Is Alila Ventana Big Sur overrated? Or just overvalued?
There's a certain type of person that emerges whenever something starts to get hyped in the points and miles/travel world. I call it "punk-rock travel guy," alluding to the kids back in the day...
Delta’s not a premium airline, Hyatt goes Airbnb and what it’s like to all-you-can-fly...
Hyatt launches a vacation rental program, a harrowing tale of actually using Frontier's all-you-can-fly pass and at least one frequent flyer thinks JetBlue might be as much of a premium airline as Delta. All...
Roll your own hotel elite status
Is hotel elite status worth it? This week, we talk about ways to get elite treatment without investing the time and effort in enough nights for elite status. Do you need to spend fifty...
Delta SkyMiles: Business class deals aren’t dead. Here’s how to find them.
It's been a long time since Delta's international business class award prices competed favorably with competitors like AA or United, but until a few years ago it was possible to find awards that were...
Delta may walk back some of their recently announced changes
Two weeks ago Delta announced huge changes to their SkyMiles elite program and to their Sky Club admission policies. These changes were so unpopular that many, many people vowed to give up their Delta...
That time I left $3,000 in gift cards in my hotel room safe (on...
Over the summer, I made a super bone-headed mistake: I checked out of a hotel and left medicine and more than $3,000 in Mastercard gift cards in my hotel room safe. Worse yet, I...
My first steps towards divorcing Delta’s elite program
On Sunday, I signed up for the Alaska status match designed for disgruntled Delta elites. That should give me Alaska MVP Gold 75K status for 90 days and then once I sign up for...
Sheraton Grand Doha: Bottom Line Review
The Sheraton Grand Doha has been a Middle Eastern icon since it first opened in 1982. "The Pyramid of the Gulf" was a subsidized project of the Qatari government, meant to provide 5-star luxury...
Amex kills upgrading with points, the perfect gift for the jilted Delta lover and...
Amex will no longer let you upgrade with points, luggage tags for jilted Delta flyers and is it the right time to travel to Maui? All that and more in this week's Saturday Selection,...
Roll your own airline elite status
You can get elite treatment without paying the price for elite-level loyalty. This week on Frequent Miler on the Air, we talk the perks of investing your time, money and effort in elite status...
Using Turkish miles to book United is now easier via phone (hopefully easier online...
I had a funny feeling when I woke up yesterday morning: ever since I noticed the slight update that Turkish made to their website recently, I had a sneaking suspicion that they intended to...
Awesome combos for the Amex Platinum Digital Entertainment Credit
$20 can go a long way.
Back in July 2021, Amex revamped the benefits on the consumer Amex Platinum card, increasing the annual fee in the process. One of the new benefits they added at...
JetBlue’s “free” cancellations are less free on international awards
During the pandemic times, JetBlue joined the other major US airlines in offering free cancellation and redeposit of award tickets. While that is certainly convenient, over the weekend I was reminded of the most...
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa: Bottom Line Review
Last Spring, my wife and I were able to take a lovely two-week road-trip in Jordan during Ramadan. After traipsing around the country, we wanted to spend a couple of days relaxing by the...
