Finishing 2016 miles & points to-dos
2016 is almost over. As I prepared for holiday travel, I surveyed the miles & points related things to do to see what tasks I had to jam in before the new year. For...
Can you game the World of Hyatt with your Citi Prestige card?
Beginning March 1 2017, Hyatt will dump their Gold Passport loyalty program in favor of the new World of Hyatt. To get caught up on the changes, please see:
5 things I love about...
Necker Island award same price, but harder to get
Update: A few years after this post was written, the award price for a week on Necker Island increased to 1.5 million points.
After my trip to Necker Island, I learned that Virgin Atlantic was...
Secured Southwest Companion Pass and 7 Night Stay. Now where should we go?
Yesterday, I called Marriott's Platinum Elite phone line (800-399-4229) in order to book a Travel Package. Marriott travel packages are awards in which you exchange Marriott Rewards points for airline miles plus a certificate...
Who is eligible for Marriott’s Elite Status Buy Back?
One of the things I love about Marriott's elite status program is that once you get status it is incredibly easy to keep it. Each year they offer their Elite Status Buy Back program. ...
My take on the new World of Hilton Honors
Update: This post includes offers that were valid at the time of publication, but have since expired. Please click here to see the best offers currently available.
Following Hyatt's announced change from it's Hyatt Gold Passport program to...
My 2017 Hotel Elite Status Plans
Update: This post includes offers that were valid at the time of publication, but have since expired. Please click here to see the best offers currently available.
I previously described my plans for earning airline elite...
Delta Diamond Choice Benefits: Exciting enhancements + what to choose and when
If you're a heavy Delta flyer and you're on the fence about whether it is worth the cost and effort to achieve Diamond status, Delta has just upped the stakes. The introduction of global...
Chase Hyatt credit card now offering Explorist status for $50K spend
Hyatt is now offering automatic mid-tier Explorist status to those who spend $50K on the Chase Hyatt credit card within a calendar year. Hyatt is also offering this benefit retroactively to those who spent...
Success gifting Hyatt Explorist status to myself!
In February, View from the Wing asked "Can Hyatt Platinums Give Themselves a Status Upgrade in March?" The idea was to match from Hyatt Platinum status to MLife Gold before the new World of...
Investing in change: Marriott / SPG / Ritz new program opportunities
Airline and hotel mergers are often bad for consumers since they result in less competition. That said, mergers also create lots of change. And with change comes opportunity...
We saw this recently with the American...
Delta companion tickets and awards now upgradeable
Beginning today, April 6, Delta companion travel has become more attractive for Delta elite members and their companions. Companion certificates previously were not upgradeable either to Comfort+ or to First Class, but they are...
Marriott Mobile Check In: Does it help or hurt upgrade chances?
During a recent trip to Austin, I had the chance to try out Marriott's new mobile app. My family of three had booked a four night stay in a single room at the JW...
Hunting for Star Alliance Gold
On March 1st, my free status match to Copa Platinum status went kaput. When Copa first created their own loyalty program there was a brief window of time where status matches were free and...
