In the early days of the pandemic airlines scrambled to find ways to save money. One cost-cutting method that the airlines have relied on frequently over the years is to reduce catering options onboard planes. Catering cuts are likely centered around the belief that customers choose an airline based on route, timing and price; that they’ll be forgiving if any of the soft touches are absent during their trip. It was understandable in the early days when such things as catering took a serious hit. Customers continued to be understanding […]
Need A Lyft? Earn Up To 5 Flexible Points Per Dollar With Bilt’s Newest Partner
I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Bilt Rewards announced a new partnership today that should be rewarding for anyone who uses rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber. The best part of this new partnership is that you don’t need to hold the Bilt Rewards Mastercard to earn bonus points (though you can earn even more if you are a cardholder). I actually learned about this new partnership yesterday morning recording my podcast with Richard Kerr and Zach […]
The Easiest Way I’ve Seen To Earn The Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of my all-time favorite benefits from any airline loyalty program. The Companion Pass allows the holder to bring someone along for virtually free (just the taxes and fees, which on most flights are just $5.60). You get a free companion ticket on every flight regardless of whether you pay cash or use Rapid Rewards points for your ticket. And, right now you can earn a Companion Pass for almost a year without ever stepping foot on a plane. My podcast co-host Richard actually […]
Check Your United Account. United Handing Out Shortcuts To Elite Status
United Airlines is depositing Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) into elite member’s accounts, labeled “Starter PQPs” after raising elite status requirements late last year.
2022 Hotel Elite Status Recap And 2023 Goals
I recapped my airline status achievements for 2022 last week. I finally got a free moment to talk about where I ended up in regards to hotel elite status last year. The title of this post is only a little deceptive, in that at most I have one hotel status goal for 2023. But, let’s take a look back at 2022 first. You can also hear us discuss hotel elite status on a recent podcast episode. Hyatt Globalist Status This is probably the lowest night count I’ve had at Hyatt […]
TODAY ONLY: 100% Transfer Bonus To Hawaiian Airlines And Double Points On All Spending Except Rent!
I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Today I’m emptying my Bilt Rewards account. My only regret is that I only have 130,000 Bilt Rewards points to transfer. For one day only Bilt Rewards is partnering up with Hawaiian Airlines to offer the most lucrative transfer bonus I’ve taken advantage of in years (maybe decades). Today, February 1st, all transfer from Bilt Rewards are not the normal 1:1 ratio. For every Bilt Rewards Point you transfer you’ll get two […]
Great Rent Day Promo: 100% Transfer Bonus To Hawaiian Airlines, One Day Only
I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. In 2022 Bilt Rewards introduced the concept of bonus earning on the first of each month, referred to as “Rent Day”. It started with double points on all transactions (except for rent) on the first day of the month for Bilt Rewards Mastercard holders. Now, Bilt has started announcing additional promotions for Rent Day, and this month is excellent. In fact, I’m debating draining my entire Bilt Rewards account for this one. […]
EXTREME? I Had Five Different Tickets Booked For Our Flight Home This Week
It still amazes me how much a seemingly small change during the pandemic has come to my rescue so many times. Near the beginning of the pandemic virtually all US airlines eliminated change fees. United went first, Delta and American quickly followed suit. At the time it wasn’t something that moved the needle because nobody was traveling. But, I had the sense then that this would be a big deal. One of the biggest benefit to elite status was the ability to reduce or waive some fees that airlines typically […]
2022 Airline Status Recap & 2023 Status Goals
I’m finally getting a moment to breathe and look back on my 2022 year in travel. Let’s start with airline status. If you want to hear more about my airline status goals we had a detailed discussion this week on the pod. At a high level, 2022 was a year where I continued to choose whatever airline offered me the best itinerary to maximize my time. A nod was paid to cheap first class fares since it’s virtually impossible to be at peak productivity. It was also about trying to […]
Today Only: Easily Earn Up To 600 Free Points!
I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. It’s the first of the month which means Rent Day rewards from the folks at Bilt. If you hold the Bilt Rewards Mastercard you can earn double points on all non-rent spend today. And, even if you don’t hold the credit card you can earn up to 600 free points just by playing trivia in the Bilt Rewards App. The easiest way to earn free points is to download the Bilt Rewards […]
