Summer in Edinburgh is a magical time according to TPG contributor Lori Zaino. Temps reach the soaring height of about 20 degrees Celsius on average (68 degrees Fahrenheit)  and everyone is ready to rock n’ roll after a long, hard winter. If you…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 7:39pm -

There are some fun travel contests and sweepstakes around the web at the moment. Here are my top picks to win some great travel prizes: Marriott’s #WIN3NYC sweeps gives you a chance to experience the “Best of NYC”: Courtesy of Marriott, yo…
- 6 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:47pm -

Just a reminder for all you Dividend Miles members, US Airways has scheduled a minor award chart devaluation for Friday, August 1. For travel booked on or after August 1, the airline will be raising redemption levels for round-trip travel on medium…
- 10 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 2:07pm -

Today, TPG contributor Jason Steele continues his series on family travel options in the most prevalent hotel brands with a look at Marriott Rewards. Previously, we looked at several of the major hotel loyalty programs to evaluate how family fr…
- 11 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:47pm -

While the bonus for the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa from Chase normally sits at 50,000 points, there has been a public offer floating around for 70,000 points (after spending $2,000 within the first 3 months) plus one free night at a category 1-4…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 7:18pm -

Chase is currently offering a signup bonus of  70,000 Ultimate Rewards points for the Ink Plus card when you apply in a Chase branch. That’s 20,000 points more than the current standard 50,000 point offer, however, the $95 annual fee is not waive…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 7:11pm -

As travelers on the go, we know the importance of our belongings, especially when trekking them through airports near and far. Whether you need luggage, city guides or other assorted travel accessories Flight 001, is a cool store with tons of opt…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 5:45pm -

Today TPG Contributor Nick Ewen continues his series The Weekly Wish, looking at flaws, shortcomings, and room for improvement in the world of travel and loyalty programs. Today’s wish: free breakfast for SPG Platinum elites. Two years ago, Star…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 12:09pm -

JetBlue is running a promotion through this Friday (11:59 pm Eastern time on July 25, to be exact), effectively offering a 20% discount for all award redemptions for travel between September 2 and October 31, 2014. This offer is not a true discount,…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 10:50pm -

Citi ThankYou Rewards doesn’t get as much attention here as its competitors (Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest). However, with the recent announcement that Citi will add eight new transfer p…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 7:25pm -

A preview of IHG’s latest Pointbreaks promotion is now live. For those unfamiliar with Pointbreaks, it’s a quarterly list of hotels that can be booked for just 5,000 points per night during select dates. There is usually always at least one great…
- 53 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

Three paid stays and three free nights. Let’s Get Together Promotion Registration and Let’s Get Together Terms & Conditions. Let’s get to the details: Not everyone is eligible (I tried 12 accounts across my family/friends and only my wife Sa…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:00pm -

Las week I was presented with the opportunity for a last-minute trip, and I immediately started stressing over the details. Basically, my husband decided to take me up on an offer I made for a mini-getaway for his 35th birthday. The weird thing is, h…
- 16 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:00am -

Last month I wrote an article about how, despite US Airways switching from Star Alliance to Oneworld as part of the merger process with American Airlines, US Airways Dividend miles could still be used to book awards on some of their former Star Allia…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

The sign-up bonus for the Marriott Rewards Visa has officially increased to 70,000 points after$2,000 spent within 3 months. In addition to the 70,000 points, cardholders get a free night at a Category 1-4 hotel upon account opening. The $85 annual f…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 8:00pm -

When looking at a credit card and its features/benefits what are the first things you look at? How many points is the signup bonus? How many points you earn when you buy gas? How many points you earn when go grocery shopping? What lounge the card get…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 8:00am -

Image Courtesy of Wikitravel.org Scenic, beautiful and peaceful. Those are the three things that come to mind when I think of the Blue Ridge area. While Blue Ridge is a town located in North Georgia, the scenic parkway runs through North Carolina and…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

For a while now, cardholders of certain Chase rewards cards have been able to earn bonus points for referring friends. For example, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier cardholders can earn 5,000 points for each friend they refer who is then approved, up…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 8:00pm -

We all know about Priceline, Hotwire, and the opportunity to bid for car rentals and hotels; I occasionally use these sites myself. There are however, many other sites available where you can bid for your vacation needs and plenty of support sites to…
- 3 days ago 23 Jul 14, 8:00am -

For coffee drinkers, nothing beats that first cup of morning brew and there’s nothing better than experiencing that same familiar ritual when we travel. It’s also one travel experience that is relatively inexpensive. Your next best cup of coffee…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

My friend Scott runs the Hack My Trip blog, and he does a great job with it.We’re very different – I felt like going to college was the biggest waste of my life, while he has like 14 doctoral degrees and is trying to figure out a way to get back…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:33pm -

A couple of days ago I got an interesting question on Instagram, of all places. The question was:"With three planes gone missing just this year, how has your perception of flying changed?"And that's complicated to answer, at least for me.It’s a…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 7:53pm -

The most recent IHG Rewards Club’s PointBreaks preview was just posted in the IHG forum. The hotels on the list will be available for booking starting Monday, July 28, 2014, and will be valid for stays through Tuesday, September 30, 2014.IHG Rewar…
- 5 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 7:12pm -

As ya’ll know, I’m pretty excited/hormonal about La Compagnie, the new all business class airline flying between Paris and Newark.Their business model is as flawed as the 787’s battery was for the first year, but that’s part of the fun.What…
- 6 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:33pm -

The Ink Plus® Business Credit Card is one of my favorite all around business cards, given that it offers:- A generous sign-up bonus- Extremely rewarding bonus categories, including 5x points on office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline…
- 8 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:33pm -

Turkish Airlines quietly added a new flight between San Francisco and Istanbul, which launches April 13, 2015.The amount of growth we’ve seen from Turkish Airlines in the past few years is nothing short of astounding. They serve more destinations…
- 10 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:36pm -

Through July 31, 2014, Southwest is offering a 40% bonus on the purchase of Rapid Rewards points. You can (though I don’t know why you would) purchase up to 60,000 Rapid Rewards points through this promotion.The minimum number of points you can pu…
- 22 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:33am -

For a limited time, you can earn 70,000 Marriott Rewards points after spending $2,000 in the first three months on the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card.As far as signup bonuses go, this is a decent one:-- Receive 1 Free Night Stay after accou…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 9:33pm -

On Monday I wrote about how Citi ThankYou points are now transferable to more than a handful of airline mileage programs, depending on which version of the card you have. This adds quite a bit of value to the program, in my opinion.ThankYou points a…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 6:33pm -

Back in early 2011 I asked you guys for suggestions on which camera I should get. After taking into account the useful feedback and doing some further research, I decided to get the Canon S95.It has served me brilliantly for over three years, and al…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 5:33pm -

