Free Starbucks!!! I’m Giving Away Multiple $50 Starbucks Gift Cards As A Thank You To My Readers!

a logo of a woman with a crown and a star

I’m really thankful for all the folks that show up here on a daily basis to read what I have to say.  As 2017 draws to a close, I wanted to show my appreciation.

I wish I could give every reader something.  If I bought each of you a cup of coffee, I’d be broke.  My kids definitely wouldn’t go to college.  My wife would definitely be mad at me.

a group of starbucks cards

Instead, I’m giving away a handful of Starbucks gift cards.  In a fun small twist, there are some $50 Starbucks cards mixed in with some $10 Starbucks gift cards.  You won’t know what you won until the card arrives in the mail (or digitally if you use the app).

There Are 3 Easy Ways To Enter:
  1. Leave a comment on this post.  Tell me what 2017 meant for you as far as travel was concerned.  I love reading your stories.
  2. Enter your e-mail below to earn a second entry.
  3. Follow me on Instagram for a 3rd entry.

If you’re already signed up for the mailing list or follow me on Instagram, you can still earn those entries and you won’t be signed up twice for the mailing list (I promise).  I send out one e-mail a day to e-mail subscribers, so I won’t flood your inbox.

Click here to view this promotion.
Thanks!

You’ll have until 11:59pm EST on Friday, December 29th to enter the giveaway.  I’m not limiting the number of comments per day but reserve the right to delete comments/disqualify folks if you’re spamming the comments.  All decisions by me are final, yada, yada.

Bottom line?  I’m trying to do something nice for my readers.  I am truly thankful each time someone shows up, reads a post, and (especially) leaves a comment.  Hearing from readers let me know there are real humans behind those numbers.  And, that’s pretty darn cool.

The post I’m Giving Away Multiple $50 Starbucks Gift Cards As A Thank You To My Readers! was published first on Pizza in Motion

272 Comments

  1. I focused on enjoying unique experiences in 2017 like staying at the Park Hyatt NY and Cathay Pacific Business!

  2. Since age 7 I’ve wanted to actualize a section of our 2nd grade reader “if I Were Going.” It’s about world travel. The travelers went to Norway and visited the Sami/Lapp culture of Scandinavia. February 2017 it became a reality for me. I happened on the 100 year celebration of Sami independence in Trondheim then headed NORTH of THE ARCTIC CIRCLE to the deep cold and deep snow and deeply moving waves of the Aurora Borealus . I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  3. i did my first 360 around the world this summer: NYC, KWI, DXB, TRV, MLE, NRT, HNL, NYC and now im currently in 9 degree Fahrenheit weather sipping coffee to stay warm.

  4. 2017 will be a time that I will always remember, because of just getting started into this wonderful hobby of earning miles and points. My family and I can’t not wait to go on our trips and adventures. This trips will be something that they will be proud of will remember for the rest of their lives.

  5. Started 2017 travel with a trip to Connecticut and ended (well..for now) with a visit to Newport mansions with all its Christmas decorations.

  6. To London for my husbands 35th and then Hawaii for his parents 70th – this year our travel coincided with birthdays, weddings, and other milestones!

  7. 2017 was the year my spouse became a FA and I could take advantage of standby benefits. It was a radical shift for me as miles are now quite secondary. I don’t quite know how to reconcile the two. But I did make it to as diverse places as Indonesia and Iceland (both paid).

  8. My travel highlight of 2017 was a trip alone with my boyfriend to Santa Fe and surroundings (we left our kid with her grandparents!). I’m originally from
    NY and we live in Europe, so visiting the West is like visiting a foreign country for me! New Mexico has incredibly beautiful landscapes as well.

  9. I visited over 20 countries including the Maldives, South Africa, St Pierre and Miquelon, Norway, and Thailand. But my favorite trip was Wisconsin.

  10. Learned so much about travel hacking! And it’s hard to fly economy now after taking all these business class flights haha!

  11. Flew over 200K miles and visited Estonia, Finland, Cuba, Singapore, HK, China, Cambodia, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Oman, Maldives, Ghana, Morocco, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Iceland, Israel, and Colombia. I traveled so much this year thanks to a few great deals I found and was able to take at least 1 trip with each member of my immediate family, After a medical issue caused me to remain on the ground for 3 months at end of 2016, I was so happy to begin traveling again especially since I had to leave my home (was an expat in Shanghai) and come back to the U.S. when I got sick and didn’t even have enough time to bring more than a suitcase back to U.S. with me!

