Extra Mortgage Bonus Miles

Get an extra 2,500 United miles in addition to the normal 50,000 for mortgages. You big spenders can also still get the Fideltiy 50,000 miles for brokerage accounts (United, American, or silly Delta).

I want to give another warm welcome to the next wave of ESPN readers. It’s my pleasure to be here posting for you 5 days a week. My earlier introduction message was a week ago here. Congratulations to the Miami Heat!

Club Carlson Flash Sale

Today and tomorrow, Club Carlson is having “flash sales” where you can buy 70,000 points for $280. These are underrated and it’s a pretty good price if you’re running low on hotel points. Check their Facebook or Twitter page for updates. The sales should be happening at 1:00 eastern Thursday and Friday for about an hour each.

Websites I Can’t Live Without, Part 2

This is the second in my 2-part series about the websites I use most in the travel game. See yesterday’s post for Part 1.
  1. Priceline and Betterbidding – For the times when I actually pay for a hotel room. Priceline to bid and Betterbidding to figure out how much to bid.
  2. Matrix Search – For those times I actually pay for a flight, I want to find the lowest fare. I find this better than Kayak and some of the others.
  3. Cashback Websites – EvReward usually points me in the right direction. But for getting cash back, the ones I use most are FatWallet, Mr. Rebates, Extrabux, and BigCrumbs.
  4. Bluebird – Meeting minimum spends isn’t an issue post-Bluebird (and gift cards with PIN numbers).
  5. Tools – ExpertFlyer, AirfareWatchdog, and SeatGuru are among the best and most useful.

Websites I Can’t Live Without, Part 1

This is the first in a 2-part series about the websites I use most in the travel game. Some are more popular than others, but I use all of these constantly.
  1. AwardWallet – Of course. It remembers my frequent flyer account numbers, passwords, and expiration dates. Might as well cook breakfast too. Priceless.
  2. Flyertalk – Annoying people are still outnumbered by the limitless information.
  3. EvReward – Before I buy on any website, I check to see how to get the most points (or cash) back.
  4. BRG – This blog is a regular stop for me. Read the FAQ if it’s new to you. Save huge bucks on hotel stays.
  5. TripAdvisor – Yup, I still absolutely use it. Best place to get reviews on a hotel or ideas of what to do on vacation. Keeps chugging along.

Global Entry Interview

I had my Global Entry interview at LAX on Friday. Global Entry is basically the ability to cruise through Customs when you come back into the country from overseas. No lines or hassles. So how did my interview go? Am I a “Trusted Traveler” now? I’ll find out very soon and the interview was simple. Just a few questions about what I do, where I was born, etc. Of course, getting the $100 application fee waived was a nice bonus from the Amex Platinum Card promo in January. As far as today’s deals:

  • The best cards around have a better bonus now. 60,000 points from Chase Ink Bold & Plus.
  • 750 Southwest points for new members is still going.
  • 20% off Virgin America flights.
  • More free money from UBER for new customers. Get $20 on UBERx for 2 bucks here.