At the beginning of the week I shared some web stats and plans for a Million Reader Giveaway.
I only wish I had realized the traffic milestones earlier for this blog, I could have reached out to my favorite travel providers and asked them to help me celebrate… with promises of riches beyond readers’ wildest dreams elite status and points.
Instead, I’ve had to get creative with the sorts of things I’m able to offer on my own.
So here’s part one of the Million Reader Giveaway!
Prizes will include:
- (5) Milepoint premium packages (1000 United miles, Hilton Gold status, National Car Rental Executive status, and more)
- $200 Gift Cards
- Amazon Gift Cards
- Miles in your choice of several programs
- Amazon Gift Cards
I might even throw in elite status and a club membership with an airline. There will be at least 15 prizes in this round, and probably more in round 2!
It’s a bit of a grab back of most high value prizes, half of which will be given away randomly and half will be give away based on quality or usefulness of entry.
Here’s all you need to do:
- leave a comment in this thread sharing either your best travel-related tip or advice, or the most useful thing you’ve learned from this blog.
- Since quality is key (as half the prizes will be given out based on quality), you may enter as many times as you like.
- All entries for this round must be submitted as a comment to this post by Sunday 5pm Eastern.
Thank you very much — in advance for your tips and for reading and sharing along with me, all these years!
Now enter away…!
Best,
Gary
- 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 miss out!
Remember to look out for upgrades on your amex cards that offer a bonus without a pull
Use Google drive chrome extension to save a PDF of an offer before signing up to easily keep proof
Roboform makes apporamas much easier and keeping track of many accounts a cinch
Milepoint Premium membership is worth it, especially for Hilton Gold status.
It’s not about the journey, or whether we’re served Dom or Krug…but rather, how many refills we’re going to share with our travel hacking friends that counts 🙂
Adding someone as an au for certain banks like bank of America can increase your credit score drastically by increasing your average age
Wear layers on a plane because it can sometimes be freezing when if you’re origin and destination are warm
The best camera is the one you have with you when you want to take a picture. Invest in a good quality camera that can be carried in your pocket or a belt pouch.
One of the best things I’ve learned here is how to make the Avios system work well for me, both for short haul flights at 9000 points RT as well as using the Chase BA card to get international 2-4-1 redemptions in F!!!
Flying an eastbound transatlantic red-eye? Eat a full dinner before boarding and have a glass of wine or two (or a couple of cocktails). When you board, turn down the airline dinner but have another drink. Put in the earplugs, put on the eye mask, and nap. Don’t waste time eating the airline dinner, it isn’t tasty and is just taking away zzzz time. Zap that jet lag and start sleeping.
Get a mobile surge protector… and use it
The best advice I can give I learned first hand in Paris last week, if you’re not sure how to get back to airport wherever you are using public transportation, follow the people with suitcases!
Best credit card offers to reach my travel goals.
When you travel, it’s usually a great buy to go get a local prepaid sim card in the visiting country – even if your there for a few days. Many offer plenty of data and cheap calls. With 3G/4G out there, calling back home is cheap, fast, and easy.
And you can usually tether your phone to your laptop and use that data instead of the hotel’s which usually is slow and often not free.
Diversifying your points !
Earn and Burn !
Link your Ink with Plink then go through Upromise to Staples and buy $100 gift cards.
Don’t assume that the flight on a partner airline is really ticketed. Call the partner a few days before travel and make sure it really is booked/ticketed.
Call the reconsideration line when not immediately approved for a credit card.
Buy as much as you can online via Miles/Points/Cash portals. With certain credit cards and promos you will double-dip or maybe even triple or quadruple dip.
Always ‘garden’ your flight reservations. Check every few days to make sure there have been no changes.
The most useful advice I’ve gotten from this blog is all the information on the Park Hyatt Maldives. I’ve read all of your reviews multiple times and I’m well prepared for my upcoming trip
Be kind and respectful to the person on the other end of the phone/computer/counter. They probably didn’t put you in to the situation you’re looking for help with, and honey’s going to generate more good will than vinegar.
When something goes wrong, always be firm yet polite in dealing with gate agents. A little courtesy can go a long way.
Another lesson learned: Share one’s knowledge, travels, and tips with others. Inspire aspiration, and help people turn those aspirations into memorable experiences.
Several years ago, I was on the fence about participating in the US Air shopping portal promotion that everyone on Flyer Talk was buzzing about. You had a blog post about the promo and I “got” the value of the Track-it-Back stickers. Over coarse my husband thought I was nuts buying thousands of dollars of stickers that I was never going to use but didn’t complain when we were flying first class to Hawaii.
You always provide the most knowledgeable, inside the industry information.
Always document your CC apps to keep track of your signup bonuses!
Use award wallet to keep track of your points!
I learned what Skypesos were.
Always carry your physical frequent flier cards with you especially internationally. At Heathrow you can access the fastrack lanes if you show your Sapphire/Emerald card.
