Travel Miles 101

Weekly Points: New Year, New Credits, Southwest Airline Secrets, Earning Miles With Airbnb and ...

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 19:53:41 GMT

Got The Vaccine? Still Need To Be Tested: Many were looking forward to getting the vaccine so that they could travel a little more freely. Well that’s not the case currently. To go to Hawaii for example, even though you’ve been vaccinated, you still need to be tested.

Don’t Forget Your Airline Incidental Credits: Since we’re in a new calendar year, don’t forget about your Amex airline credits. If you need to change your airline you’re able to do so and make sure to use the credit before the end of the year.

Keep Your Miles From Expiring: 2020 threw a wrench into many people’s earning and burning plans. You don’t want your hard earned points to expire due to inactivity. Here are some useful tips to extend the life of your points.

Southwest Airlines Secrets: Southwest is certainly a popular airline, especially those with families. From their 2 free bags and generous change policy, there’s a lot to love. However there are some other perks that are not so well known that may interest you.

Earning Miles With Airbnb: Airbnb is a great option for your stays, especially when traveling with a large group because costs can be a lot more affordable as opposed to multiple rooms at a hotel. To make it more appealing, you can earn miles with certain airlines with your Airbnb stays.

Are You A Golden State Warriors Fan?: This may seem totally random, but hear me out. There’s a little known perk for certain cardholders where you can get 50% off Golden State Warriors gear.

Will We Quarantine Upon Arriving Back In The US: This seems to be changing daily as to what the rules are regarding travel to the US. While they recently announced negative Covid results to be allowed back into the country by air, now it seems we may have to quarantine as well?

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Weekly Points: Fast Marriott Elite Status, Portugal On Points And Miles, Guide To Avios and More!

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 19:15:09 GMT

Fast Marriott Elite Status: Other hotels are doing it, so why not Marriott? It’s no secret that hotels are hurting for business so they’re pulling out all the stops to lure customers. These could be great opportunities for us to earn elite status.

This Is Why You Crunch The Numbers: Every travel blogger was talking about the fast track to Hyatt Globalist status. It really is amazing. However I haven’t seen someone crunch the numbers quite like this guy did. I’m really tempted to replicate his plan.

Portu gal On Points And Miles: It’s easy to forget that booking your next international trip can be done with as little as 2 card bonuses. With the right combination of points and miles, you can have an amazing vacation and have your flights and hotel stay covered.

Getting Creative On Everyday Spending: Most of us have a card we use on “everyday” spending, or non bonus spending. We try to get at least 2% back on spending, whether it be cash back or 2 points per dollar. Here are some ideas to take your everyday spending to the next level.

Negative Covid Result Required To Enter US By Air: A lot of us were looking to travel internationally in 2021 after a rough 2020. I personally have a couple of trips booked. Another thing we have to consider is getting a negative result prior to coming back to the US.

Guide To Marriott Bonvoy: If you’re new to this hobby, you may be overwhelmed with the lingo and the rules for every loyalty program. One of the popular hotel loyalty programs is Marriott Bonvoy for their large worldwide footprint and amazing perks for those with elite status.

Clearing Up Confusion On Avios: Three airlines use Avios, however they each use them differently. Here’s a great guide explaining the ins and outs of the Avios program and maximizing those miles.

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Weekly Points: Transferring MR Points To Hilton, Making Money With Amex Platinum, Google ...

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 19:08:46 GMT

Membership Rewards To Hilton???: On the surface, the transfer ratio from Membership Rewards points to Hilton points doesn’t seem very appealing, but….. Have you crunched the numbers? If not, well this article is for you and may change your mind.

Guide For Buying Hilton Points: Here’s a guide to help you buy Hilton points and knowing when to buy Hilton points. It’s good to understand the principle of this article to determine whether it’s a good idea to buy other types of points and miles.

Cards To Use At Grocery Stores: A lot of us are spending more on groceries these days since dining out may be restricted. Thankfully that presents huge opportunities to earn a bunch of points. Here are some of the cards you should consider using at the grocery store.

