Alaska just added two new nonstop routes to Europe as the battle for Seattle heats up. Also today: Kyle’s latest dispatch from Tokyo puts Delta One Suites to the test, and Bilt Cash has a surprising new use (with a catch).
🇪🇺 Alaska Doubles Down on Europe With 2 New Routes
Alaska is adding two new nonstop routes from Seattle this spring: Athens (ATH) starting May 12, and Paris (CDG) starting May 25. That’ll bring Alaska’s Seattle-Europe network to five routes in total, joining existing service to London (LHR), Reykjavik (KEF), and Rome (FCO).
The new flights to Athens run three times weekly, while service to Paris is a bit more robust with five departures per week. Both routes are seasonal, running through October on one of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Alaska picked up in the Hawaiian merger, providing a solid economy class experience and lie-flat business suites.
Cash fares are already live at $999 roundtrip, but Alaska says that introductory price is only available through Aug. 26. It’s a fine fare for West Coast-to-Europe routes like these, though I wouldn’t rush to book just for that special price – it wouldn’t be surprising to see similar (or better) pricing in the future.
Meanwhile, if you’re sitting on Atmos Rewards points, economy runs 30,000 points each way. Business class is rough right now, starting at 175,000 points each way on the low end – I’d wait it out for a better redemption in the comfy seats if you can.
One more thing worth watching: Delta has matched nearly every Alaska international route out of Seattle in recent years, most recently with Tokyo-Narita service. Knowing that, I’d bet on Delta countering with an additional frequency to Paris or a new flight to Athens before long.
Check out the full story for more details!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
🎙️ New Pod Alert!
🥊 Biz Class Faceoff: Delta One vs. United Polaris
Kyle is out on vacation, so … Kyle is in – the younger, arguably cooler, and definitely taller Kyle, that is. Our podcast editor & social media guru, Kyle Thomas, joins Gunnar on the show to recap his recent flight in United’s new “Elevated” Polaris business class cabin over to London and answers the question: How does it stack up against his beloved Delta One?
Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!
🤝 Deal of the Day: Europe for 42K Miles Roundtrip!
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥
Why we love it: Fly to Europe for just 42k American Airlines AAdvantage miles roundtrip from more than 100 U.S. cities!
Best availability this winter and spring flying to several destinations across Europe.
Sign up now to get all the details on this deal & don’t miss the next flight deal alert.
Already a member? Log in to see all your deals. (Not seeing it? Remove your airport filters to see every deal.)
– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst
🏋️ Bilt and Equinox Just Became Gym Buddies
Bilt members, your Bilt Cash might soon be getting a workout … pun very much intended.
You can now redeem it for Equinox credits for things like spa treatments, personal training, and studio pilates at Equinox – the upscale gym chain known for its high-end amenities, and prices to match (a full membership can run $200+ a month).
The twice-per-year credit amount depends on your Bilt status tier and is available once every six months:
- $75 for Blue x 2
- $100 for Silver x 2
- $150 for Gold and Platinum x 2
Bilt Cash credits can’t be used on membership dues, retail purchases, or at the juice bar, and they expire at the end of each six-month window, so don’t let them sit.
New to Equinox? Sign up through the Bilt app or in an Equinox club and pick a welcome offer: 10,000 Bilt Points, a free personal training session, or a free 50-minute spa service.
Here’s the catch: Bilt’s terms require you to be an active Equinox member to actually convert Bilt Cash into a credit.
Anyone can book a spa appointment through the app, but only members can pay for it with Bilt Cash. And Equinox membership itself is the bigger hurdle. There are only about 100 clubs nationwide, and they’re heavily clustered in New York and Los Angeles. If you’re not already near a club, this “benefit” isn’t much of a benefit at all.
But Gary Leff at View from the Wing thinks there might be a workaround. Equinox also sells Equinox+, a standalone streaming app with on-demand workout classes that runs $39.99 a month on its own.
The Amex Platinum’s $300 Equinox credit sometimes reimburses the cost of that cheaper digital subscription rather than a full club membership.
