Just two days after United announced a baker’s dozen of new routes for next summer, American Airlines has countered with a handful of its own new destinations. We also cover which cards are best to apply for when you need to make a purchase in a pinch, highlight a reader success story, and much more.
- 📍 American Joins the New Routes Party (Ft. Vienna & Porto!)
- 🎙️ Episode 77: The Travel Credit Card Fantasy Draft
- 🤝 Deal of the Day: Turkish Biz Class to Istanbul for 65K Pts.
- The Library Everyone Is Talking About
- 💳 Which Banks Give a Virtual Card Number to Use Instantly?
- 📖 Gettin’ Booksy: Dr. Shiloh’s Summer Adventure
- 🍻 Minneapolis: Join Us for a First Class Happy Hour!
- ✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
📍 American Joins the New Routes Party (Ft. Vienna & Porto!)
American Airlines announced its new Europe routes for next year, including two brand new American destinations in Austria and Portugal and the renewal of flights to Iceland.
Here are the new, renewed, and enhanced routes AA will add to the map next spring:
- Philadelphia (PHL) to Porto, Portugal (OPO): Starting March 28 on an Airbus A321XLR
- PHL to Vienna (VIE): Starting May 6 on an Airbus A321XLR
AA is throwing its new single-aisle Airbus A321XLR – with less seats to fill – at these new destinations to see how they do. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move that’s only possible with the increased range on these new jets.
Vienna also becomes the third Central European destination added in as many years following Budapest and Prague. That route will run through Christmas Markets season, too!
- PHL to Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF): Starting May 27 on an Airbus A321neo
KEF returns to AA’s map after the airline cancelled Dallas (DFW) – KEF in 2020.
- Charlotte (CLT) to Barcelona (BCN): Starting May 27 on a Boeing 777-200ER
This is AA’s sixth U.S. gateway flying to BCN, making it the largest U.S. carrier to the Spanish coastal city.
- New York (JFK) Amsterdam (AMS): Starting March 28 on an Airbus A321XLR
- JFK to Nice, France (NCE): Starting May 6 on an Airbus A321XLR
- JFK to London Heathrow (LHR): A fourth daily flight starts March 28 on the Boeing 787-9 with Flagship Suites
- CLT to Paris (CDG) and Miami (MIA) to Milan (MXP): Both get a little more life with an early start on Mar. 4.
American’s 2027 Europe routes are exciting! Utilizing its new A321XLR airplane, AA is trying things out in Vienna and Porto – two fantastic options for American flyers next year.
Check out our full breakdown of the new routes on our website.
– Gunnar Olson, flight deal analyst, travel reporter, and host of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast
🎙️ Episode 77: The Travel Credit Card Fantasy Draft
🏈 Drafting the Perfect 5-Card Travel Wallet: Who Wins?
✈️ Kyle and Nick go head-to-head in a fantasy football-style draft to build the perfect five-card travel wallet … with a lot (seriously … a lot) riding on the outcome, thanks to a last-minute bet. But before the draft, they unpack some recent news and answer a listener’s questions about the insurance that comes with top travel credit cards.
Watch it now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And stay tuned for the next installment next week!
🤝 Deal of the Day: Turkish Biz Class to Istanbul for 65K Pts.
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥
Why we love it: Fly Turkish Business Class nonstop to Istanbul with this solid award availability!
Best availability next winter and spring flying from a dozen U.S. and Canadian cities for just 65,000 Turkish miles each way!
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
The Library Everyone Is Talking About
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is now open, giving travelers one more reason to explore Medora, the North Dakota Badlands and beyond.
Step inside interactive exhibits celebrating Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy, then step outside to discover a building designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. It’s one of the most sustainable cultural institutions in the world, overlooking Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
From there, keep exploring. Take the scenic route, discover charming communities, enjoy local restaurants and unique overnight stays, and experience everything that makes North Dakota worth the drive.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer road trip, there’s more waiting to discover than you might expect.
Start planning your trip to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library!
💳 Which Banks Give a Virtual Card Number to Use Instantly?
Getting approved for a new credit card is only half the battle – then you’re stuck waiting days, sometimes weeks, for it to show up in the mail.
Except with some cards … you don’t have to wait. A handful of major issuers will hand you a virtual card number the moment you’re approved, letting you load it into your digital wallet and start spending immediately.
Since the clock on your minimum spending requirement starts the second you’re approved – not when the card lands in your mailbox – an instant number means you get the full runway to hit that big bonus. It’s also a lifeline if an unexpected bill hits and you want that spend to count toward a new card, or if you’re stranded in an airport and need lounge access from a card you just applied for (Priority Pass is the exception here – that still requires a separate application).