  12. Obligatory: donuts around the world. Also, wondering once again why I put up with Delta and their ongoing “enhancements” to their program, then reading about other US airlines and being reminded that they can be even worse.

  13. Visited Croatia and flew business international for the first time (on points). Saving up for a South Africa points and miles trip now!

  14. Bought an annual pass for Universal Studies Florida!… I live in Chicago… Visited MCO over a dozen times because of this.

  15. sadly it meant hanging up my FF cards for a desk job….but 2018 looks like it might be clear skies to fly again!!!!

  16. Continued to realize the value of points/miles and continued to shake my head when friends and family would roll their eyes at me and say it’s too much effort and not worth the time! I certainly didn’t think so when I was flying first class on JAL direct from JFK to Tokyo. And enjoying an amazing breakfast in the Hyatt lounge there each morning. Happy New Year everyone!

  17. In 2017 we used AA miles to fly LATAM business class from New York to Santiago and back. While we were there, we took a 3 day excursion out to Easter Island to see the Moai! Such a great use of AA miles and an unforgettable trip! Hoping for even better travels in 2018!

  18. Great year of travel. Started 2017 with cruise to Belize and Honduras. Spent time in Hilton Head with family on March and a week in Maine in July. This fall we took a cruise around the Baltic Sea. Then in November we spent two great weeks in Hawaii. Points and miles made this most affordable.

  19. Awesome! 2017 meant a deeper relationship with Southwest Airlines! For the first time, I landed Companion Pass and A List Preferred. Given that we have a kid under two, my whole family of three can now travel one one ticket….for the next few months anyway!

  20. 2017 was a great year! Thanks to points and miles we were able to take our family of 3 on an epic summer trip all over Europe. It will be memories that will impact my 8 year old daughter for a lifetime.

  21. 2017 was the year I finally found a job that paid me to travel. I’m only home a few days a month now and it’s great!

  22. 2017 was the first year I did not requalify for some form of top tier status 🙁 Shifting life priorities drastically reduced amount of traveling I did this year… Still went to Spain, Portugal, saw the terra cottas in Xi’an, Old Quebec City, etc.

    Can’t complain, but hopefully somehow in 2018 I’ll get to travel more.

  23. My family finally has the chance to try the famous Austin TX BBQ (Terry Black and others) during the Christmas 2017 holiday week

  24. Hey, it’s your contest — and I appreciate your generosity immensely — but I’m a little confused about the “rules” for entry (and would like not to miss any opportunities). At one point in your post announcing this great giveaway you wrote, “Enter your e-mail below to earn a second entry…,” implying (?) that, otherwise, entries were limited. But then, later, you also wrote, “I’m not limiting the number of comments per day….” Just to be clear, how many replies/entries are you permitting per day?

    1. Jim, sorry for the confusion. I’ll be selecting winners drawn randomly from all comments, e-mail signups and Instagram followers. I have no problem with people replying to each other (or me) in the comments thread. I just don’t want someone spamming everyone else with one word or nonsense comments just to give them a chance to win some coffee. Make sense? You’re right on point!

  25. Through the year managed to fly on most every major commercial airliner type in current service (save Soviet-era Russians) including the newest A350, all 787s save the 10, 744 and 748i, the full range of narrow body Airbuses (old and new), various 777s (also old and new)…though booked on but not yet flown the CS100/300 (but did sit in the prototype static cabin/cockpit). And those Bombardier RJs and Dash8/Q400s, and Embraers 145 through 195. Transitioned from AAExecPlat to BAGold. And 2017 was one of my lighter flying years!

  26. Great Montreal trip, used Hilton points for the Hilton Garden Inn & free breakfast everyday because of Gold status through platinum card!

  27. Travel in 2017 meant I can read this blog from Universal Studios Orlando with my family while friends freeze in Ohio and Kentucky!

  28. I recently discovered that my 16 year old nephew is into brain games and puzzles, especially Rubik’s cubes. On my flight to Munich, I read an article about Hungary (my final destination). Who knew I was headed to the home of the Rubik’s cube inventor!

    I found a cube he did not have in his collection and sent it and the flight magazine to him with one other Christmas present. He was stoked – and I was the really cool auntie! Travel is a passion of ours that also allows me to bring experiences back to others – love it!

