Fine Hotels & Resorts + Points
As part of our son's high school graduation trip, my family of three spent the first two nights of Memorial Day weekend in San Diego at the US Grant, a Starwood’s Luxury Collection Hotel. ...
Booking a luxury trip with points and deals
My son has just completed high school and will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall to study computer science. Early in his junior year his guidance counselor told him that he...
Is the Andaz 5th Ave overrated?
I recently spent a weekend at the Andaz 5th Ave in New York City. I was excited about this stay; not only had I read the many positive reviews of this hotel over the...
Amex Platinum for Less (2017 edition)
The Amex Platinum card comes with a slew of useful benefits such as lounge access (Centurion Lounge, Delta SkyClub, Priority Pass Select lounges, etc.); elite status with Starwood (and, therefore, Marriott too), Hilton, National...
Family mileage running for Star Alliance Gold
In the post "Hunt for Star Alliance Gold" I described why I wanted Star Alliance Gold status (lounge access!), and I told the story about a crazy Rube Goldberg-ish approach to status matching that...
Rocking Fairmont credit card free nights and elite benefits
Chase's Fairmont credit card is no longer available to new applicants, but I know that many readers signed up for the card in January when I posted: The other Chase card you should consider...
No, Delta didn’t add limits to earning status through spend (myth busted)
Last week, Rene's Points announced that Delta had implemented new restrictions to how many MQMs (elite qualifying miles) could be earned through credit card spend. This was based on language in a cardmember agreement...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