Travel tip: Create a packing list (in Excel, for example) to help you pack quickly, efficiently – and without forgetting anything. Segment the list into suitcase and carry-on and then by category (electronics, toiletries, clothing, batteries.) I have a separate list for hot and cold climates (sunglasses vs. gloves.) Then, check off the list as you pack. Take the list with you and you can use it to make sure you don’t leave anything behind in your hotel room. It also saves you from any incidental costs (like batteries) while you’re on the road.
Travel Tip: Read Gary Leff’s blog “A View from The Wing” on (at least) a daily basis!
most helpful thing I’ve learned are all the opportunities for double- or triple-dipping through various online portals and so on: has boosted my earnings!
The most useful thing I found from this website was the 2 75,000 AA miles citi cards a couple years back that you could get with the 2 browser trick. Those 150,000 miles have gone a long way.
I have learned what to follow and what to pay attention to….it’s not the direct advice but the advice that has helped me learn, understand, and create opportunities. I have increased my credit score dramatically in the last two years while strategically amassing several hundred thousand points. Additionally I’m better equipped to find mistake fares.
Learning about booking stopovers and open-jaws in award tickets with United Mileage Plus was hugely beneficial for me and my wife when I booked our honeymoon to Africa.
We were definitely going to go to Tanzania, but figuring out how to book a stopover and open-jaw allowed us to spend a week in Europe on the way there and the open jaw allowed us to arrive in Nairobi and then depart Tanzania all in lay-flat business class for $260 (total!).
With any luck, I’ll use the information I’ve gained here for another big trip to Asia in a year or so. I’m a bit of a math-nerd, but it would be impossible to quantify the value of this blog beyond the word “priceless.”
Thank you.
Book your FF awards as early as possible, even though the available itinerary may not be ideal. Schedule changes are almost a certainty and when they happen, airlines will typically be very accommodating of any changes you would like to make even if the award inventory is not available.
That this sounds more like Common Sense than a Travel Tip is appalling but you’d be surprised. Quite simply… Treat hotel lounge staff with Courtesy and Good Cheer and Don’t Boss them around like Servants. In my experience you’ll look like a saint in comparison to most other guests and, believe it or not, this will actually translate into much better service for you. I’ve even had lounge staff give hugs to my party when they heard we were checking out that day. Trust me, a smile and cheerful demeanor will serve you well.
Make good use of the stopover when booking award ticket. One one-way plus one round-trip award tickets can give you two round-trip vacations!
Thank you for this giveaway and everything you do for your readers!
The best tip I ever learned from this blog was to keep up. There is a ton of information in the points and miles world and if you want to enjoy some of it, stay informed. By reading View from the Wing, I was able to take my parents on a once an a lifetime trip to Italy this past fall. We were celebrating my dad’s 69th birthday and he had always dreamed of going there. We were able to fly LH First and stay at some of the finest hotels for a fraction of the cost. It was an experience my parents will never forget and I am so thankful to the points and miles community for helping us get there. Which leads me to my second best tip, burn your points and miles asap!
Keep a copy of your passport in every bag.
Gary,
Congrats on this milestone in your career. You have taught and continue to teach me valuable tips for great savings and helpful descriptions of what a traveler faces, obviously best for first time visits to places. So I’m kicking myself for not raising this problem with you earlier.
I’m trying to do another award RTW trip for next October (after my successful 7 day RTW in First this past October: DCA-SFO-HKG-SIN-CPT-LHR-DFW-DCA). My hope is to snag Shower Suites on EK for a couple legs. So with my SPG & new AmEx Membership Rewards transfers to EK, I still needed more miles. I want to use my spouse’s MRs. While AmEx allows this with my name on his account, EK will not accept his MRs into my Skywards account. Chelsie at AmEx and her supervisor have been trying to work this out with EK, but without success. Any ideas? Thanks! & Happy Holidays!!
Travel tip: Always carry a small journal with you. While you are traveling, jot down information that may seem trivial – the temperature/weather, the cost of a gallon of gas and a cup of coffee, and something that caught your eye that day (or an interaction with someone/something that stood out that day.) Don’t make it tough – just dedicate 5 minutes before bed to this. Years from now, you can look back and not only find a few more specifics about memories that are now a bit distant, but you’ll also have a few data points (the weather; how much a cost of coffee cost then vs. now) to add some flavor to your war stories. When you’ve finished with journal (get another one), but also mark on the inside cover the date range and the locations you visited.
A great tip I’ve learned from your blog, Gary — Take a picture of your suitcase in case it gets lost. Also snap a quick picture of contents in case it’s never found. Can help you file any claims necessary with the airline or, in some cases, with your credit card company.
Travel tip: If you have a food allergy (I have a gluten allergy), make sure you know a bit about the local cuisine where you’re headed. When I go to Mexico, I’m in great shape because so much of the food is corn-based (wheat free!) But in places like England and Germany, I know I’m going to have more of a challenge. In those cases, I always pack some sort of breakfast item (gluten-free granola, etc.) that you can make in the morning with items you can easily find at your hotel (e.g., milk.)
We are not promised tomorrow, so make the most of today!
The best thing I learned on this blog is that credit card churning does not necessarily result in a bad credit score.
Skypesos: the primary reason to diversify both your points portfolio and airline loyalties.