Category Archives for General.
A reader asks a great question about signing her son up for a card and using the annual free night he gets from that card herself. It’s against the program’s rules, but you can do it.
And once you understand how, you realize you can earn elite status through others’ stays… and give others the benefits of your elite status.
Here’s how it works. Should you do it?
Premium credit cards offer a dizzying array of benefits you probably didn’t even realize you had — or if you knew at one point, you probably forget when there’s an opportunity to use them.
Break a new electronic device, smash your rental car, run into a merchant who won’t take a return… or the price of something you recently bought drops after you already bought and started using it… there’s something that your credit card company can often do and you get started with a simple phone call.
Was your flight delayed by weather, you didn’t make your connection, and you were stuck paying for a hotel and meals out? Let your credit card company pay you back!
“What is the best way to go from San Francisco to Australia using miles for first or business class, with a possible stopover and less taxes/fuel surcharge?”
You can transfer British Airways points to Iberia, and that can be really useful because while they are owned by the same company and have access to the same award seats Iberia doesn’t add the same extortionate fuel surcharges to award tickets.
For the past couple of years, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — which offers double points on travel and dining, everyday — has offered triple points on dining the first Friday of each month.
That made the first Friday of each month not just a great day to eat out but a great day to buy restaurant gift certificates, too. However, I’ve learned that Chase will be discontinuing this benefit at the end of the year.
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Hyatt Gold Passport is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased points through July. It’s targeted for elites.
In some ways that seems a strange limitation. Elites already have the most points They’re most likely to use points to greatest savvy effect, why discount for them?
One interesting truism is that people who earn the most points are also the ones who value them the most and tend to buy. Your points buyers are the people most engaged in the program.
As part of American and Qantas working more closely together, American will be launching Los Angeles – Sydney service (not yet bookable) and Qantas will return to the San Francisco – Sydney market.
The Qantas flight, which begins operating December 18, is now loaded in schedules and bookable. And business class award space on the flight is really good.
Spirit Airlines wants you to demand your money back from legacy airlines for all of the ‘free’ stuff you didn’t use on your last flight. Since in Spirit’s view, you were overcharged. (HT: Paul B.)
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
