THE BIG TRAVEL DEAL

Finnair: What Happens After Your Lemonade Turns Sour, Too?
The airlines don't deserve our consideration when they hit hard financial times, but we should have a little sympathy for scrappy, better-than-average Finnair. The Oneworld-aligned carrier survived for decades providing safe, reliable and stylish connections to the Baltic States and Russia (and the Soviet Union before that) over its compact hub at Vantaa Airport near Helsinki. When the West hit Russia with sanctions after its 2014 seizure of Crimea, Finnair made lemonade and refocused Vantaa as a hub connecting the United States and Western Europe with Asia. The problem with that strategy? When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, overflying Russian airspace became impossible and there went Finnair's Asia strategy. So what does Finnair do now? Promote Helsinki itself, a charming (if chilly) Nordic city with plenty to offer. The current deal: $489 roundtrip from New York in coach and only $2,923 roundtrip in business class. There are similarly good deals from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, Finnair's other two nonstop U.S. gateways. Travel is valid until May 16, but you must hurry: Tickets must be purchased by end of day September 26. Information: the Finnair SPECIAL OFFERS page.

OTHER NOTABLE NEW DEALS & DISCOUNTS

Southwest Airlines: Four Ways to Goose Companion Pass Earnings
Domestic air travel and advance bookings have fallen recently and Southwest Airlines has a promotion to combat the decline: Four options to quickly goose your Companion Pass earnings. Until November 30, you'll earn double Companion Pass points on all flights. It'll be triple points if you book your flights through SWABiz.com, a GDS or SPS. You'll also earn double points for every dollar spent on a Southwest/Chase credit card. You will even earn Companion Pass credit for flights flown using Rapid Rewards points. There are several requirements, of course: You must register in advance and flights already booked through November 30 do not count. If you want credit for those, you have to cancel and rebook after registering.

Air Tahiti Nui: Secret Nonstops to Paris, Surprisingly Cheap
Once upon a time, before ultra-long-haul flights were a thing, airlines overcame the daunting distances by flying between third countries en route to their destination. They were often permitted to carry passengers between those nations in order to fill their aircraft. A few of these "secret flights" still exist today. One example: Air Tahiti Nui, which connects its Polynesian home to Paris via the United States. The surprisingly good island carrier can fly you nonstop from Los Angeles or Seattle and Paris/CDG for notably inexpensive fares in coach or premium economy. The roundtrip coach fares start at $775 from Seattle and $875 from Los Angeles. Premium economy class--38 inches of legroom at seats configured 2x3x2 on Boeing 787s, 13-inch at-seat monitors and amenity kits--runs about $1,700 roundtrip. Information: the Air Tahiti Nui FLIGHTS TO PARIS page.

4Q Promotions: Hotel Chains Aren't That Interested
Quarterly promotions by the major hotel groups have been the lifeblood of the chains' frequency programs. The promos--extra miles, extra elite status, cash rewards--were usually aimed at swaying your loyalty and moving your bookings. But the major hotel chains just don't seem to be interested in competing anymore and their wan 4Q promotions show that pretty clearly. (Actually, the terms and conditions this quarter seem particularly opaque.) Do sign up for them if you think you might stay along the way. But there's little here to sway business from your current preferred lodgings.
        Best Western Rewards usually rotates promotions between free nights and cashback gift cards. This quarter it offers bonus points--5,000 for every two stays--and that payback is notably weak. You must register for the so-called Rewards Rush offer, of course. You can earn up to four 5,000-point awards during the promo's run, which extends to November 20. Only Best Western-aligned in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean are part of the equation.
        Choice Privileges usually offers the cheesiest promotions and this quarter is no exception. It claims the offer is a free night after two stays before November 6, but the fine print tells another tale. The actual payoff is only 5,000-8,000 points and, as Choice itself notes, a "free night at most Choice locations requires more than 8,000 points." So there's that lie. Plus there are exceptions: You don't get credit for stays at WoodSpring Suites, Ascend Collection hotels and all-inclusive resorts. There also are a dizzying number of nightly rates that don't qualify, either. Advance registration is required, but why bother when Choice is making such a disingenuous offer?
        Hilton Honors is offering double points on each stay and triple points on stays in select major cities, including Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Shanghai. Advance registration for the so-called Multiply Your Points promotion is required, of course. The earning period extends to December 31.
        World of Hyatt players are being wooed with a complicated Bonus Journeys promotion. First, register by November 10 and stay between October 6 and November 30. For that, you'll earn 3,000 bonus points for every three stays. Hyatt/Chase cardholders receive an addition 1,000 points for every three nights. Both bonuses can be earned up to seven times during the promo period. The first offer is valid at Hyatt and participating Small Luxury Hotels. The credit card bonus, however, is only valid at around 550 properties in about a dozen countries.
        Marriott Bonvoy is offering 1,500 bonus points per stay and another 3,000 points for every three of its brands you use during the promotional period. Advance registration for the so-called Go Your Way promotion is required and the earning period extends to December 6.

