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What is the Best Frequent Flyer Program for Transcontinental Travel?

On April 20, 2014 · 5 comments

in American, Delta, JetBlue, Sunday Reader Questions, United, Video Blog Post, Virgin America

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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… Read More

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

On April 20, 2014 · 2 comments

in Beginners Series, Chase, Citi, Credit Cards, Sunday Reader Questions, Video Blog Post

The breakdown of your credit, or FICO, score

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… Read More

A Reminder on Passport and Visa Requirements for International Travel

On April 20, 2014 · 3 comments

in Allied Passport, Points Guy Pointers, Sunday Reader Questions, Video Blog Post

Before you travel, make sure you have at least one empty page in your passport - and confirm that it's valid for as long as your destination requires

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!… Read More

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

On April 20, 2014 · 2 comments

in American Express, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Chase, Sunday Reader Questions, Video Blog Post

Cathay Pacific

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… Read More

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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Airline and Hotel Invitation-Only Elite Status

April 17, 2014

We’ve covered elite status at various airlines and hotels, including series on American, Delta, United and US Airways, as well as hotel-program comparisons, and the ways in which airlines try to one-up each other’s elite strategies, but have you ever wondered if there’s something more elite than elite? Like the black card of hotels and […]

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Hotel Review: W Verbier, Switzerland

April 17, 2014

One of our picks for the top hotels to check out in 2014 was W hotel brand’s first foray into the ski resort world opened in Verbier, Switzerland, in December. TPG Contributor Casey Hatfield-Chiotti recently visited the town in the Swiss Alps known for some of the best off-piste (backcountry) skiing in the world and […]

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Amex Virgin America 30% Transfer Bonus Through April 30, 2014

April 16, 2014

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen an Amex transfer bonus, but  through April 30, American Express is offering a 30% bonus on transfers to Virgin America Elevate points. Normally points transfer at the lackluster ratio of 2 Amex points to 1 Elevate point, but with this promo, you can transfer 200 Amex points […]

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Hanging at the Best Beach In the World on Fernando De Noronha and Touring the Rest of the Island

April 16, 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, and found this far-flung natural paradise (and UNESCO World Heritage site) a perfect spot for scuba diving and quiet relaxation. I’ve so far shared the adventures of my American Airlines flight to the the […]

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25% Starwood Points Discount and 30% United Miles Discount – Should You Buy Points and Miles?

April 16, 2014

There are two buy miles/points promos out there at the moment – one from Starwood and one from United – so I thought I’d cover in case you are thinking of using them to top up your accounts at a discount. Starwood 25% Discount Now through May 31, 2014, you can buy Starpoints at up […]

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Newark Airport AirTrain to Close May-July: Schedule Even More Time When Taking Public Transit

April 16, 2014

Over the past couple of decades, Newark has become one of the main hubs on the east coast, for better and for much, much worse. It does have a few things going for it – it’s easy to get there from New York City in a taxi for about the same price as heading to […]

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What Is A Bitcoin and Might They Be Useful For Travelers?

April 16, 2014

TPG Assistant Editor Melanie Wynne takes us through a quick history of the bitcoin and analyzes the future of this digital currency and whether travelers could take advantage of it in the future.  In the four-year history of the digital currency known as bitcoin, I’ve referred to it as the “LaserDisc of money” more than once, […]

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Buying Amex Membership Rewards Points from American Express – Worth It?

April 16, 2014

Today I was reading through the updated Membership Rewards terms and conditions that came with my Premier Rewards Gold card to see if anything new caught my eye and thought it would be good to do a refresher post on how you can actually buy Membership Rewards points and if it’s really worth it at […]

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Deal Alert: New York to Oslo from $407 Roundtrip and Other Scandinavia Cheap Flight Deals From Los Angeles

April 15, 2014

I’m a fan of travel disrupters (like Uber) and now Norwegian Air. The scrappy carrier is driving down fares with new cheap flights to locations throughout Europe to the US. It is shaking up the airline industry and has even prompted lawsuits from jealous competitors. Just this morning I saw a sidebar ad showcasing Ft. Lauderdale […]

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