Here are a few of the best options for getting a virtual card number right away.
American Express
The *amex platinum* and the *amex gold* are both reliably eligible for an instant card, along with most other personal Amex cards like the suite of Delta SkyMiles Cards. The Amex Platinum can be especially useful for instant lounge access if you find yourself unexpectedly stuck in an airport somewhere.
Business cards are hit-or-miss, but we’ve heard from readers who got instant numbers on the Business Gold and Business Platinum too.
Chase
The *chase sapphire preferred* typically issues a virtual number right away – useful given how fast you can put its welcome bonus to work with a transfer to partners like United, Virgin Atlantic, and Hyatt.
Just don’t count on getting one with Chase’s Mastercard products, Amazon cards, or business cards.
Capital One
The *venture x* and the cheaper *capital one venture card* offer instant numbers too – but only if you’re already a Capital One customer. New Capital One applicants typically don’t get the same immediate access.
Others
Citi, Barclays, and Bank of America are far less consistent about offering this, and Wells Fargo doesn’t do it at all – so if timing matters, that’s worth knowing before you apply.
Bottom line: if you’re chasing a minimum spending deadline or want to put a new card to work the moment you’re approved, stick to Amex, Chase, or an existing Capital One relationship.
While physical cards can take their sweet time getting to you, your spending doesn’t have to wait for the mail carrier.
Check out the full story with even more options!
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
📖 Gettin’ Booksy: Dr. Shiloh’s Summer Adventure
Welcome to Gettin’ Booksy, a celebration of our favorite feeling: Booking something awesome! Book something lately? Let us know at [email protected]!
What Did Dr. Shiloh Book?
Dr. Shiloh booked an end-of-summer trip from L.A. to Spain and London, flying Delta One Suites and using a stockpile of points and miles to make the trip happen in style!
How’d Dr. Shiloh Book It?
Dr. Shiloh (who uses that moniker in the Thrifty Traveler Podcast Slack community) initially booked Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona for 117,000 SkyMiles per person. But she got a Thrifty Traveler Premium alert to book a better routing for just 97,000 per person a few weeks later!
What Makes it So Awesome?
Not only did Dr. Shiloh save some miles, but she also used 30,000 Hyatt points per night for the Hotel Regina in Barcelona, used her Venture X travel credit to watch the eclipse from the Hotel Saratoga in Palma de Mallorca, used 21,000 more Hyatt points to stay at the Andaz Liverpool (after the Ariana Grande concert at O2 Arena!), and then booked Virgin Atlantic Upper Class home to LAX for about 78,000 miles per person!
From Dr. Shiloh:
Nothing beats watching the total solar eclipse from our apartment terrace in Mallorca, and then being able to jet off to London to take our teen to the concert only a few days before she came home to start high school. What an epic summer!
Dr. Shiloh, you pulled off an incredible end-of-summer trip. Your teen is heading to the halls of high school with lots of stories to tell this fall!
– Gunnar Olson, flight deal analyst and travel reporter
🍻 Minneapolis: Join Us for a First Class Happy Hour!
Mark your calendars, and join the Thrifty Traveler team on Thursday, September 24, from 5:00–8:00 p.m. at Utepils Brewing in Minneapolis for our First Class Happy Hour!
Get your tickets for a casual evening where travelers can connect, swap stories, and have some fun!
We’ll have drinks, travel-themed games and giveaways, plenty of travel talk, and a live Q&A with members of our team! Bring your questions and get to know the people behind Thrifty Traveler!
And because no happy hour is complete without one, your first drink is included with your ticket. Cheers to that!
Whether you live nearby or are making the trip to Minneapolis, we hope you’ll join us for a fun evening with fellow travelers!
– Kat Erdahl, community marketing manager
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 🍪 American is refreshing its complimentary Main Cabin snacks starting this October, adding Tate’s Bake Shop cookies and Peterson’s snack mix. (American Airlines)
- ✈️ Delta’s chief commercial officer reportedly told top corporate clients that Singapore service is coming soon, with LAX-Seoul also in the works, though not yet officially confirmed. (View from the Wing)
- 🪃 Qantas is upgrading business class on its incoming Boeing 787-9s with sliding privacy doors, 80-inch lie-flat beds, and bigger screens, starting as early as mid-2027. (One Mile at a Time)
- 💳 Grandfathered Barclays perks on cards migrated to Citi’s AAdvantage lineup end Oct. 25, including the Wi-Fi credit and companion certificate for former Aviator Red holders, and bonus-mile categories for former Aviator Silver holders. (Frequent Miler)
