First class for fewer miles and how to just say no for free points

If you want to fly up front for fewer miles, we’ve created resources to help you do it, which new pages dedicated to your best options for domestic first class awards and for flying first class to Hawaii. One of those options is by using Singapore Airlines miles to fly on United — which as you’ll see below can now be done online. On top of all that, find out how to just say no for free points. All that and more in this Frequent Miler week in review.

Book United flights online with Singapore miles

I think most of my friends would describe me as “outgoing”. I’m not really afraid to introduce myself to strangers and I’m comfortable talking in front of a group (hopefully I’ll see some of you at FTU Seattle in a couple of weeks!). But for some reason I don’t even understand, I hate making phone calls. I love being able to do something online instead of calling. And so I’m thrilled to hear that you can now book United flights online with Singapore miles. See this post for details on how to find availability and which points you should transfer. My only complaint: in 2018, points transfers should be instant.

Gift card reselling? Proceed with caution

Some recent reports about The Plastic Merchant have stirred concern in the gift card resale market and provided a solid reminder not to put all the eggs in one basket. Read on for a brief overview of gift card reselling and some cautionary notes about potential pitfalls to avoid. As one commenter pointed out, gift card reselling is like extending a line of your personal credit to the marketplace with which you sell. Make sure you’re comfortable with your exposure.

Wyndham Timeshare Presentation Survival Guide. Get Your “No” Face On.

Have you ever gone on a timeshare presentation in exchange for free stuff? I’ve done two. Stephen blew me out of the water in terms of the value he got for his time in my opinion, making the $100 cash I took for one timeshare presentation look paltry in comparison. What excited me most about this post: I have family in Myrtle Beach and will be visiting in a few weeks. You’d better believe I’ve got my “no” face on already! Read on to find out what I hope to get and what I learned from Stephen in terms of strategy to get in and out with ease.

Want to fly first class to Hawaii?

Three words capture the great American dream vacation: “first class” and “Hawaii”. Greg has created an excellent resource page to compile your options for first class awards — which start at just 45K round trip if you know which miles to use and can find the seats.

Best options for domestic first class awards

If you’re looking to jet around the continental US in first class, there are better ways to do it than using your domestic airline miles. Transferring Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards, ThankYou points, or SPG points to foreign carriers can help you get more mileage for less. I’ll add one more to the list: you can use Avianca LifeMiles to fly United first class for 15K one-way within a region or between regions 1 and 2 — which includes 38 of the continental 48 states. See this post for great value from other foreign programs.

That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Check back soon for our week in review around the web and this week’s last chance deals.

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