Like so many of you with busy lives, I find it hard to get away for long stretches. My trips right now tend to be quick domestic getaways for a few days. When I’m lucky, I can occasionally get as far as Hawaii. This type of travel is probably boring to some of you, but I’m really enjoying my exploration of America. When it comes to flying within the country, I have 2 big loves…
Of course there are a million helpful tools, but these 2 mean the most (by far) to my domestic travel. I talked about the Companion Pass yet again recently, so wanted to point you to a couple great posts from Travel Summary here and here. These lessons on Avios points are incredibly helpful for newbies, a great refresher for experts, and are must-read for all in my never-very-humble opinion. Between the British Airways credit card, Ultimate Rewards points from Chase, and Membership Rewards from Amex…it is very easy to earn Avios. It’s probably a good idea to learn how to use them.
“OMG!!! IT’S THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!”
“APPLY FOR THIS CARD THIS SECOND!!!”
“WOOHOO! PRAISE THE LORD CHASE DOES IT AGAIN! YEEEEHAW!”
Hmmm…
Just, no.
If you’re seeing those headlines from any bloggers…maybe, just maybe…could it have something to do with getting a new paid link?
Here’s the thing…this “new” offer has been alive for a long time. 70,000 Ultimate Rewards points. The only difference now is an online application. Check your email to see if Chase also offered you 10,000 points for referring a friend.
I post these as an occasional reminder to pay attention. Hotel points get burned ridiculously fast, so we need to look at promos. InterContinental’s Pointbreaks aren’t the greatest deal you’ll see this week, but they will stretch your IHG points further. 5,000 points per night can go a very, very long way. If you have their credit card or some Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you’re in the game. Marriott’s PointSavers are similar, but not quite as valuable, in my opinion.
After a down year, we’re back in business! Highlights?
If you’re new to this, it’s pretty simple. Small Business Saturday is free money day. You register your card on November 16th. Then, on the 29th, it’s time to have fun. You’ll swipe every Amex card you have 3 times for $10 per swipe. Those charges won’t cost a cent. As always, if you have a pile of American Express cards, it’s going to be a great day. Full terms are here.
