Comments

1. My favorite travel tip to rack up miles: Always use the Ultimate Rewards (or whatever your preferred credit card shopping portal is) whenever making an online purchase. It is such an easy way to earn miles and they usually even have smaller/obscure stores to shop at too.

2. Three things, one generic, two specific:

   1/3: Use your credit cards like debit cards – don’t carry a balance unless you can help it. Use it like a debit card and then pay it off on time.

3. used excerpts from this blog to convince the husband to get in on earning points and signing up for credit cards. i always need to send him links to convince him. it’s his idea of “proof” that i’m not talkin out of my @ss

4. 2/3In London, don’t take a taxi to/from Heathrow – take the Heathrow Express to/from Paddington. Taxi to/from Paddington is much more cost-effective and Heathrow Express is quick and pleasant. Masochists can take the Piccadilly Line during rush hour.

5. NEVER hoard miles, always spend as fast as you earn. United and Delta are a clear example as to why.

6. Always check ultimate reward or aa site for car rental prices. They seem to provide much lower rate than a cash only site during peak holiday period.

7. 3/3 in London – if you’re doing business in the City or Westminster, look for hotels South of the river. There are some really good ones that are generally much more affordable than those North of the river.

8. As a reward novice and low mileage earner, getting credit cards to up our points and status has been invaluable. We passed our information to friends and family and all have reaped the benefits. Everyone is so happy!

   Thank you!

9. Leave for the airport early. I feel like my grandpa, but all it takes is one flat tire or one road closure, and that expected 1 hour trip takes 2.5 hours. And you booked the last flight of the day! Don’t sit at home watching TV saying “I can stay here one more hour until I have to leave”. Go early and explore.

10. The ‘ins and outs’ of SKYPESOS, making them work for you!

11. got the word from blog to get in on the AMEX big sign on bonus and the southwest companion pass card. yee haw! flying for cheap/free is the BEST way to fly

12. Make a general packing list and then add sections for the type of trip your are taking; business, pleasure, beach, mountain, summer, winter etc. I even have a section for foreign travel.

13. Read as many bolgs and forum as you can, I learn from other people 😉

14. One of the best lessons learned is to know which hotel I booked reservations at before showing up at the hotel I think I booked and expecting my room to be ready. This is supposed to be a funny reminder. Thanks for all of the points lessons Gary, still so many more to go.

15. My advise is for those of us who will sometimes try and add an extra leg or stopover on business flights in order to rack up extra miles. Sometimes it just isn’t worth it. Adding extra legs, or going out of your way (DCA to CVG via CLT) adds a great deal of uncertainty, possible weather delays, and the more equipment you fly, the more possible mechanical delays. But the main reason it may not be worth it? When taking the direct flight gets you home in time to give your kids a kiss goodnight.

16. Always include your credit cards signup referral links at the end!

17. get the word off this blog about devaluations coming up and burn your points before they are sky pesos

18. A useful thing to pack when you fly is a few teabags. Airplane tea is not-so-good, and it’s nice to have a selection in case you want something with/without caffeine, or something herbal, etc.

19. Get married and double your miles earnings 😉

20. Look for 5th freedom routes as they could be extremely affordable and depending on ticketing rules you may be able to get more than you paid for….nuff said.
    There is a delicate balance between ruining a deal and provide information that will benefit all.

21. Many credit unions have ATM cards with no transaction fees at all. They even waive the fee that the ATM says may be incurred. I have never paid for the privilege of taking out cash in a local currency.

22. Another thing, time and again I have been frustrated with reservation agents, specially the ones with Delta. Your advice on being nice to them, getting them on your side to help you, and to keep calling till you get the right one (thru, hang up and call again), has served me well in getting the reservations I needed. Thanks for that advice.

23. Always insist on being charged in the local currency at your hotel. Otherwise
    you will be charged an exorbitant fee/bad exchange rate to convert the bill into dollars.

24. Stay thirsty, my friend.

25. For smaller purchases, cash is really your friend. It’s not worth the possible points to find out later that the store or restaurant charged you in dollars at an unfavorable exchange rate.

26. Status is nice, but don’t have to do any run, mileage or mattress to enjoy the elite benefits. Instead, I learned here, accumulate as many miles & points as I possibly can and buy (hack) my way into luxury travel … as the saying goes: Champagne travels on a beer budget!

    Happy Holidays & safe travels in 2014 🙂

27. Maintain good credit, get different travel cards to expand your options, and avoid interest charges by not carrying a balance.

28. The Southwest companion pass gained (mostly) from 2 credit card apps is amazing. Obviously it’s mostly domestic, but it’s awesome.

29. Don’t be afraid to rough it on trips to far flung places (liek Southeast Asia), but save those points or extra funds to splurge on a nice hotel room the last night of your trip to end on a high note.