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WHAT WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW
Award Watch: Milan/Malpensa to New York on November 21, 2023
If you learn nothing else from this exercise, you'll learn that Delta SkyMiles is so rapaciously out of touch that comparisons would be laughable if they weren't so relentlessly depressing. To claim a one-way nonstop award in main cabin coach from Milan/Malpensa to New York/JFK, Delta is charging 54,000 miles plus 194 euros ($206.75) in fees and taxes. Its direct competitor on the run, American Airlines, is charging just 29,000 AAdvantage miles and $46.45 in taxes. Across the Hudson River, United Airlines flies nonstop to Newark Airport from MXP. Its charge for a seat in main cabin coach: 40,000 MileagePlus miles and $46.45 in taxes. The comparison in business class is even more stark and more depressing. Delta charges 375,000 miles and tacks on 194 euros in fees. American's business class award is just 78,000 miles and $46.45 in taxes. A business class seat on United's MXP-EWR run is 127,000 miles and $46.45 in taxes.

Price Check: Detroit/Metro to Phoenix Sky Harbor on October 16, 2023
If you must fly nonstop from Detroit/Metro to Phoenix, you have three options: Delta, American and the low-fare/high-fee player Frontier Airlines. Delta has a hub at DTW, of course, and American maintains a hub in Phoenix. Here's what's available on Monday, October 16. Delta has the most nonstops by far. On its 4:25pm departure, you'll pay $409 one-way for a main cabin coach seat on an Airbus A321. First class is $759. Over at American, a main cabin coach seat on its Airbus A321 departure at 6:03pm will set you back $246, notably less than Delta. American's first class price, $779, is a few bucks higher, however. Frontier also flies an A321 on its daily nonstop departing at 3:06pm. Its "standard" coach fare is $219, but you'll pay for a second carry-on and a seat assignment. That more than offsets its minimal fare advantage over American's coach price.

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THE DISCOUNTS UP THERE

La Compagnie: $2,400 Roundtrip to Milan in Business Class
Paris-based La Compagnie is justifiably best-known for its Newark-Paris/Orly flights on all-business-class narrowbody aircraft. But it also flies Newark-Milan/Malpensa nonstop in the same configuration. The lesser-known route is always on promotion. La Compagnie's current offer: $2,400 roundtrip on a few days in November and December and on most days in the low season of January, February and March. Information: the La Compagnie 100% SMART page.

GROUND DEALS

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 AED299--that's about US$82--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 Burj Al Arab TOUR OF AN ICON page.

CREDIT CARD ACQUISITION BONUSES

Chase: Five Free Marriott Nights (Maybe) For $5,000 in Spend
It's hard to keep track of all the Marriott-branded credit cards given the pace that Chase and American Express churn them out. But the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is offering five Marriott free night certificates when you spend $5,000 during the first 90 days you have the card. In fairness, however, that isn't as rich as it seems. With Marriott's dynamic pricing, many of its properties cost more than the 50,000-point cap on the free nights. So know you needs. As an everyday spend card, Boundless offers six points per dollar on Marriott spend; three points per dollar on the first $6,000 combined spend at grocery stores and gas stations and on dining purchases; and two points per dollar spent on other charges. The annual fee is $95 and is bundled with silver status in Bonvoy and 15 elite credits per year. Information: the Chase SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU page.

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 X 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 an additional perk: a $300 statement credit when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Information: the Capital One SAVOR REWARDS page.

Barclays/Hawaiian Airlines: 70,000 Bonus Points Plus More
Hawaiian Airlines is a niche carrier to Hawaii, of course, but its niche is growing larger. Besides coverage around the West Coast, Hawaiian also flies nonstop to Honolulu from Boston and New York/Kennedy. (The Boston flight is actually the nation's longest domestic nonstop.) Which explains why you may be interested in the Hawaiian Airlines credit cards from Barclays. The consumer version has an acquisition bonus of 70,000 miles after you spend $2,000 in the first 90 days. The card also offers a one-time 50% off coupon for a companion coach roundtrip ticket between Hawaii and the mainland and an annual $100 companion discount. The annual fee is $99.

Bank of America: 50,000 Points in the Worthy Flying Blue Program
The Air France/KLM World Elite Mastercard from Bank of America is worth getting just for its acquisition bonus: 50,000 Flying Blue points for $2,000 in spend within 90 days. The Air France KLM Flying Blue program is useful for a raft of reasons: While it charges co-pays of as much as $300 one-way on business class tickets, you can often find forward-cabin seats to Europe for as little as 55,000 points one-way. That is substantially cheaper than dealing with Delta's rapacious SkyMiles program. Moreover, you can move American Express, Chase, Capital One and Citibank points into Flying Blue. The annual fee is $89. Information: the Bank of America ONLINE OFFER page.