Easily Offset Your Amex Plat Annual Fee!: When it comes to the premium cards, you really have to analyze it to make sure you get your money’s worth with the high annual fee. The American Express Platinum is making it super easy by offering a number of Amex Offers to help us out!

American Airlines Same Day Changes: If you’re ever in a situation to where you need to change your flight within 24 hours of departure, American Airlines makes it super easy to do so. Also, there are instances to where same day changes won’t cost you anything!

Speaking Of Annual Fees: Savvy folks in this hobby don’t blindly apply for cards. There’s a purpose behind their application, whether it’s a planned use for the sign up bonus or a way to maximize the card’s perks. Here’s a good article to show you how other folks do this analysis.

Google Hotels Guide: You’ve more than likely heard of Google Flights and may use it for searching paid flights. Now let’s introduce you to Google Flights younger brother, Google Hotels. There’s a lot of useful features and filters that can help you land some great deals.

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Weekly Points: Ways To Maximize Arrival Miles, Amazing Uses For Membership Rewards Points, ...

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 19:13:04 GMT

A Trick For Amazon Pay With Points: The Amazon Pay With Points deal is one of the most lucrative around. I have personally used this for steep discounts on items, while only burning 1 point. The problem is I’m not always targeted….. Until now!

8 Great Benefits Added To This Card: You have to give banks credit with how they’ve adapted to the pandemic. They’re pivoting from their travel benefits to other benefits that their cardholders are more likely to use. Here are some benefits offered on this super popular card.

Ways To Maximize Arrival Miles: These miles don’t get as much love as the popular transferable currencies, but they definitely deserve a spot in your balance. There are occasions where you can’t use airline miles or hotel points to pay for certain things, and this is where these miles come in handy.

Turkey Now Requiring Covid Testing: Turkey is changing course now and will require a negative Covid test result within 72 hours of departure. This is a change since they didn’t have any restrictions throughout the summer. This doesn’t apply to travelers just connecting in Turkey.

5 Amazing Uses Of Membership Rewards Points: American Express Membership Rewards points are by far my favorite points currency and for good reason. Their bonus categories on their cards are useful to me and their points are even more useful. Here are some great ways to use them.

Breakfast Included In Your Room Rate?: This is definitely something to be aware of if you’re planning a trip in the near future. Many times your decision on where to stay depends on whether breakfast is included or not. You may want to rethink that approach during the pandemic…

When And How Much Stimulus Will You Receive: Many of us will be receiving stimulus checks in the next few days/weeks. Here’s a good resource to see how much you’ll be getting and when you’ll be receiving it.

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Weekly Points: End Of Year Checklist, Win 25K AA Miles, SkyMiles Sweetspots and More!

Fri, 25 Dec 2020 18:59:09 GMT

End Of Year Checklist: 2021 can’t come fast enough! With that said, there are a few loose ends we need to tidy up before the year is over. Please check your credit cards for any credits that need to be used up before the end of the year.

Win 25K AA Miles: How do an extra 25,000 American Airline miles sound? I sure wouldn’t mind padding my account with more miles. I’m anticipating 2021 to allow for more travel. Here’s a cool sweepstakes you can take part in for a chance to win miles.

How To Turn Off Amex Pay Over Time: In the past you may have received some offers from Amex inviting you to enroll in their “Pay Over Time” feature and you would earn 10K points. You didn’t have to use the feature, just enroll. Well that feature may be coming back to bite you if you’re applying for a card.

SkyMiles Sweetspots!: I know, strange huh? You rarely associate Delta SkyMiles with sweetspots, however there are some great uses for these miles. For example, did you know you can fly one way from the US to Brazil for only 25K SkyMiles?

Earn Hyatt Globalist Status For Less Than 19K Points?: We’ve seen a lot of coverage on this topic and a lot of creative ways towards obtaining Globalist Status. The truth is that this is a very special offer. Will you be taking advantage of this?

Best Offer For Rakuten: This is the best offer we’ve seen for Rakuten new members and referrals. If you refer someone new to Rakuten, then you both get $20 or 2K Membership Rewards Points after a $20 purchase. Also, unlimited bonuses!

