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Tips for Traveling With Pets: Airline and Hotel Policy Roundup

On April 22, 2014 · 16 comments

in Pet Travel

Miles the Stowaway

My life changed back in January 2013 when I added a new member to my family – my French bulldog Miles (get it?). Since then, the little guy has traveled all over the US and to Canada with me, and I can’t imagine life without him. However, traveling with a pet is a whole different experience, and… Read More

Double Alaska Miles And 10% Discount on Emirates Through November

On April 22, 2014 · 2 comments

in Alaska, Emirates

Alaska

One of the more interesting airline partnerships is that between Alaska Airlines and Emirates. Neither is in one of the three major alliances, and Alaska is the only US carrier whose miles you can earn and redeem on Emirates. In fact, it was by redeeming Alaska miles that I flew Emirates’ famous… Read More

Orbitz Launches New Credit Card – Is It Worth It?

On April 22, 2014 · 4 comments

in Orbitz

OR_creditcard-sm

Last fall, Orbitz launched a loyalty program called Orbitz Rewards to compete with incumbents like Hotels.com’s Welcome Rewards and Expedia Rewards, and it has about 2 million members to date, so it was only a matter of time before the site launched its own co-branded credit card.

Available starting… Read More

The Best Hotel Credit Cards For Earning Elite Status

On April 22, 2014 · 16 comments

in American Express, Chase, Citi, Club Carlson, Credit Cards, Fairmont, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG Rewards, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood

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Yesterday I posted about the best credit cards that help you earn miles toward airline elite status, and I thought it would be helpful write up a companion piece exploring hotel credit cards that either earn you automatic elite status or allow you to spend your way to elite status.
While some hotel… Read More

Join A Dining Rewards Program for Bonus Miles + Current Sign-Up Bonuses

April 22, 2014

Dining rewards programs are a great way to double dip on earning miles and points by using a points-earning credit card to pay for meals while also linking it to your airline or hotel program of choice and earn multiple points or miles per dollar on top of that. When you sign-up a new card […]

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Reminder: Book Delta Awards For Pre-June 1 Travel Before Redemption Rates Go Up

April 21, 2014

Last August, Delta announced some major changes to its award chart (read: devaluation) that would go into effect for travel on or after June 1. Then in November, the airline actually announced several more devaluations that went into effect in February. The thing to keep in mind here is that, unlike other devaluations where you […]

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Hilton HHonors Summer 2014 Promo Double Points or Miles on Stays May – July

April 21, 2014

Last week, Starwood announced its summer promo where you can earn 2-3x bonus points on stays this summer, and now it’s Hilton’s turn. The company announced its summer promo running May 1 – July 31 called Double Your Points. You can earn either double points or double miles on eligible (paid) stays at participating properties. […]

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The Best Credit Cards For Earning Airline Elite Status Qualifying Miles

April 21, 2014

Readers often ask me which credit cards help you earn miles toward airline elite status, and after recently exploring  the best airline credit card offers and the top credit card spending bonuses for 2014, it seemed like a great time to specifically address this question. While most airline co-branded credit cards simply offer award/redeemable miles that have no […]

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Confirmed: I Got A Second Sign-Up Bonus On The Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard

April 21, 2014

Back in March, I applied for four new credit cards – and a 230,000 points/miles bonus haul – including the current offer on the Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard of 100,000 American Airlines miles when you spend $10,000 in 3 months. I actually had already signed up for this card back in October 2013 when […]

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What is the Best Frequent Flyer Program for Transcontinental Travel?

April 20, 2014

Major airlines battle each other for customers on the US’s most popular transcontinental routes. With this in mind, TPG reader Marco tweeted me to ask: “@thepointsguy: What’s the best frequent flyer program for coast-to-coast travel?” That’s a good question, and one common among business travelers as the transcontinental US routes are some of the busiest and most […]

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What Is the Best Credit Card for a First Time Applicant?

April 20, 2014

TPG reader Kashif tweeted me to ask: “@thepointsguy I’m turning 18 this week and I’m thinking of signing up for a credit card that I could pay off. What’s your suggestion for the best points card for a first-timer?” Happy 18th birthday, Kashif! Before you choose any card, I’d suggest checking your credit score for free […]

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A Reminder on Passport and Visa Requirements for International Travel

April 20, 2014

TPG reader Adam wants to make sure I – and you all, as well – know something important about passports: “@thepointsguy: Are you aware that if your passport is set to expire within three months of your return date from a trip, you won’t be allowed entry to EU countries? The answer is yes, absolutely! And […]

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Can I Book Cathay Pacific Award Tickets Using Both Chase and Amex Points?