I’m freakin’ excited that Citbank now supports transfers of ThankYou points to airline miles.  Granted, most of the transfer partners are useless, but I really like the ability to transfer to Singapore Airlines.  And, I love the fact that Citi…
- 14 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:45am -

Kohl’s used to be an awesome option for earning points and miles.  In March, 2013, when I challenged myself to earn a million points and miles in a month, I earned hundreds of thousands of points from Kohl’s.  The trick was as follows: Go throu…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 9:15am -

Now that Citibank ThankYou points can be transferred to airline miles, those seeking love and marriage should consider revising their dating strategies.  Let me explain… Citi’s ThankYou points are generally worth about 1 cent per point when rede…
- 3 days ago 23 Jul 14, 9:45am -

My family and I recently spent five nights and four days in Paris.  That makes me uniquely unqualified to write a Paris guide.  The novice in the title of the post is me, not you.  That said, I can tell you about my experiences.  I won’t go int…
- 4 days ago 22 Jul 14, 9:45am -

For the past two weeks my family and I have been mostly off-line during our European vacation.  While we were away, the big and horrible news was the Malaysian Airlines tragedy.  My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy.  Regarding p…
- 5 days ago 21 Jul 14, 11:45am -

FM Intro: While I’m on vacation, I will be lazily reposting old classic Frequent Miler posts.  Today’s post, originally published February 5th 2013, recounts my scariest moments during my first class trip to Bangkok last year. Many people have s…
- 9 days ago 17 Jul 14, 9:45am -

FM Intro: While I’m on vacation, I will be lazily reposting old classic Frequent Miler posts.  Today’s post, originally published February 2nd 2013, recounts one of several adventures I enjoyed on my first class trip to Bangkok last year…  Jo…
- 10 days ago 16 Jul 14, 9:45am -

FM Intro: While I’m on vacation, I will be lazily reposting old classic Frequent Miler posts.  Today’s post, originally published May 7 2012 tells the story of the events that led to my decision to blog full time…  Have you seen George Cloone…
- 11 days ago 15 Jul 14, 9:45am -

FM Intro: While I’m on vacation, I will be lazily reposting old classic Frequent Miler posts.  Today’s post, originally published May 4 2012 was inspired by the newfound ability (no longer available) to earn 5X everywhere with the combination of…
- 12 days ago 14 Jul 14, 9:45am -

FM Intro: While I’m on vacation, I will be lazily reposting old classic Frequent Miler posts.  Today’s post, originally published May 1, 2012, is by far the most widely read post I’ve ever written.  It was, at the time, suddenly possible to e…
- 15 days ago 11 Jul 14, 9:45am -

While in the capitol of Vietnam, the busy city of Hanoi, we have been able to call the JW Marriott our home-away-from-home. We’ve not only spent eight nights here, but found it to be one of the most stunning, professional and hospitable hotels s…
- 12 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:01pm -

Per Flyertalk there is a new 70,000 Ultimate Rewards point offer for the Chase Ink Plus credit card if you apply in a Chase branch. This is an amazing deal and currently 20,000 points higher than the best online offer. The spending requirement is the…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 1:57pm -

Beginners Guide to Manufacture Spending Series Index Part 1: Introduction to Manufacture Spend: What is it? Part 2: Use a Top Rewards Earning Credit Card: Best Options Part 3: How to Purchase Visa Gift Cards and Money Orders Part 4: Guide to Amer…
- 3 days ago 23 Jul 14, 5:50am -

Citi has just added significant value to their Citi ThankYou cards—you can transfer points to airline programs. ThankYou points now has flexible airline transfer partners, similar to Chase’s Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards. In my opi…
- 4 days ago 22 Jul 14, 9:48am -

I recently applied for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card and also wrote about some of the great benefits that the card offers and why I decide to get it. One of the primary benefits of the card is that it comes with automatic Marriott Gold status…
- 5 days ago 21 Jul 14, 7:33am -

One of the perks of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card that made it competitive against the the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® was its 7% annual dividend on points earned. Historically with the 7% points dividend the Sapphire Pr…
- 6 days ago 20 Jul 14, 5:11am -

Contributing writer Ajay Vangapaty is a veteran miles and points traveler. In this post he walks us through his experience of unlocking extra award space and booking an award using Delta miles through their international call center. I recently booke…
- 8 days ago 18 Jul 14, 7:12am -

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days. You can use Arrival miles earned with the card to cover travel purchases, and after h…
- 9 days ago 17 Jul 14, 7:33am -

Earlier this year I decided to apply for the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Reserve Card  which offers two free weekend nights after spending $2,500 on the card within the first four months. One valuable aspect of this card bonus is that the free nights…
- 10 days ago 16 Jul 14, 9:57am -

After  long bus ride into Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from Pnom Phen, Cambodia, without a doubt I was looking forward to checking in to the InterContinental Asiana Saigon to kick back and relax before exploring Vietnam. After I made the initial reserv…
- 11 days ago 15 Jul 14, 7:05am -

Disclosure: Emily & I get a commission for links on the blog. You don’t have to use our links, but we’re very grateful when you do.   This series of posts is written by the Wandering US Expat, who’s lived … Continue reading →      …
- 9 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:07pm -

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Twitter! Welcome to the next installment of our interview series where folks share their thoughts about Big Travel with Small Money! Miles & Points Interview:   Encore   Rich writes Encore to help rea…
- 16 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:00am -

- 23 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:00am -

Disclosure: Emily & I get a commission for links on the blog. You don’t have to use our links, but we’re very grateful when you do.   This series of posts is written by the Wandering US Expat, who’s lived … Continue reading →      …
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 4:00pm -

Disclosure: Emily & I get a commission for links on the blog. You don’t have to use our links, but we’re very grateful when you do.  American Express is a Million Mile Secrets advertising partner. Via Deals We Like, you … Continue reading →…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 8:00am -

Citibank made Thank You points useful again, at least if yo have a Citi Thank You Premier, Prestige, or Citi Chairmans card. That’s because they now allow points transfers to airline miles. If you don’t currently have Citi Thank You points, the q…
- 53 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

News and notes from around the interweb: One of my favorite travel journalists – Barbara DeLollis – joined BoardingArea. Seriously, check it out. Evolve Money, which lets you liquidate cards you’ve purchased (earning miles along the way) by pay…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:00pm -

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies…
- 7 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:00pm -

If you have an Iberia frequent flyer account, if it’s three months old, and if you have earned any miles in that account then you can save on fuel surcharges — because you can transfer British Airways points over to Iberia, and then redeem the po…
- 10 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 2:19pm -

