Hello everyone from Mumbai. It has been a busy week after Diwali got over. Shipra and I got back in town last weekend after Diwali, and after the last Mileage Mentor MasterClass of the year, Shipra is off now to Tokyo. There was tonnes happening around, and you can read all about last week’s action in our weekly roundup.

Our Top Stories

The week has been a busy one. It seems that in their 25th year, Jet Airways will perhaps change hands to be a Tata enterprise. Talks about the deal have been ongoing, and for the first time this past week, the Tatas confirmed that they had preliminary conversations with Jet Airways.

Here are a couple of places you can watch my comments on this deal (Clip 1) & (Clip 2). We are tracking all the developments for you on Jet Airways.

• Confirmed: Jet Airways Tata deal is being discussed
• Vistara Jet Airways Merger: Don’t celebrate yet!
• Jet Airways massive International route consolidation coming next month
• I saved £ 330 ($ 430) in excess money to British Airways Award Travel

News and Views

There have been quite a few surprising moves last week. The Air Canada flight which we thought was gone for good, has been made seasonal. China Southern exited SkyTeam, sort of with immediate effect. While IndiGo went for a massive order of the A321 preparing for their international deals, Air India is still struggling to get their planes in the air.

• Free Thailand Visa on Arrival this Winter for 21 nationalities
• Air Canada makes Mumbai Toronto flights seasonal
• Breaking: China Southern SkyTeam exit in 2019
• Grounded Air India A321s will be back in the air by December?
• Air India Pilot / Head of Operations reports drunk for flying duty to London
• IndiGo goes all-in on the Airbus A321neo with an order for 150.

Reviews

Ashwant has been diligently writing up about his trip to Bali. There are tonnes of great airline and lounge reviews in India, Singapore, Bali and Hong Kong. Not just that, there is a complete lowdown about everything you can eat and do in Bali. Check it out. Just a couple of more episodes to go which should come up this week.

• Introduction: Going diving in the Ring of Fire
• Review: GVK Lounge East Wing, Mumbai
• Review: Jet Airways Mumbai to Singapore, Economy (Airbus A330-200)
• Review: The Haven, Singapore Airport Arrivals Lounge
• Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore Terminal 1
• Review: Jetstar Asia Singapore to Bali, Economy (Airbus A320)
• Things to keep in mind while visiting Bali
• Where to go if backpacking solo in Bali
• What to eat when in Bali, Indonesia?
• Premier Lounge, Bali
• Hong Kong Airlines HX708 Bali to Hong Kong, Economy (Airbus A330)
• Plaza Premium Lounge (West Hall), Hong Kong

Cards and Rewards

The good news first, the Amex Membership Rewards Card I love is lifetime free for a few more days. On the warning shot, Iberia’s Avios are going to expire, so you have about ten days to redeem them or lose them. And if you are interested in TedX, you can now redeem JPMiles for the TedX conference too!

• 13 Days to get paid for a lifetime free Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card
• Induslnd cuts Unlimited Lounge access for Amex cardholders
• Iberia 90000 Avios: Use it or Lose it
• Citi Dining Perk: Free EazyDiner Prime for one year
• Redeem JPMiles for TEDxGateway 2018 tickets

Deals with Appeal

Last but not least, there are tonnes of deals out there you should be up to speed with. First up, a great Hilton Asia Pacific Sale is ending tomorrow. You can get the Conrad Bali for 100$ which is a steal of a deal. You can also stock up on Hilton Honors points at a 50% discount.

• Conrad Bali for 100 US Dollars: Hilton Asia Pacific Sale
• Up to 50% off on Accor Hotel stays in India and beyond!
• Upto 100% bonus on Hilton Honors points purchases!
• Fly First Class at 70% discount with LifeMiles!

Have a great week ahead!