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Are Frequent Flyer Programs a Fool’s Game?
Airline loyalty programs have long tempted their most frequent customers with upgrades, bonus points, and other forms of special treatment. But the definition of a “frequent flyer” for many carriers...
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Frequent Flyer Programs, Transferable Points and Competitive Pressure
Author note: This is a long post, but it’s designed to generate discussion on how transferable points (UR, SPG, AMEX-MR and now Citi TY points) are going to change how airlines set mileage redemption...
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Wait, Maybe SPG Starpoints Are The Worst Points Ever
From the desk of the Devil’s Advocate… Today we continue our three-part series on the downsides of the major flexible miles currencies — Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards,...
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Is Coin Helpful for Manufactured Spend?
Coin is a startup that View from the Wing and I wrote about last year. It purports to make juggling a handful of credit and debit cards easier by letting you copy all the card information onto a single...
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British Airways Adds 72-Hour Hold for a Fee
British Airways announced this week that it is offering a 72-hour “fare lock” service very similar to one already offered by United Airlines. For just $10 on flights originating in the U.S., you can...
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Get $25 for Joining Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (*for WA/OR Residents)
I don’t normally pay attention to ads on the Internet, but I do when it concerns my own blog. It’s good to have some idea of what sponsored content is appearing alongside my own — and amusing to see...
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Redeem 85 Miles to Keep Your United Account Active
Most airline loyalty programs require you to have some kind of account activity every 12-24 months or else you’ll lose your miles. I’ll provide a more thorough breakdown of your options in a future...
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Using United’s “Expert Mode” to Find Upgrades
I’ve had several people ask me recently how to search for upgrades on United Airlines. It’s not immediately obvious because United no longer allows tools like Expert Flyer to access its inventory....
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Level Skies: An Alternative to Individual Fare Locks
I mentioned the introduction of 72-hour fare locks on British Airways this weekend and reminded you about existing options from United Airlines as well as Options Away, which lets you purchase options...
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Targeted Offer: 50,000 MR to Upgrade Amex PRG To Platinum Card
I don’t normally like to talk about targeted promotions, but when it comes to credit cards there seems to be more opportunity than with other companies to talk your way into getting a similar offer...
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Up to 60% off Alaska Award Flights and 40% Extra Miles!
Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan is putting a bunch of their award flights on sale for travel between August 30 and October 31. (You can book these awards starting today.) Some of the awards are as low as...
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I Got It! It’s Chase Ultimate Rewards Points That Are Awful!
From the desk of the Devil’s Advocate… This week we finish up our three-part series on the downsides of the major flexible miles currencies — Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership...
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Nomad Series – 12 months out of a suitcase – Tips for Points and Miles...
There is no way to use points on this island! While it’s cute that Lucky is living a full year in hotels, some of us don’t have the cash flow to be paying nightly rates and it still hurts to burn...
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I Wish My Math Class Took Field Trips to Atlanta
LoungeBuddy shared a pretty awesome article from Wired this morning on Twitter. The question: Could you observe the curvature of the Earth in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport?...
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Nomad Series – Travel tips for globetrotters – Part 2 – On the Road
As I mentioned in the first installment, I’ve been on the road continuously for the past 12 months, visiting about 36 countries, living in four and logging about 120,000 miles so far across pretty much...
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How and Why to Redeem SPG Suite Night Awards
I just returned from a weekend vacation in San Diego, which was significant in that it was my first trip all year with Megan alone and not our parents. For a few days the only people who could annoy us...
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Nomad Handbook – Tips for Travel Hackers – Part 3 – Strategy
In the previous segments, we talked about how to plan for your trip and tips to keep you sane while on the road. This section deals more with travel strategy, setting your own expectations and...
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How Does CVS Make Money Selling Visa Gift Cards?
From the desk of the Devil’s Advocate… There’s been extensive discussion in the points and miles community over exactly why CVS ended credit card sales of Vanilla Reloads and most of their other...
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How to Get Upgraded on Your Next Flight
About the only thing worse than waiting in a security line or the crowded airport terminal is actually sitting in coach. Seat 32B, to be exact. As you enter the plane and prepare yourself for the next...
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The Difference Between Award Miles and Elite Qualifying Miles
Ross emailed me yesterday with a question about the United MileagePlus Explorer credit card. His question wasn’t so much about how to earn the bonus miles offered for new applications but what the...
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