Last night I wrote that business class award space on the new Turkish San Francisco flight was wide open. And even so, at the time I wrote the post I didn’t even realize just how wide open it was. I showed that there were at least 4 business class…
- 12 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:15pm -

Chris McGinnis writes that Turkish Airlines is launching San Francisco – Istanbul service on April 13, 2015. Flights will initially be 5 times weekly, and then going daily May 11th. The Turkish 777-300ER has just 28 business class seats, so you’d…
- 22 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:37am -

Malaysia Airlines tweeted out a message about flight MH17 yesterday and it’s taken me a day to decide whether to say anything about it or not. When I saw the tweet I hid myself away, because I don’t do tears, and I cried. I don’t have any direc…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 9:39pm -

Southwest Rapid Rewards is offering a 40% bonus on purchased miles through the end of the month. The price of to buy points with this offer is 1.96 cents apiece. At most Rapid Rewards points are worth 1.42 cents (plus some option value in that Southw…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 8:14pm -

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 5:14pm -

Via Lucky, Japan Airlines is swapping out a Boeing 787 (angled business class, no first class) for a Boeing 777-300ER on their San Francisco – Tokyo Haneda route effective December 1. The Boeing 777-300ER has first class suites and true flat busine…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:30pm -

One things we haven’t focused on this site is LGBT travel and, as we bring in a wider range of reader interviews, I wanted to highlight LGBT readers as I’m curious learn about their experiences traveling around the world, as many countries have h…
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 3:35pm -

Uncorking a bottle of French wine on a sunny day, spreading Brie on a baguette, gazing out on the Paris skyline in front of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre – to me, that is the perfect day. Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world thanks to i…
- 8 days ago 17 Jul 14, 4:21pm -

Every year, a travel bloggers conference called TBEX is held in North America. I’ve gone many times. This year, the conference is being held in Cancun, Mexico and, as part of the offering of pre-conference activities, they are offering dolphin enco…
- 11 days ago 14 Jul 14, 4:09pm -

Travel hacking is a constantly changing world – tips, tricks, and advice that worked even a few months ago can suddenly be obsolete. Deals come and go, programs change, credit cards come and go, ways to game the system end as new ones begin, bank r…
- 15 days ago 10 Jul 14, 4:06pm -

With the cost of higher education rising dramatically each year, should you forgo college* and instead use that money to travel the world? It’s one of the questions I receive a lot from graduating high school students and disenchanted college fres…
- 18 days ago 7 Jul 14, 3:42pm -

Warning: This is not a budget-friendly post, but it will make you thirsty! I love the 1920s—a lot. Midnight in Paris is one of my favorite movies. I had a Prohibition-era themed birthday party this year. I own vintage clothes. I listen to a lot of…
- 24 days ago 1 Jul 14, 3:31pm -

There are a lot of ways to fund your travels – we’ve met readers who’ve taken odd jobs, worked on yachts, volunteered, saved for their trip, and more. What I love about reader success stories is that they highlight the diversity of ways to make…
- 31 days ago 24 Jun 14, 1:56pm -

I believe in being fully transparent on my website. I think it’s the only way to really run a website. And, so, in the name of full transparency, I want to talk about a big change that’s happened on this one. For the last ten years, I’ve been t…
- 36 days ago 19 Jun 14, 1:37pm -

New York City has many walking tour companies—from free tours to food tours to neighborhood tours to expensive private walking tours. This place has it all, and with so much history and culture and so many nationalities represented here, it’s not…
- 39 days ago 16 Jun 14, 3:01pm -

Today is my birthday. I am thirty-three years old. I’m not a fan of birthdays. It’s not like today is any different than yesterday. My thoughts, feelings, successes, and failures are still the same. It’s the time in between the birthdays that c…
- 43 days ago 12 Jun 14, 1:13pm -

During a time where Joann & I have more miles & points than we do vacation days, I’m looking for easier ways to manufacture these points instead of ways to just amass a stockpile of them. Notice my emphasis is on easy.  I’m not a fan of drivi…
- 3 days ago 23 Jul 14, 11:00am -

I just downloaded an app update for the Hyatt mobile app for Android. I believe the iPhone update for the app has been out for a few week now. From what I’ve noticed, it’s a very useful update. Prior to this update, the app was only great for ch…
- 18 days ago 8 Jul 14, 11:00am -

American Express Bluebird has updated their Membership Agreement. Previously, the daily load limit was $1,000 via loading online with Vanilla Reload cards or loading in person at Walmart with a debit/gift card. As of July 1, the daily load limit will…
- 20 days ago 6 Jul 14, 11:00am -

TRIP INDEX The hotel was a short taxi ride away and we were surprised that we were already feeling the effects of the altitude. Cusco is over 11,000 feet above sea level (higher than Machu Picchu and surrounding villages) so it may hit you hard! When…
- 24 days ago 2 Jul 14, 11:00am -

The 3rd quarter of 2014 is upon us so that means new bonuses and maybe some shuffling of spend. As I wrote previously, this quarter’s bonus categories are gas stations & Kohl’s. You will receive 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent in th…
- 24 days ago 1 Jul 14, 3:58pm -

This summer, earn 20% more miles with your US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard. Earn 20% more miles on every purchase you make with your card between July 1 and August 31, including US Airways purchases, up to a maximum of 10,000 bonus miles.  The…
- 29 days ago 27 Jun 14, 11:00am -

Hotel cards are often overlooked in the credit card game, but they shouldn’t be. Many of them have lucrative sign-up and anniversary bonuses. The Chase Hyatt credit card is no exception. In fact, many see it as one of the best hotel rewards cards o…
- 38 days ago 18 Jun 14, 11:00am -

You can now activate your Chase Freedom credit cards to earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent in these 2 bonus categories: Gas stations Kohl’s The 3rd quarter bonus categories will run from July 1 – September 30, 2014. Ways to Leverag…
- 41 days ago 15 Jun 14, 11:00am -

Well, United has just gone the way of Delta with their announcement today. Starting March 1, 2015, United will change the way you earn frequent flyer miles. The distance flown will no longer matter; United will soon reward its biggest spenders (whic…
- 45 days ago 11 Jun 14, 11:00am -

In the realm of Manufacture Spend (MS), Evolve Money is a small-time but reliable service. It is basically a Bill Pay service that allows you to pay certain bills with debit or Visa/MasterCard gift cards. To be clear, you cannot pay off credit card b…
- 52 days ago 4 Jun 14, 11:00am -

Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week. If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can ... Read Mo…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:31pm -

Pity not the airlines. This week, most U.S. airlines announced their operational and financial results for the second quarter. And they were nothing short of record-breaking. American reported net income of $864 million. But if merger-related expense…
- 7 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:14pm -