  29. Can’t believe how wonderful SW companion pass is for my hubby and I. 2 international flights and 2 national flights with our kids on the cheap. Just amazingly grateful!

  30. No big trips for us in 2017 but we did manage to go to Aruba in order to use the two free nights with Hyatt and then also stop in Maui on our way to San Diego from the East Coast for a wedding.

  31. Travel 2017 – a few new destinations. This past week, $20 in Starbucks gift cards stole from me at work. Do it’s a mixed bag

  32. 2017 meant my personal, one-year record of countries visited! I made it to nine countries which was a wonderful journey of exploration. Can’t wait for 2018

  33. 2017 was the first year I took solo trips with my 2-year daughter. Quite a bit scary, considering how much she wants Mommy more than me when she’s tired and cranky, but everything worked out well. And I continued traveling with Timmy (age 6), with international trips to Sweden and Grand Cayman. It’s an amazing feeling to show your children the world. And, of course, Anna and I had a couple of trips just for adults, which always help us reconnect away from the craziness of “normal” life.

  34. In 2017 our family went to Europe three times: France, Germany and England. One long vacation and two shorter trips.

  35. 2017 meant a points trip to Riviera Maya, points honeymoon planned for son in January 2018, and unfortunately, cancelling a 2018 cruise because of the Harvey flooding of our house. Maybe 2019 will be the year.

  36. 2017 meant various EU260 claims, which laied ground for 2018 premium cabin travels with all that settlement vouchers!

  37. I spent 2013-2016 in law school. This meant having to sacrifice a lot including travel time and cut spending low to afford school. This year is my first full year as a lawyer and I’ve started a successful solo practice. It also meant getting to travel the most I’ve ever done in terms of flights and trips taken and being able to travel to better places and stay better places. I’ve made it and I’ll never forget this year as being the embodiment of that.

  38. My travel highlight of the year was spending only 40k United miles and less than $100 taxes/fees for about a 10hr first class flight between Bangkok to Sydney and consuming about $2k worth of Dom Perignon and caviar with only other one person in the cabin!

  39. Highlights of the year: Making a bar mitzvah for my son in Jerusalem, visiting Havana, seeing the results of my company’s charity work in India (I’m on the CSR board).

    Most questionable achievement: Reaching Porter Airlines invitation-only “First” level.

  40. 2017 was a great year for travel! First time ever flying international First Class through London, And now within 3 countries of visiting 30 before I’m 30

  41. In 2017, I got married and went to Japan for my honeymoon using AA miles to book the flight and IHG points to book the hotels. It was amazing!

  42. 2017 was a year I though I wasnt going to travel much, but I ended up being blessed. Traveled to Ireland, China (twice), Japan ad Italy. Not as much as the prior year, but it was still good. My hope is next year is filled with at least as many international trips as this year.

  43. 2017 was a year of devaluations, but I was still able to make the most of limited promos and deals. United improved their on-time rate, so there was that!

  44. Two and a half weeks at Disney World. All points paid trip for hotel, air, car. Maximized point earning by purchasing Disney gift cards for park tickets with Chase Ink for 5x.

  45. 2017 was all about making memories with family and exposing our kids to the diverse world we live in (and how blessed we are). Took my wife on an around the world trip in 1st class and then we took our three kids to Thailand in business class for Spring Break. ALL ON POINTS! 760k well-spent. Memories that will last for a lifetime.

  46. A 4-week 20th anniversary trip to New Zealand and Australia. Paid for flights, accommodations and some activities with credit card miles and points.

  47. Travel was light this year as I had to deal with an ill parent and had to stay close to home. Cabo trip for my sons wedding was the highlight of my travel year.

  48. 2017 meant a trip to Venice on UAL, and upon (attempted) return, the biggest airline mess-up I have ever experienced. After hours of uncertainty, they loaded us into a plane that they knew had issues, then blew five, yes FIVE fuses trying to start the engines. After more hours of uncertainty, two hours waiting for luggage, and a total lack of communication, they bussed us an hour out of the city, fed us a cold pasta dinner, and then my hotel shower only sprayed icy cold water. Back to Marco Polo the next day where UAL proceeded to issue another 5 hour delay. I would love to erase that memory with a new trip in 2018.

  49. Hi Ed! The world if traveling through points and miles was introduced to me just over a year ago at a meetup that you co-sponsored with Le Chic Geek – Jeanne Marie. We learned so much throughout the year and look forward to learning more. Thanks for all you share on a daily basis to help our travel adventures expand! Happy New Year to you and your family!

