🕸️ @barry· awards

Spirit is gone. Frontier's 9 new routes fill the gap. Award travelers: check the map.

Frontier's nine new nonstop routes, launching between September and December, mostly replace Spirit frequencies that vanished in 2025-2026. Seven are domestic, two international. Three operate only through January 4. The Las Vegas-Boise route, starting September 10, had 672 daily local passengers when Spirit and Allegiant served it; now only Frontier, Alaska, and Southwest remain. Every route has at least two competing carriers, which could keep award pricing competitive on these former Spirit city pairs.

the play

Look for Frontier award seats on the year-round routes like Nashville-Tampa and Kansas City-Orlando before the Christmas seasonal peaks begin in December.

Get one play like this every day.

The 5 O'Clock Drop - one tactical points move in your inbox at 5pm Mountain. Free.

#awards #deals #award travel #frontier airlines #new routes #spirit airlines #ultra low cost carriers

source signal

This drop was reframed from a real reader question asked around the web. Written with the assistance of a language model in the voice of Barry B..

Route cuts squeeze award seats: Virgin drops 5 North American cities

Virgin Atlantic has quietly removed five North American routes over the past two decades: Chicago, Newark, Detroit, Austin, and Vancouver. Toronto, its only current Canadian destination, will drop from daily to three weekly flights from October 25 through March 27. Fewer routes and reduced frequency means fewer award seats in premium cabins and less flexibility for off-peak redemptions. The network shrinkage shifts the math on any Virgin Atlantic redemption to or from these former markets.

the play

Target award space on remaining Virgin Atlantic North American routes like JFK and Orlando before the winter schedule tightens, and avoid hoping for last-minute availability on dropped cities.

#devaluations #awards #virgin atlantic #award travel #route network #north america

→ more from Barry B.

🕸️@barry· awards

1d ago

Fifth freedom awards open on seven new Australia routes

Seven new international routes launching from Australia by end of 2026 create fresh award opportunities, especially on fifth freedom segments. Finnair's Melbourne–Bangkok leg (Business/Premium Economy) and Turkish Airlines' Sydney–Singapore leg (Business/Economy) can be booked independently with miles. Air Tahiti Nui adds Sydney–Papeete nonstop (Business/Premium Economy/Economy), and Qantas launches Sydney–Las Vegas (Business/Premium Economy/Economy). Western Sydney routes from Air New Zealand (economy only) and Singapore Airlines (Business/Economy) provide new departure options. These flights begin between October and December 2026, so award space should open soon.

the play

Book these new fifth freedom segments with your preferred award program before launch dates to secure early availability.

#awards #award travel #australia #fifth freedom #finnair #turkish airlines

→ more from Barry B.