The great majority of American travelers will never suffer the effects of having their names included on the federal government’s watch list of known or suspected terrorists. Air travel is stressful enough without the added worry of being subjected…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 6:01pm -

If pigs could fly … well, they might have it better than humans flying in coach. Pigs on a truck are probably on their way to the slaughterhouse. For people on a plane, shoehorned into coach seats, it just feels ... Read More
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 3:45pm -

The online travel agencies already boast competitive prices, plenty of inventory, and solid if not flashy user interfaces. So it’s no mystery why the latest battle for the hearts and minds of travel consumers is taking place in the arena ... Read M…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 6:12pm -

Longtime points chasers will recall, wistfully, a time when a hotel chain’s “systemwide promotion” was just that: systemwide. In other words, stays at any and all properties in that hotel company’s network would count toward earning whatever…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 3:47pm -

JetBlue has recently been among the most aggressive airlines in offering discounts on award travel. That’s the good news. The bad news: The discounts, this latest one included, have all been flash sales, giving TrueBlue members as little as 48 ...…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 6:06pm -

A majority of frequent-flyer miles are earned through purchases made by credit cards, either cards linked directly to specific airline programs or cards that award points that may be transferred into multiple airline and hotel programs, such as the S…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 4:49pm -

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has established itself as one of the perennial favorites among travel-rewards aficionados for a number of good reasons. Among them: No foreign transaction fees Points transfer 1:1 to 11 airline and hotel programs Awa…
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 6:33pm -

Enter the Sapporo “Legendary Journey” sweepstakes by August 27, 2014, for a chance to win the grand prize: an eight-day trip to Tokyo for two, including air, hotel, and $2,400 in spending money. In addition to the grand prize, 12 ... Read More
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 4:27pm -

First things first, PointBreaks preview is available. The list will be bookable and for stays between July 28- September 30th. If you’re not familiar, read up on IHG PointBreaks here, as it’s a list of bookable hotels for 5,000 points (which c…
- 7 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:14pm -

“I went to book a ticket and you’ll never believe what happened next…” didn’t really fit as a title. But here are a few tickets that I would consider steals. Some more complicated than others, but all of good “value”. If you’re unfami…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 9:48pm -

Once there is a proven formula, the formula becomes broken. This is true for airlines, blogs, miles and many other things. That’s because when everyone knows the magic formula, the formula stops working. It’s somehow bland and worthless, less no…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 7:26pm -

Should you fear the large annual fees of these 3 high roller credit cards? The annual fees are large and not waived for the first year, but they have above and beyond benefits. Value of the cards, the value of the word “value”, and benefits are…
- 8 days ago 17 Jul 14, 5:12pm -

Now I’m not a fire and brimstone blogger, but I’ll try to justify why my First Class splurge was a great opportunity. Which I wouldn’t have to do if I hadn’t spent so much time saying why I don’t fly first class. See, in general, I value…
- 9 days ago 16 Jul 14, 10:06pm -

Technically there are two ways to define the “tallest hotel in the world.” The better way is by what floors the hotel’s rooms are actually on. That’s what this infographic is about. The dumber way would be to define “tallest hotel” by the…
- 11 days ago 14 Jul 14, 9:19pm -

The truth is, I don’t know exactly when I started blogging at travelisfree, but I do know that I registered and moved to travelisfree.com (instead of a wordpress.com blog) on July, 11th. So we’ll go ahead and say it’s 3 years of travelisfree.co…
- 15 days ago 11 Jul 14, 3:47am -

There is an annual “DO” in Ann Arbor, MI. A DO is a get together of frequent flyer nerds, or something like that, and this one is free, next weekend, and your’s truly will be speaking. … Me. That’s me… I’ll be speaking there. In the p…
- 15 days ago 10 Jul 14, 7:14pm -

Using Best Rate Guarantees (BRG’s) we’ve gotten completely free stays at the InterContinental Vienna (a $300/night hotel), IC Budapest, IC San Juan, DoubleTree Bucharest and more. We’ve also used BRG’s to get huge discounts at the JW Marriott…
- 18 days ago 7 Jul 14, 9:24pm -

First and last day of updates this week as we just returned from vacation and we vacation we do our best to actually disconnect from work! Free miles offers are very likely to make it into our Bonus Offer Highlight position and that is just the ca…
- 6 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:35pm -

The new PointBreaks list will be posted on Monday July 28th for bookings and stays from July 28 to September 30, 2014 (subject to availability). Each Reward Night at these participating hotels will be only 5,000 IHG Rewards Club points during…
- 8 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:51pm -

Iberia Plus has brought back their offer for double Avios on most Iberia and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum flights. We saw this almost systemwide offer back in April and are super excited to see it again! This time the offer is way better since it has…
- 10 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:28pm -

Final day of bonus offer updates for the week sees a small bonus that is coupled with a decent rate discount for Accor Hotel stays in France this summer. The bonus portion is only 500 bonus points but is available at over 1,000 hotels in France! O…
- 7 days ago 18 Jul 14, 1:37pm -

We came across this offer today that is a nice bonus for your next stay in Europe, the Middle East or Africa. However based on the wording of the promotion it does seem to be targeted to new HHonors members and also has "Offer is not transferable" in…
- 7 days ago 18 Jul 14, 1:04pm -

A quiet day in the bonus offer world with no real winners today! Don't get me wrong, any bonus offer is good if you can take advantage it as bonuses are one of the easiest ways to build your balances up but today there aren't any really exciting o…
- 8 days ago 17 Jul 14, 1:32pm -

Make this summer sensational by saving up to 33% on your travel to Europe, the Middle East and Africa during Hilton's Summer Sale! With a variety of City, Beach, Golf, Spa, Resort and Romantic breaks, there's something everyone will enjoy. Booking da…
- 9 days ago 16 Jul 14, 2:46pm -

Every few months its seems that Virgin Australia and Etihad like to remind everyone about their close ties with a bonus mile promotion on flights and the latest offer from them is today's Bonus Offer Highlight. The offer is for up to Triple Veloci…
- 9 days ago 16 Jul 14, 1:50pm -

FrequentFlyerBonuses.com is happy to announce that we have teamed up with PointsHound.com for an exclusive 3 day Flash Bonus Offer!For those of you who have not heard of or perhaps have forgotten about them, PointsHound.com is a third party hotel boo…
- 10 days ago 15 Jul 14, 2:47pm -

The Bonus Offer Highlight for today comes to us from Best Western Rewards and it is a variation on their current systemwide bonus. The offer is for their AAA/CAA Best Western Rewards members (free to join/convert to) and offers an additional 500 p…
- 10 days ago 15 Jul 14, 1:40pm -

I might have some downtime in between a trip to SEA. I was wondering if someone has done, or heard of someone one taking a few days to go down the Mekong River ? Plan B, I want to take a sampan to Catba National Park ? Basic criteria is a) No cell s…
- 3 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:50pm -

