete with American Express Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. But the typical Capital One bifurcation is in play with the Venture X card. The Visa Infinite Card is comparatively cheap ($395 annually), but the acquisition bonus (100,000 points) requires massive spend ($10,000 during the first six months). The prime benefit: a Priority Pass Select membership complete with the airport-restaurant benefit. There's also a useful "mobile-phone protection" benefit that gets you up to $800 if your device is damaged or stolen. There's one interesting statement credit--$200 for charges on Airbnb and VRBO--and one of modest interest: a $300 credit for a charge made via Capital One Travel. And one "benefit" to ignore: Hertz President's Club status. GET REWARDED FOR THE WAY YOU TRAVEL

Capital One: Savor Cashback With a $300 Statement Credit
Capital One has come roaring back in the wallet wars with a fine points-transfer option and generous acquisition bonuses on its flagship Venture card. But I'm convinced the best card offered by Capital One is Savor. It offers 4% cashback on all dining and entertainment spending and 3% on grocery spending. It is a compelling offer for a card with a $95 annual fee. Now there's another perk: a $300 statement credit when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Information: the Capital One SAVOR REWARDS page.