What’s in Greg’s go-everywhere backpack?
If you travel often, it makes sense to keep a small backpack always stocked with all of your travel needs. That way, when you head out on a flight or drive, you won't chance...
Some Gaming is good [On Greg’s Mind]
The optimal amount of fraud is non-zero. That's the title of a Bits about Money essay by Patrick McKenzie (hat tip to View from the Wing for pointing it out). The essay's premise is...
Holiday Inn Paris Gare De L’Est: Bottom Line Review
My wife and I recently spent four nights in Paris with a couple of friends and their two teen children. European hotels aren't particularly conducive for a family of four as very few let...
Squeezing some savings from travel apps
I'm a deal-hunter by nature: there are few things I hate more than knowing that I overpaid. I often re-check reservations for weeks after booking to see if prices have changed. However, our coming...
How often do transfer bonuses come around?
On September 1st, Amex unleashed an unprecedented* twelve transfer bonuses from Membership Rewards to airline and hotel programs . Most of those transfer bonuses end when September ends. That begs the question: if you...
Luxury Perks for Free (After Rebate)
Elite status? Free airport restaurant meals? Guaranteed lounge access? Those things and more can be yours with the right cards. Ultra-premium cards carry ultra-premium perks, but those cards aren't cheap. Thankfully, those ultra-premium cards...
How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles
With Amex currently offering a 30% transfer bonus from Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic, I realized that it was well past time to update this post for 2022. Virgin Atlantic points continue to be...
In defense of flexible hotel bookings (on Nick’s mind)
On last weekend's Frequent Miler on the Air podcast, Greg and I fieled a reader question about our apparent reluctance to book advance purchase, nonrefundable hotel rates. The reader asked whether we had considered...
Award spotlight: Marriott’s Torre de Palma Wine Hotel, Portugal
Torre de Palma Wine Hotel belongs to Marriott's Design Hotels brand. I stumbled upon this place when researching options for my 3 Cards 3 Continents trip. It turned out that this hotel didn't fit...
St Mawes Hotel In Cornwall, England: Bottom Line Review (IHG/Mr & Mrs Smith)
After staying three nights in Bath at The Gainsborough Bath Spa, my wife and I headed down to Cornwall for another three nights. We booked a stay at the St Mawes Hotel, a boutique...
Best options for booking backup award flights
Last year, Greg published a post with Tips for booking “just in case” flights. The basic premise is that sometimes you may want to book a backup plan in case your preferred flight gets...
Gift lounge access, elite status, and more. Top cards offering great authorized user perks.
Most ultra-premium credit cards justify their steep prices by offering airport lounge access, elite status, and other high end perks. In many cases, it's possible to share those benefits with close friends and family...
Saturday Selection: Two bank mistakes to avoid, saving on Disney resorts with Disney+, and...
This weekend's Saturday Selection of posts from around the web that are worth a read brings us a good tip to avoid a costly bank mistake, eight dollars well spent if your Disney+ subscription...
Elite status Hyatt hacks
Hyatt's top-tier Globalist status is without a doubt the best hotel elite status in the game, but wanting it is easier than getting it. The good news is that on this week's Frequent Miler on the...