Good morning/afternoon/evening (m/a/e) everyone - welcome to MilePoint and the community lounge, don't be a stranger, please join in the conversation or just to say.....English - "hello"Arabic -...The Community Lounge - Good m/a/e everybody - enjoy y…
- 4 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:49pm -

I think it's time for a new Box thread that works. So, here goes.
- 9 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:44pm -

Today i saw global entry at sjc but then realized it just separate line and one still has fill out paper form. You might stay it doesn't have too many international flights but today both ANA and Volaris flight landed at dame time causing big back lo…
- 11 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:42pm -

Just noticed today that ana on nrt-sjc flight have following on every seat. Their seats botyom portion moves forward compared with full back recline.. The sensor when green means its in upright position. Red is reclined. Didn't see on united 787
- 14 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:39pm -

Get More Acquainted With Your Knees as Boeing Reworks 737This article describes how Boeing is fitting 11 additional seats into the economy class section of the 737 airplane, while the business class section is getting lie-flat seats and 15 inch vide…
- 15 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:38pm -

MP doesn't feel complete without it so here's a guessing game with some easy rules.In a nutshell one member posts a photo of an airport and everybody else has to guess the airport name/location.Obviously the photo shall not reveal too much informat…
- 23 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 11:30pm -

Chip-and-PIN cards, coming soon (hopefully) to a U.S. bank near you. You’ll need them.By Christopher Elliott June 19, 2014The Washington PostIn this article, the author describes his experiences while driving on the Brenner Autobahn between Aus…
- 55 mins ago 25 Jul 14, 10:58pm -

Folks,Copying and pasting Gary's post so we have a separate thread for the September eventThe event is sold out!One of the most requested things we've gotten for future Frequent Traveler University events is a different program -- while each one ha…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:41pm -

Hi all,Hi all. I'm new here and I hope to one day contribute.Right now, I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it (for me personally) to spend $$ to achieve Premier or Premier Exec status on United when the only perk I care about is the free upgra…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:27pm -

https://www.pointsforsurveys.com/general/pfs-lp-400 400 TrueBlue points for completion for your first survey- varies after that. It looks like it's run by SSI, which also does United's Opinion Miles Club and Opinion Outpost. So probably...
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:25pm -

I'm quite concerned that I've lost my mind and would appreciate your take on this. I had a round-trip to HKG booked in October that I've had to change to an open jaw a couple of months later (YYZ to PEK and back to YYZ from PVG). Had to call in...
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:22pm -

Original trip was SEA-FRA-ZRH-ATH (no stopover, no open jaw) Return was ATH-MUC-IAD (no stopover, no open jaw). All flights on Lufthansa except the ZRH-ATH leg. Return was scheduled for July 24 at 1:05 PM Athens time. I called elite desk on..…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:16pm -

I'm just about to sign up for the Starwood Platinum challenge, and I have a small puzzler for everyone who likes to figure out how to get the most out of the system. For the month of July, I have 4 nights over 2 stays, so this is where my...
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:12pm -

This is a brand new hotel opening on July 31st , I believe they postponed few time. I tried to call this property many times , it went straight to voicemail . called the general line , they said hotel is not yet opened. They had a promotion...
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:08pm -

Hi guys, Its been a while since I last posted and I have a few reservations about my flight. I am flying with Air New Zealand from Auckland to Sydney and Air Canada from Sydney to Toronto via Vancouver, since I have flown Air New Zealand before I.…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:04pm -

I am in Louisiana. Over the past few days I have had less success of getting MOs at WD. One has refused to let me purchase with a split. 2 let me purchase, but mentioned about just going through training for WU MO that they should not take prepaids..…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:59pm -

Hi all, My mom has offered me her VERY gently used Nikon 1 (as in she used it for 2 days on a trip and then deemed it 'too heavy'). I see that there are additional lenses I could purchase for it as well. Does anyone recommend this camera? I...
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:50pm -

With the runway extension completed, what are the chances?
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:50pm -

I couldn't find the right words to search so this may have been posted, but the last few times I've called AA it seems they have changed the setup when speaking to an agent. When it gets transferred I always get the voice mail name greeting -...
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:46pm -

So I got the Citi AAdvantage 50k offer and netted 53,000 AA miles from it. This (http://thepointsguy.com/2014/05/what-is-a-point-or-mile-worth-new-monthly-valuation-series/) says the miles are worth 1.7 cents apiece. I booked a one way award flight o…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 10:09pm -

Are there any resources for getting the $500 (or $400) checking/savings vouchers? Any chance this sub has friendly patrons that don't need the vouchers? Doctorofcredit recommends ebay, but it'd be nice to keep it 'in the family'. submitted by Ubv…
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:52pm -

I'm looking to make a purchase shortly that should hit the spend requirements of some card and Marriott has 70k points after $2,000 spend. I've done CSP, Chase Freedom, Amazon Visa, and Barclays cards in the past which all have allowed me to pay down…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 7:55pm -

First time churner here. Next summer, I plan on flying from LAX to Geneva and staying for 3 months for a paid internship. How should I prepare? -It'll be nice to have a no forex fee credit card (although I'll get paid in Swiss Francs from working).…
- 5 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 6:50pm -

Hey Churners! Recently joined /r/churning and must say I have learned quite a bit already! I'm hoping someone can help me pick a good set of next cards as I have a trip coming up later this year to Brazil and I'm hoping to minimize the cost - hopeful…
- 6 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 5:48pm -

I recently got a Chase Sapphire Preferred for the bonus and am now considering getting the Chase Ink Plus. Can I still get the sign up bonus for the Ink even though these cards are from the same bank? submitted by rufusslim1 [link] [5 comments]
- 8 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:59pm -

I have 120k thank you points and 60k MR points. I am hoping to use them for 2 round trip business or first class tickets to Madrid sometime next March. What would be the best way to go about this? I have identified Asia miles because both mr and ty…
- 9 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:22pm -

My wife and I will be celebrating our anniversary in early Sept. I have the following points: Southwest - 55k US Air - 40k AMEX - 50k Alaska Air - 30k w/companion pass Club Carlson - 180k I was thinking maybe an all inclusive trip trip to one of the…
- 9 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 2:35pm -

I'm 26 and finally starting to build good credit. I have had a measly debit card and chase freedom for several years before I started trying to get a better card. Last year, I got the CitiAA card and thought it looked pretty cool. I just got the CSP…
- 10 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 1:32pm -

