Marriott SPG 4 New Shortcuts to Platinum Elite Status
The Marriott SPG merger has opened up a wealth of new opportunities. Program members who link their accounts get instantly matched to their highest status level:
Marriott Gold = SPG Gold
Marriott Platinum =...
Marriott SPG Complete Guide to Sweet Opportunities
Thanks to the Marriott Starwood merger, it is now possible to link your Marriott Rewards and SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) accounts. By linking accounts you can now do the following:
Match Status: Marriott Gold...
Platinum vs Reserve vs Prestige
Amex, Chase, and Citibank each offer premium travel cards. These are $450 per year cards (Update: Only the Chase and Citibank cards still carry a $450 annual fee. That fee no longer applies to the...
Excellent hotel discounts via… Greyhound
Greyhound is now offering discounted hotel bookings to those who either book a bus trip or simply join their Road Rewards program. I joined the program this morning to see if their prices were...
Bet You Didn’t Know: Sears Shutdown, RadPad Issues, and Southwest Standby
By Julian, author of Devil’s Advocate...
Normally the "Bet You Didn't Know" series is focused on tips and tricks rather than news, but there have been several recent items of interest that I've seen only lightly...
Extreme Stacking gifts for over 60% back in rewards
Last week I ran a big giveaway contest to celebrate 5 years of blogging. I gave away free Club Carlson nights, 5 Fitbit Zip wireless activity trackers, 5 $75 Nike gift cards, 5 surprise...
Bet You Didn’t Know: Left an Item on the Plane? Use the Online Automated...
By Julian, author of Devil’s Advocate...
When I'm getting off a flight, I'm fanatical about collecting my carry on stuff. I double and triple check around and under my seat, in the seat pockets, everywhere, to make...
Bet You Didn’t Know: JetBlue Blue Flex Fares Are Cancelable, But NOT Refundable
By Julian, author of Devil’s Advocate...
Airlines have gone out of their way to make their industry as complicated as humanly possible. If you were to sit down and consciously try to create a system that was convoluted,...
Visa Infinite: a path to elite status for couples?
Until recently, the only Visa Infinite card available in the US (to my knowledge) was the CNB Crystal Visa Infinite card (which currently has a 50K signup offer). Unfortunately, that excellent card is extremely...
Bet You Didn’t Know: How To Look Up Your Priority Pass Guest Policy Online
By Julian, author of Devil’s Advocate...
Just because this series is called "Bet You Didn't Know" doesn't mean I personally know everything. Oh, sure, I might have a few little-known tips that I enjoy sharing with...
Delta’s big upgrade: Nearly ad-free flights
While I’m not a fan of the way that Delta now handles Comfort Plus upgrades, Delta has made a number of nice improvements recently. Top tier elites will like that status now trumps fare...
Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $1200 question
This is fun! Right on the heels of Citibank’s announced devaluation of their high-end Citi Prestige card, comes the rumored release of a new high-end competitor:: Chase Sapphire Reserve. There has already been a...
How to get some SPG Platinum benefits without status
SPG Platinum benefits include a killer feature not found in any other major hotel chain program: “An upgrade to best available room at check-in — including a Standard Suite.” When a guest with Platinum...
Prestige 50K offer hanging on by a thread. Still possible to get up to...
A couple of weeks ago I reported that the writing was on the wall for two great Citibank signup offers: the Citi Prestige 50K offer and the Citi AT&T Access More free phone offer...
