From one FTU to another (and be ready at 10 tomorrow if you want to go!)

UPDATE: Registration is now open for FTU Dallas:

• FTU Advanced: ftuniversity.com/events/ftu-advanced-dallas/
• FTU: ftuniversity.com/events/ftu-dallas/
• Hotel: https://aws.passkey.com/event/12130827/owner/11060/landing

I just spent the weekend in Washington DC attending and presenting at FTU (Frequent Traveler University).  This was the first time that FTU and FTU Advanced were held in the same location at the same time.  For me this made for a fun, but exhausting (in a good way) weekend. 

Despite a few glitches (such as when my Elite Status presentation was moved twice and then settled in a room with too few chairs), most of the feedback I’ve received from the event was extremely positive.  Many told me that they enjoyed the presentations and learned a lot. 

New FTU Announced

A new combined FTU and FTU Advanced conference is now being planned for the weekend of April 17th 2015 and will be held at the Hyatt Regency at DFW (Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport).  Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Wednesday Thursday December 10th) at 10 am Central time.  Tickets will likely sell out quickly (especially for the advanced sessions), so you might want to put a reminder on your phone or calendar or somewhere to buy the tickets as soon as ticket sales go live.

While I don’t yet have a final schedule, below are the topics I presented this past weekend.  I expect that I’ll repeat some or all of these at FTU in Dallas:

FTU:

• Using Bluebird, Serve, and REDbird to earn miles: American Express offers a number of prepaid cards that are great on their own as checking account alternatives, but are even better for earning points and miles. In this session I’ll teach you what you need to know to generate hundreds of thousands of miles with these cards.
• Maximizing Miles Through Online Portals: Online shopping portals are a great way to earn points and miles for things you would have bought anyway. In this session, I’ll show you the inside tricks for getting rich (in points & miles) from online shopping.

FTU Advanced:

• Shortcuts to Elite Status: Hotels and airlines offer terrific benefits to their top tier elites. Unfortunately, obtaining high level status through flights and/or stays can be tough.  Instead, in this session, I’ll show you how to get high level status without flights or hotel stays.
• Ask me anything (also known as Frequent Miler Unplugged): Just as it sounds, I’ll show up and answer any and all questions.

Other events

Several readers have asked me to setup a page showing where I’ll be presenting and when.  I finally did it!  You can find the new page under the Start Menu on my blog, or click here: Frequent Miler Event Schedule.

FTU Dallas Details

Hot off the presses, here is the propaganda are the details about FTU Dallas from the conference organizers:

FTU

The USA TODAY TRAVEL Frequent Traveler University is heading south to Texas. Join us at the Hyatt Regency DFW Airport on April 17-19, 2015. We’ll have amazing educational sessions, great networking, and plenty of friendly Texan hospitality.

Learn how to earn elite status quickly, book cheaper fares, find the best redemptions for your award miles, and navigate the world of miles and points. Rewards programs don’t have to be complicated. Get the inside knowledge you need to make these schemes work for you.

A full schedule will be published soon, but several speakers and sessions have already been confirmed:

• Gary Leff – View from the Wing: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
• Ben Schlappig – One Mile at a Time: How to Book Your Own Award TIckets
• Greg Davis-Kean – Frequent Miler: Maximizing Your Miles with Online Shopping Portals
• Stefan Krasowski – Rapid Travel Chai: The Secrets of Renting Cars at Home and Abroad
• Scott Mackenzie – Travel Codex: Search for Flights Like an Expert on ITA Matrix

For $149, you’ll receive three days of expert-led sessions, a welcome cocktail reception on Friday night, and breakfast and lunch both days. Sign up now to secure your seats! We’ll have more details soon, including a discounted rate for the host hotel and other offers from our sponsors.

FTU Advanced

The USA TODAY TRAVEL Frequent Traveler University is heading south to Texas. Join us at the Hyatt Regency DFW Airport on April 17-19, 2015. We’ll have amazing educational sessions, great networking, and plenty of friendly Texan hospitality.

Learn how to earn elite status quickly, book cheaper fares, find the best redemptions for your award miles, and navigate the world of miles and points. Rewards programs don’t have to be complicated. Get the inside knowledge you need to make these schemes work for you.

A full schedule will be published soon, but several speakers and sessions have already been confirmed:

• Gary Leff – View from the Wing: Advanced Q & A
• Ben Schlappig – One Mile at a Time: Booking Advanced Award Tickets Like a Pro
• Greg Davis-Kean – Frequent Miler: Shortcuts to Elite Status
• Stefan Krasowski – Rapid Travel Chai: Advanced Tricks with Credit Card Rewards
• Scott Mackenzie – Travel Codex: Fare Construction and Upgrades Using ExpertFlyer

For $249, you’ll receive three days of expert-led sessions, a welcome cocktail reception on Friday night, and breakfast and lunch both days. In addition to more advanced topics, FTU Advanced attendees receive upgraded meal and beverage selections. Sign up now to secure your seats! We’ll have more details soon, including a discounted rate for the host hotel and other offers from our sponsors.

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