I just received this in the mail, has anyone got this? I'm only a part-time churner, I only really stick with Chase or AA Citi related cards, but this offer SOUNDS good, I'm just not familiar with AmEx's program. Has anyone received this offer and re…
- 11 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:52pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this frequent flyerpodcast we are joined by Captain Denny to discuss customerservice, the CaptainJason Dahl scholarship and frequent flyer news. Disclaimer: The views expressed are thepersonal opinions of the…
- 14 Oct 12, 12:09am -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastOur frequentflyers review our airline predictions from last year and prognosticateon upcoming airline and hotel promotions and changes in 2012.Although our crystal balls were somewhat clouded in 2011 a littlebit o…
- 23 Feb 12, 8:00pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastJoin our frequent flyers as wediscuss the closure of SpanAir, the bankruptcy proceedings ofAmerican Airlines, and recent hotel and airline promotionsincluding:Delta may make run at US AirwaysUS Airways evaluate…
- 3 Feb 12, 1:00pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this week's frequent flyer travelpodcast we discuss the recent airline news and changes manyairline mileage programs including:USAirways 100% mile bonus is backUnited and Continental get single operating certi…
- 3 Dec 11, 3:19am -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this frequent flyerpodcast we discuss Matthew's secretconnecting city, some special offers, and then answer listenersquestions. Topics include:Sale on Delta Club Passes and United Club PassesHilton's reward bo…
- 27 Oct 11, 12:00pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this week's frequent flyerpodcast, we are joined by Nicholas Kralev to discuss his newbook Decoding Air Travel. We discuss how you canconstruct your own airfare by looking at the airline tariffs andinventory bu…
- 14 Aug 11, 11:42pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this week's frequent flyerpodcast we are joined by Rick, frugal travelguy, to discuss churning credit cards for the most frequentflyer and hotel points. Listen as we discuss:How you can apply for up multiple cr…
- 27 Jul 11, 6:10pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this week's frequent flyerpodcast we are joined by Allen of Corporate Flight Managementto discuss their new program socialflights.com. On social flights,individuals can group together to secure a corporate jet t…
- 19 Jun 11, 3:24pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this episode of our frequent flyerpodcast we welcome Seth from The Wandering Aramean blog to discuss:A recap of the Frequent Traveler Awards and LuncheonLufthansa A380 SFO inauguralStarwood SPG new promoAAdav…
- 24 May 11, 11:22pm -

By Upgrd Podcast - Upgrd PodcastIn this episode of our frequent flyerpodcast we discuss some recent trips and airline newsincluding:Captain Denny flight with a number of travelers from FlyertalkBehind the scenes tour at SFO before theflightT…
- 11 Apr 11, 10:05pm -

Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without. Name: Susan Spano Occupation: Travel Writer/Peace Corps Volu…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:29pm -

This is Part 1 in Dave Zuchowski’s three-part series on Charleston, South Carolina—voted the best city in the U.S. and Canada in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards for the second year in a row. Tune in for Part 2 next Friday. Lucky Cha…
- 5 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 6:56pm -

The Motel Freshener Each Friday, we’re featuring a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip comes from Phil R. of West Lafayette, Indiana, who says: “This is a tip from back years ago when I was constantly traveling. I…
- 7 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 4:30pm -

Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without. Name: David DiGregorio  Occupation: Destination Marketing C…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 5:15pm -

The “Call from the Front Desk” Scam Yesterday, I wrote about the “Let’s have a drink” scam. Well, here’s another one that’s making the rounds, including my buddy Peter Greenberg’s newsletter yesterday and DailyFinance.com. The “Call…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 4:30pm -

Beware the “Let’s Have a Drink” Scam I’ve been scammed before in Budapest and there’s a good chance I’ll be scammed again since I travel so much. But my colleague Tom Brosnahan, in his travel guide from Turkey, just alerted me to the “…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 6:00pm -

THE TOP 10 IN TRAVEL NEWS THIS WEEK: The Official Flight Manifest For MH17 Malaysia Airlines offers refunds until Thursday Netherlands opens war crimes investigation into airliner downing Michael Bloomberg flys to Israel on EL AL to protest FAA ban A…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 1:30pm -

This week’s contests include: Win a Cross-Trek 22” Wheeled Carry-On Duffel from Granite Gear! (JohnnyJet.com contest) Win a week-long vacation for two in Tuscany Win a trip to The Galapagos Islands Win a free Iceland vacation Win a trip for two…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 12:00pm -

Awhile people who had an open AirTran account received targeted e-mails that they would receive a 500 SouthWest point bonus if they linked their AirTran account. I completed this offer and it was an easy way to rack up 500 SouthWest points. My girlfr…
- 11 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:35pm -

Question: I’ve noticed that a lot of the American Express offers are targeted to certain people, sometimes I’ll have the same card as somebody else but won’t see that offer in my account. Why is this and what can I do to make sure I get more of…
- 11 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:30pm -

You can see our introduction to AmEx offers here. The Offer Spend $75 to pay your AT&T, Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile cell phone bill online and receive a statement credit. Some got a $15 credit offer, others got a $10 offer. Unlike most AmEx offers wh…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 11:39pm -

The Offer Receive 70,000 Chase UR points when you apply for a Chase Ink Plus in branch and spend $5,000 within the first 3 months The Fine Print Annual fee of $95 is NOT waived for the first year (this is usually waived) Limited time offer, the same…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 11:36pm -

Staples/Visa have suspended this promotion. It’s expected to become live again tomorrow. This time excluding gift card purchases.  The Offer Direct link to offer Get $25 off your order of $100 or more when you pay with Visa check out. This offer w…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 11:01pm -

The Offer Discover and Chase Freedom both offer 5% cashback at gas stations this quarter, July-September. You can view our full list of 5% cashback cards here. We previously mentioned that some people have reported success cashing out the 5% Freedom…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 10:45pm -

The Offer Direct link to offer Receive a $10 promotional credit when you purchase $50 in Amazon.com gift cards, you’ll need to be signed into your account to see if you’re eligible: Enjoy this exclusive Gift Cards offer… Thank you for your inte…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 1:00pm -

Citi has announced that you can now transfer Citi ThankYou points to a number of airline partners, this is in addition to the transfer partner of Hilton they already had. You need to have one of the following credit cards open to be able to transfer…
- 4 days ago 22 Jul 14, 12:07am -

Offer at a glance Maximum bonus amount: $300 Availability: AZ, CA, CO, ID, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY Direct deposit required: Yes, $250+  Additional requirements: Optional, 10 or more debit card transactions for an a…
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 6:35pm -

Credit card bonuses are one of the easiest ways to rack up free flights, free hotel stays and even cash or gift cards. Often credit card companies will have multiple offers with different sign up bonuses. You should always check multiple places to en…
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 5:35pm -

Earn 70,000 Points after spending $2,000 in your first 3 months from account opening with the Chase Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Receive 1 Free Night Stay after account approval in category 1-4 locations, that’s up to 10 Free Nights! Mar…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 8:33pm -

