Credit cards

Plenty of Details: Air Canada Launches A New Loyalty Program With A Familiar Name

August 11, 2020By Edward Pizzarello7 Comments

Allow me to nerd out for just a minute. I’ve been a hardcore points and miles nerd for over 20 years. Rarely in that time have we seen a completely new loyalty program emerge. Even more rare is to see a new loyalty program from a large, established airline. Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program is the one that immediately comes to mind when I think of big airlines with new programs. Fast forward to today, and we have the reimagined Aeroplan program. Many moons ago, Air Canada spun off Aeroplan. […]

Big Annual Fees! What Should You With That Expense Travel Credit Card In Your Wallet?

March 25, 2020By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

If you’ve got a credit card with a big annual fee in your wallet and perks that you can’t use, is it better to hold onto it or cancel the card?

Disney’s Aulani Resort (Hawaii) Review And 60,000 Point Southwest Credit Card Offer

May 26, 2019By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

A great family resort in Hawaii and a Southwest credit card offer that could help you extend your companion pass.

Details Of The New Marriott Loyalty Program, SPG Replacement

April 16, 2018By Edward Pizzarello1 Comment

Marriott announces details of new loyalty program, combining Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz-Carlton Rewards into one program. New award charts, elite benefits, lifetime status and credit card updates are just some of what we’re chewing on.

New Episode! Disney Deciphered, Credit Card 101 And Family Travel Tips

April 13, 2018By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

We’ve got another episode on tap for you with some great guests and fun topics this week!

Learn To Travel Smarter At ZorkFest In Vegas!

April 12, 2018By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Learn to travel smarter at ZorkFest In Vegas. This event will feature tons of valuable information on casino loyalty, travel loyalty, miles and points. Most importantly, you’ll learn to travel smarter, better and cheaper!

Frequent Traveler University Is Launching A New Event, FTU Expo

June 21, 2017By Edward Pizzarello5 Comments

Be a part of the largest seminar on miles and points. Learn how to earn and burn from the pros.

Vote For Your Favorite Airline And Hotel In The Freddie Awards!

February 16, 2016By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Make sure your voice is heard. Pick your favorite airlines and hotels based on how rewarding they were to you last year.

Hyatt Updates On Data Breach. Lots of Properties Affected

January 27, 2016By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

A month after we learned that Hyatt was the target of a data breach we have more info on how big a breach it was. Honestly, I believe it’s bigger than expected.

More Than Half Of Americans Don’t Know How Much They’re Earning In Credit Card Rewards???

September 28, 2015By Edward Pizzarello5 Comments

Do you know how much you earn in rewards/rebates from your various credit cards? Think before you swipe!

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 […]

EXCITING! Aeroplan Is The Newest Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partner

There’s really good news for folks who have a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, especially if you have easy access to Air Canada hubs (think Toronto and Vancouver). In anticipation of the launch of a credit card for US residents, to be issued by Chase, Ultimate Rewards transfers to Aeroplan are live. This is all part of a significant relaunch of Aeroplan that started last year. Aeroplan came up with a bunch of great new options like Status Pass, where you can grant elite status to a friend or […]

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. […]

Sony - September 21, 2021:
Thanks so much for the crystal clear and speedy response. Much appreciated! [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 21, 2021:
Meeting expectations, again.

Edward Pizzarello - September 21, 2021:
I can confirm that's correct. 72 hours, PCR test to get [...]

Sony - September 21, 2021:
Hi Ed, brilliant write-up. Thanks for the wealth of information shared:) Just to [...]

Jon - September 16, 2021:
Appears the opening has been pushed yet again to mid-November. No email [...]