  50. I am thankful and grateful that 2017 has allowed me pay down a great deal of debt that I had (by being able to work a lot of hours at my job). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fly as much and losing PLAT Ex status that I’ve had for a few years with American. Just couldn’t see myself paying $1479 to American in order to keep it.

    So with a lesser elite status, I do look forward to flying again but finding creative ways to do it in coach/main cabin.

  51. 2017 was a marquee year for me – I’ve reached Delta Diamond for the first time (175k) so I will be enjoying my benefits next year

  52. Free first class flights to Hawaii, Companion Pass free travel all over the US and especially convenient for commuting to second home in Cabo. 2017 was a great travel year. Bring on 2018!

  53. 2017 was my year to finally go to Europe..went twice flying biz class & got to bring my sister there for the first time while visiting family all thanks to the points game

  54. Best of the redemptions: Intercontinental Danang, flights to Vietnam, Peru, Croatia and Switzerland all booked with points! Ooh. And having a cache of Amtrak points makes visits to the family free and easy with the pup.

  55. Spent 14 days in Europe (and Spain for the 1st time!) with some friends I prefer not to travel with again! Had to learn the hard way, I guess! 🙂

  56. 2017 was the year I finally made it to India, thanks to a ridiculously low airfare. More, I took with me my friend Celeste who had wanted to go since she was a child. Twice before she had to cancel planned trips through no fault of hers, and she wasn’t likely to go on her own ability now. The other travel disappointments and missed chances don’t mean much when stacked against a success like our trip to India.

  57. My sightseeing for 2017 focused on transportation related museums & history. Favorites were: Sitting in the pilot’s seat of the spruce goose, seeing a couple of the retired space shuttles, and touring a lockheed connie at the old kansas city airport.

  58. Highlight/lowlight – 15 hour drive from Bali to Surabaya due to Volcanic ash closing DPS and having to complete my RTW trip which had 5 flights on 4 itineraries using 3 airlines left before getting back to Austin.

  59. Thanks for the chance to win. I enjoyed my travels in 2017 and hope to travel even more this coming year – a chance to learn more about other places and myself.

  60. 2017 Travel — well, I’m on the road for business, mostly US, some international. As always, I got to explore a few places I’ve never been before (like Omaha and Charlotte–yes, actually outside of the CLT hub for AA). I spent a lot of time in San Francisco. But 2018 is going to include trips to Stockholm and Helsinki…and a real vacation for the first time in 20 years!

  61. I was able to attend a dear friend’s son’s wedding in San Diego. When her daughter got married before i started collecting points, i didn’t have the cash to buy airline tickets but now i have plenty of points to fly almost anywhere for free!

  62. 2017 brought lots of new experiences at the ends of “comfort” spectrum.. Enjoyed the all inclusive Hyatt Ziva resort in Cancun… but also got to visit rural China to teach English and eat like a local (Noodles every meal).. All in all, what I enjoyed most were the people we got to know.. beats the luxury experiences everytime..

  63. 2017 was the year we used points and miles to take my in-laws and our little son to Europe. We had a great (but exhausting) time and I’m already planning the 2018 trip!

  64. 2017 meant for me that I learned my hubby’s time for adventure travel is coming to an end. Stamina no longer there. Yet, we are going to Uzbekistan in a couple of months! Have to squeeze as much as possible in before he just can’t.

  65. Surprised my wife with our first business class trip, to Barcelona in January. Good – she finally sees the benefit of my hobby. Bad – she asked where I was taking her this January. Time to introduce her to two player mode.

  66. In 2017 I checked the Inka Trail hike off my bucket list and the icing on the cake was a trip to the World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora Caves in India!!! Looking forward to 2018.

  67. 2017 was a big year of wanderlust for me! I took my first solo travel trip to Europe. I flew to 3 states in one month (Cali, Missouri, and Texas). And I checked one new US state off my list (Arizona). I love reading your posts. Thanks!

  68. I have been battling ovarian cancer since October 2015. In between cancer treatments I have been traveling as much as I can! I have brought Family on many trips..with Hawaii being my favorite. In 2017 I tried to take a trip every month before my next chemo treatment if I was physically able! I know my time is limited so in 2018 I will do verything I can to take as many trips as I can. Thank you for all your wonderful blog posts. And also for the brave box you sent me for a year! That meant more to me than you can imagine!

