Photo: Matt_Weibo, Flickr
Change is the name of the game when it comes to loyalty programs in the travel industry. Some weeks we can’t go more than a day without reporting that a company is tweaking its program, and unfortunately, the new rules are more often not favorable for consumers. It’s in that spirit that Japan’s All Nippon Airways quietly updated its award chard and increasing redemption prices to a large number of destinations beginning next week.
Starting October 15, passengers will get a little less bang for their buck when traveling to countries under two of ANA’s destination umbrellas, Asia 2 and South, Latin America. But why should you care about a Japanese airline raising loyalty point prizes? ANA is a proud points participant of both Starwood Preferred Guest American Express‘s program, and more importantly, the Star Alliance, the world’s largest interconnected airline network. So United frequent fliers take note, this change, with little notice we might add, affects you.
Screenshot: ANA
A full list of the affected countries that will now require additional points to visit includes:
Asia 2: Redemption prices will rise between 14 and 18% when booking flights to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
South, Latin America: A sweeping 10% increase in redemption point prices will make it a little more expensive to visit Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire/Saint Eustatius/Saba, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Maarten, Suriname, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands and Venezuela.
ANA’s diminishing of redemption value, even to just select destinations, with little notice brings light to a common gripe against the Star Alliance. Namely, the difficulty in actually redeeming miles accrued through flying on one airline (Namely United, for American travelers) on a different airline that at times can appear to actually resent your presence in their seats.