The new year brings more ways to earn and redeem points plus several offers where you can benefit from extra travel perks. Don’t miss these new deals, airline lounges and inflight amenities.
American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taking off from Miami International Airport
A new year reflects a fresh start. If your 2025 resolutions include traveling more often, more affordably and more luxuriously, keep reading. The latest news from the world of loyalty programs, frequent flyer tips and credit cards can help you align your travel planning for the year with the season’s top offers and perks. From new lounges to bonus points (or points-saving) promotions, keep this advice top of mind this month and throughout the year.
Hilton Hotel, San Diego Bayfront
Between now and April 30, Hilton Honors members that register for the Double Your Stay offer can earn twice as many points on eligible spending at Hilton family properties. This includes properties around the world from the Maldives to the Caribbean. Hilton Honors has also extended its new member bonus from last year. After signing up for the program, new members can earn as many as 3,000 extra points on upcoming stays.
KLM Airlines Boeing 737 taking off from Schiphol airport on a summer day.
Passengers that book mileage trips before the end of the month can take advantage of savings on trips through June 30. Travel between Miami or Phoenix and Europe on Air France in economy currently has a 25% discount on the miles needed for the trip. KLM economy class awards between Atlanta and Europe have a similar discount. Premium economy award redemptions have a 25% discount on flights between Cancun or New York JFK (on Air France) or Chicago (on KLM) and Europe. Even better, if traveling with children between the ages 2 and 12, you will receive an additional 25% discount on their award tickets.
Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki, Greece
After staying two nights (consecutive or separate) at any Best Western-branded hotel in the U.S., Canada or the Caribbean Islands, members earn 5,000 bonus points to redeem for a future trip. Travelers can earn as many as 20,000 points between now and Feb. 2, but be sure to register for the promotion before your first stay. Its sibling WorldHotels Rewards program has a similar offer through Feb. 2, but it has its own registration link.
Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisbon, Portugal
Score an extra $5 in loyalty currency when booking a Global Hotel Alliance DISCOVERY-member property using its app between now and the end of March. This collaboration of high-end brands includes swoon-worthy hotels like the Viceroy Snowmass, Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa and Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome. There’s another promotion for stays between now and the end of June (but be sure to register by March 31). For stays of at least two nights, members can earn up to $150 in bonus DISCOVERY Dollars after four trips.
The new Regent Santa Monica Beach
Earn double points at any IHG One Rewards partner between now and the end of March after registering for its Unlimited Double Points promotion. Members can get 2x points at top hotels like Regent Santa Monica Beach and Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya.
Qatar Airways Boeing 777 taking off from London Heathrow Airport
Earn 2,000 bonus Avios points when making your first reservation on the Qatar Airways website. Each subsequent booking earns 500 bonus points, and there is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Qatar Airways is known for its famous business class Qsuite with a private door and restaurant-quality dining, which now includes caviar on select flights to North America and other key destinations from Doha.
The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas
Bonus Journeys is back for the year offering double points (up to 20,000) at more than 1,600 World of Hyatt hotels around the world. If you have qualifying stays between Jan. 27 and March 28, be sure to register using this link before March 10 to benefit. And for stays at Hyatt Place or Hyatt House during the promotion period, you can earn triple points (up to 10,000). And if you’re looking for one of the newest hotels in the World of Hyatt portfolio: The Venetian Resort Las Vegas now offers members the chance to earn or redeem points.
American Airlines planes at Miami International Airport.
American AAdvantage kicks off the new year without making changes to its elite status qualifications (unlike some other programs). Members can earn status through flying, credit card spending or doing business with dozens of partners like shopping online or by staying at World of Hyatt properties after linking the two accounts. AAdvantage members also receive certain Loyalty Point Rewards after reaching various earning thresholds. New for 2025 are opportunities to earn Hyatt award stays or achieve Hyatt elite status.
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800
Another Oneworld alliance member, Alaska Airlines, has upgraded its Alaska Mileage Plan loyalty program. Starting this year, members can earn elite status from both paid flights and when redeeming miles for award trips. Members can also get closer to those coveted elite tiers by spending on an Alaska Airlines co-branded credit card or via their program partners.
Now that the merger between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines has been approved, frequent flyer members with elite status can match their tier with one carrier to the other. This is especially beneficial for Hawaiian’s top flyers who now have access to Oneworld elite status through Alaska.
United pops the cork on fancier champagne in business class.
Despite changing elite status requirements this year, United MileagePlus elite status flyers will receive a Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) bonus next month as a free head start. This should make it easier to achieve status and earn upgrades to premium cabins, including Polaris business class, which began serving Laurent-Perrier Champagne on board (just in time for New Year’s Eve).
It’s not all good news though. British Airways Executive Club has shifted its program to a revenue-based one, which means members earn elite status based on how much they spend rather than how often and how far they fly. The changes go into effect April 1, and that is not a joke.
The bar at the new Charlotte Sky Club
Charlotte’s bustling airport now has a new lounge for Delta Air Lines flyers and eligible American Express cardholders. A few weeks ago, the airline’s latest Sky Club opened in Concourse A near gate A32 with 14,000 sq ft of seating, food buffet and bar service, and soundproofed booths for phone calls.
The new LOT Polish lounge at Chicago O’Hare, which is open to Star Alliance members.
Star Alliance members have another lounge option at Chicago O’Hare now that LOT Polish has opened its first branded lounge outside of Poland. Access to the Terminal 5 lounge is open to business class flyers on its flights and Star Alliance Gold cardholders flying out of the same terminal on a Star Alliance international flight.
Etihad flies from a new terminal at Abu Dhabi’s international airport.
Etihad flyers departing from or transiting through Abu Dhabi and bound for the United States can once again access U.S. Pre-Clearance facilities in the airport. Following the opening of a sparkling, new terminal, the time-saving passport option to clear immigration for the U.S. before takeoff from Abu Dhabi had been put on temporary hold. It is now in full swing so that when passengers land stateside, they can save substantial time and deplane as if they are a domestic arrival.
Flying Air Canada on domestic or transborder flights between Canada and the U.S.? There are some exciting changes for 2025: free wine, beer and snacks in economy class.
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