It can be a bit depressing to see a big fat zero next to the elite status tracker in your frequent flier profile at the start of the year. But a few bonus miles from these promotions can help put a smile back on your face.
Photo credit, Delta/screenshot
Earn 1,000 Delta SkyMiles for partner activities. Delta has loads of mileage partners — and not just of the flying variety. A promotion valid until Feb. 29 offers members 1,000 miles for earning SkyMiles with two of Delta’s non-flying partners. This could include purchasing something with a Delta SkyMiles American Express card, buying items through SkyMilesShopping.com, or earning through SkyMiles Dining. This is an easy chance for 1,000 miles by doing things that you might normally do anyway.
Photo credit, jetBlue
Get discounts and bonus points with jetBlue and Emirates. Emirates and jetBlue have a new codeshare partnership, and to celebrate the tie-up, the carriers have offered a promo that gives users both a discount on Emirates flights and bonus TrueBlue points. Discounts vary from $50-$1,000 and bonus points vary from 2x to 3x, depending on class of service. Registration is required before travel, which must be booked by Feb. 7 and must take place between Jan. 11 and the end of April.
Photo credit, Starwood/screenshot
Grab bonus SkyMiles miles for a Starwood hotel stay. Book a stay of two nights or more at a participating Starwood hotel and earn 1,000 bonus Delta SkyMiles. To make sure the miles are awarded, double check that your SkyMiles number is listed in your Starwood Preferred Guest profile. This promotion will last throughout 2016, but stays must be made by the end of next year.
Photo credit, American Airlines/screenshot
Score big on American’s new route to Australia. If you’re heading down under on American’s new Los Angeles-Sydney flight, make sure you sign up with this promotion. Even the cheapest tickets earn you 5,000 bonus miles per roundtrip, for up to three trips, while flying in business or first class will get you 30,000 miles for up to three roundtrips. The offer is valid between now and May 31.
Photo credit, Air France KLM/screenshot
Fly to Europe at a discount. Flying Blue (the loyalty program of Air France and KLM) routinely puts various award flights on sale. To bring in the new year, this SPG-transfer partner has put nearly three dozen specific routes on sale for between 20%-25% in January. Routes include city pairs in Europe and Canada or Mexico, as well as intra-Europe. There is no registration required, and travel must take place in March and April.
Photo credit, Turkish Airlines/screenshot
Take advantage of this Turkish Airlines sale. Members of Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program can shave 25% off the award cost for flight redemptions to 107 destinations in the airline’s network. There is no need to register for this promotion as the point discount is automatically applied. The only restriction is that flights must be booked and flown between now and Feb. 27.
Photo credit, Malaysia Airlines/screenshot
Fly in business class for half off. Members of Malaysia Airlines Enrich program can book business class award flights to destinations across Southeast Asia for 50% off with no registration required. Tickets must be booked between now and Jan. 17, but travel can take place any time through the end of March.