30. If you live on the west coast, you should stock up on BA Avios. They’re great for travel on Alaska up and down the coast (for 4500-7500 points one way) or my favorite redemption of 12,500 points one way to Hawaii on Alaska or American. Plus Avios points are easy to rack up with the BA visa that gives 1.25 Avios per dollar (great earning on non-bonused spend) or frequent transfer bonuses from Membership Rewards.

31. My best tip that I learned from you is the “hang up and call again” when things aren’t going your way or if you feel they don’t understand what you are asking.

32. Always check multiple rates/sites when booking travel. hotels are famous for raising or lowering rates as the date approaches based on occupancy. So even after booking check back each week as the date approaches and re book if needed. Also remember the Government rate is not always the cheapest rate, in large cities like NYC the best available, AAA, corp etc. maybe lower then the govt rate.

33. When traveling somewhere foreign (especially if they use a different alphabet), make sure to have someone at the hotel write down your destination in the local language. Taxi drivers rarely ever speak English and this is a great way to reduce the confusion when going from one place to another.

    Additionally, people on the street will be able to read it and direct you if for some reason you get lost. Of course this works in reverse as well. Always have the name and address of your hotel written in the local language so you can easily make it back!

34. Learn a few phrases of the local language so you can at least thank people that help you along the way. You learn in the process, show some respect for a new culture and help get away from the “ugly American” stereotype.

35. Summaries of all the changes to the various FF programs without having to read through 20 pages of legalese.

36. Using Avios to fly Boston to Dublin or Shannon was a great tip. 25000 RT in coach is great because that’s 2 people to Europe for 1 credit app (if BA is running a 50,000)

37. Always carry a complete change of clothes and charging devices in you carry-on. A weather delay or a loss of bags will not be so devastating.

38. Another BA tip: when booking on Alaska the phone agents may try to charge you a phone booking fee. Ask to have it waived since you can’t book online. Sometimes an agent won’t budge (you can always hang up and call back), but I’ve found they’re always helpful when I ask nicely.

39. One of the best things I’ve learned over the years is to redeem miles instead of just stockpiling them.

    Some of the best trips I’ve taken have been because of spontaneous redemptions – dinner in Hawaii, watching the Aurora Borealis (http://youtu.be/drisHK2sSdA) and snorkeling with Sharks.

    Cheers,
    Aanarav

40. Don’t forget to follow your favorite blog writers on Twitter as well! There can be tidbits that are time-sensitive, so you don’t want to miss out on anything important! Travel Happy!

41. Use those miles to help friends come visit you when they otherwsie might not. It can introduce them to our points and miles world and open up a whole new world of travel possibilities for them.

42. I don’t know if Gary posted this first, but I read it here first: override the hotel thermostat. Great tip!

43. When deciding on which points to buy/earn/acquire/top off always do which makes the most sense for you to achieve your “goals”. Don’t just go by other peoples valuations and got for the most valuable. If you need to top off your united account for a trip to Europe. Do It!

    Second part of that, always have travel goals in mind and try to achieve them with various point strategies. Learned some of the best here!!

44. If you need to change an British Airways Avios award with low taxes/fuel charges (such as a US domestic), it is cheaper to cancel and rebook than use the $40 change method. I had a one way with $2.50 in charges, it was either eat the $2.50 or pay $40 to change flight.

45. I’ve learned plenty of helpful things from this blog, but most notably was the advice on the Chase Sapphire card, which earns more points than the United Explorer card on United tickets! Between that and the discussions on how to book a round-trip Star Alliance reward with a stopover at no additional cost, I was able to book a nearly-around the world trip in business class for just a few hundred dollars in taxes and fees.

46. Always make sure to look up the exchange rate before first visiting a country. This is especially important when visiting multiple countries on one trip since it can get confusing. I use XE.com to look it up and Evernote to save the exchange rate on my phone in a note. This way I can see how much I am getting ripped off at the airport! 🙂

    Also, carry smaller bills ($5 or $10) with you if you need to exchange a small amount for a short stay. While using an ATM might give the best exchange rate, sometimes when you have a short stay or not much to purchase, it is worth it to use one of the airport exchange stands or one in the city in lieu of paying ATM fees.

47. Always remember to pack not only a change of clothes in your carry-on, but also pack one extra day of any required medications – you never know when you might be stuck overnight.

48. Use a hot shower with a closed bathroom door in your hotel to steam your dress shirts – it should remove most wrinkles, with just minor finishing touches needed from an iron.

49. Keep checking prices on booked hotels and rental cars. Often better deals appear last minute.

50. Most useful travel tip from the blog- maximizing all things Hyatt, from getting the co-branded credit card, to updates to using the gift certificates.