Alas, if this was only an article about the dreaded worst seat on the plane going away. Instead, it’s a bit of a sad day as we say goodbye to a column that’s been a part of my weekly required reading for over a decade. The Middle Seat is a weekly column published by Scott McCartney. After 20 years he put pen to paper from the middle seat for the final time. His final column, a list of his favorites over the years, follows a piece where he chronicles his […]
Hyatt Announces A New Promo For Q1 Of 2022
Hyatt has announced their first promotion of 2022. As we enter 2022 questions remain about how “normal” the travel year will be. This promotion seems to fit in the category of “normal” pre-pandemic, though it’s a bit more generous if you hold one of the Hyatt credit cards. Here are the details of the new Bonus Journey promo: World of Hyatt members can register now through March 15, 2022, to earn 2,022 Bonus Points for every two qualifying nights after registration, for up to 20 nights from January 15 through April 20, 2022. Eligible nights do not […]
The Craziest Story I Heard About Maximizing Black Friday This Year
It seems like every year I find myself in a conversation with my fellow miles and points nerds about how someone scored an incredible deal on Black Friday by stacking cash back portals and other bonuses with ridiculously low prices. Sometimes there’s FOMO, other times just appreciation from a fellow deal junkie. This year was a mostly quiet Black Friday for me. As the day wound down I texted in a group chat with some good friends who share my love for all things travel. One of the folks in […]
The One Credit Card I’ll Be Using On Black Friday
Bilt Rewards has an exceptional promotion for Black Friday. Earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases on Black Friday. Get instant approval for the card and get a digital card number to use immediately.
Help Some Tiny Wings Fly
I’m getting ready to do something crazy again and I hope you’ll consider helping. The two best ways you can help are by sharing this story with a friend and donating to our fundraiser. Let me give you a bit of background. Give Kids The World is a fabulous charity organization located in Central Florida. They’re not terribly well-known, unless you’re a Disney nerd like me. But, they perform a very important missions. They house the Make a Wish kids who come to Disney World. Thanks to the generosity of […]
The One Key Factor That Has Made Hundreds Of Trips Easy For Me
It’s crazy to think that I’ve been a road warrior for over 20 years. Prior to that I loved traveling for fun but only occasionally traveled for work. Over the years, I’ve had more elite status than I can probably remember. The very first loyalty program I signed up for was the Best Western Gold Crown Club. Even back in the early 90s I understood these loyalty programs had value. Along the way, I’ve had top tier elite status with: American Airlines (I think that was the first program I […]
Why This September 11th Is Just A Little Bit Different For Me
It’s a day to stop and think about the bravery it must have taken for first responders in lower Manhattan to watch the first tower collapse, then run up the stairs into the second tower to try to rescue survivors. I started forming the thoughts for this story a few weeks ago. My plan was to publish it last week, but as with so many things lately, time got away from me. So, here we sit on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. In some ways, September 11th is just another […]
The Canada-US Border Is Open. Here’s What Crossing By Land Is Like Right Now
If you’re thinking about crossing the Canadian border, I’ve got plenty of details on what to expect. Our family recently crossed the border into Canada and then back into the US. If you prefer to listen to the story than read it, you can check the whole thing out on my podcast. If you just want the quick and dirty, here are some key links: The ArriveCAN app (you need to complete an online application to enter Canada) Nova Scotia pre-arrival application Link to order Abbot BinaxNOW tests (rapid test […]
Recent Experience Shows How Marriott Properties Treat Award Bookings Differently Than Paid Bookings
Since Marriott acquired Starwood Preferred Guest a few years ago, the number of paid stays I’ve had with Marriott have been steadily dropping. It didn’t start out intentional, but I did find myself booking fewer and fewer Marriott stays . I don’t go out of my way to avoid Marriott. But, I used to go out of my way to stay with SPG. As the years have gone by, a number of changes have caused me to continue moving business elsewhere. Marriott has been fairly intentional in establishing a loyalty […]
Hyatt Adds 100 Leisure Hotels With More On The Way
Hyatt announced earlier this week that they were acquiring Apple Leisure Group. The move will add 100 existing hotels to the Hyatt family and another couple dozen that are in the pipeline for Apple (ALG). Here’s a quick description of ALG from the press release: ALG’s hotel portfolio consists of over 33,000 rooms operating in 10 countries. The portfolio has grown from nine resorts in 2007 to approximately 100 properties by the end of 2021 and has a pipeline of 24 executed deals with a large number of additional hotels […]
