Sedona – a Magical Place of Vast Beauty
October 2020. I visited Zion National Park for the first time. When I reached the town of Springdale and the Zion canyon wall appeared before my eyes, it was a sight I’ll never ..
Two quirks to watch for when reporting 2020 unemployment compensation
Become a Patron!There has been a fair amount of confusion and chaos around changes made to the taxation of unemployment compensation in the American Rescue Plan, so as I’m finish..
Episode 53: Status Through Spend, New Routes, Devaluations & Singular Use Programs
0:23 Earn Singapore Status Through Bank Point Transfer (link) Get 1 elite qualifying mile for every 5 bank points transferred Transfer 250,000 bank points…
Wrapping up the Milenomics Second Podcast (MSP) Season 1
Many of you reading this might not even know there is a podcast called The Milenomics Second Podcast (MSP). We’re celebrating on the blog…
Why and How: Booking Japan Airlines Award Flights with Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles
News broke today that Virgin Atlantic miles can be used to book one-way ANA awards. That’s good, but as much as I appreciate more…
Citi Premier 1.25 No Longer Stacking w/Prestige 4th Night?
One of the advantages of carrying multiple Citi ThankYou credit cards has been the ability to combine: Points into a single account The best…
Maximize just 4 U points by pulling forward redemptions across regions
A couple weeks ago I wrote about my first experiences redeeming Safeway’s just 4 U rewards points and described how by triggering more than one reward with the same purchase,
Episode 52: Q2 5x Categories, Transfer Bonuses, and Heightened Welcome Offers
We’ve got a full show today. Let’s get right into it… 0:25 Q2 2021 5x Categories Chase Freedom Gas Stations Home Improvement Stores Discover…
Minimums, Anchors, and Thresholds
Become a Patron!One of the most frustrating things that comes up almost immediately when you start talking to people about money is the way people treat certain purely regulatory..
The Manifesto Episode 20: With Charlie Barkowski from Running With Miles
Last year year we launched a podcast network, adding the Manifesto hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer to the Patreon Feed. In this episode…
How (I think) the just 4 U double dip works
While I do my fair share of manufactured spend at Safeway, until this week I’d never actually redeemed any of their “just 4 U” loyalty points. Instead, I’ve been taking
What’s the real story behind the zillionaire widow defrauded by her grandsons?
Become a Patron!Via TravelBloggerBuzz, last week I read a fascinating story about the resolution of a FINRA arbitration complaint against two JPMorgan financial advisors by their..
Episode 51: All This Amex Stuff (Credits and More)
Robert: Amex has been ratcheting up the complexity on their offers and benefits. Partially due to covid, wanting to retain customers, and wanting to…
Low Category IHG Redemption – Staybridge Suites Palm Springs
In a normal year, I’d tell you about some great low category hotel redemptions around the world. But in the year of Covid, I have been checking out things near my base of Southe..
One reason to potentially defer your Covid-19 vaccine
If you want to be vaccinated against Covid-19, should you get it as soon as possible? For many, including me, the answer is yes. But there is one travel-related reason you migh..
Disappointed by Alaska Airlines IT, satisfied by their customer service
I wrote a few weeks back about the maze of rules relating to the elimination of change fees by most US carriers. My basic conclusion was that eliminating fees is
What I learned in a week messing around with MGM's fake online slots
On last week’s episode of the Manifesto, I spoke with Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast about a suite of browser and mobile apps you can use to
MEUC: the unemployment insurance top-up no one is talking about
Become a Patron!Since the original CARES act in March, I’ve been trying to provide practical, real-world guidance on the nuances of federal and state aid to unemployed and self-e..
When free changes make it worthwhile to hunt for lower fares
If you’ve been following the airline industry at all for the last 6 months, you know that lots of US airlines have made their COVID-19 change and cancellation fee waiver
Extend Old Cathay Pacific Asia Miles during Covid
TL;DR: Transfer 3000 miles from 2 different partners; miles will be extended after 36 hours.
I had a sizable amount of Asia Miles expire Jan 31, 2021, I just extended them and now..
How to apply to, enroll in, and attend college
Become a Patron!In my Wednesday review of Ron Lieber’s college-cost book I promised my own streamlined take on how to think about higher education. One of the great shortcomings of
Book Review: Ron Lieber just wants to ask questions about college costs (that have obvious answers)
Become a Patron!Before I was a travel hacker, I was a higher education hacker. In fact, the first glimpse I had behind the rickety infrastructure of the modern economy was
Some good discounts on flexible rates at Delaware North properties
For those unfamiliar, Delaware North is a concessionaire that operates hotels, restaurants, and campsites at many parks and forests in the United States. They don’t offer their o..