✈ Leveraging Long-Haul Travel to Earn Higher Delta Status & More Daily News From TPG ✈

Also: Best-ever offers on Ink Business cards [The Points Guy]( WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY Oct 29, 2022 TRAVELING THROUGH ASIA AND CHASING AIRLINE STATUS Happy Saturday, everybody! I’m back in the saddle for newsletter duty after a weeklong trip to Thailand. It was great to be back in Asia after several years away, especially now that things are starting to reopen. Thailand dropped the last of its pandemic-related travel restrictions earlier this fall, and [Japan reopened to tourists]( from many countries earlier this month. But travelers should take note that wearing a mask is still very much encouraged — sometimes even required — across the region. As part of its reopening strategy, Japan allows hotels to refuse guests who are not willing to wear a mask. I flew Korean Air to Bangkok by way of Seoul, South Korea, and passengers were required to wear a mask on my flight. South Korea may have dropped all of its pandemic-related travel restrictions for arriving guests, but Seoul’s Incheon International Airport still requires passengers wear masks while inside the facility. Speaking of Asia, you’ll see more of my takeaways and reviews on TPG in the coming weeks, but there may have been an ulterior motive for pursuing this trip with only a few weeks left in the year. You may have seen Andrew Kunesh’s piece this week about [last-minute strategies for earning Delta Medallion elite status](. I’m a Delta loyalist but specifically flew Korean Air to and from Bangkok because of how Delta calculates Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) as a percentage of the distance flown on partner carriers. Even though I was only in economy, my fare class earned MQDs with 20% of the miles flown en route to Bangkok and 10% on the way back. My ticket was $1,300, but the partner carrier strategy meant I wound up with $2,782 in MQDs — vaulting me over the Platinum Medallion status threshold. You can read more about Asia and end-of-year status strategies by checking out the following stories: - [Singapore is reopening: Here’s how to get there using points and miles]( - [Japan reopening details: What you need to know now]( - [Last-minute strategies for United Premier elite status]( That’s all from me for today. I’ll catch y’all tomorrow! Featured image by Cameron Sperance/The Points Guy Cameron Sperance, Senior Hotels Reporter Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, [visit this page](#). Elsewhere tailors exclusive trips just for you TOGETHER WITH [TPG] Ready for the trip of your dreams? Elsewhere offers wildly unique experiences and connects you with local experts to plan your journey. Whether it's with Tiago in Lisbon, Portugal; Angela in Johannesburg; or one of our other local experts — this won't be your average travel agent's itinerary. Explore an elevated way of travel with Elsewhere. [Explore Elsewhere]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES [Best-ever offers on Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited cards — earn $900 cash back (or 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points)]( The offers keep rolling in. [Read more]( [With new Brisbane route, United underscores importance of its new partner, Virgin Australia]( There's an exciting new route between the U.S. and Australia. [Read more]( [Hilton just opened the country’s biggest and most modern Embassy Suites in the heart of Downtown Nashville]( A great location and expanded amenities make this new hotel a must-visit property. [Read more]( [Comparing travel protections with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum]( We break down the benefits so you can decide which card is best for your trip. [Read more]( [Quick Points: Why you should always audit your Marriott folio for redemption surcharges]( A glitch could be costing you. [Read more]( THE LATEST 1 [The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise ship]( 2 [Delta partner award prices skyrocket: Here's what you need to know]( 3 [Update: Here’s what’s happening with the new Citi Travel portal]( 4 [I’m a happy British Airways Silver status member, 5 reasons I’m going for Gold for the first time]( 5 [Lufthansa will bring back the Airbus A380 by summer]( 6 [Onboard Virgin Atlantic’s first-ever A330-900neo commercial flight]( 7 [No, United is not going back on its promise of no change fees in economy]( 8 [Hilton Honors reintroduces its Diamond Status Extension program]( 9 [5 clear toiletry bags for travel that are TSA compliant]( 10 [Cruise deal alert: Save big on Royal Caribbean packages with this new sale]( [fb]( [insta]( [yt]( [tw]( [in](#) [mail](#) You are receiving this because you opted in at [thepointsguy.com](. Where to find us: The Points Guy 100 5th Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10011 USA0 USA Changed your mind? You can [unsubscribe]( at any time. Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which [ThePointsGuy.com]( receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our [advertising policy page](#) for more information. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. THE POINTS GUY © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2022