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Weekly Points: Hyatt Beach Destinations, Credit Card Checkup Tasks, Easy 10K Hilton Points and ...

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 19:01:05 GMT

Hyatt Beach Destinations: If you’re getting cabin fever and you’re looking for a beach getaway, you can plan your trip by checking out these Hyatt resorts and hotels. Hyatt properties are among the best and being able to use points to stay there makes it an even sweeter deal!

Secret Transfer Partners: Even if you’ve been in this hobby for a while, there are times when you learn of new tricks. In this instance there are some indirect ways to transfer points to partners that may be useful to you.

Q1 2021 Is Fast Approaching!: Can’t wait until 2020 is over? Yeah me either!! One thing to look forward to next month are the new rotating bonus categories on select cards. These are great ways to earn 5X points per dollar in these categories.

Credit Card Checkup Tasks: If you juggle a bunch of credit cards then you’ll agree that organization is key to staying on track with spending, maximizing points and paying bills. Since we’re constantly looking for ways to get the most points and max out perks, it’s important to have a system in place.

UR Points Guide: These points are definitely some of the most popular flexible currencies around. They have very appealing transfer partners and their credit card line up covers many popular spending categories. Here’s a good guide to show you the ropes.

Preferred Boarding For AA Members: American Airlines recently announced that they will offer preferred boarding for all AAdvantage members. This is a pretty cool perk just for being a member. Yet, with such a low barrier to entry, you may still not secure overhead bin space.

Easy 10K Hilton Points: Easy, effortless points are always welcomed by me. Currently you can earn 10K Hilton points for filling out a survey. Now that’s easy!!

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Weekly Points: Eliminating Change Fees, Guide To South American Award Flights, Southwest ...

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 18:13:42 GMT

United Eliminates Change Fees: This pandemic has forced the hands of airlines and hotel chains worldwide. Many have made temporary changes favorable to the consumer. United airlines has made some permanent changes by eliminating change fees on most international tickets.

Big Three Playing Nice: It started with American Airlines and it was only a matter of time when the other big US airlines would follow suit. Delta was the next to make the change of eliminating change fees in select international flights.

Best Card For Everyday Spending: Many of us in this hobby use a certain card for dining, another for groceries, another for gas, etc. The reason is due to the number of points you earn with each category. What about the categories with no bonuses though?

Guide To Flying To South America On Miles: South America is such an amazing continent to travel to. There is so much to see and do and it can be very affordable. While it can be quite the long flight especially if traveling to the southern part of the continent, you have several award options to choose from.

Is TSA PreCheck More Valuable Now?: The vast majority of us have TSA PreCheck due to owning the right credit cards. Considering the times we are living in, would you consider it more or less valuable now during the pandemic?

Southwest Calendar Extended: If you’re wanting to plan for a summer vacation and fly on Southwest, well you’re in luck. Southwest has extended their flight schedule through August 16, 2021.

What Else Can You Do With Miles?: Did you get stuck with a high balance in a fixed mile/point currency because of the pandemic? Many of us in this hobby did, since we transferred points out flexible point currencies to certain airlines or hotels. What can you do with them?

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Weekly Points: Hyatt Globalist Status In 2021, How To Use Positioning Flights, Deals On Hotels ...

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:58:50 GMT

Earning Hyatt Status In 2021: 2020 has been a rough year for travel! I cancelled 2 big trips and have been stuck at home. 2021 seems to be looking brighter and Hyatt is helping in a big way by lowering the nights needed for Globalist status!

How To Use Positioning Flights: Wouldn’t it be nice if all the flight deals that we saw originated out of our home airport? Even if the flight deals were at an airport close by, we can still take advantage of them with positioning flights.

Credit Card Enhancements Guide: With the major shift in spending due to the pandemic, credit cards have made changes to make their cards more relevant during this time. Some have offered great perks to using their cards. Here’s a one stop shop to keep up with all of the changes.

Best Cheap Hotels In Miami: Many of us are looking for a domestic getaway since international options are limited. With that, you don’t want to break the bank while doing so. Here are some good hotel options if you’re headed to Miami.

