Family globe trotting, the best uses of points (and how to find them), United’s surprising discounts and more

Whether you’re looking for ways to meet spend for that next big bonus or you’re looking for inspiration or tools to help you use the points you’ve amassed, we’ve got you covered this week at Frequent Miler. From Tim’s update to our resource on buying groups to Greg’s re-write about which award search tool is best, read on for more about picking up points and redeeming them for big rewards.

This week on the Frequent Miler blog…

My family’s 28,000 mile trip around the world for summer vacation

Miles and points took my family to Europe, Mauritius, and Asia this summer before returning home via Hawaii. We visited 10 countries and covered more than 28,000 miles by plane, train or cruise ship. If you’re wondering, “How did you do it?”, this post is the (very long) answer to the question. Yes, it took some time and effort — but yes, it was certainly worth it.

United vs. Air Canada: Which is the better Chase transfer partner?

Do you have an opinion about the answer to the above question? If you do, I bet you think it’s a pretty clear answer, but after you read Greg’s updated post with his latest comparisons, you might be more conflicted in answering the title question. The bottom line is that both can be good in the right circumstances and even those of us who have a preference should keep our eyes open for opportunities on the other side.

Podcast: Chase points: 10 Best and 5 Worst uses of Ultimate Rewards | Ep272 |

Speaking of Chase transfer partners….

Last week, on episode 271, we discussed ways to amass lots of Chase points. This week, we got to the fun part: the best uses of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. We couldn’t only share the roses and sunshine though, so we also talked about the worst of the worst uses so you know what to avoid doing with your points.

Which award search tool is best?

Truly, the best transfer partner is the one that has a high-value award available to book at the moment when you need it. Finding those opportunities can seem daunting. Award search tools can save you so much time and make the process far less daunting…..if only you could easily pick one to use. With quite a few different tools on the market, which one is best? Greg has tried to answer that question a few times already and each time it requires a re-write of the post because award search tools just keep getting better. That’s great news for users as we’ve never been so spoiled for choice and features. I particularly love the various “explore” type capabilities that can help you find options you may never and considered without the ability to search multiple airports or dates, etc.

United giving award flight discounts to Premier members & cardholders – even on partners

United has long provided award ticket discounts to elite members and credit card holders. However, we’ve previously only seen those discounts on United-operated flights. This week, Greg discovered that he’s getting discounts on flights operated entirely by partners thanks to his United Premier Silver status (which comes courtesy of his Marriott Bonvoy status). While the savings isn’t huge, it could certainly add up if you’re redeeming United miles for a few tickets.

Using Buying Groups to Increase Credit Card Spend

If you’re reading about all this award redemption and wondering how you can put together the points to book those flights, this completely updated post could be good food for thought. We’ve long said that the fastest way to boost your points balances is through new card welcome bonuses. The hurdle for some can be in meeting the spending requirements to earn all the bonuses they want. Buying groups can be one way to increase your credit card spend to meet welcome bonuses requirements while getting most of your money back. However, there are potential pitfalls and caveats of which to be aware. Tim has updated this post with what you need to know as we head into the busy holiday shopping season, which can often be a peak time for buying groups.

How to handle gift card fraud | Ask Us Anything Ep69 | 9-4-24

The Frequent Miler team hosts a monthly “Ask Us Anything” live event on Youtube where we tackle your questions and miles & points, travel, credit cards, and more. This month, we were Timless as we was in-flight, but the rest of the team carried on with your questions about the US Bank Smartly card, the most or least overrates places to visit, gift card fraud, and a lot more.

Hilton Tokyo Bay: Bottom Line Review

I recently visited Tokyo DisneySea and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay, which is a “Disney Resort” property that is on the Disney monorail, one stop away from the parks. The hotel was clean and comfortable, but it was a bit of a mixed bag for me because of the fee to use the pool and the isolated location. I’d stay again if we went back to Tokyo Disney (and I’d definitely consider doing that even though I’m not really a Disney person). However, I wouldn’t make this a base for exploring Tokyo but rather a place to stay to be near the parks.

Grand Hyatt Tokyo: Bottom Line Review

We ended up our big summer trip in Japan and we spent 5 nights of our time in Japan at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. This is a good example of the “Grand” Hyatt brand in the sense that it’s very large and certainly a cut above a Hyatt Regency. We loved our room thanks to the fact that we confirmed a suite at the time of booking with a suite upgrade award (we were further upgraded to an even “nicer” suite, though I think that it is practically fairly similar to the suite which booked). That made this a great place to spread out and relax after long days of sightseeing in Tokyo. I said in the post that I didn’t love the location, but look no further than the comments to hear from people who disagree with me about that.

That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals to make sure you catch them before they’re gone.

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