Observation Deck

Here Are My Favorite Travel Podcasts (And A Few More)

July 30, 2018By Edward Pizzarello4 Comments

Here are some of my favorite travel podcasts, and a few others I can’t stop listening to.

Pizza On A Podcast! Hanging Out On The Observation Deck

July 20, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

I always have a ton of fun talking travel. That’s why I was happy when the Observation Deck folks let me ramble for 30 minutes about a range of subjects. Listen in!

Hyatt Expands Brand Explorer. Earn Up To Five Free Nights

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, […]

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points PLUS 9X On Dining For Some AMEX Referrals!!

A friend just asked for some help reorganizing their wallet. Their credit card choices had become outdated and they had way too many points they didn’t have any immediate use for. I was stunned when I found out he had amassed four million Marriott Bonvoy points from credit card spend. I’ll admit, I think I cried just a little bit. One of the cards I suggested he get is the American Express Gold card. I think this is a real sweet spot for many folks, which I’ll dig into in […]

Hyatt Adds 50 New All-Inclusive Properties, 5,000 Point Bonus For 3-Night Stays

After announcing six new all-inclusive properties last month, Hyatt is back to announce another 52 properties that members can redeem points at for all-inclusive vacations. The new properties are in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Caribbean. Quoting from the Hyatt press release: Create Meaningful and Rewarding Experiences with More Resorts and Destinations Whether looking for quality family time or an extra measure of romance at a breathtaking location, members can enjoy earning 5,000 Bonus Points for eligible stays at participating Inclusive Collection resorts through September 15, including: Curaçao, the Caribbean: Guests […]

Breaking Down The Best In Travel Loyalty – My Thoughts On The Freddie Awards

For the past decade I’ve helped organize the Freddie Awards, frequently referred to as the “People’s Choice Awards” for airlines and hotels. It’s been three years since we were able to gather in person to hand out the awards and I was on hand two weeks ago in New Orleans. Shortly after the award ceremony ended and I spent a bit of time catching up with old friends I was sprinting off an airline flight trying to get to a track meet in time to see my daughter run. From […]

Success! Topping Up Marriott Free Night Certificates Is Live And It Works!

When Marriott announced that they were moving to a dynamic award chart, it was mostly bad news. One meaningful improvement they announced was that members would be able to add points to a free night certificate for higher value award stays. This feature is now live and I successfully tested it this morning. Thanks to my buddy Julian and this story by Doctor of Credit letting me know it was live. Marriott Free Night Certificates Marriott offers a variety of free night certificates, mostly from holding various Marriott co-branded credit […]

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. […]