Southwest Top 5

Since I sometimes write dumb things (see yesterday’s edit), I thought we could look at another of my past mistakes. Let’s take it way back to a more innocent time. That’s right…we’re going on a trip all the way back to a year known as 2013. Yes, my friends…it was then that I wrote some not-so-kind words about Southwest Airlines. Again, I’m not sure what I was doing. So many times, their points have been a lifesaver. So, without further adieu, the following are my top 5 favorite things about Southwest:

  1. I don’t feel guilty using Southwest points on domestic flights. (Unlike my American/United/Alaska miles).
  2. The best cancellation/change policy in air travel. Bar none. In my line of work, I’m forced to change flights constantly. Southwest has saved me SO many times.
  3. Related to Item 2, the ability to rebook when fares go down is awesome. Just tonight, it put 4,500 points back in my account.
  4. The Companion Pass is seriously amazing. Remember how I was free from guilt in Item 1? Well, that guilt is back whenever I think about not using my Companion Pass more.
  5. Pretty strong value with their points in this world of annoying devaluations. This one is in for a change very soon. Again, the points take a 15% hit on Monday. It’s not the worst haircut of all time, but if you have Southwest flights to book, do it over the weekend.

Bonus Miles Through Friday

  1. Sign up for RocketMiles.
  2. Get 1,000 free miles for the 10 seconds it takes you to sign up. 
  3. Have friends/family sign up by Friday. They should be eager since they get free miles too.
  4. You’ll earn 2,000 miles for each signup through your link by Friday. If you have lots of friends/family, these miles will add up fast.
  5. The miles stay in your account until a completed stay. Then they can be transferred to Alaska, American, United, or 8 other airlines.

I’ve talked with the RocketMiles people a few times. Honestly, I don’t have anything negative to say about them. Disappointing I know, but they’re honest guys and seem good at what they do. I’d love to give you some drama, but I think their business will keep growing. RocketMiles can definitely be a good option when you need to stay in a hotel and can’t use points or find a good Priceline bid price. MileNerd out!


Edit: I got an email from reader David, so please take note of this. To be honest, this is totally my fault. I skimmed through the details and just didn’t pay enough attention. I haven’t booked my first RocketMiles stay yet, so I misunderstood how this promo worked. I still like the people there, but this deal is a lot less exciting than I thought it was. Sorry guys…sloppy writing by me. David’s email is below. 

Paul — I love your blog.  LOVE IT.  I refer people to you all the time. I circulate your top 25 list. 

But this post is really a stinker….. “The miles stay in your account until a completed stay.”  That’s some serious poor use of the passive voice.  It sounds like you get the miles when YOU complete a stay.  In fact, you don’t get the miles unless the people you refer complete a stay.  Big difference and one worth being clearer about. 

I followed your advice to have friends/family sign up by Friday.  I wasted their time and mine.  I still love ya man…. But this post. Not so much.

Free AwardWallet Upgrades

Michael Jordan loves basketball…Eric Clapton loves his guitar…and Bill Clinton loves the ladies. But their emotions pale in comparison to my feelings for AwardWallet. In spite of my regular love letters (which may be getting creepy), I declare again for all to hear…


I LOVE AWARDWALLET!!!

It’s great for the old and forgetful (like me). I load my airline, hotel, and car rental accounts. I load many of my credit card accounts. And my brain can take a nap. No more pesky remembering for me! When something is about to expire, I get an email. When I need to see how many points I have left, it’s all in one place. I know many of you feel the same way, so here are 24 more AwardWallet upgrade codes. Just log into your account, click “Upgrade Using A Coupon” and apply a code. This will upgrade your account for 6 months. Please only take 1 of these each. I’ll edit the post at some point in the day when they’re all gone. Enjoy!
  • Invite-28714-TMOZT 
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Catching Up

Playing a little catch-up, so it’s rapid fire time…

  • Less than a week to book Southwest flights before their 15% devaluation.
  • 1,000 Delta SkyMiles for new members.
  • An extra 5,000 JetBlue points for flying before May.
  • A worthwhile contest to make a decent amount of American miles is the Passport Challenge.
  • Other contests ending are 240,000 miles for showing your Hawaii-inspired passion in a video and also AARP’s Dream Vacation.
  • The Business Platinum Amex card is up to 40,000 points. Check your mailboxes, though…targeted offers for a lot more are being mailed. Multiple reports of 100,000+ points.
  • The Hilton Surpass card is up to 75,000 points. Still tons of cards better than this one. But more points is always worth a spot in a list.

PointBreaks = My Friend

Intercontinental hotel (IHG) points are ok. Nothing to dance a jig over. Hyatt and Starwood totally blow them away. But every couple months, IHG decides to do something great. Their Pointbreaks are awesome every time they come along. In terms of value, they might be the best thing going in the world of hotel points. Later today, you can book the next set here. This is for stays through the end of the month. As usual, the reduced price is all the way down to 5,000 points per night. Today, I am a fan of you, IHG.