Credit card and hotel points can both help you stay in some amazing luxury accommodations you’d never justify paying cash for. We’ll dive into this today.
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Mailbag
(01:43) – Please share an experience when a positioning flight had not gone to plan, perhaps share a “Positioning Flight From Hell” type of experience. (Mailbag)
Read about Greg’s positioning flight mayhem here.
Crazy Thing
(06:23) – On our Instagram post, @marriottbonvoy’s account trolls Hyatt by saying “Fortunately for our guests, we don’t play games with welcome gifts, points, and awards at Luxury locations such as St. Regis, JW Marriott, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, and more but that’s just us.” (Crazy Thing)
See our post: Marriott Platinum Elite Free Breakfast Simplified
Mattress Running the Numbers
(12:12) – 30% transfer bonus Amex to Virgin (Mattress Running the Numbers)
Award Talk
(15:17) – MaxFHR.com (Award Talk)
(17:09) – Equinox credit for massages (Award Talk)
(21:10) – Bilt’s new Rent Day snoozer
(24:27) – Bilt BLADE
Read more about the Bilt Blade partnership here.
Read Greg’s Blade flight review here.
(30:01) – Hyatt’s sad rollout of Mr & Mrs Smith
Main Event: Luxury lodging… on points
(41:52) – Find our “Which is the most rewarding hotel loyalty program? | Ep193 | 3-11-23” here.
(42:54) – Major hotel chain luxury brands
(43:34) – Hyatt
(45:53) – Hilton
(47:55) – Marriott
(54:03) – IHG
(58:12) – Wyndham
(59:10) – Read Nick’s post about free cruise opportunities.
(59:34) – Choice Privileges
(1:01:36) – Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH): Book with Hilton points (coming soon).
Read more about the Hilton SLH partnership here.
(1:05:49) – Preferred Hotels & Resorts
(1:09:05) – Leading Hotels of the World (LHW)
(1:11:23) – Fine Hotels & Resorts & The Hotel Collection
Question of the Week
(1:13:28) – What’s the best way to start on the Marriott credit card journey?
See our chart for figuring out which Marriott cards you’re eligible for.
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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If your only options to get points into the hotel programs were buying points or paid stays, which program offers the best program to focus on for luxury hotels?
I have Gold status at Hilton
Hi Greg and Nick, now that you’re able to look at the chart can you confirm the following strategy is the best for maxing out Marriott SUBs in minimum time? In order: 1. Amex Bevy. 2. Amex Brilliant, 3. Amex Business, 4. Wait 24 months for Chase Boundless. No special waits required for steps 1-3 (just the standard Amex application rules). Good?
We have a Delta positioning flight scheduled with a later American backup flight we’ll cancel if the Delta is going OK.
However, I honestly can’t imagine a deal so good that I would do what Greg is doing with 12 minutes. We are basically able to travel as we want (and like to book far in advance because planning is a large part of the joy of travel for us).
Amex Equinox benefit – When I look at my benefits screen, it shows that I am enrolled in the Equinox benefit. I don’t remember what i did other than click on the link to sign up for a membership. I never signed up for the membership. I have received the credits for spa treatment. Mayby you just need to click through to get enrolled status turned on.
How many Marriott luxury properties have redemptions on only base rooms and have no points+cash redemptions on enhanced rooms? How many Marriott luxury properties price their base rooms for 1k points past the top-off limit . . . making an 85k certificate useless. And, on and on. I had been a substantial cash spender at Marriott. Marriott’s chicken poop tactics on redemptions was so repugnant, that I lost faith in them and left. I’m not trying to troll. Just a consumer offering sincere feedback.