Big win with Wyndham Rewards, Cheap flights & Ambassador status

If you want to hit the jackpot, you might be surprised to hear that Wyndham Rewards has got you covered. If you’re looking for cheap(er) flights, read on. Want to maximize retirement investment? You’re in the right place. Welcome to the Frequent Miler Week in Review Around the Web, where we recap some of the interesting articles that caught our eye around the ‘net. Read on for some great posts this week!

Everything You Wanted To Know About Total Rewards Free Atlantis Stay

If the increased offer on the Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards Visa cards has you interested in applying, you might be even more interested to know that the annual fee card comes with Wyndham Rewards Platinum status. That status can now be matched to Total Rewards status — which, in turn, can get you a free stay at Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. Doctor of Credit has all of the details on how it works.

IHG AMBASSADOR STATUS FOR 13,800 POINTS [TARGETED]

As you may know, Intercontinental Hotels has its own loyalty scheme that is independent of IHG Rewards. Status in the Intercontinental Abmassador program comes at a price — usually $200 for a year. “Majored in Miles” at Travel Update brings us a targeted offer to get Ambassador status as low as 13,800 points. Since IHG points can often be purchased for close to half a cent a point, this is a nice discount if you’re interested in the Ambassador program. I also received the targeted offer, though I do not have the same Accelerate offer that Dakota has, which would increase my net cost to 18,800 points. The main benefit of the program is a BOGO weekend night, which could be an incredibly valuable benefit. If that interests you, Loyalty Lobby has a link where you can check prices to see whether or not this benefit would work out for you before you join.

Buying Plane Tickets in Foreign Currencies

Years ago, my wife and I spent most of a year living in Ecuador. During that time, we went to Peru to visit Machu Picchu. While we took the bus from Lima to Cuzco for the experience of it, we decided to fly back from Cuzco to Lima on LAN. I had been researching prices in English, but then one day I was too lazy to switch the site language — and I was glad I did. Just booking in Spanish versus English dropped the price of the flight by almost 30%. Since then I often check foreign language and foreign country versions of sites when searching for airfare. Sarah at Mile Value brings us more information about buying plane tickets in foreign currencies, including the how and why.

The Case Against Front Loading Your 401k

Although not related to miles and points, this article caught my eye because I know that many people interested in maximizing miles and points are drawn towards maximizing their money in all areas of life. In that regard, this thorough analysis from Money Metagame is an interesting analysis against front loading your retirement account. This is a conversation we have recently had in my household, so the topic was timely. If you’ve considered contributing the max to your retirement early in the year, this will be a good read.

Save On Airfare By Tracking Flight Prices

We’ve often mentioned the power of Google Flights, and Greg wrote a fantastic piece a few months ago how How to find a great business class fare with Google Flights that applies to economy or first class just as much as business. Tiffany at One Mile at a Time covers another great feature of Google Flights — the ability to track flight prices to make sure you don’t spend more than you need to. And I like a little extra money in my pocket. I bet you do, too. Read on for more.

That’s it for this week around the web. Next up: Last Chance Deals.

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