Marriott Hotels

First, Marriott Disrespected China. Now, Delta Has Offended China

January 13, 2018By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

China is back in the news beating up on travel companies that offend their sovereignty. This time, it’s Delta Air Lines feeling their wrath.

Is Marriott Breaking Starwood Preferred Guest?

October 27, 2017By Edward Pizzarello15 Comments

After roaring out of the gates with positive changes when Marriott and SPG announced their merger, things have been very quiet since. I can’t help but wonder when we’ll know more.

Previewing The Final 3 Weeks Of Travel Deals From Daily Getaways

April 16, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

A breakdown of the final 3 weeks of Daily Getaways offers.

How To Transfer Points From Starwood Preferred Guest To Marriott Rewards

November 10, 2016By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

There’s been a lot going on with Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest since the merger between the two hotel companies was finalized. It’s only been about a month since the merger was finally approved. Immediately thereafter, Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest had great news for us about using our points at both chains. They provided an immediate path to link your Marriott Rewards (or Ritz-Carlton Rewards) account with your Starwood Preferred Guest account. In case you haven’t linked your accounts yet, follow these steps and do it now. A couple of weeks […]

What’s Next After Marriott Gets Final Approval On Their Merger With Starwood?

September 20, 2016By Edward Pizzarello10 Comments

Now that the merger between Marriott and Starwood is officially approved, what can we expect next?

Marriott Is Adding To Their Summer Promotion In A Good Way

June 2, 2016By Edward Pizzarello6 Comments

Marriott has made their summer promotion just a little bit better. It requires registration, so you should take care of that now before you forget.

Starwood Soap Opera Continues. Chinese Insurer Submits Likely Superior Bid (Again)

March 28, 2016By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

Does Marriott have any more ammunition left for another offer on Starwood Hotels? Anbang has moved into a superior position again in the quest for Starwood less than 10 days from a shareholder vote on the Marriott offer.

Would You Pay More To Stay At A Hotel That’s “Made In The USA”

March 10, 2016By Edward Pizzarello23 Comments

Marriott Hotels has started a “Made In The USA” initiative. I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

BREAKING: Marriott To Acquire Starwood Hotels

November 16, 2015By Edward Pizzarello11 Comments

Definitely didn’t see this one coming. Marriott has announced the acquisition of Starwood. The members of SPG weep softly.

Disguised! Costco Selling Gift Cards For Marriott & Ritz Carlton For 20% Off (Likely Regional)

November 8, 2015By Edward Pizzarello33 Comments

Huge discount on Marriott & Ritz-Carlton gift cards at Costco.

Frontier Airlines Lowers Change Fees. Yes, You Read That Right.

Frontier Airlines is lowering their change fees across the board. Effective immediately, the airline has eliminated change fees if you change your flight more than 90 days ahead of time. They’re also lowering fees for changes closer in. This is definitely a positive move.

Is A Big Change Coming To Cheap Airline Tickets?

We’re in an unbelievable era of cheap flights. Every time I feel like saying these are the cheapest fares I can recall seeing, we catch another surprise. As with many good things, it appears it may be possible that the government is fixing to put a dent in that, albeit unintentionally. I’ve been reading about a bill working its way through Congress that would potentially limit fees airlines can charge. This is on the heels of a few airlines raising the price of your first checked bag. Not all the […]

Great Travel Deals! Travel Auctions Ending Soon

I’m a deal junkie. Chances are, you’re a deal junkie too. Take a look at these travel auctions to see if you can find your next great travel deal.

Marriott Quietly Removes Elite Benefits From Online Travel Agency Bookings

Marriott quietly made a change that’s likely to have a big impact on frequent travelers. Loyalty program members will no longer have elite benefits on stays booked through online travel agencies (OTAs). Will all Marriott properties be enforcing this rule, or will it be selectively enforced? Are you willing to risk it?

NowBoarding: Lee Huffman, Bald Thoughts!

Work and life have me running behind as usual. While we published podcast episodes the last few weeks, I neglected to post about them here. So, you might have missed Lee Huffman as my guest on the NowBoarding Podcast. Author of the Bald Thoughts blog, I can confirm he is bald. Really bald. From his early days as a kid listening on a CB radio and riding in a semi truck across Texas to traveling with his wife all over the country using the Southwest companion pass, Lee is very […]

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.

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]