Guide To Buying Southwest Points: If you’re looking to take advantage of a point buying promotion on Southwest, here’s a guide to help you. As always, crunch the numbers to see if buying points makes sense for you.

US Spots To Spend Your Bonvoy Points: If you have some Bonvoy points burning a hole in your pocket, you should check out these properties. There are several spots in the US that are worthwhile and a good choice to use your points.

Strategy For Obtaining Hyatt Status: With Hyatt laying out a few plans for obtaining elite status with them in 2021, it’s interesting to see how the internet plans to achieve status. It’s good to get other people’s perspective so that you can formulate your own plan!

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Weekly Points: Using Shopping Portals, Deal On Fairmont Hotels, The United TravelBank and More!

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:09:40 GMT

Earn 5% Cash Back For Online Shopping: If you have some online shopping planned, why not earn some extra cash back. Citi is offering a 5% cash back statement credit for online purchases through 11/30/2020. Stack this with shopping portals and it could be a great deal. Check your accounts to see if you’re eligible.

How To Use Rakuten: Speaking of shopping portals….. Rakuten is among my favorites because you have options. You can earn cash back or Membership Rewards points. This is awesome as we can get amazing value from Amex points. Here’s how to use Rakuten.

Monthly Checklist: Many of our cards have credits or spending bonuses that boost the cards’ value if we use them. We’re at the end of the month now, so it’s a good time to see if we’re taking advantage of these credits.

Online Shopping Guide: Since many will be doing some online shopping in the next few weeks, it’s good to know how to earn the most points/miles as possible. There are a number of double and triple dip opportunities to take advantage of.

Apple AirPods Pro Deal: On somewhat travel related news, there’s an amazing deal on Apple AirPods Pro on Amazon. If you stack this deal with an Amex Offer and a targeted Membership Rewards point offer through Amazon, you could earn a nice chunk of points and get a superb deal on AirPods.

Amex Platinum Perks And Benefits: With increased offers floating around for the Amex Platinum, it’s good to know how to maximize the card to the fullest. Speaking of that, have you heard of the United TravelBank????

Deals On Fairmont Hotels Gift Cards: TODAY ONLY (11/27/2020), you can save 20% on Fairmont Hotels gift cards. Fairmonts are some of the swankiest hotels around. This is a worthwhile deal if you’re wanting to stay at a Fairmont, but you must act today!

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Weekly Points: Aeroplan Award Flight Guide, Changing AA Flights, Membership Rewards Sweet ...

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:56:04 GMT

Aeroplan Awards Guide: Aeroplan is a solid airline loyalty program. It’s one that I use often for it’s great award pricing and transfer partner. As with all loyalty programs, there are some quirks you need to be aware of regarding taxes and fuel surcharges. Here’s a good guide to review.

Combining Membership Rewards Points???: Many flexible rewards programs allow you to pool your points with someone or transfer them to someone else. That’s not the case with Membership Rewards points. Is there a way around this when trying to book awards?

40 Perks Of Amex Platinum: I knew that the Amex Platinum had several perks, but 40 seemed like a lot. Do you maximize every single perk offered by the card? Did you know of all the perks?

Loopholes On Amex Rules?: Every bank imposes their rules to prevent churners from racking up a bunch of sign up bonuses. American Express uses their “Once In A Lifetime” rule to avoid this. With huge sign up bonuses coming out, are you out of luck if you’ve already owned the card?

Memberships Reward Sweet Spots: I love Membership Rewards as their transfer partners work well with where I like to travel. Aside from that, they offer some very appealing sweet spots. These are great so you can save a bunch of your hard earned points!

Change Of Plans?: The rules for changing or cancelling flights is tricky. They vary from one airline to another. Many airlines modified their rules due to the pandemic. If you’re needing to make changes to an American Airline flight, here’s a good guide.

Check Your Amex Offers: Check your accounts as there’s a nice Amex Offer than many are seeing in their accounts. You could earn +8 Membership Reward points per eligible dollar at Amazon. This is just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

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Weekly Points: Transfer Bonus To Avios, Evaluating Open 5/24 Slots, New AA Award Cancellation ...

