Quick Shots: Things You Should See on October 13th

View From The Wing has reported that you can now search for Air Berlin and Finnair awards online with American Airlines.   For me, one of the biggest mileage values is using your miles for international travel (especially in business class).  You used to have to call the airlines to find availability, and this could be a long painful process.  AA has been adding carriers throughout the year, including Qantas earlier in the year.  I already like their online search engine, and this is just another plus.

Mommy Points has the scoop on 250 bonus miles for every purchase in the Avianca Taca LifeMiles store.  Most people have never heard of Avianca Taca, but these alliance partners (in this case Star Alliance, the alliance United belongs to) can be a great way to stockpile miles for future awards.

Deals We Like has a good post detailing all the 4th quarter bonuses from the major hotel chains.  I noted earlier that I think Hyatt comes out slightly ahead of Starwood (and far ahead of everyone else) for the 4th quarter promo battle, but it’s important to register for all the promos just in case your travel plans change. It’s free to register and there’s no sense in missing out on bonus points.