We’re now in Quarter 3 of 2024, and it’s as soon as once more time to revisit our Factors Valuations, which we replace on a quarterly foundation.
Air France KLM Flying Blue continues its rollout of recent airline companions, this time with the addition of Oman Air. The Muscat-based provider affords a wonderful enterprise class and First Class product, and the brand new partnership offers us a brand new option to redeem miles for it.
In a really welcome improvement, AIR MILES just lately made it doable to convert Dream Miles into Money Miles, and vice versa. That is one other constructive improvement for this system, which has been receiving loads of love from BMO since its buy in Spring 2023.
Finnair Plus turned the newest oneworld airline loyalty program to undertake Avios as its forex in March 2024, after which in Could 2024, it turned doable to switch Finnair Avios to British Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio. Reserving transatlantic flights by way of Helsinki could be a horny choice, and the addition additional bolsters Avios as a forex.
As a part of the continuing shakeup within the lodge loyalty world, Hilton Honors formally rolled out its unique partnership with Small Luxurious Accommodations of the World (SLH) this quarter. Whereas the rollout is gradual, hopefully it means extra wonderful methods to redeem Hilton Honors factors and Free Night time Rewards going ahead.
Earlier than we delve into the valuations, a pleasant reminder that the main target of those valuations lies within the goal redemption worth of every factors forex, quite than the acquisition price that you just would possibly incur (which may fluctuate considerably relying on how you like to earn factors).
Air France KLM Flying Blue
In June 2024, Air France KLM Flying Blue added Oman Air as its newest redemption associate, opening up entry to an awesome enterprise class and First Class product.
If in case you have a visit deliberate to or by the Center East, remember to think about Flying Blue to your redemption, for the reason that award pricing is aggressive with different packages (specifically Aeroplan). The one catch is that there are reasonable quantities of taxes and charges, which fluctuate relying on the category of service.
What’s additionally attention-grabbing about that is that Flying Blue has been persistently including new companions over the previous 12 months or so, which makes Flying Blue miles all of the extra intriguing.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see what Flying Blue has in retailer subsequent, because it continues so as to add worth to its program at a time when many different loyalty packages are administering unwelcome devaluations.
- Continued valuation: 2 cents per mile (CAD) / 1.5 cents per mile (USD)
AIR MILES
For a few years, one side of the AIR MILES program that customers didn’t like was not with the ability to switch between Dream Miles and Money Miles.
As a part of BMO’s ongoing refresh of this system, the newest improvement is that you could now switch between Dream Miles and Money Miles, albeit with some strings connected.
This new skill is proscribed to Gold and Onyx collectors, with the previous being allowed to switch as much as 1,000 AIR MILES annually, whereas the latter can achieve this with out limits.
Thankfully, acquiring Gold or Onyx standing is simple, as you simply must have the fitting bank card or earn a selected variety of AIR MILES in a calendar 12 months.
Hopefully, it is a signal of continued enhancements being made to this system, which nonetheless has some work to do to regain the relevance it as soon as loved.
- Continued valuation: 10.5 cents per mile (CAD)
Finnair Plus
In March 2024, Finnair formally adopted Avios because the forex for its loyalty program, Finnair Plus. Then, in Could 2024, Finnair Avios turned transferrable with British Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio.
As a reminder, Avios is now the forex utilized by Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Vueling.
Probably the most attention-grabbing side of that is that there are benefits to reserving the identical flight with one program over one other. And since you possibly can immediately convert Avios into one other “flavour” of Avios at a 1:1 ratio, that bit of additional effort may end up in important financial savings.
For instance, a one-way flight in enterprise class from New York to Helsinki prices the identical 62,500 Avios if booked by British Airways Govt Membership or Finnair Plus.
Nevertheless, in case you guide by Finnair Plus, you’ll solely pay $141 (USD) in taxes and charges, versus the whopping $1,426 (USD) you’d pay by British Airways Govt Membership.
If in case you have your eyes set on a visit to Finland or wherever else that Finnair flies, remember to think about shifting your Avios round to see what’s doable and the way it stacks as much as different packages.
- Valuation: 2 cents per level (CAD) / 1.5 cents per level (USD)
Hilton Honors
For the previous 12 months or so, we’ve seen various shake-ups within the lodge loyalty panorama. Marriott Bonvoy and MGM launched a partnership, World of Hyatt made ties with Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Hilton Honors launched an unique partnership with Small Luxurious Accommodations of the World (SLH).
In June 2024, we began to see the rollout of the Hilton Honors and SLH partnership, which can steadily proceed till many properties develop into out there by Hilton reserving channels.
Thankfully, SLH properties use Customary Room Reward charges, which implies that you’re capable of redeem Hilton Honors factors and Free Night time Rewards for stays.
At the moment, there’s little or no award availability for SLH properties; nonetheless, we’re hopeful that it’s going to change within the close to future.
If it occurs, remember to preserve a watch out for award availability at aspirational SLH properties, reminiscent of Calala Island in Nicaragua, for an excellent redemption.
- Continued valuation: 0.7 cents per level (CAD) / 0.5 cents per level (USD)
Factors Valuations, Quarter 2 2024
Right here’s a abstract of our Factors Valuations for Quarter 2 of 2024. You possibly can discuss with the Factors Valuations web page for a full record with further notes.
Air France KLM Flying Blue | ||
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan | ||
American Airways AAdvantage | ||
American Specific (Canada) Membership Rewards | ||
American Specific (US) Membership Rewards | ||
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | ||
Nationwide Financial institution À la carte Rewards | ||
Singapore Airways KrisFlyer | ||
Conclusion
The second quarter of 2024 noticed some constructive enhancements to a number of packages, which is nice for Miles & Factors fanatics.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see what the latter half of 2024 has in retailer, particularly since some packages (specifically Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership) have been implementing no-notice devaluations to some longstanding candy spots.
Keep in mind, deal with these numbers as merely a suggestion for cheap goal redemption values when deciding whether or not to redeem factors or pay money to your subsequent journey.
Finally, the worth derived from each redemption shall be subjective to the person traveller, and our valuations are designed as an example a mean benchmark throughout the group to assist inform your choice as you think about your subsequent factors redemption.