TD Ameritrade offers $2,500 in cash bonus money for depositing $1 million in new funds valid until September 30, 2014. You will also get a $75 transfer rebate to cover any rollover or transfer fees that your other brokerages charge you. TD Ameritrade…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 6:06pm -

There are now Chase $500 Premier Checking Coupons available online on eBay to buy. This is by far the biggest Chase checking deal I’ve seen in all my years of writing about Chase bonuses. Once you get the Chase Coupon Code, you visit your local Cha…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 11:51am -

Gather up all your change around the house because Coinstar is having a $8 Chili’s bonus when you pour in $40 or more at their counting machine. They will print the  $8 bonus on your receipt with no expiration. The $8 Chile’s eCertificate bonus…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 11:30am -

Frequent fliers can take advantage of this great offer for 1,500 United MileagePlus bonus miles from MileagePlus Dining. You need to join MileagePlus Dining by December 10, 2014, then earn 1,500 bonus miles when you spend $30 on a single dine at a pr…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 9:19am -

For residents of Maine, Massachusetts, & New Hampshire, the Bank of Maine Promise Rewards Checking account is offering up to $150 in cash bonus. In order earn $150 bonus, you must set up direct deposit, do 10 debit card purchases, and bill payments t…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 6:24am -

Shop now using the United MileagePlus Shopping Mall to earn up to 2,000 bonus miles when spending $500 or more good  through August 31, 2014. Other spending requirements include $125 to earn 500 bonus miles, $250 to earn 1,000 miles, and $375 to ear…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 6:19am -

Book your next flight with Frontier Airlines by 7/24/2014 and get 11% off using promo code WINTERSAVINGS. You must travel domestically between December 13 through March 1. The blackout dates include December 19-24, December 26–28, and January 3-4.…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 5:04am -

Here's the complete list of restaurants that give free meal/deals for your birthday.Acme Markets / Albertsons and possibly others, Free Birthday cake for first birthday, must bring proof of child being 1 yr old, ex: birth certificate.THE PALM…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 1:23am -

Find all the best Coupons, Discounts, and Promotion Codes to save up to 60% Off when shopping at BananaRepublic.com. Use Offer Code BRTHINKBIG to get 40% off on Banana’s regular and 50% off sale items. The promo code expires 7/23/2014 Banana Republ…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 5:21pm -

From the desk of the Devil’s Advocate… I was at FTU Advanced this past weekend and had an absolute blast meeting and chatting with folks and exchanging ideas about loyalty programs. It’s great to be able to talk endlessly about our hobby withou…
- 2 days ago 24 Jul 14, 11:15am -

I led three sessions at FTU Advanced last weekend, and all of them were open ended. But for the most part I was leading people through different tools like ExpertFlyer, Award Nexus, and ITA Matrix. I’ll spend some time over the next couple weeks…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 2:05pm -

Given our past attention to places farther from home, we round out the next part of this series with a look at award seats and routes to South America. Part 1 – Hacking Award Seats to Europe – All 403 Routes Part 2 – Hacking Award Seats to Asia…
- 4 days ago 22 Jul 14, 11:05am -

Over the past two weeks, we looked at finding the routes with the least demand to Europe and the Asia: Hacking Award Seats to Europe – All 403 Routes – Part 1 of 5 Hacking Award Seats to Asia – All 177 Routes – Part 2 of 5 In this next short…
- 7 days ago 18 Jul 14, 12:00pm -

Last year I matched to Kimpton’s loyalty program, InTouch, and made good use of it with stays at Hotel Vintage Plaza in Portland, EPIC Hotel in Miami, Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, and Alexis Hotel in Seattle. Alexis remains my favorite, thoug…
- 8 days ago 17 Jul 14, 2:30pm -

From the desk of the Devil’s Advocate… I am thrilled to report (and I am sure you are all thrilled to hear) that this past Friday I successfully completed my Hyatt Diamond Trial. As a result, I now have Diamond status with Hyatt until the end of…
- 9 days ago 17 Jul 14, 11:15am -

Enter the Fuel Rewards Network REAL Savings Contest on Maximizing Money to win 1 of 5 $25 FRN Gift Cards (Good at Shell Gas Stations), plus get a 25¢ per gallon discount as a sign-up bonus when you join the Fuel Rewards Network for free today.To wi…
- 12 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 11:44am -

Capital One ShareBuilder is currently offering from $50 to $600 in bonus cash when you open a new account and deposit at least $5,000, valid through December 31, 2014.Just open a new Capital One ShareBuilder Account and enter Promo Code GET600AFF du…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:35pm -

The Marriott Rewards credit cards allow you to earn bonus points toward free hotel nights, plus there are several current promotions offering up to 70,000 bonus points.Updated July 25, 2014: Please note that there is a new affiliate link available f…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:30pm -

The Bank of Maine Promise Rewards Checking account offers up to $150 in bonus cash for new customers, plus you can earn a $50 bonus for each new customer that you refer.The Bank of Maine promotional offers are available to residents living in Maine,…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:25pm -

TD Ameritrade is offering new and existing members up to $2,500 in cash bonus money when you deposit new funds, roll over your old 401(k)s, or transfer an IRA to TD Ameritrade by September 30, 2014.Review more details on this TD Ameritrade Promotion…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:20pm -

You can get 6 months of UPS My Choice Premium Membership for free through January 31, 2014.The post UPS My Choice 6 Months Premium Membership for Free appeared first on Maximizing Money.
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:19pm -

The Chase Ink Plus business credit card is now offering 70,000 bonus points for new applicants when you apply at your local Chase Bank branch.Check out more details on these Chase Ink Business Cards for business credit card solutions and business ch…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 9:15pm -

TransWest Credit Union has a referral program that offers both new and current members either $25 or $50 in bonus cash, depending on which accounts the new member opens.To join TransWest, you must be a resident of Salt Lake County in Utah; an employ…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 9:11pm -

The United MileagePlus Shopping rewards network is offering new and current members up to 2,000 bonus miles when you spend a qualifying amount from July 14th to August 31, 2014.The post United MileagePlus Shopping up to 2,000 Bonus Miles appeared fi…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 9:01pm -

The American Express Plum business card is offering up to a $600 cash back bonus on up to $30,000 in purchases during your first 3 months as a card member with no annual fee for the first year.The post The Plum Card from American Express up to $600…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 8:59pm -

There are some very lucrative credit card offers, ones like the long-lasting Citi AAdvantage Executive card that (had) offered 100,000 AA miles. Then we have the second tier airline credit card offers like the American Express Delta Skymiles Gold off…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:34pm -

