Update: no longer working as of Oct 2018. I always assumed room availability for the Chase free night certificate and IHG's Reward/points are the same. Turns out they aren't. In fact, there can be WAY more availability for the Free night, in highly, advantageously important ways. Recently I was looking to use a Free night certificate from the IHG Select card … [Read more...]
Using Hotel Points for Europe in September? Book Early
For the 2nd year in a row, I'm going to Europe the 1st week in September. The crowd is a bit smaller and temperature has gotten a bit cooler. However, also for the 2nd year in a row, when looking into hotel redemptions several months out (as early as March), many dates in early September were already fully booked. This happened last year at the Fairmont Le … [Read more...]
My Hilton Aspire card referral bonus FINALLY posted – after 4 months
I referred a friend to the Amex Hilton Aspire card back in March 2018. The 25k bonus points showed as earned in my card's April statement, but it never posted to my Hilton account. I contacted Amex and Hilton numerous times, and Hilton opened an inquiry, but the points never came. About a weeks ago I asked Hilton again what in God's name is taking so … [Read more...]
Keep a Bank of America Card Open for Free Museums
For a long time, Bank of America (BOA) has sponsored free museum days in the US. Currently, select museums throughout the country are free to BOA cardholders on the first full weekend of each month. Here are the 2018 dates: To enter for free, just show your BOA (including Merrill Lynch) card at the ticket office on those dates. Obviously, the line is … [Read more...]
JW Marriott Chengdu – Low Category City Luxury
A few months ago, I wrote about Le Meridien Chiang Rai, then a category 2 SPG redemption (now cat 3) for a luxurious 5-star resort tucked away from the bustle. Now I'd like to tell you about a different kind of low category luxury - one that's very much in the center of bustle, in one of the world's up-and-coming cities. Chengdu is on many people's radar … [Read more...]
PSA: Iberia.com hates Google Chrome. Use Internet Explorer
I am writing this in hope of saving you a few hours of your life in frustration. At least for me, Iberia.com is very buggy in Chrome and Firefox. It wouldn't let me login 95% of the time. All of their pin reset functions also conveniently errored out. After I called Iberia Plus call center, they were able to reset my pin, but a few minutes later it was … [Read more...]
Aeroplan Blocking LOT Polish Awards
Aeroplan is notorious for blocking useful partner award space, from Swiss to Avianca to EVA at various times. The latest victim (from our perspective) is LOT Polish Airlines. I'm looking at a couple of flights for myself, both within Europe and to North America. They're shown on the websites of Lifemiles, Singapore, and United, but not Aeroplan. The phone … [Read more...]
IHG and Radisson Won’t Honor Award Booking If Hotel Leaves Chain
Update - Called IHG customer service. Spent one hour on the phone. 3rd agent offered the same points rate for the inferior alternative property 15 miles away. Couldn't get a better offer after 2 more supervisors. Basically, I'm paying the same rate for a worse alternative. You booked a stay using hotel loyalty points, and that hotel leaves the … [Read more...]