This week the team has been jetting around the world on our Party of 5 challenge, with Team TYO taking us to the Philippines, Macau, and Tokyo during week 1. Week two kicked off last night, but for more on that you’ll have to follow our Instagram account to get the live updates as they happen.
Elsewhere on the blog this week, you can read about the ideal time to expand into a new transferable currency, which Platinum card is best, and see updated guides to IHG One Rewards and Turkish Miles & Smiles. Watch, listen, or read on for more.
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This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
Another Day, Another Fancy Macau Breakfast – Party of 5 Daily Update
If you haven’t been following along, you’ve been missing a great time. Carrie has been updating this post with a summary of the day’s activities every day of our adventure (along with managing the entire social media feed along with help from two terrific assistants). It’s been a whirlwind trip so far, with Team Tokyo bringing us to Puerto Galera in the Philippines for an Airbnb that was truly one of a kind, both the Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt in Macau (the Las Vegas of China), and a day in Tokyo that ended at Teamlabs Planets, which might end up being my favorite thing on this trip (and I say that knowing that Tim and I have some pretty special stuff lined up). If you want to see us eating translucent Century Eggs, having a side-by-side legroom showdown in Cathay business class, and taste-testing $500 whiskey (all thanks in large part to the ability to leverage miles and points to good value), you need to be following this post and our Instagram feed.
How to follow and watch our Party of 5 Challenge stories on Instagram
Speaking of Instagram, this post is the explainer you need if you are new to the ‘gram. Learn how to watch our stories, what’s different about reels, and how you can tune in to the adventure and see it unfold in near-real-time.
When is it time to expand into a second or third transferrable points currency?
The short answer: whenever there is a good offer! While I think many readers are hesitant to branch out beyond a currency of comfort, the fact of the matter is that you absolutely should consider a card beyond your core setup now and then. Since there are so many programs that are transfer partners with multiple transferable currencies, it should be easy to find a use where you can combine your exiting balance with those from a new currency to book valuable awards.
Which is the best Amex Platinum card in 2023?
There are many flavors of Platinum card, but which is the best one to get? The answer of course varies based on personal circumstance, but in this updated post we explore the reasons you might want one or another.
Daily Getaways 2023 deals have been announced: Here’s what’s coming.
Daily Getaways is an offer from the US Travel Association that comes around annually, giving people the chance to buy discounted hotel points, gift cards, and specific stay packages. Most of the “deals” aren’t really deals at all, but a few are well worth your time. This post offers opinions on a preview of deals to let you know which you may want to consider and which you should probably just ignore.
Turkish Miles & Smiles Complete Guide
Turkish Miles & Smiles became well known for the sweet spot for travel to Hawaii, but there are quite a few other fantastic award chart gems in this Star Alliance program. However, booking those awards is not always easy….in fact, it can be downright difficult. This post includes everything you need to know, including both the sweet spots you shouldn’t ignore and the methods by which you can actually book them.
IHG One Rewards Complete Guide
IHG One Rewards has made a strong resurgence over the past two years and has gone from being a program that is widely ignored in the blogosphere to offering what can easily be a compelling primary or secondary program (in our Ask Us Anything the other night, Tim and Stephen both noted how it makes for a good compliment after Hyatt for anyone who can achieve IHG Diamond status). This complete guide has been updated with everything you need to know about IHG One Rewards in June 2023.
The most amazing Airbnb I’ve ever stayed at (OMG is right!)
Stephen and Carrie brought us to the most incredible-looking Airbnb I’ve ever seen. The owner had collected the pieces over the years and put it together — it was a work of art the likes of which are hard to capture in pictures.
Ask Us Anything LIVE from Tokyo! | Frequent Miler’s Ask Us Anything Ep 56
We did an Ask Us Anything Live from the Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay, answering your questions about miles, points, and the Party of 5 challenge. If you missed it, the good news is that you can check out the replay here.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye out for this week’s last chance deals.
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Good Job–Guys and Girl!!