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.

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 […]

One Of The Best Values In Travel Is Adding Three New Transfer Partners

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Bilt Rewards, one of the most valuable flexible currencies in travel, is adding three new transfer partners to an already healthy list of travel brands you already know. Today, they launched 1:1 transfers to British Airways and announced they would be adding Iberia and Aer Lingus shortly. With these additions, here’s the full list of travel partners you can transfer Bilt Rewards points to: American Airlines AAdvantage Air Canada Aeroplan United Airlines […]

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. […]

Edward Pizzarello - September 22, 2022:
Kerrigji, when I hit that screen it gives me the option to [...]

kerrigjl - September 22, 2022:
Interestingly, can't type anything in the "say hi" field despite restarting the [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Yeah, if the award hold went bye-bye there would be a lot [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Definitely a bummer, Von!

Billy Bob - September 15, 2022:
I'm freaking out here - I thought that five-day hold in award [...]