My friend Scott runs the Hack My Trip blog, and he does a great job with it.We’re very different – I felt like going to college was the biggest waste of my life, while he has like 14 doctoral degrees and is trying to figure out a way to get back…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:33pm -

With IHG Rewards you can unofficially buy points for .7 cents each any time you want via a little bit of ‘work’ (as described here), however if you are starting from zero that method doesn’t work.  It also is a method that not all people are 1…
- 1 hour ago 25 Jul 14, 10:27pm -

I must admit that I got swept up in the 2014 World Cup. I was cheering for the United States even though I knew they had no realistic chance of advancing very far. When the United States advanced out of the so called “Group of Death” by defeating…
- 2 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:26pm -

Who doesn’t love pancakes? Okay, you can put your hands down, Celiac sufferers. Everybody else, get ready for a pancake miracle. Alaska Airlines has upped the airport lounge breakfast game with “Popcake” machines that churn out pancakes faster…
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 9:21pm -

When checking your US Airways flight status, your intuition would be that www.usairways.com is the best place to check.  But there are three better places […]
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:45pm -

I finished up my review of the Briggs & Riley BRX Explore International Expandable Wide-body Upright just yesterday, but missed a very important piece of information. As pointed out by JohnSD and gobluetwo, the question was whether this suitcase woul…
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:40pm -

This is a quick reminder that this promotion ends tonight! JetBlue is running a great promotion where ultimately you can use your points for free flights with a 20% discount. For all reservations booked through TONIGHT July 25, 2014 at 11:59pm ET, yo…
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:28pm -

I recently stayed at the Occidental El Embajador in Santo Domingo while on a 4 day business trip. This was a new property for me, in a city that I frequent quite often. I booked a room on the Royal Club level, for an extra $20 a night to ensure that…
- 3 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:26pm -

With the limiting of certain types of prepaid cards and reloads, many people are looking for other ways to get their manufactured spend in. Sure, it is still possible to buy gift cards, and many people are doing it to the tune of tens of thousands ea…
- 4 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 8:06pm -

(Note: I do not receive any compensation if you order this card.  In the event that I do receive compensation for your actions, I will always disclose it (as you’ll see when you hit the bottom of this thread.)) Every so often, Marriott gives us a…
- 9 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 3:00pm -

Once per quarter, airlines comment on their earnings for the previous quarter and give projections for the following quarter.  Anyone can listen to these reports through a webcast on the airlines’ websites.  There is normally a lot of technical l…
- 1 day ago 24 Jul 14, 2:00pm -

In the summer, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of miles.  With the sounds of the Delta third-quarter conference call in the background, it’s time for me to make my decision on whether I will make an attempt to renew my Delta elite…
- 2 days ago 23 Jul 14, 2:43pm -

Hilton’s Q3 promo, which oddly runs from August 1 through October 31, offers double base points for stays Monday-Thursday night and triple points on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night stays.  Base points are those that you get just for the night (b…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 2:13pm -

When I first started this blog, one of my goals was to avoid turning it into another blog about manufactured spending.  MS definitely serves a purpose, such as when you need to meet minimum spending on a credit card to get a bonus, or when you are a…
- 3 days ago 22 Jul 14, 1:53pm -

As mentioned in June, the 9/11 security fee increase goes into effect today.  The new fees will be flat, with a one-way fee of $5.60 and round-trip fee of $11.20, versus the previous regime of fees per leg of the trip. I typically keep politics out…
- 4 days ago 21 Jul 14, 2:28pm -

One of the great things about frequent flyer programs is the stories they generate.  The most well-known of crazy miles stories is the one of Pudding Guy, but there are plenty more out there.  This weekend, we will visit the world of a Chinese Art…
- 5 days ago 20 Jul 14, 6:30pm -

One of my favorite sayings in the mileage world is, “Miles don’t earn interest.”  In other words, you get nowhere by hoarding hundreds of thousands, or even millions of miles, as airlines tend to devalue them over time.  Inflation works in th…
- 7 days ago 18 Jul 14, 1:43pm -

For those of you who have never flown Virgin America, it has a nice product, especially if you find yourself in the front of the plane.  Recently, the company launched an elite status match if you have status with United, American, Delta or Southwe…
- 9 days ago 16 Jul 14, 1:49pm -

“There’s two sides to every Schwartz.” -Dark Helmet, Spaceballs In this post, I discussed two methods to manufacture spend, one using Paypal cards to reload your Paypal account and the second using debit cards to build your balance on the Walg…
- 10 days ago 15 Jul 14, 2:59pm -

Update: for a limited time, get 70,000 bonus points by applying in branch. $95 fee not waived.The month of May has been good to Chase bankers and this deal only strengthens that – 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points can be yours with one business c…
- 12 hours ago 25 Jul 14, 12:11pm -

The Barclays US Airways Premier World MasterCard is an interesting value proposition for frequent flyers of American Airlines, especially considering that the newly merged airline announced that their mileage programs would merge sometime in 2015.…
- 6 days ago 19 Jul 14, 2:00pm -

The #1 reason a reader is wary of signing up for credit cards is the perceived impact to his or her credit score. I have already laid out in some detail how to better understand your credit score and have also given you step-by-step instructions…
- 12 days ago 13 Jul 14, 11:20pm -

Update: for a limited time, enjoy 45,000 bonus miles when applying by phone. Read full details in post.This American Express Delta Gold card is one of my best airlines cards out there, especially with Delta Airlines offering one-way flights begin…
- 19 days ago 6 Jul 14, 4:00pm -

As I outlined last week, summer is upon us, which means you’ve got a location or two in mind for some long-awaited travel. And while I already outlined some pretty amazing summer travel destinations within the United States, this week’s entry…
- 25 days ago 1 Jul 14, 2:42am -

The first day of summer came and went yesterday, which is a welcomed site for those that went through a particularly harsh winter. Of course, that winter no longer matters as everyone packs away the jeans and sweaters for bathing suits and t-shirt…
- 33 days ago 22 Jun 14, 9:04pm -

This is one of two Citibank offers for American Airlines miles currently out there and this is the one on my top three overall deals. Here are the details: * 50,000 American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 in 3 months * 2 points per $…
- 40 days ago 16 Jun 14, 1:43am -

- 51 days ago 5 Jun 14, 1:41am -

Every traveler has the dream: flat beds, individual space and exceptional meals. First and business class are the holy grail of traveling and airlines have placed an increase emphasis on making these experiences more and more memorable. Thankfully…
- 59 days ago 28 May 14, 10:22am -

Last night's episode wrapped up the twenty-fourth installment of The Amazing Race television series – quite possibly the most brilliant reality show ever made and my personal favorite. This season was the All-Stars version, meaning there was a c…
- 67 days ago 19 May 14, 10:24pm -