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CategoryDo this now: select your Cash+ bonus categories for 2016's first quarter
I got a US Bank Cash+ card a few years back as a product change from my second Flexperks Travel Rewards card. Back then the Cash+ had a somewhat more
How much would you pay to be able to book any flight on any day?
Another day, another devaluation.Yesterday American Airlines announced the changes they’ll be making to the AAdvantage program next year. You’ve likely already read all about the..
Uber is no longer selling gift credit (for now)
A few people have reached out to me on Twitter to tell me that Uber is no longer selling gift cards. Sure enough, my account (in which I had asked
Avios and cash followup: booking that Air Berlin flight
Last month I wrote about an Air Berlin flight from Berlin to New York City, for which I was planning to redeem British Airways Avios. I had 24,000 Avios in my
Portland is a city where young people go to retire
I go to Portland, Oregon, three or four times a year. I think it’s a little slice of paradise, so I thought I’d share some of the things that make
Towards a theory of hotel points and cash redemptions
IntroductionRegular readers know that I use the concept of “imputed redemption values” to calculate the relative value of manufactured spend on co-branded hotel credit cards. I’v..
Quick hit: in defense of Blue for Business
Yesterday I dismissed the Blue for Business American Express credit card out of hand, writing that the “product earns 1 non-flexible Membership Rewards point everywhere, which is..
American Express cards I'm thinking about
IntroductionWhen I say that I don’t chase signup bonuses, it sometimes gives readers the impression that I don’t apply for new cards or that I don’t think signup bonuses are
Replacing Hilton Surpass
IntroductionI like the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass card, which gives 6 HHonors points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores, for the simple reason that ..
What Frequent Miler gets wrong about earning and burning
On Tuesday, Greg over at Frequent Miler wrote a defense of hoarding miles and points. He’s wrong, but to understand why he’s wrong, you have to understand his argument.Frequent M..
Thinking about cash-and-points redemptions (is hard)
There’s a curious problem that everyone encounters eventually as they become increasingly involved in travel hacking: how do you think about award redemptions that combine both c..
Quick hit: check your cardmember year Ink bonus spend
On Monday I mentioned two recent developments that should, at least for now, make earning Ultimate Rewards points at office supply stores easier and cheaper than ever using Chase..
How I Found The RTW Discount Airlines Tickets
Before our Namibia roadtrip I wrote about piecing together a round-the-world ticket using discount airlines.
It just shows that a ticket to Australia via Europe, the Middle East..
Give away travel
There have been two big, fun developments in the world of travel hacking in the past two weeks: Staples began selling $300 Visa gift cards online, and Office Max began
Pre-devaluation Arrival+ housekeeping
We’re now just over a month away from the November 17, 2015, Barclaycard Arrival+ devaluation. The devaluation has two key components:statement credits against travel purchases w..
Marriott Cash + Points redemptions could be great for you
Yesterday I saw on Travel Codex Scott Mackenzie sharing some details of Marriott’s new Cash + Points redemptions, which will apparently become available early next year.First, tw..
Having a routine is fantastic. Also dangerous
Back in September, Matt at Saverocity wrote this post about the potential problems of a travel hacker getting so “locked in” to one or two loyalty programs that they’re unable
The single best award redemption, by transfer partner: Chase Ultimate Rewards
As my regular readers know, I don’t chase “aspirational” redemptions; I earn the miles and points I need to pay for the trips I want to take as cheaply as
Citi Thank You Business Card Findings And Possibly Transfer Thank You Points To Partners
Within one week, there was a little bit of coverage on the Citi Thank You Business credit card. First from Rapid Travel Chai and then Devil’s Advocate on Frequent Miler. I’ve
Buying Broadway tickets (is expensive)
On Tuesday I wrote that I was going to New York to see Hamilton, the smash hit Broadway musical. Commenter BetterByDesign astutely asked,”How the heck did you find Hamilton ticke..
Two new tools to help plan airline redemptions
An impressive achievement of the travel hacking community is spreading information about the frequent flyer programs of non-US carriers, which allow Americans to take advantage o..
Beware Delta bearing voluntary denied boarding compensation
It’s no secret that I think Delta runs the best domestic airline operation in the United States. They have incomprehensibly good on-time and completion statistics compared to the..
One-time opportunity to buy 450,000 Choice Privileges points for $1,600
Via Drew at Travel is Free, until December 8, 2015, there’s a one-time opportunity to buy 450,000 Choice Privileges points for $1,600. That’s not exactly how Drew framed it, so I..