Brand Explorer

Hyatt Expands Brand Explorer. Earn Up To Five Free Nights

May 14, 2022By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

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, […]

Clarifying A Couple Of Questions About World Of Hyatt

February 10, 2018By Edward Pizzarello7 Comments

Clarifying a couple of questions about World of Hyatt, award nights counting towards elite status and Brand Explorer awards.

Bilt Rewards Double Points On All Categories On The First Of Every Month

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Double points? On all spending? Sign me up! There’s also 50% off on cruises and free SoulCycle classes. Bilt Rewards, the program that lets you earn points for paying your rent, is also turbo-charging their credit card. I’m a big fan of what Bilt Rewards has been building, and this latest double points offering is another example of them making their credit card a valuable one to have in your wallet. Hyatt […]

Win A Flighty Pro Lifetime Membership!

As a road warrior I’m constantly looking for new tools to help me keep track of my travel. Delays and cancellations are probably as bad right now as I’ve ever seen them. But, travel problems are always lurking, keeping me from getting where I need to go. Over the years I’ve collected a number of tools that help me figure out when things are likely to go sideways. Many of them are arcane websites with crappy technology or involve flipping through multiple screens just to get one bit of data. […]

American Airlines Eliminates 24-Hour Hold On Reservations For Paid Tickets

American Airlines has eliminated the option for customers to place a flight on hold for 24 hours prior to ticketing. While the big 3 airlines (American, Delta, United) have grown more alike over the past 10 years this was one of a very few areas that American differentiated themselves in a positive light from their competitors. Now, that seems to have come to an end. Why American Airlines’ 24-Hour Hold Policy Was So Critical In the absence of a 24-hour hold, American will still allow a full refund within 24 […]

The Hope That Followed 9/11

For as long as I can remember I’ve written a blog post about 9/11. Some years I’ve flown on 9/11, other times I’ve recalled the memories of that day while surrounded by loved ones. As I sit here on a rainy morning more than two decades after one of the most impactful days of my life, my thoughts are focused on the hope that sprung up in the days and months that followed 9/11. The day itself, and many afterwards, were dark days. We were excused from work that morning […]

Triple Points On Gas And EV Charging Through October 31st On Bilt Rewards Mastercard

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Bilt Rewards is a quickly moving from the being the new kid on the block to the popular kid people want to hang out with. They launched with the ability to earn points for paying rent without any fees. Those points were redeemable for some of the most valued travel partners, such as American Airlines and Hyatt hotels. Since then, they’ve added the Bilt Rewards Mastercard, a no annual fee card that […]

I Flew Frontier, Saved $400 And Didn’t Die. My Frontier Airlines Review

Those low-cost carriers always have very appetizing fare sales. Who wouldn’t want to pay $20 to fly somewhere? But, what does $20 really buy you? I found out exactly what Frontier does (and doesn’t) offer customers on my first flight with them recently.

How To Use New Metro Silver Line To Get Between Dulles and Reagan National Airports

People talk about how bad the traffic is in places like Los Angeles with plenty of adjectives. And, it is quite bad. But, the traffic in DC is what I refer to as “stealthy bad”. It doesn’t get the same press that LA traffic does, but a trip that normally takes an hour can easily turn into a 3-hour ordeal. With visiting dignitaries, protests and construction as variables, weather can also wreak havoc on a system that consistently backs up during rush hour. For those of us that live in […]

Update: American Airlines Variable Choice Plus Pricing A Feature, Not A Bug

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the original announcement that American Airlines was creating bundled pricing that included change fees at a lower apparent cost. Things got a little better when American also announced they were expanding the timeframe you could request a same day change to your flight. And, then things started to get a bit screwy. It started with just one flight I couldn’t get to price right with Choice Plus as an add-on. But, then I did a bit more digging and found out […]

A Summary Of United Airlines Global Services Benefits

As travel has gotten more stressful the benefits of elite status are even more valuable. In some cases, what used to be free for everyone is now only free for those customers that fly most frequently. I value my American Airlines Executive Platinum status more highly than any status I’ve earned, including 1K service with United Airlines. However, Global Services is another matter. For those not aware, Global Services is an invitation-only status level that United bestows on their best customers. What defines a best customer? Well, United doesn’t list […]

Is Foursquare Dead?

Venture Beat doesn’t think so, and I’m not 100% sure they’re wrong. But, before I discuss the article, a little background on why someone allergic to social media like me became a Foursquare nut. A few years ago, a company called TopGuest came up with this concept where you could earn airline miles and hotel points for checking in at various places on Foursquare. I can’t say I thought it was a terribly good business model, but they convinced a bunch of hotel chains to hand out miles for this. […]