  69. Great blog, Keep up the good work!! 2017 included summer vacation to Europe with the family and multiple business trips to Thailand resulting in 1st-time Delta Platinum Medallion status. We’ll see what 2018 has in store!

  70. Thanks to credit card sign-up bonuses, I was able to take my parents on a 23 day trip to Japan, China and South Korea. They were able to fly business class all throughout Asia (a luxury they’ve never experienced before). We also traveled to California twice and Austin, Texas. Most recently, I gifted my parents with a 3 night stay at the Sheraton Keahou Beach Resort on the island of Hawaii using free nights from SPG and SPG points.
    I still consider myself new to the points and miles game and have definitely made some errors along the way. All in all, 2017 was the best travel year for me because I was able to take my parents places they’ve only dreamed of going!

  71. I was able to visit Mexico a couple times and it was beautiful. I loved waking up each morning and watching the sunrise. One of the hotels even had a Starbucks so I was able to have Starbucks while I was there!

  72. 2017 and it’s ending has me thinking of how I want to maximise my travel for 2018. I did a status match to obtain Delta gold. I fell way short to retain AA platinum and need to decide if I should pay to retain. We are moving from sunny San Diego to PA. Also switched from Hilton to Marriott and will hit it harder in 2018. I see at least 1 international trip in my 2018 future. I appreciate all advice and comments as I figure what’s next. Hmmmmm

  73. Thanks to a couple of very nice bump vouchers from Delta and some well-placed hotel points and free nights, I was able to take my mom on not just one, but two international trips. First to southern Spain in May (loved Granada, Grazalema, and the food!), and then to Scotland in August where we caught the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and drove quite a bit of the countryside. We both also got Global Entry with a couple of credit card sign-ups–what a wonderful thing to have!

    1. I like your post. The food in Spain – wondrous. Try San Sebastián next. And I am jealous of your attending the Tattoo. Here is a quick story. Last year at Christmas my family all submitted their number one on the bucket list. Mine was the Tattoo. Some time later my kids took me on a mystery trip and had me blindfolded at the end. When I took off the blindfold, I was in a tattoo parlor. No no. I screamed not this kind of tattoo and ran out of the parlor to everyone’s amusement (except for the tattoo artist -not so much).

  74. I made Marriott Premier lifetime this year. This will open up those mandatory nights to upgrade my hotel experiences. Omni matched my status by awarding me Black status. (Still weird to hear the staff say things like, “There are several blacks in the hotel this weekend.”). Nice benefits for elites at that hotel – and I love the coffee and juice delivered to your room at the time you request. That’s a benefit for all members. I use that knock as my wake-up call. I made Hyatt Globalist – and glad I did – after much debate with myself. I just used one of my upgrade certificates at the award stay at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme. That’s a nice benefit. This year I visited Mayakoba in Mexico. What a wondrous place. You and your readers should look into that. I also visited China for the first time. Shanghai is extraordinary as are the nearby “water towns.” And I went on the guy’s Paris Weekend Club trip for the 14th consecutive year. Life is good.

  75. Since I started taking my sister and her kids on vacations, I am not touring as many different countries.
    But I am enjoying my adventures and time spent with them.

  76. This year I began using the amex lounge in law Vegas and Dfw . I used miles for Car rental and hotel stays and gained miles using mypoints website. I am excited for 2018 as I intend to see a soccer match in Russia!. Thanks for the tips and perks.

  77. My 70th year so Etihad 1st out to Tasmania and Emirates 1st back from NZ, what’s not to like? But I did miss starbucks that trip. Alaska was my 47th state, so just 3 to go. Why did I not go there sooner, even if starbucks are few and far between.

  78. This was a year of rethinking elite status, still gettting it, but maximizing EQDs and EQDs per trip so I could stay at home more with my husband, who technically became a mileage runner this year, but only if he can spend time at the destination. So maybe he isn’t a die hard mileage runner after all.

  79. My first ever trip to Istanbul was the highlight for my travel in 2017. The cities is just like what I imagined (from movies?). Turkish business class with the beautiful lounge at LST, plus the gorgeous upgrade at Conrad made the entire trip unforgettable !

  80. 2017 was quiet on the travel front compared to other years. Short weekend road trips to San Diego and Palm Springs but we decided to take a year off for a big 2018 to Hawaii and Japan.

  81. From Key Largo to Carmel, Minneapolis to Montgomery. We hit it all in 2017 and every mile by car — the only way to travel (although we occasionally do Amtrak in the winter).