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:45:41 GMT

Are You A Hoarder?: It seems as if many banks were hoping cardholders would burn through their points at a low redemption rate during the pandemic. To Amex’s surprise, they’ve found that many have been holding on to their stash of Membership Rewards points in hopes of future travel.

Transfer Bonus To Avios: Transfer bonuses are a great way to stretch your flexible points even further. Currently you can get a 30% bonus when transferring this popular points currency to British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

Evaluating Open 5/24 Slots: If you’ve been in this hobby for a while, you know exactly what 5/24 means. Many choose to wait to get under 5/24 so that they can apply for cards from a particular bank. However, are you missing out on more lucrative opportunities by doing so? Think about it…

Maximizing New Amex Credits: Amex offers monthly credits for cellphone, shipping and streaming services on select cards. While that seems pretty straightforward, there are some cool tricks that you can use to maximize those credits on “other” items.

New AA Award Cancellation Rules: There are some positive changes happening with American Airlines’ award cancellation policy. Considering the times that we’re in, it’s in the airline’s best interest to make these changes. Check out how awesome these changes are!

South Africa To Welcome All Visitors: Options are limited for US Citizens as far as international travel is concerned. South Africa though is planning on opening its borders to all visitors given that they follow certain protocol. I’ve love to go to South Africa right now!

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Weekly Points: What Card Should I Use, Best Points Hotels In The Caribbean, Bye Bye Emirates ...

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 19:29:43 GMT

What Card To Use?: Veterans in this hobby have an arsenal of credit cards at their disposal. Couple this with the temporary perks they provide and keeping all of them straight can be confusing. Luckily this guide helps you decide which card to use where to maximize your point earning potential.

Check Out LifeMiles: Familiarizing yourself with loyalty programs can help you score some amazing award flights and stays. Sometimes the lesser known programs can be extremely useful in your case and even provide sweet spots. Here’s one to check out.

Bye Bye Emirates First Class: I have not had the pleasure to fly Emirates First Class and it seems as if it will be much tougher to do so with the latest negative news. It seems like booking Emirates First Class with partner miles will be coming to an end…

Best Points Hotels In The Caribbean: Are you dreaming of a Caribbean vacation as the weather begins to turn colder? Well you can stay at some pretty swanky places without breaking the bank. Here are some places where you can burn your points.

It Pays To Procrastinate: If you’ve been putting off signing up for Rakuten, then you’ll be rewarded for holding out. For a limited time, you can earn a $40 rebate or 4K Membership Rewards points for signing up through referral links.

Miles And Points On Sale: Buying points could be a good way to boost your balance if you need a certain amount of points for an award. It can also be a great way to reduce the overall cost of an award. Either way, make sure to crunch the numbers to see if buyings points and miles makes sense for you.

Amex Platinum Travel Insurance: Lots of people are drawn to the Amex Platinum for access to the Centurion Lounges, travel credits and 5X points on certain categories. However the Amex Platinum has a lot of other perks to offer as well. Check them out!

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Weekly Points: Guide To Upgrading Your Flight, SkyMiles Devaluation, New Amex Uber Benefits ...

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 17:37:16 GMT

Guide To Upgrading Your Flight: If you’ve flown business or first class on long haul flights, it’s very difficult to consider flying economy ever again. While you might be considered a snob at this point, here are some tips for upgrading your future flights.

SkyMiles Devaluation: SkyMiles wasn’t a lot of people’s favorite airline loyalty program to begin with. Now they’re making it worse. They just raised the award rates on flights booked with partner airlines. Ouch!

Best Cards For Cellphone Bill: A great way to boost your points balance is by using the right card for certain expenses. By doing this, you maximize your point earning potential. Most likely you pay a cellphone bill, so be sure to use the right card to earn more points.

New Amex Uber Benefits: Banks are coming up with clever ways to keep your business, especially in the travel credit card space. Since travel is much more difficult now a days, travel benefits aren’t easily used, so banks are getting creative.

