Is My US Airways Companion Pass Worth The Paper It’s Printed On?

Babies! First of all, let me congratulate all of you who were able to get the US Airways Mastercard while that sexy 50,000 mile bonus was still strutting around the internet. We can all congratulate each other once again when we are flying first class and drinking champagne with those sweet miles!  But there is more to this card than just miles…

There is also the companion pass! Which is not as glamorous as your award redemptions will be, but is a useful little slip of paper. What the companion certificate does is allow you to book up to 2 additional passengers on a paid US Airways ticket for $99 per person.

So let’s say you are planning to go to Hawaii to investigate Donald Trump’s claim that he was born on planet Earth. Then you are out of luck, as the certificate is only good for travel to the 48 contiguous states and Canada (plus there’s no way he is from Earth). If, however, you wanted to go with your two bestest buddies to Los Angeles to eat some tacos and get a medical marijuana prescription, then this little certificate is great!

They better be some damn good tacos for that kind of money!
They better be some damn good tacos for that kind of money!

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When Buying Miles Makes Sense

Do you have few miles or points but would still like to fly business class?

Do you have some money to spend on upcoming travel but not enough to buy those hilariously priced business class tickets?

I feel your pain!  Flying coach on long-haul trips sucks and I spend an inordinate amount of time making sure that I avoid ever having to do it again.  Mostly, my strategies revolve around using credit card sign up bonuses to build up large balances of frequent flyer miles that I can redeem for business and first class travel.  But it takes time to build up these balances.

For those with travel plans that are happening in the very near future they might benefit from another way to avoid coach that doesn’t involve taking out a second mortgage on their cat.

When Buying Miles Makes Sense

It makes sense to buy miles when A) you might otherwise have paid for the business class ticket or B) you really don’t want to fly coach and are willing to pay a little extra to avoid it.

Alaska Airlines miles can be used to book business class on Cathay and Emirates
Alaska Airlines miles can be used to book business class on Cathay and Emirates

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Do Eat the Caviar in First Class (Part Dos of Dos)

3 windows and an aisle? yes, please!
3 windows and an aisle? yes, please!

This is the second part in a three part series that begins here:

And now onto the flight!

Initial impressions of the seat and the cabin:

Cathay Pacific First Class Cabin
Cathay Pacific First Class Cabin

The cabin is lovely and spacious.  There are no overhead bins, as each passenger gets their own little closet, and that makes it feel like you have tons of vertical space.  The seats are huge, comfortable and have a full range of adjustments, including lumbar support.  The decor is tasteful for an airplane.  There are little vases built into the cabin where they put a live orchid, which is a very nice touch.

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50k US Airways Offer Gone From Barclays Site. Last Chance To Apply.

As of today the US Airways Dividend Miles card with a 50,000 mile bonus offer has been removed from the Barclays site.  Thankfully, I still have a working link for you, though this final opportunity to get the card will likely be short lived.

Barclays US Airways card
Barclays US Airways card

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Do Eat the Caviar in First Class (Part Uno of Dos)

Caviar in Cathay First Class
Caviar in Cathay First Class

The time had come for our next adventure and it was starting, as all good adventures do, with a flight in Cathay Pacific first class, booked with my AAdvantage miles.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that flying Cathay First is an experience that will change everything you thought you knew about flying.  It is so unlike everything that I have previously associated with the trans-Pacific flight experience, and in all the most delightful ways.  Some people like flying, some people don’t mind it, but I have generally hated it for most of my life.  This has not stopped me from flying a great deal, but all I had known of flying before my foray into travel hacking was suffering.  And Cathay first removes the suffering and replaces it with caviar.

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30 Days Left To Get 50,000 Miles for $89

30 days left to get 50,000 miles for $89 dollars.

Barclays US Airways card
Barclays US Airways card

It’s not that often that credit card companies are willing to shower you with miles for next to nothing, but that is exactly what is currently happening with the Barclays US Airways credit card. The sign up bonus is 50,000 US Airways Dividend miles after first purchase and paying the annual fee of $89. So for $89 and a $0.50 Amazon gift certificate to yourself, you can top up your Dividend miles balance by a cool 50,000 miles.

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