If Bilt’s system recognizes an Equinox+ subscriber as an “active member,” you could theoretically use the Amex-funded Equinox+ account to unlock Bilt Cash redemptions without ever paying for a club.
This is brand new, so nobody’s confirmed it works yet, but if you’ve got data points, we’d love to see them. 👀
I’m a Bilt cardholder with a pile of Bilt Cash burning a hole in my pocket, and the nearest Equinox is over 400 miles from my front door. This new partnership doesn’t do much for me, but if you live in a market where Equinox actually operates, this might be worth your attention.
Read Bilt’s press release here
– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder
🥂 Delta One Suites on the A350 are Holding Up Strong
I’ve flown Delta One Suites a handful of times (though not quite as much as my coworker, Other/Younger/Cooler Kyle…) over the years and been torn whether they’re overhyped. On the flight home from Tokyo, I was convinced: This is a great way to fly.
This is the latest (but not quite last) report from my whirlwind trip to Tokyo last week – stay tuned for the last few installments!
– Kyle Potter, executive editor
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Seats: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service & Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amenities & More: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐
What I liked: What’s not to like about your own lie-flat suite for nine hours?
Really, this is about as good as it gets for a U.S. airline. Though they’re now almost a decade old, they hold their own even against United and American’s brand-new business class suites.
I stand by my take that doors are overrated, but these do, in fact, provide some additional privacy. And while I’ve complained in the past that Delta’s seats on the A350 are rock hard, I didn’t have that experience on this flight – everything was quite comfortable.
Little touches showed just how much Delta is trying to up its game at the front of the cabin. The bedding was a huge upgrade from a flight just two years ago, with two excellent pillows and a substantial mattress pad (which, cleverly, rolls into a lumbar pillow).
The Missoni amenity kit and slippers were both stylish and substantial. And Taittinger champagne? Yes, please.
Honestly, I was impressed by the meal after takeoff. I wouldn’t have expected Delta’s Japanese set meal to hold its own against the mighty Japan Airlines but every bite was tasty. The vegetables with my braised beef, though, were cooked to oblivion.
Yes, but: Delta might be the best in the U.S. (or at least in the conversation), but it has a loooong way to go to close the gap with the best airlines in the world.
The suites themselves are comfortable but showing their age – especially when it comes to technology.
The 18-inch screens were massive and crisp as could be when these planes first took flight back in 2017, but not anymore. Built-in wireless charging was hit-or-miss … and mostly miss.
I’ll always pick a seat positioned away from the aisle when flying solo, but these window suites (in odd rows on this jet) are severely lacking when it comes to storage space. Even-numbered suites closer to the aisle have an additional cubby.
And service was … fine. Just fine. Not great, certainly not bad, but also by no means memorable.
How I booked it: In order to piece together this quick trip to Tokyo, I had to get a little creative … and be vigilant.
For starters, I booked a flight in Delta One Suites from Tokyo-Haneda (HND) back to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) for 131,700 SkyMiles. That’s far from Delta’s typical 400,000-mile rate … but by no means the best deal in the world. I hoped I could do a bit better.
Thrifty Traveler Premium helped me. Yes, I’m really that selfish.
Just over a month ago, we sent subscribers an alert for Delta One Suites to Tokyo and back this summer for as low as 79,900 SkyMiles – the lowest rate we’ve seen in more than six years!
Within a few minutes, I canceled my existing flight and rebooked – with a quick stop in Seattle (SEA) – to save almost 52,000 SkyMiles!
That’s the real beauty of SkyMiles.
– Kyle Potter, executive editor
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 🇯🇵 ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL) are cutting their fuel surcharges on flights between Japan and North America by about 15% for tickets issued Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. (ANA, JAL)
- 🔮 Rumor: Amex may be prepping bigger offers on its Platinum, Gold, and Delta co-branded cards. Reported figures include 185,000 points on Platinum after $11,000 spend and 105,000 points on Gold after $12,000 spend, though nothing’s official yet. (Doctor of Credit)
- 💳 A targeted Amex Offer is giving Platinum cardholders $250 back after spending $2,000 on Delta flights – but only if you book through Amex Travel, not directly with Delta. (Frequent Miler)