Earn An Easy $20/2K MR Points: Many of us shop online since it’s so easy to do. By using shopping portals, you can earn a lot more points than normal. Rakuten is offering an easy way to earn $20 or 2,000 Membership Rewards points for adding their Google Chrome extension. Go for it!

Perks Of AARP: Many of the newbies may not know about this trick, but a cheap AARP membership comes with a lot of travel perks. The potential savings easily offset the membership price. Check them out!

Diamond Status For Just 15 Nights: Hilton Diamond Status is among the easiest to get because you can have it by earning a premium credit card. However, if you don’t want to spend on the hefty annual fee, there is another solution…

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Weekly Points: What Makes Hilton Diamond Worthwhile, Hyatt Stays Guide, Welcome To Costa Rica ...

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 20:34:08 GMT

Benefits That Make Hilton Diamond Worthwhile: Elite status with loyalty programs normally provides perks. The perks differ from program to program. So is obtaining Hilton Diamond status worth it?

Hyatt Stays Guide: Hyatt is a very popular hotel chain among points enthusiasts because of the extreme value their loyalty program provides. There are some tips and tricks you should know before booking your next Hyatt award stay though.

Southwest Changes In December: Navigating the airline business during the pandemic has been turbulent to say the least. Minimizing revenue losses along with respecting social distancing is quite the challenge. Here are some upcoming changes Southwest Airlines will be making.

Don’t Forget Your Amex Statement Credits: American Express has been very generous with various statement credits throughout their card lineup. Most of them are extremely useful, so you shouldn’t have any issues using them. Don’t forget to make the most of them.

A Unique Approach To Hotel Stays: Many involved in this hobby are loyal to a particular hotel chain. Throughout my years in this hobby, I don’t think I’ve seen a hotel stay gameplan quite like this one. Check it out!

Welcome To Costa Rica: Every country has their own rules regarding tourists entering due to Covid. For many Americans, the options for international travel are very slim. If you’ve been eyeing Costa Rica, you’ll be happy to know they are welcoming all Americans.

Hawaii Arresting Social Distancing Violators: Are you thinking of making a trip to Hawaii? Make sure you abide by their social distancing rules or risk getting arrested!

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Weekly Points: Earn Bonus Marriott Points, Cashing Out Points, Using Shipping Credits and More!

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 19:41:20 GMT

Centurion Lounges Are Starting To Reopen: American Express had to shut down their Centurion Lounges for obvious reasons. They’re starting to reopen with new procedures. I think they’ve done a great job balancing what makes Centurion Lounges so great with the new safety precautions.

Earn Bonus Marriott Points: Marriott points are very valuable, and part of the reason why is because they’re tough to earn. When opportunities come to earn bonus points, it’s a good idea to take advantage when possible. Check out the latest Marriott promotion.

Better Cash Out Rate For MR Points: While we normally look to transfer our flexible points to airline and hotel partners for maximum value, many people still prefer cash back…. And that’s ok. They’re your points, so use them how you wish. Amex has a new deal for the cash back folks.

Amex Gold Losing $100 Airline Credit: One of the perks that helped justify the annual fee of the Amex Gold card was the $100 airline incidental credit. Beginning January 2022, the airline incidental credit will be removed.

Using Amex Business Credit: Getting the most out of your credit card perks is key to justifying the annual fee. Many business owners own the Amex Platinum which currently offers a $20 statement credit for shipping. Here’s a trick to use it.

Hawaii Pre-Travel Testing Guide: Hawaii is an extremely popular travel destination, but they have the strictest travel testing program of all states. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, check out this guide for a smoother testing process.

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Weekly Points: Earn Bonus Hotel Points, Marriott Award Sale, Best Bonus Categories and More!

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 18:51:17 GMT

500 Hyatt Bonus Points Per Night: Hyatt is offering some bonus points per night if you stay at select properties worldwide. Hyatt points are extremely valuable because it doesn’t take a large balance for some free stays. Do you have an upcoming stay at these locations?

