Key Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred Veterans already know this, although the very experienced will find that they can earn the most bonus points with the Ink Plus® Business Card because it earns 5 points per dollar on telecommunications (cell phone, internet, satellite/cable tv) and at office supply stores (with all the myriad things you can buy there, including online through the Chase Ultimate Rewards mall for even more bonus points). Plus it has a signup bonus of 50,000 points after $5000 spend within 3 months and a $0 fee the first year ($95 thereafter). But for someone looking for just one card, wanting to know which one is best, I recommend Chase Sapphire Preferred. I have this conversation on a daily basis, and at events it’s probably the question I’m most asked. I start by…
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Category Archives for General.
Frequent Flyer Geekfest on the Ground: Watching Die Hard 2 and Sending Snarky Texts to the Screen
I was only down for the Austin MegaDO briefly, but it was a great gathering. I attended the Sheraton reception, the private dinner at Franklin Barbecue, and the morning ‘Hecklevision’ showing of Die Hard 2 at the Alamo Ritz Drafthouse. On the walk over in the morning from the Hyatt Place, I passed this place which struck me as fascinating, I wished it was open in the a.m. because I imagined it as something out of the 3rd installment of Mad Max. And what could be cooler — inside the tiny world that thinks mileage and aviation enthusiasts are the height of cool, of course — than having brunch inside a movie theatre, watching the campy second installment of the Die Hard series (Die Hard at the airport!), and getting to display your wit in…
The Digital Camera I Use is Now Selling for Half What I Paid for It
I got a chuckle the other evening, I pulled out my camera. You use a camera? Yeah, I have a smartphone and it’s fine but a real camera takes much better pictures. I suspect most people are happy nowadays with their smartphone, maybe taking a camera on vacation with them. I carry mine around with me in my laptop bag. Goodness knows I’m not a great photographer, which is very much the reason why. I’m a point and shoot kinda guy and I’ve never taken a class or been shown how to take great pictures. But the photos I take with my Canon s110 are more than decent, certainly good enough for blogging. Last year I bought the camera for ~ $325. The new normal price seems to be $299. But the camera, with case,…
How I Made $12 on My Audi Car Rental, And How You Can Too!
Earlier in the month I write about my upcoming $9 Audi car rental. I’ve just rented from Silvercar for the first time (and it did cost me $9+tax, or $13 all-in for the rental day, plus a referral credit so I’ll make $12 net) and thought I’d share the experience. Short answer, it was fantastic. Silvercar rents silver Audis (hence, silver car). Although it is possible right now to get very cheap rentals from them, rent on the weekend when they’re cheaper and use promotion codes, the idea is anything but cheap. This isn’t your bargain basement leisure rental company, it’s a business travel alternative in a limited number of markets. When airport Avis, Hertz, etc. are pricing at $80 a day Silvercar is a good option because you’re going to pay those sorts of…
Get Bonus Miles for Buying Miles, Get Kicked Out of a Hotel, and Have United Charge You for Your Carry-on (Bits ‘n Pieces for February 22, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: United is going into enforcement mode to make sure you don’t bring on oversized carry ons. Man gets banned from a Hilton hotel because of his trouser snake. There’s a new tool that will let you pay by credit card using your phone instead of the card itself. You have to carry a dongle in your pocket, though. (I swear this item is unrelated to the item above). HT: @aheeger Virgin America has purchased mile bonuses almost as often as US Airways. They’re back with a bonus of up to 60%. Here’s my analysis of the January 50% bonus offer. HT: James F. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail…
United Miles for Mercedes is Back
Last summer United offered miles and ‘discounts’ on the purchase or lease of certain Mercedes models. The offer was restricted to MileagePlus elite members. That offer is back: You’re getting an ‘online price’ which doesn’t strike me as special or something you couldn’t replicate on your own, though for someone who doesn’t like the negotiation process this could be advantageous. And earning 25,000 miles for a CLE, E-, or M-class Mercedes isn’t a lot for a major purchase like this (it’s perhaps the value of an additional $350 kicker). But if you’re in the market for a new Mercedes, and can’t negotiate a lower price than the United mileage offer presents, it could be a way of extracting the last $350 out of the deal. It’s strange, I think, that this is offered only to…
Frequent Traveler University Seattle Is Sold Out, But…
Frequent Traveler University which will be held in Seattle at the airport Marriott April 25-27 is now officially sold out. The good news is that a new, and different, upcoming Frequent Traveler University event will be announced soon. Smaller, more intimate, for greater in-depth discussion More advanced. FTU events welcome everyone, at all experience levels, but this will be a more focused conversation for people that have spent more time with the activity. A different program. When we sell out Frequent Traveler University, we know there’s more demand for the program than there are available seats and so we make many sessions and speakers available at future programs. But this will have a different program than past events. Stay tuned. Normally events like this are planned well in advance, both to allow participant planning and…
Starwood Torturing Their Terms and Conditions to Permit Hotels to Offer Subpar Rooms on Points
Update: Starwood now says this was a mistake and is being fixed. Jason L. emails yesterday asking for my comment on a brewing storm over at Starwood Preferred Guest over two hotels in the Netherlands (Pulitzer in Amsterdam and Hotel Des Indes, The Hague) that offered free award nights in rooms for two people up until December but that now offer free night awards only In small single occupancy rooms. Both hotels allow spending additional Starpoints to obtain the two person rooms that they used to offer at the standard price. You know how they say, it’s not the crime, it’s the coverup? The issue of these hotels is relatively minor. But Starwood appears to be going through backflips to make excuses for the properties, explaining away a conflict with their own terms and conditions…
Business Class Award Space to Australia, Bonus Miles to Europe, and More Ways to Earn Miles Without a Net Cost to You (Bits ‘n Pieces for February 21, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: Great business class award space on United’s new Los Angeles – Melbourne flight which begins October 26. Buying products online to earn the miles, and then selling them to recoup the cash. 25% bonus for converting hotel points to American Airlines miles — but the offer excludes transfers from Starwood, Hyatt, and Marriott travel packages. In other words, they exclude all the good stuff. 10,000 bonus Aeroplan miles for transatlantic roundtrips. Even Tango (W, S, T, L, K) fares are eligible. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t…
The New DFW Centurion Lounge Menu Revealed!
Regular readers know that I am a fan of the American Express Centurion Lounge at Dallas-Forth Worth Airport (terminal D, across from gate D14). Free access to American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders, with paid access available to other American Express members. There is a case to be made that it is the best lounge in the United States. There’s good food, a good bar, a complimentary spa (15 minute treatments), and showers. It’s attractively designed as well. I’ll gladly take the train between terminals when connecting to visit here instead of using an Admiral’s Club. A few more clubs like this (they’ve got one in Las Vegas, have San Francisco and New York LaGuardia in the chute, and more in the pipeline) and I won’t mind that my Platinum card won’t get access to…
