I have written before about the 5 best uses of Hilton points and 4 best uses of Choice points. To continue the series, I will show you the 8 best uses of IHG points in this post. While the IHG Rewards program has devalued a bit over time (remember using...

Yesterday, I posted about the newly launched Alaska Airlines premium credit card, Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card (non-affiliate link). ICYMI, see this post from yesterday.  My husband applied for the card, and he was instantly approved! His stats: 5/24 (he’s opened 5 new cards in the past 24 months) 1/12 (he’s opened...

Back in June, Chase Sapphire Reserve has undergone significant changes. Call it Amex-ization, couponification, whatever. See Nancy’s post for more details. Either way, it’s clear that CSR is a different beast compared to the original product launched in 2017. I went ahead and locked in the old rewards structure by...

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been patiently waiting for the Alaska Airlines premium credit card to launch this summer. Today is the day! I received an email about the card this morning. Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card (non-affiliate...

This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove...

When it comes to getting award tickets, I’m very much a believer in KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid). The goal is to book the most direct routing on the day I want to travel, even if it means flying in economy. In fact, 90% of the time, that’s exactly...

I hope you all had a great weekend. Here is the latest miles and points news: Leaked Details of Upcoming Alaska Airlines Premium Card: I mentioned a few weeks ago and I’m excitedly awaiting the release of the new Alaska Airlines premium credit card. Some details of the card have...

Have you ever wondered how to leave a large Membership Rewards balance for family in case of death? Here are three ways to keep them from disappearing.

It’s no secret that our entire hobby is built around optimizing and squeezing as much value as possible out of every mile, point and hotel certificate. I’m guilty of that too, and have spent countless hours going back and forth on things that are frankly not that important. This is...

One of the best ways to earn miles and points for free travel is by signing up for new credit cards when they offer large welcome bonuses. When multiple members of your family are also eligible for new credit cards, you can double or triple your welcome bonuses by each...

Last week, a passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was injured when the Frightening Bolt waterslide broke. Frightening Bolt is the largest drop slide at sea and begins with an almost-vertical fall through a trap door. The Incident On August 7, an acrylic piece of the Frightening Bolt...

Reader Brooklyn wants to know: Can I book a hotel for someone else using hotel points? Does the person with the points have to be physically there at check-in?

A few weeks ago, I wrote that  transferring flexible points will not extend the validity of Air France Flying Blue miles earned via co-branded Bank of America credit card That left us with only a few months to use up the stash or lose it. There was another solution: applying...

When I was a kid, my family visited Hershey, Pennsylvania on a family vacation. I still remember that trip, and I’ve been wanting to return to Hershey with my kids someday. Thanks to a great award flight price, I revisited Hershey with my daughter and sister last week. Hershey Lodge...

Alaska Airlines Adds New International Routes: Good news for people living on the West Coast with flights to the UK and Iceland. See the news release here. American Airlines Adds New Europe Flights for 2026: DFW is getting flights to Zurich and Athens. I would return to both cities in...