Earn An Easy 1,000 Hilton Points: Hilton and Lyft formed a partnership last year where you could earn Hilton points with Lyft rides. If you haven’t already linked your Hilton and your Lyft account, you can earn 1,000 Hilton points for linking them and taking a Lyft.

Deals To Hawaii: If you’re wanting to get away and are able to book ahead and change later, you could take advantage of this deal. You can book round trip flights from the west coast to Hawaii from $257!

Marriott Award Sale: Taking advantage of off-peak pricing is a great way to save points as it costs less to book your stay. Currently Marriott is offering off-peak pricing for stays booked by October 15 and completed by November 30.

Best Bonus Categories: Whether you have cards with rotating bonus categories or fixed earning rates, it’s good to know what card to use for each spending category. Whether it’s groceries, dining, gas or travel, make sure you’re using the right card.

Earn 5X ThankYou Points On Certain Categories: If you hold the right card, you can earn 5X points for every dollar spent online, cable and streaming services. This is capped at 7500 points, but it could give you a nice little boost to your points balance.

Want To Go To Costa Rica?: As very few countries are welcoming US Citizens, it’s nice to see when one plans to open up their borders. As of right now, Costa Rica plans to allow all US residents to visit without quarantine, under a few conditions. The conditions aren’t too bad either.

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Weekly Points: The Case For Cash Back, Appealing Transfer Bonuses, Using Positioning Flights ...

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 19:08:04 GMT

The Case For Cash Back: In this hobby we’re taught that transferring our points to airline/hotel partners is the way to maximize the value of our points. While that is true, there’s nothing wrong with cash back. There’s no right or wrong way to use your points. Cash back is another option you have.

40% Transfer Bonus To Marriott/Hilton: Transfer bonuses are nice because you use less of your transferable points. Currently you can get a 40% bonus when transferring your Membership Rewards points to Marriott or Hilton. Before doing this, make sure to crunch the numbers to make sure it makes sense to do so.

How To Use Positioning Flights: It can get annoying at times seeing these amazing flight deals pop up online from LAX to Tahiti for $200 round trip, when I don’t live in Los Angeles. While that doesn’t help, not all hope is lost to be able to take advantage of flight deals.

20% Transfer Bonus To Southwest: Well we don’t see this often! You can currently get a 20% bonus when you transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest. While many value Ultimate Rewards points very high, you need to crunch the numbers to make sure it makes sense to take advantage of this bonus.

Register For Hyatt’s Latest Promotion: Starting October 1, 2020 through January 4, 2021, you can earn triple points on eligible spending with Hyatt’s Bonus Journeys promotion. Hyatt points are very valuable as you can find properties for as low as 5K points/night! Consider registering because you never know when you’ll need to book a Hyatt stay.

Updated Hilton Cancellation Policies: There for a while, hotels were really rolling out the red carpet for us to come back with cutting back change and cancellation fees. Well it seems like the honeymoon is over as Hilton joins other hotel chains in going back to their old policies. It was fun while it lasted!

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Weekly Points: Award Routing Rules, Point Buying Opportunities, Win 100K AA Miles and More!

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:40:00 GMT

Taking Advantage Of Amex Platinum: This very popular card comes with a hefty annual fee which may scare newbies. However, with all of the perks this card offers, you can easily justify the annual fee by taking advantage of what this card offers.

Promotional Companion Pass Offer: The Southwest Companion Pass is easily the best airline perk around. While this promotional offer only offers the Companion pass for a couple of months, it does give you a taste of how awesome it is. Plus, it’s relatively easy to earn with this promotion.

Award Routing Rules To Know: So you’ve earned the miles and have found award space. You’re ready to book right? Not so fast… Make sure you’re aware of the routing rules before you book that award flight!

Point Buying Opportunities: Sometimes buying points makes a lot of “cents” and in those instances you want to get the best deal possible. Currently there are several opportunities to buy some points at a discount. Here’s what’s on sale and advice on which card you should use to buy them.

Win 100,000 AA Miles: There’s currently a sweepstakes you can enter for a chance to win 100,000 AA Miles. Once you register, there are several ways to accumulate entries for the sweepstakes. Will you participate?

