Smart With Points Podcast - Boost Your Miles & Points

Hello and welcome back to Smart With Points! I'm Jack, and if you're like me, you probably have a complex relationship with airline status. You know the feeling - you spend months chasing elite qualification, only to have it expire just when you need it most. Well, today I've got some absolutely brilliant news that might solve that problem, at least if you've been following our ITA Airways coverage. We're talking about a completely free status match that could give you Star Alliance-wide lounge access until February two thousand and twenty-seven. Yes, you heard that right - two thousand and twenty-seven! So grab your favourite travel mug and let's dive into this fantastic opportunity.

Before we get to the main story though, let me quickly share a few exciting updates from the aviation world. Emirates is absolutely going all-out on their London service this winter, adding six more weekly flights between Heathrow and Dubai. That brings their total to an incredible forty-eight flights per week - essentially creating a shuttle service between the two cities. It's almost like they're running a bus route, but with much better views and significantly more legroom!

If you're looking for a quick points boost, British Airways Wine Flyer has a lovely offer running. Spend one hundred pounds excluding subscriptions and use the code AUTUMN3K for three thousand bonus Avios. That's essentially like buying Avios at three point three pence each, which isn't terrible if you were planning to buy the wine anyway. Just don't tell your partner I encouraged you to justify wine purchases with points maths!

Now, let's get to the main event - this absolutely massive opportunity for anyone who has ITA Airways status. Lufthansa is offering a completely free status match from ITA Volare that could transform your travel experience for the next couple of years. Here's how it works.

If you're an ITA Club Plus member, you can match to Lufthansa Frequent Traveller status. This gives you lounge access on Lufthansa Group airlines, which is already pretty decent. But here's where it gets really exciting - if you're an ITA Club Premium or Executive member, you'll receive Senator status, which means Star Alliance-wide benefits. We're talking lounge access across the entire Star Alliance network!

The best part? This status is valid until February two thousand and twenty-seven, with standard requalification options available. That's potentially over two years of elite benefits from a completely free status match. It's almost too good to be true, but it's absolutely legitimate.

Now, there's one crucial detail you need to get right when applying. Make sure to select 'Great Britain' as your country, not 'United Kingdom'. I know it sounds ridiculous, but apparently the system will reject your application if you choose United Kingdom. It's one of those quirky bureaucratic things that makes no sense, but just go with Great Britain and you'll be fine.

This opportunity is particularly valuable for anyone who grabbed ITA Volare status in recent years, especially those clever people who matched from British Airways. If that's you, congratulations - you're about to turn that initial status match into something significantly more valuable.

Let me share a few more quick aviation updates while we're here. Air Canada has made a nice improvement to their economy experience by offering complimentary beer, wine, and Canadian-made snacks on all flights, including routes to Mexico and the Caribbean. It's not revolutionary, but it's a pleasant upgrade to the basic economy experience.

Qatar Airways has been busy expanding their network through new codeshares with Aer Lingus and LEVEL, adding eighteen additional US routes via Dublin. This is particularly interesting for those of us who prefer to avoid the chaos of Heathrow - connecting through Dublin can be a much more pleasant experience.

And speaking of pleasant experiences, British Airways has unveiled their refreshed Dubai lounge, featuring new bars, bespoke furniture, and improved menus. The Concorde Dining Room is looking particularly impressive from the photos I've seen.

Before we wrap up, let me mention some current buy points offers that might be worth considering. JetBlue TrueBlue is offering a one hundred and thirty percent bonus at just one point four cents per point until October twenty-eighth, two thousand and twenty-five. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a seventy percent bonus priced at one point four eight cents, ending October twelfth, two thousand and twenty-five. And Wyndham Rewards has a ninety percent discount at zero point six eight cents through October twenty-first, two thousand and twenty-five.

There are also some other notable offers running, including World of Hyatt at twenty percent discount for two point zero eight cents, ending October sixth, two thousand and twenty-five.

The key takeaway from today's episode is definitely that Lufthansa status match opportunity. If you have ITA status, this is genuinely too good to miss. Star Alliance-wide lounge access until February two thousand and twenty-seven for absolutely nothing? That's the kind of deal that makes this hobby so rewarding.

That's all for today's episode of Smart With Points. Thank you so much for listening, and if you enjoyed the show, please make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe directly on our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk to stay up to date with all the latest miles and points news.

Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.