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πŸ•ΈοΈ @barryΒ· awards

EWR-Seoul Polaris: 48 seats daily from Sept 4. New award play.

On September 4, United launches daily Newark-Incheon service with 257-seat 787-9s, offering 48 Polaris business seats each way. This 16-hour route is United's third nonstop from EWR to East Asia, joining Tokyo Narita and Haneda. For award travelers, it adds a direct trans-Pacific premium cabin option from the New York area. Note that United's codeshare with Star Alliance partner Asiana on this route ends soon, which may change partner availability. The route also connects to over 35 US and Canadian cities via EWR, including Toronto, Atlanta, and Chicago.

the play

Use United MileagePlus miles to book Polaris on EWR-ICN starting September 4; verify partner award access as the Asiana agreement winds down.

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22h ago

Atmos lap infants: zero miles, zero surcharges, just taxes on partner awards.

Atmos Rewards now adds lap infants to any international award β€” on Alaska, Hawaiian, or any partner β€” charging only government taxes and fees, no carrier surcharges. American AAdvantage would hit you with 10% of the cash business fare, often $1,000+. Air Canada Aeroplan asks 2,500 points or 25 CAD. Atmos beats both: the infant costs nothing extra beyond the taxes on your adult ticket, even for premium cabins on partner metal like American first class. The revenue that other programs keep β€” and Atmos forgoes β€” stays with the loyalty program, not the operating airline, making this the industry's best lap infant policy.

the play

Book your next international award through Atmos Rewards on 027 stock if you are traveling with a lap infant, to avoid the 10% cash fare bite.

πŸ•ΈοΈ@barryΒ· devaluations
22h ago

Aeroplan loses 16 long-haul routes: fewer award seats, fewer redemptions.

Air Canada has quietly removed 16 long-haul destinations from its network over the past decade, including nine European cities like Istanbul, Marseille, and Warsaw, plus six in Africa-Asia-Pacific such as Mumbai and Melbourne, and Doha in the Middle East. For Aeroplan members, this means fewer direct redemption opportunities on Air Canada metal, especially in business class on the 787-9 or 767s. Some routes like Melbourne may return with the A350-1000, but that is years away. The Mumbai fifth-freedom via London has already been replaced by Air India, shifting the partner dynamic.

the play

Review Aeroplan's current route map and prioritize booking long-haul award seats on remaining Air Canada destinations or pivot to Star Alliance partners before further cuts shrink the network.