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 Their credit card choices had become outdated and they had way too many points they didn’t have any immediate use for.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 […]
New Amex Offers! Save Up To $150 On Marriott Stays
One of the things I consistently preach is that a credit card needs to consistently justify its place in your wallet. There are some pretty solid credit cards out with no annual fee (Bilt Rewards Mastercard) or very low annual fees (Chase Sapphire Preferred). As well, there are cards with higher annual fees that make it very easy to cover the cost of the annual fee. Capital One Venture X is a card that’s quickly earned a primary spot in my wallet. While the card carries a $395 annual fee […]
Catching Up From A Busy Month On The Road
It’s been a month since I wrote a weekly update, though I did squeeze in a few blog posts in that time. I’ve been almost nonstop on the road and working on our family plans for summer travel. Since early March I’ve been to Vegas (twice), New York and New Orleans (twice). Probably the most notable travel in the past month was a last-minute trip to the Final Four. I’m a lifelong Duke fan and they made a surprise run to New Orleans. I decided to go with them. While […]
How To Use Miles And Points To Attend The Final Four
Attending a Final Four game has been a lifelong dream of mine. Since I’m not a millionaire, I hadn’t realized that dream until this past week. If you have a stash of miles and points, it’s possible (and not too difficult) to attend the Final Four without needing a second mortgage. While this week didn’t turn out exactly as I wanted, I actually ended up making money (more on that in a bit) attending the Final Four. I managed to score airline tickets and hotel rooms completely on points easier […]
Check To See If You’re Targeted For Chase Co-Brand Bonus Offers: 7X On United And Southwest Cards
Trying to get into a rhythm publishing more regularly. A quick post on some credit card bonuses that showed up in my inbox yesterday seemed to fit the ticket. I received two bonus offers on Chase co-brand credit cards via e-mail, both of them worth your time. Edited to add: you can check Chase.com/mybonus even if you didn’t get an email. For my United MileagePlus Select card, I received an offer of 7 miles per dollar on United purchases and 5 miles per dollar on all other travel purchases. The […]
My Votes For The Best In Airline And Hotel Loyalty
Every year for as long as I can recall I’ve cast my vote for the best travel loyalty programs. I generally write a story about who I voted for each year. This year, as with so many other things, I’m running behind sharing my ballot. That being said, you can still vote for a few more days in this year’s Freddie Awards. If you’re not familiar with the Freddie Awards, I’ve heard them referred to as the “People’s Choice Awards” of the travel world Each person gets one vote, there […]