  82. Husband and I went with his parents to Florida. It was my mother in laws first time to the US and she was amazed at all the things to see and do. The shopping…I was surprised an almost 70 yr old lady could shop at the outlets for over 7 hrs and not be tired! Haha. 🙂
    Next year..my husband and I are going on a month long road trip of the West Coast (US) so having some free coffee along the trip would be nice!
    Happy New Year 🙂

  83. Got to visit Costa Rica in April, and Switzerland/Czech Republic in October with my wife. Went for 1 and 1.5 year anniversaries! Overall, 2017 travel meant cheap flights and cheap hotels, building up points for the future. I only spent 15,000 chase ultimate rewards points and the rest was out of pocket expenses, but I hope I can keep saving up points to splurge in the future!

  84. 2017 brought a lot of changes to the travel industry, some good and some not so good. As the industry changes, it’s hard to keep track of all of the promotions so I appreciate your help.

  85. Saw my travel go down this year but glad I was able to donate points to help victims of California fires.Thankful I could match my lifetime Marriott platinum status to SPG program under merger and stop mattress-running at Alofts!

  86. 2017 meant lots of work travel and a lot of less personal travel due to now having a 1-year-old daughter. But looking forward to a fun trip to Taiwan and Japan later in the week!

  87. I traveled a lot for work and some for fun. Mostly Europe, Asia, and North America. But no more in 2018 with a baby on the way

  88. 2017 was the biggest year in travel in my life up to this point. got married and went on my honeymoon. all the years of reading blogs and collecting points made my honeymoon unforgettable. SYD, ZQN, MOZ, BOB. A truly unattainable trip without points and miles, and thanks to bloggers like you!

  89. I maxed out value of the Marriott Hotels/Flights package with Southwest right after they opened it back up to count towards the Companion Pass.

  90. i got to meet my partner who loves to travel just as much as i do. so we got to do a lot more things and with much more excitement now that I have someone to do this with.,

  91. Unfortunately I had to cancel a few international trips this year, but I did manage to take a great father-daughter trip to Germany. Here’s to more successful trips in 2018!

  92. 2017 was a great year with my family taking our first trip to Europe seeing London and Venice. Business class in AA for our family of 4 for only $22 one way was the best way to start the trip!

  93. 2017 was about friends. No solo trips this year but either trips w/ friends or trips to go see friends. Went to Portland for a birthday, Miami for a bachelorette and Singapore on a mistake fare with friends!

  94. In 2017 I reached Globalist (Hyatt) by mattress running with help from a friend. It paid off with complementary suite upgrades in Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, California, and Maryland. Looking forward to another year with lounge access, no parking fees and no resort fees.

  95. 2017 was an amazing travel family for my family and me. My family did a Disney cruise around the British Isles, and we spent three nights in Cornwall prior to the cruise, which we absolutely loved. Then, to celebrate my 50th birthday, I did a hiking trip in Patagonia with a girlfriend, which was just phenomenal. The travel bug has definitely bit me hard!

  96. 2017 meant I need to have a better 2018 utilizing my awards and miles. Going to Paris with my brother and Father this summer. Hope to make it memorable, thanks. Wine Kitchen Rules!!

  97. 2017 was our first year in 3 years without the Companion Pass on Southwest so I gained some skills using Amex points and transferring to airlines, as well as using my AA miles and Chase UR points. Overall I might actually have traveled more this year than in 2015-2016 with the Companion Pass.

  98. Taking my fiance and her family to Mexico to celebrate with us for our wedding, using miles to get us to Havana, racking up enough miles to book a trip to Peru, and throwing in a handful of trips to see friends and family across the country.

  99. 2017 was a great year for fulfilling travel dreams. I went to Russia twice using miles and hotel points. I took the TransSiberian to Lake Baikal and on the other trip went from Moscow downy the Volga to Astrahkan. My Russian language skills got tested, but I had a wonderful time. Unforgettable!

  100. 2017 saw me flying almost 300K miles and spending 196 nights in hotels. This was a mix of business and fun. I requalified for SPG Platinum 100 (just 15 nights away from Lifetime Platinum) and Hyatt Globalist (the other 36 were a mix of Four Seasons, Hilton, and Marriott properties.

