Tuesday’s Deals

Much to discuss! Here we go…

  • American Express Membership Rewards has a very good transfer bonus of 40% to British Airways. This is through January 31st. Yes, British points are amazing. And, yes, they will probably devalue at some point. But, no doubt about it, this is a great deal.
  • Register for the Intercontinental (IHG) Set Your Sights promo. See what your offer is. These are always pretty good.
  • Speaking of IHG, what does their purchase of Kimpton mean? For big fans of the very quirky Kimpton family, it probably means a little depression. For most others, it means another reason to grab the IHG credit card.
  • If you’re new to Lyft, get 2 free rides with the code MASTERCARD. You can try for another free ride by signing up through one of my favorite reader’s link. I’m still an Uber guy, but I’m not one to turn down free money.
  • The big ass 140,000-point Ritz Carlton offer is back. Good card with a huge annual fee of $395. But their $300 airline credit helps a lot.
  • Delta’s 50,000-mile Personal and Business offers are back too. I just wish I wasn’t allergic to Delta.
  • Get $20 back when you buy $300 or more in Visa/Mastercard gift cards. This is at OfficeMax through 12/27. Obviously, free money and easy spend combine to make a strong deal.
  • 5 winners get 200,000 American Airlines miles here.

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$25 From Barclays

This is very easy money. All you have to do is register for online statements. If you’ve already done that, turn them off and back on. This seems to be meant for the US Airways card, but it’s worth trying your other Barclays choices.

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My Favorite Trips Of 2014

I’m not a trip report guy. Not usually a fan of ’em. But I did do less hoarding this year, so here’s my moment to remember some trips. As usual, the ol’ schedule was crazy, so long weekend domestic travel continues to be the name of the game. As the year comes to a close, here were my Top 10 favorite domestic trips of the year (in order):

  1. Maui –  It was great to discover Kauai, but it was a strangely emotional experience leaving Maui. What can I say? That damn island is my absolute favorite place on the planet. Flying there and staying at the Andaz for free is enough to make anyone feel grateful. And, in Maui, I am so very grateful.
  2. New Orleans – That Maui trip was my 3rd time there. The week in New Orleans was my first. And, man, what a city! There are a couple things I believe to be true about “The Big Easy.” First, it’s the most special city in America. Why? Because if it went away, there’s nothing to replace it with. Second, there is no better food anywhere. Honestly, I don’t know how it’s possible to live there and be in shape. I would happily move to New Orleans. And would soon become a jolly fat guy.
  3. Lake Tahoe – My second time there. I love North Tahoe and like the Hyatt. Never visited in the snow, but really enjoy the “warmer season.” Great hikes, clean air, and the friendliest people in America. This section of Nevada should teach kindness classes to the rest of the country. If you live in any of these first 3 cities, I’m crazy jealous right now.
  4. Park City – Never, ever thought I’d be a fan of Utah. Well, I was wrong. This is one adorable little town. Again, I was there for the warmer off-season. My favorite meal of the year was in Maui at Morimoto’s sushi restaurant. Number 2 was Green Goddess in New Orleans (poached eggs, wild mushroom gravy, grits, sweet potato biscuits, etc). Number 3 was here in Park City at Goldener Hirsch (schnitzel with panna cotta for dessert). Ok, I need some food. Like right now.
  5. Encinitas – San Diego has never been my favorite place. But the beach towns outside of the city (Encinitas, Carlsbad, Cardiff) are incredible. Luckily, this is road trip distance for me, so I plan to do a lot more exploration.
  6. Dana Point – I was here for just one night. Wow, you rich Orange County people sure know how to live. Add some zeroes to my bank account and I’d love to join the fun.
  7. Morgantown – Like all Indian men out there, I was raised in West Virginia. Ok, that might not be true. Anyway, I do love my hometown. Went to my 20th high school reunion in 2014 and got another reminder. I was very lucky to grow up with a great group of people.
  8. Charlotte – This wasn’t my favorite city (no offense to Charlotte readers) but it was a very special group. I spent the weekend with some very close friends and we tore this boring city up. Ok, that was meanish.
  9. Scottsdale/Phoenix – Again, this  was an incredible group of friends in a pretty bland town. These last two are all about the company…not much to be said about the locations.
  10. Las Vegas – Well, someone’s gotta come in last. The good news? I love to gamble. Wait, that might be the bad news. Anyway, the strip isn’t really my scene. Positives? It’s a fun city for a weekend. I loved hanging out in sportsbooks and enjoyed discovering the lake this year…just not sure how much of a Vegas guy I am.

What a year of travel…these American discoveries were made possible by the magic of miles and points!

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Starwood And American Express

  • Get 500 Starwood points for booking a stay through their app with an Amex card.
  • You can get the bonus 3 times, so this is 1,500 points for many of you.
  • Don’t forget your 5,000 points for referring a friend to the Starwood credit card (also available for a bunch of other Amex cards). Look in your account for the offer if you delete these emails.
  • No friends? No cards? No stays? Well, you can still smile. Another 4 days left to grab 500 Starwood points by updating your stay preferences. Just log in at spg.com, click on “My Profile,” then “My Stay Preferences.”

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Reduced Mileage Awards

American’s reduced mileage awards are back. Thanks to reader Joe for the alert. As always, these are a great way to get more bang for your mileage buck.

Edit: Also, grab your $100 off a 2-night hotel stay from Orbitz here.

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