Giveaway

American Airlines Got It Right Today, Despite What Travel Bloggers Say

December 2, 2020By Edward Pizzarello32 Comments

In case you hadn’t heard, American Airlines announced that they were giving every American Airlines AAdvantage member a free gift for the holidays today. All you had to do was login to your AAdvantage account to see what you had won. I was pretty bogged down with work calls today, but I kept seeing chatter in the background about what people were receiving as gifts. I saw mentions of people winning 100 miles, 250 miles and 500-mile upgrade certificates. And, I also noticed that most opinions weren’t positive. The first […]

WIN: I’m Giving Away Aeroplan Elite Status

November 18, 2020By Edward Pizzarello49 Comments

Psst, hey! Aeroplan dropped some hints on the podcast today about a potential change to the new program that you might really like. Oh, and I’ve got a pretty awesome prize I’m giving away.

Travel News Tuesday: Big Turn For Uber & Lyft At LAX And Hilton Raising Rates

October 8, 2019By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

We’re talking bonus points for Lyft, Hilton raising rates, big changes for Uber and Lyft at LAX, bonus Marriott points at restaurants and a giveaway!

Giveaway! AwardWallet Goodies For Newbies And Experienced Travelers

October 2, 2019By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

I’m giving away free AwardWallet Plus memberships and Balance Watch Credits! Use the best tool to maximize your miles and points, including new features that help you earn more miles.

Free Starbucks!!! I’m Giving Away Multiple $50 Starbucks Gift Cards As A Thank You To My Readers!

December 27, 2017By Edward Pizzarello272 Comments

I’m saying thanks to my readers by giving away a handful of Starbucks gift cards. Stop by for a chance to win!

GIVEAWAY: Gogo Inflight Internet Passes

December 15, 2017By Edward Pizzarello94 Comments

Giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a free Gogo inflight internet pass.

Black Friday! A Master List Of The Deals I’m Keeping An Eye On

November 24, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Keep an eye on this post throughout the weekend for new deals!

GIVEAWAY: United Club Passes

August 16, 2017By Edward Pizzarello107 Comments

I have 2 United Club passes that expire June 30, 2018. I’m giving them away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below by 11:59 pm Thursday, August 17th, 2017. I’ll select one winner and send the passes your way! Good luck!

A Sneak Peek At American Airlines New Cole Haan Amenity Kits. They Look Nice And I’m Giving Them Away!

January 16, 2017By Edward Pizzarello109 Comments

These are some really nicely designed amenity kits. One of the most visually pleasing I’ve seen in a while. Take a look inside the new American Airlines Cole Haan amenity kits, including a pretty cool coupon.

Another Quick Giveaway: Gogo In-Flight Internet Passes

December 11, 2016By Edward Pizzarello28 Comments

Take a moment to enter my quick giveaway where 5 readers will win a free Gogo In-Flight Internet pass.

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. […]

Jon - September 28, 2021:
Welp, final update. I called the phone number listed in the email [...]

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 [...]