  101. I finally stayed at two fancy high category hotels using free night certificates from IHG and Hilton, which was real fun and also impressed my wife a lot…

  102. 2017 was a great year of traveling for me. I did a whirlwind tour of Europe in the late summer visiting 5 countries. I enjoyed the sites, sounds, people (for the most part 🙂 and cuisines of the different countries.

  103. 2017 was a year of meaningful trips for me. I made a short trip to Osaka in the spring with a couple of close friends, the first I’ve ever done (I usually end up traveling with family). During the summer I also had the chance to visit my Grandma in Toronto for her 95th birthday. But the biggest trip was my flight back home to Canada after living in Taipei for three years. What a journey it’s been!

  104. I was able to make an AA award booking for Europe due to the tips I got from this and other BoardingArea blogs. Thanks for educating the newbies.

  105. Love traveling. Finally started traveling a lot more as I retired early to travel more. Can’t wait to see what 2018 brings. Already booked 10 trips so far. Thanks for all your stories and encouragement.

  106. Thank you, Janet, for getting into ‘smart’ flying, so that we could take our very first First Class plane ride to Australia and go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Love you!

  107. 2017 was lovely! A week in Kauai with Starwood; drove to NY to see family and used Hilton points to stay at Hampton Inns along the way; used AA miles for a free trip to Idaho to visit friends and see Yellowstone!

  108. 2017 was the best! It was my first year with Global Entry, and I am kicking myself for waiting this long to get it. Another highlight of the year was scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef with my sister, then using 40k United miles to book Thai First Class from Sydney to Bangkok to Hong Kong (RIP to that redemption). Travel blogs have really changed my life and opened my eyes to all the adventure that’s to be had in the world. Thank you! I can’t wait to see where 2018 takes me!

  109. My mother died this year. She lived in a different state than I do, and I was able to use miles to fly there. Otherwise, it was a slow travel year, for obvious reasons. We’re starting to make travel plans for next year now.

  110. Stayed withing the country mainly, did go to a close by small town in Washington. Very nice though still, lots of scenic views here.

  111. Good year in 2017. Taking the UA Island Hopper to Guam and 2 trips to Japan, plus some other side trips along the way.

  112. I got to fly ANA F class for the first time, and booked (but will fly in 2018) Korean Air F class and the Etihad A380 Apartment.

  113. Visited Asia with my family twice- Tokyo in spring and currently on the trip through Hong Kong and Singapore. All paid with miles/points

  114. I took a dip into my bucket list and visited China in business class for next to nothing with my daughter. The extra miles earned on the intra-China flights earned us a free round-trip from NRT to ICN for 2018!

  115. Nome, AK to photograph the Musk Ox in the wild. Oregon to view and photograph the Total Solar Eclipse. And then to Kaktovik, AK to photograph polar bears.

  116. 2017: First time on Basic Economy, wasn’t too bad. Used my miles for the first time (not actually that frequent a flier). Best friend from college bought a house right by DEN–which make my trips to see him and his wife that much easier.

  117. Up and down year travel-wise. Gained companion pass but losing AS MVPG. This does open up new opportunities in 2018!

  118. I took advantage of the surprisingly low airfares on major carriers (Hainan to PVG for $554, KLM to HEL for $443, and ANA to KUL for $550).
    Hope it continues next year.

  119. In 2017, we went to Mexico twice to Cancun and then to Cabo. However, the best trip we took was our Honeymoon! We did a quick layover in London, then flew to Johannesburg where we left for our safari through Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Botswana and the Okavango Delta. Then we flew to Cape Town and did a road trip along the Garden Route! On the way back, we went to Liverpool to visit family and have our UK wedding reception, and we ended our honeymoon with a long weekend in London before we flew home. To cap off our travel, we’re ending 2017 and starting 2018 in Europe. We spent a week in Germany for work, and spending the holidays with family in Liverpool! We earned a Southwest companion pass for 2018 which we can’t wait to use in the new year!

  120. 2017 was an odd year for me. I have Gold MVP 75K on Alaska Airlines this year but due to required medical treatment, I had to stick close to home and will enter 2018 with just Gold status on Alaska. Enjoyed benefits of AS’s BOA Credit Card with companion ticket and very excellent service from AS and it’s partners, Emirates and BA.

  121. 2017 was the year I explored the US – New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Yosemite, Napa. It turns out there are lots of cool places to see without flying overseas.

  122. 2017 is almost over and my travels are done for the year.1K for 14th yr in a row, all domestic, over half on CRJ200 or E145. Didn’t get dragged off any planes and only one night sleeping in an airport.