Awesome Hotel Amex Offers: Amex offers are a great way to offset that annual fee on popular cards and there are several to choose from. Currently there are some great hotel offers that could save you some cash. Are you taking advantage of them?

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Weekly Points: South America Restrictions, Max Out Your Membership Rewards Points, Hyatt Promo ...

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 20:23:40 GMT

Shortcut To Hilton Diamond Status: I love Hilton Diamond status because of how easy it is to obtain. Just by holding the right card you have Hilton Diamond. Right now, you can use this shortcut to get Hilton Diamond without paying the hefty annual fee on the right card.

South America Restrictions By Country: Most of South America is very popular for travel since it’s so cheap! The Rona has definitely made travel difficult for all of us though. There is good news as some countries are opening back up. Here is some more detail on each country in South America.

Redeem MR Points For Max Value: Membership Rewards points are among my favorite flexible currencies. They’re so valuable because of the number of transfer partners and award redemption options. Here some ways to get amazing value out of your hard earned points.

Q4 Categories On A Popular Card: Many of us diligently max out quarterly bonuses on those cards with rotating categories. For Q4, this popular card has bonus categories for spending at Walmart and through Paypal. This should be easy to max out!

Does Travel Insurance Cover Covid-19?: Those that had travel plans prior to Covid may have had an awful experience getting reimbursed. Sometimes travel insurance will cover you and many times they weasel their way out of paying through loopholes. Can travel insurance cover any Covid related costs?

Hyatt Promo Overlap: Promotions are always good because they’ll help you earn more points or status faster. Now stacking promotions is even better! Currently Hyatt has several promotions going on and you’re able to stack some to your benefit.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred: Our Top Recommended Card

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 20:18:18 GMT

If you polled the team at Travel Miles 101 for our favorite travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card would definitely top the list. If you want to get started traveling the world with rewards points & miles, this is a card you need in your wallet.

This was already our favorite card, but Chase just (as of 9/15/2020) increased the bonus offer:

Earn 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after reaching the minimum spending requirement of $4,000 in the first 3 months the account is open
Earn 2x points on travel and dining at restaurants
$95 annual fee
$0 foreign transaction fees

Learn How to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Here.

Important note: You can apply for this card if you don’t currently have either Sapphire card (Preferred or Reserve) and haven’t received a new card member bonus for either Sapphire card in the past 48 months.

How to Redeem Ultimate Rewards Points for Maximum Value

Here are the three Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options, and we’ll focus on #3 since that’s where you can really get significant value with some fun redemptions!

Redemption Options:

Cash Back: Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed for 1 cent per point, so your 80,000 points = $800 cash back.
Use the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal: Chase allows you to book travel directly through their booking portal (which will be run by Expedia for tons of options!). Each point is worth 1.25 cents, so your 80,000 points = $1,000 of travel.
Transfer your points so they become frequent flyer miles and hotel rewards points. The list of current partners includes:

Aer Lingus AerClub
British Airways Avios
Emirates Skywards
Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
Iberia Plus
JetBlue TrueBlue
Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
Southwest Rapid Rewards
United MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
IHG Rewards Club
Marriott Rewards
World of Hyatt

Our favorites include: Hyatt, Southwest, United and British Airways (for use especially on American Airlines in the US).

The point value when transferred to these partners can far exceed the $1,000 you get when booking through the Chase Travel Portal. We think you can fairly often get upwards of 2 cents per point, so $1,600 or more in value this way. For example:

- 80,000 United Airlines miles is enough for a round-trip Saver Economy award flight from the US to Japan (or many parts of Asia)
- 80,000 Hyatt points will get you 16 free nights in a Category 1 hotel (usually a Hyatt House or Hyatt Place)
- 80,000 British Airways would be enough for 10 one-way flights on American Airlines (for direct flights under 1,150 miles one-way in distance).
- 80,000 Southwest miles are ultra-flexible and should get you at least $1,200 in value

Learn How to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Here.

Travel Miles 101 has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Travel Miles 101 and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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