Can a company be revolutionary and awful? Uber has achieved both in their history.
Weathering 10 Days With COVID In Hotels
I spent 10 days in hotels quarantining with COVID-19 to keep my family safe. Along the way I learned why hotel life in limited service and extended hotels leaves much to be desired.
Maya Leibman, Chief Information Officer At American Airlines, Stepping Down
We learned today that Maya Leibman, CIO of American Airlines, is stepping down from her role with the airline. Normally, this wouldn’t be the type of story I would cover, an airline exec stepping down. But, Maya Leibman is no normal airline exec. I had the good fortune to meet Maya for the first time when she served as President of the airline’s loyalty program, AAdvantage. While I don’t recall the exact date it was in early 2011. Maya was attending a conference that I was helping organize. Since I […]
A Good Illustration That Not All Points Are Created Equally
I recall a conversation with my father-in-law a number of years ago where he was taking about points he earned with a Navy Federal credit card. He felt like no matter how much he spent on the card he never got any worthwhile travel rewards. Because of that, he assumed there was no reason to bother collecting points and miles. It’s a discussion I’ve had dozens of times over the years with folks and likely half a dozen with my father-in-law (I’m a glutton for punishment). How you earn points […]
2 Promos: 500 Free Hyatt Points And 15% Off Paid Hyatt Bookings
I do earn referral credit if you sign-up for the Bilt Mastercard using the link in this post. However, you don’t need to sign-up for the card to earn the 500 bonus points or use the discount code. Free points are one of my favorite things and Bilt Rewards has a super easy way to earn 500 World of Hyatt points in just a few clicks. Bilt Rewards also has a new Hyatt discount code that could save you money on your next stay. More on that later. The free […]
Hyatt Expands Brand Explorer. Earn Up To Five Free Nights
When Hyatt transitioned from the Gold Passport program to World of Hyatt they added some very thoughtful benefits to the program. One of those was Brand Explorer. For every five unique brands you stayed out across Hyatt’s portfolio, you’d earn one free night certificate valid at any Category 1-4 hotel. Used wisely, these certificates are worth hundreds of dollars at the right property. And, you don’t need to be an elite Hyatt member to earn these. You just need to book directly with Hyatt. Both paid and award stays count, […]
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points PLUS 9X On Dining For Some AMEX Referrals!!
A friend just asked for some help reorganizing their wallet. Their credit card choices had become outdated and they had way too many points they didn’t have any immediate use for. I was stunned when I found out he had amassed four million Marriott Bonvoy points from credit card spend. I’ll admit, I think I cried just a little bit. One of the cards I suggested he get is the American Express Gold card. I think this is a real sweet spot for many folks, which I’ll dig into in […]
Hyatt Adds 50 New All-Inclusive Properties, 5,000 Point Bonus For 3-Night Stays
After announcing six new all-inclusive properties last month, Hyatt is back to announce another 52 properties that members can redeem points at for all-inclusive vacations. The new properties are in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Caribbean. Quoting from the Hyatt press release: Create Meaningful and Rewarding Experiences with More Resorts and Destinations Whether looking for quality family time or an extra measure of romance at a breathtaking location, members can enjoy earning 5,000 Bonus Points for eligible stays at participating Inclusive Collection resorts through September 15, including: Curaçao, the Caribbean: Guests […]
Breaking Down The Best In Travel Loyalty – My Thoughts On The Freddie Awards
For the past decade I’ve helped organize the Freddie Awards, frequently referred to as the “People’s Choice Awards” for airlines and hotels. It’s been three years since we were able to gather in person to hand out the awards and I was on hand two weeks ago in New Orleans. Shortly after the award ceremony ended and I spent a bit of time catching up with old friends I was sprinting off an airline flight trying to get to a track meet in time to see my daughter run. From […]
Success! Topping Up Marriott Free Night Certificates Is Live And It Works!
When Marriott announced that they were moving to a dynamic award chart, it was mostly bad news. One meaningful improvement they announced was that members would be able to add points to a free night certificate for higher value award stays. This feature is now live and I successfully tested it this morning. Thanks to my buddy Julian and this story by Doctor of Credit letting me know it was live. Marriott Free Night Certificates Marriott offers a variety of free night certificates, mostly from holding various Marriott co-branded credit […]
