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What To Do On A Visit To Luang Prabang, Laos

On July 28, 2014 · 9 comments

in TPG Contributors, Trip Reports

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Trekking with elephants at Shangri Lao.

On his recent round-the-world trip, TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen traveled to Luang Prabang in Laos for several days. Here are his picks on where to stay and what to do. Check out Eric’s other posts from his Asia adventure: Flying a Round the World Award Using US Airways Miles, Norwegian Air… Read More

Amazon Payments – Send and Receive Money with a Credit Card

On July 28, 2014 · 49 comments

in Amazon, Credit Cards, TPG Contributors

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. amazon logo black square

Today TPG Contributor Jason Steele offers insights into using Amazon Payments, a program for sending and receiving payments online with the option of using a credit card.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Amazon Payments from Amazon.com, the retailing giant’s web-based payments platform. Amazon recently… Read More

IHG Rewards PointBreaks List For July 28-September 30

On July 28, 2014 · 12 comments

in Buy Miles Promotions, Chase, IHG Rewards, Ultimate Rewards

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. IHG recently updated redemption rules to make PointBreaks more accessible.

IHG Rewards, the points program of chains including Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and more, has released its latest list of PointBreaks hotels for July 28 – September 30 and they are now bookable. Simply search for eligible properties and 5,000 point award nights will… Read More

Credit Cards That Offer Free Credit Scores

On July 28, 2014 · 5 comments

in Barclays, Capital One, Citi, Credit Cards, Discover, First Bankcard, US Bank

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. FICO score

Earlier this year, I shared how credit scores are calculated and which credit cards offer cardmembers a free look at their credit scores. In late February, though, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it’s urging major credit card issuers to provide free credit scores and… Read More

Maximizing Garuda Miles – Earning, Redeeming and Transfers

July 28, 2014

Garuda, the national carrier of Indonesia, has been in the news a lot lately. It joined the SkyTeam alliance back in March, entered into a mileage partnership with ANA in April, and earlier this week, Citi announced that Garuda would be one of eight new ThankYou points transfer partners. With so many more possibilities, I thought […]

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How Do I Use Points And Miles from a Rewards Credit Card?

July 27, 2014

I received our “super-newbie question of the week” from TPG reader Jessica, via Facebook: “I’m interested in getting a credit card for miles and points, but I’m not sure which one to choose. My main question is, how do you use the miles and points? Do they automatically come off your account when you pay, or do you […]

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Should I Reduce My High Credit Limit If I Don’t Use It?

July 27, 2014

There are a lot of different factors that influence your credit score, the biggest ones being paying your bills on time, and the amount of credit that you’re utilizing. For example, if you’ve got $20,000 of available credit between all your accounts, and you’re running a combined balance of $17,000, that represents a high credit utilization, and […]

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Should I Pay a Fee to Meet Credit Card Spend Requirement?

July 27, 2014

‪TPG reader Carla tweeted this week: “@thepointsguy do you think it makes sense to pay my expensive NYC rent on a credit card to meet min CC spend if there’s a $50 fee to do so?” In an ideal world we would be able to pay any bill with a credit card with no fee […]

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Flight Review: Singapore Economy Class HKG-SIN

July 26, 2014

On his recent round-the-world trip, TPG Special Contributor Eric Rosen made a quick stop in Bali. To get there from Hong Kong, he flew Singapore Airlines economy via Singapore. Here’s his review of the experience. Until my recent trip around the world, the last time I flew Singapore Airlines was back in 1992 when I […]

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IHG Rewards Club 60% Buy Points Bonus

July 26, 2014

IHG Rewards (formerly Priority Club) is offering a 60% bonus for purchasing 10,000 or more points through August 18, 2014. IHG offers bonuses for points purchases every so often, ranging from 25% to 100%, so this offer is about average compared to past promotions.   Points can be purchased in increments of 1,000 at the following […]

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3x HHonors on Weekends, Contest to Fix PreCheck & More

July 26, 2014

Here’s a recap of points, miles and travel industry news from the past week: Earn 2X Hilton HHonors points during the week and 3x on weekends: The Hilton HHonors Triple Your Trip promotion allows HHonors members to earn bonus points for stays at participating properties: triple HHonors points on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights; and double HHonors points on […]

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Summer Festival Fun in Edinburgh

July 25, 2014

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 want to visit this lovely city, your best bet is July or August […]

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Win Trips to US Open, Norway, the Galapagos & More

July 25, 2014

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, you could win a three-night trip for two to New York City, including three nights at the participating hotel of your choice, 200,000 […]

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Minor US Airways Award Chart Devaluation Coming August 1

July 25, 2014

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 and high awards between the continental U.S. and Canada, as well as first class awards on […]

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Maximizing Marriott Rewards for Family Travel

July 25, 2014

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 friendly they are, including Starwood Preferred Guest, Hyatt Gold Passport, and Hilton HHonors. Today I want to look at the Marriott Rewards program, which […]

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Marriott Rewards Premier Visa 70,000 points & Free Night

July 24, 2014

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 property upon approval. Here are the full details of this offer: For a limited […]

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70,000 Point Signup Bonus for Chase Ink Plus

July 24, 2014

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 waived. I value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.1 cents each because they have strong […]

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Thursday Giveaway: Flight 001 Luggage Prize Pack

July 24, 2014

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 options for the traveler on the go. With retail stores modeled after the interior cabin of a plane, and locations […]

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Free Breakfast for SPG Platinum Elite – the Weekly Wish

July 24, 2014

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, Starwood Preferred Guest announced some significant positive changes to their program. In addition to creating different levels of Platinum, the […]

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JetBlue 20% Refund on Award Redemptions Through July 25

July 23, 2014

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, since you will initially be charged the full price, and the 20% will […]

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Citi ThankYou Rewards: Earning, Redeeming, and More

July 23, 2014

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 partners to the program, I thought it was time to revisit and share with readers what I think are its strengths and shortcomings. Earning […]

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Will TSA Fee Increase Improve Security? Survey Says…

July 23, 2014

On Monday the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) fees on airline tickets went into effect. The old fee structure was $2,50 for each leg of a flight with a $5 cap on each one-way trip and $10 cap on each roundtrip. Now there’s no cap on the fee, and the TSA will charge you $5.60 for […]

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Honeymoon Travel with Points and Miles

July 23, 2014

Today, TPG Contributor Jason Steele offers his insights on how to use points and miles to make the most of your honeymoon. Planning vacations with your travel rewards is what this hobby is all about, so how is planning a honeymoon any different than a normal vacation? As you’ll see below, I make the case that […]

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FAA Suspends US Flights to Tel Aviv – Options for Travelers

July 23, 2014

After a combat missile launched from Gaza landed approximately one mile from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) early Tuesday, the FAA grounded all U.S. flights to Tel Aviv for 24 hours (through 12:15 pm Wednesday EDT), by which time they will further advise. In the meantime, the European Air Safety Agency has issued a strong recommendation that European […]

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