On Chase Hyatt stay credits
Last year I did a fair amount of waffling back and forth on whether to requalify as a Hyatt Diamond for 2017. After the new World of Hyatt program was
Travel Hacking Alternative Facts
Thanks to this new administration and the events of this weekend, the internet has had a mine full of golden comedy, like this beauty:
Also, good luck trying to top these.
Episode 46 – Polaris, AA basic economy, and 2017 predictions
Episode Description
We dive into Trevor’s experience in the Polaris lounge before discussing American’s new basic economy fares and where our loyalties lie this year,
Quick hit: how American Express cards treat refunds towards annual spend thresholds
Late last year I tried to take advantage of an increased portal payout at an online merchant by buying a few thousand dollars of electronics which, if the portal had
Real Life Family Travel: The Glue
I’ve learned a lot over the past eight years, first through traveling with my wife, then with my daughter, and now as a family of four. It’s easy to blog
On booking channels
If you’ve been travel hacking for any length of time you likely have access to a range of points currencies and credit cards, each with its own strengths. Rewards programs
Everything About the Southwest Companion Pass
It’s the time of year to talk about the Southwest companion pass, which may be the best airline benefit you can earn from credit cards. (See How Long The Southwest Companion Pass..
How to start travel hacking when your budget can’t hack it
On the last Observation Deck podcast, I had the pleasure of talking to Jonathan Khoo and Joe Cortez about a wide variety of topics. I’ve always loved having Joe as
Episode 45 – jonk, he who would fly 270,000 miles
Episode Description
The Joes kick off 2017 with special guest Jonathan Khoo (@jonk). We review his 270,000+ miles in the air in 2016, how he
Booking Virgin America to Hawaii: the bad, the good, and one weird old trick
While Virgin America doesn’t have very many flights from where I live, I was still intrigued by the new, as of January 9, 2017, ability to book Virgin America flights
The world is full of nice people trying to give you advice
I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to periodically get together with travel hackers around the country, whether it’s at organized DO’s, subscribers-only meetups, or spontan..
5 Tips Before You Use Your British Airways Avios
Avios are likely the easiest frequent flyer miles to earn for free via credit cards, but BA doesn’t make it easy to understand their program.
They have 3 award charts, inconsiste..
Housekeeping – making sure your miles and points are in order
I know there are a lot of hyper organized people who play this game. I happen to not be one of them, much to my wife’s chagrin. I am organized
Thoughts and feelings about BankAmericard Travel Rewards
The best deal in travelIn my opinion the best deal in travel hacking is likely the BankAmericard Travel Rewards credit card with Bank of America Preferred Rewards Platinum Honors..
Booking Southwest flights with Flexpoints and Ultimate Rewards
I previously wrote up my experience booking a Hyatt all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. That left the question of how to get there. While I’m not ready to be seduced by
Fuel surcharges on Korean's SkyTeam partners
Last week I saw a flood of posts about Korean Air adding the ability to search and book SkyTeam partner awards online (for example). Since Korean Air SKYPASS is an
Los Angeles (LGB) to San Jose (SJC) – $36, JetBlue
One of the better short-haul flash sales offered by JetBlue. Works in reverse SJC -> LGB as well. Fare Availability & Sample Date January 2017. Both weekday (Mon/Wed/Thurs) and ..
Why I mostly ignore point valuations
This post has been a long time coming. It’s been in draft for awhile, but I’ve been procrastinating. The other day, however, I saw on Twitter someone had used a
Episode 44 – Festivus the Second
Episode Description
We’re back for our second annual Festivus episode. Join the Joes and Trevor as they take an eclectic look back at the year
Avoid paying sales tax on Amazon
Avoiding sales tax while shopping on Amazon is actually pretty simple. But at the risk of stating the obvious (did everyone already know to do this?!), I figured I’d share
Seattle to Amsterdam – $430-471, Delta / IcelandAir
A great sale from Seattle to Amsterdam, nonstop on Delta – with 1 stop on Icelandair for about $40 less. Dates & Fare AvailabilityRelatively open availability starting in Februa..
San Francisco / Los Angeles to Larnaca, Cyprus – $675, British Airways
A good deal to Cyprus from San Francisco or Los Angeles. Dates & Fare AvailabilityWide open availability from late January to May 2017. Shorter stays may increase fare up to
Alaska / Virgin America – ~$128, Portland to New York, Boston, Washington, D.C.
Mileage run opportunity for Alaska fliers on Alaska metal, and a great deal to the East Coast from Portland. Dates & Fare AvailabilityA few weekday departures from January 2017 t..