  123. 2017 was the year I concentrated more on WHERE I was flying than on just flying for the sake of earning status and miles…

  124. I’ve clocked quite a few international miles this year: Croatia, Italy, Malta, Canada, and New Zealand. A good year to be away.

  125. 2017 travel was interesting for me. From a business perspective, travel was terribly light as I had many local clients and a transition to a different consulting practice. Personally, it was one of the best. Our family spent 3 weeks visiting South Korea, and it wasn’t just Seoul. We also visited Seokcho, Jeju, Pusan, Daegu, and Incheon. My wife and I have both been multiple times, but it was the first time our kids visited our ancestral homeland. It was a blast for all of us.

  126. 2017 meant I was able to take my family of 4 on an amazing vacation! We spent 4 nights and 5 days in Jamaica for almost nothing thanks to reward points. We were able to celebrate my daughter’s first birthday on the beach. Amazing!

  127. This year was my first year of redeeming miles for a bucket list trip for our family of four. Took the kids to Hawaii and finally convinced my husband that travel hacking is a pretty cool gig.

  128. Using points for my many trips this year! From airfare to hotel, using the points I earned from my credit cards saved us a bunch of money!

  129. 2017 is a year of traveling to see family. Went to Vancouver to visit my brother. My daughter was so happy to see snow in the mountains at the end of May! Been to NY 2x to visit my sick aunt.

  130. I travelled to Japan in 2017 and to Colombia. I focused on saving points and miles for 2018 and I already got one way tickets and i’m working in the returns from Japan and Europe.

  131. Should 2017 be forgot,
    ’twas a marv’lous year for flyin’
    a Starbucks card would sure be hot
    may the random draw be mine!

  132. It’s hard to classify what travel meant for me in 2017. On the upside, it meant adventures with my dearest friend in the National Parks of Colorado and Utah. On the downside, it meant numerous trips (using my points/miles) to fly me and my siblings to New England to visit my father before he passed away. Grateful for all of the opportunities to see him, and the miles that made it possible!

  133. 2017 was a year of trying new places “closer” to home (N. America, Caribbean, etc.) while flying and hoteling “for free” using Choice and JetBlue. We’ll see what 2018 will bring in store – leaving in NoVa, would love to try out a new Cathay Pacific flight out of IAD to Hong Kong (using AA miles, of course 🙂

  134. 2017 was a fun year of travel for me. Playing with monkeys in Costa Rica, staying in a cabin in remote Alaska, exploring a completely empty Zion National Park post season. The highlight being a trip to Las Vegas to get married in a wedding chapel on The Strip by no other than Elvis!

  135. 2017 travel……
    …created authentic, educational experiences no “traditional” classroom could ever provide.

    …filled my son’s National Park passport with visits to almost 30 NPs from coast to coast–geography, science and history at its best!

    …fed my soul with more family time than I’ve enjoyed in years.

    …oh, and Randy’s Donuts. Can’t forget the donuts!

  136. 2017 was a year of long transoceanic flights in economy, ending with a move back to the US that consisted of 26 hours in the air one-way!

  137. Travel in 2017 included many trips to Portland for work. We also spent Memorial Weekend in Vegas for a music festival, and two trips to Mexico. The big trip was our Honeymoon to Africa.

  138. 2017 included two new countries, Czech Republic, and Hungary. I was also fortunate to return to Israel for the first time in ten years. The year began in Tokyo.

  139. I’ve been traveling a lot for work this year, and it’s always fun to share tips and tricks with coworkers, or to compare my point balance that refuse to listen to me and apply for promotions!

  140. This year was the apex of my miles&points game. I was able to book a round-the-world trip for my wife and me to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. All our travel, save a couple of domestic positioning flights paid for with cash were in premium cabins, including Etihad Apartments. All in all, we visited seven cities, flew eight airlines, seven of which were in international first or business class, and hit several destinations from our bucket lists. It was an epic two weeks, and a great way to celebrate 20 years of marriage.

  141. In 2017 we did lots of college visits so having points in many hotel programs really came in handy. We also visited Majorca which was stunning and someplace I’d really love to return to.

  142. I joined the hobby and was able to fly my parents for christmas to mexico as their gift. Can’t wait to hit the game hard next year!

  143. I discovered the value and comfort provided by Choice Hotels. And 4 nights out of a few were all paid with points!

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