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...

Over the years, the TSA has been pushing PreCheck more and more. It’s admittedly a convenient way to save time at the TSA security checkpoint. But, of course, the more…

Those of you with kids in public school know that it adds an extra layer of complexity. Not only do you have to find multiple award seats, but you have to do it during peak season when other families are traveling too. It is what it is, and you have...

One of the perks of the Southwest Companion Pass is that you are allowed to change your designated…

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...

I recently took a short trip to Denver and tried a new-to-me hotel: Hotel Indigo Downtown Denver – Union Station. Booking My husband and I each own the IHG One Rewards Premier credit card that comes with a free night certificate on the card’s anniversary. Originally, we booked rooms in...

So, I used to think Citi is a bizarre bank. Well, Bank of America enters the chat… A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on applying for BoA Air France credit card in my husband’s name, in order to prevent the expiration of his 73k miles. The card was...

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...