April 20, 2014

It’s easy to rack up points in a bunch of different programs but when it comes time to use them, it can be tricky, especially when trying to book one type of ticket from one account and another ticket from another points program. TPG reader Louis actually messaged me on Facebook asking: “I haves a […]

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When Does It Make Sense to Use Miles Over Paying For a Flight?

April 20, 2014

What with credit card sign-up bonuses, promotions, buy miles promotions, and more, there are a lot of ways to build up your points wealth, but knowing when to use your points and miles definitely takes some skill! One of my best friends sent me a text over the weekend asking: Does it makes sense to use […]

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Saturday Recap: American Bonus Miles Between the US and Tokyo, 500 Free Virgin Atlantic Miles, 1,000 Bonus Miles for Stays in the Caribbean and More

April 19, 2014

Here’s a recap of the interesting points and miles news from the week: Delta SkyClub Policy Change For Alaska Board Room Members: Alaska’s Board Room member page  announced that, effective May 1, 2014, Delta SkyClubs will no longer offer guest privileges to Board Room members. Instead, Board Room members may now purchase discounted $29 day passes […]

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Traveling With Children: Planning Activities for All Ages

April 19, 2014

Planning the perfect vacation with children means picking the most family-friendly airlines (both domestic and international) and packing the best gear (for infants and young children), but the most important part might be choosing activities that are fun for the kids, and their parents, so I asked TPG contributor Jason Steele to write up his […]

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Dining at Ze Maria in Fernando De Noronha, Brazil

April 18, 2014

I recently returned from a short trip to Fernando De Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands about 220 miles off the coast of mainland Brazil, with my Brazilian-born friend Sergio. He and I found this remote natural paradise a perfect spot for scuba diving and quiet relaxation. I’ve so far shared the adventures of my American Airlines flight […]

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50% Off IHG Awards in Mexico, Caribbean, Central America – Book By May 3

April 18, 2014

This Sunday, IHG Rewards – the loyalty program of Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, etc. – is launching a 50% off award night sale at participating properties in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. You must book between Sunday, April 20 – May 3, 2014 for stays May 1 – June 12, 2014. […]

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My Starwood Ambassador Experience Has Ended and I Don’t Really Care

April 18, 2014

At the beginning of 2012, Starwood updated their Starwood Preferred Guest program to include multiple perks for those frequent guests who stay for 50, 75 or 100 nights at their properties. Some of the perks which I have written about in the past were pretty cool, including updated amenity benefits, higher point valuation and more. Here […]

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10 Strategies For Organizing A Budget Trip To Rome

April 18, 2014

You might notice a change in the title of our destination series. While for the past two years we’ve been featuring a Destination of the Week with information on using miles to get there and points to stay at various hotels, we’re branching out and trying something new we’re calling Destination Edition. Posts in our […]

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The Ins and Outs of Reinstating Forfeited American Express Points

April 18, 2014

One of the greatest features of American Express Membership Rewards is obviously the point transfer feature. Of the 17 airline partners, nearly all (save the exception of Virgin America and Jet Blue) have a 1:1 transfer ratio, and on top of those there are dozens of other travel other partners in addition to hundreds of […]

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Fare Sale: Airfares to the Caribbean for ~$300 on US Airways and American

April 17, 2014

Thanks to a post on The Flight Deal, we’ve found some good economy airfare deals on US Airways and American from a few US cities to several Caribbean destinations with prices hovering around the $300 mark – some of the lowest fares we’ve ever seen lately! Most itineraries include a stop each way, either at US Airways’ hub […]

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Thursday Giveaway: 25,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles and Admirals Club Passes from Citi

April 17, 2014

When American Express Platinum cardholders lost access to the American Airlines Admirals Clubs and US Airways Clubs in March, the only cards that would get you into the Admirals Club were the Citi Executive AAdvantage World Mastercard (which comes with full Admirals Club membership) and more recently, the Citi Prestige, which just added Admirals Club access (not membership though) […]

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Earn 2x or 3x Starwood Points With SPG’s Earn Away Get Away Summer Promotion

April 17, 2014

Starwood’s launched its global summer promo today called “Earn Away Get Away,” and you can register to earn double Starpoints on stays at participating hotels and resorts through July 31, 2014 and triple points on stays that include a Sunday night (Saturday night for hotels in the Middle East). To be eligible for the promotion follow […]

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