In this week’s Frequent Miler Week in Review Around the Web, read tips on bringing your favorite local food home from your (domestic) trip, why you ought to link your loyalty accounts now, datapoints on 5/24 expansion, and more. Read on for the weekly recap.
Our Hotel Touted A Turbo Chill Fridge. WTH Is A Turbo Chill Fridge???
Don’t be misled by the title — this one isn’t only about a fridge. I’ll admit that I mainly stumbled on this post from Your Mileage May Vary because it links to one of my posts, but I’m really glad I did, because it also led me to this post by Joe’s partner-in-crime, Sharon, and I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. If you’ve ever had something delicious when you’re traveling that you wished you could bring home and enjoy again with friends (or on your own), you’ll want to do the same.
PSA: Link Loyalty Programs to American Express Membership Rewards Before You Need to Make an Urgent Transfer
Travel with Grant points out a key piece of advice that I should have noted in my post about redeeming Iberia Avios the other day. I initially linked my accounts a week before I transferred and I tried to do a transfer that wouldn’t go through. It’s not the first time I’ve been locked out of transferring for a day or two after adding a new partner — so as Grant suggests, add your loyalty accounts before you need them so you won’t miss out on a redemption when you’re ready.
What Priority Pass Lounge Access Is Like in the U.S., In One Sign
Gary Leff at View from the Wing summarizes my view on Priority Pass perfectly with his closing sentence, “Think of Priority Pass lounge access, then, as the last minute saver award that may or may not open up”. In the US, I think that’s precisely true, and why I don’t value it as strongly as the banks try to sell it. That said, it can certainly be useful abroad and at the growing list of restaurants. If lounges are going to continue making Priority Pass like saver award availability, I’d be happy to see more restaurants added. The restaurant likely wins and so do we.
Has Chase Expanded The Chase 5/24 Rule To More Cards? (We Have No Idea)
After some scary reports about the Chase 5/24 rule expanding to more cards — specifically the World of Hyatt card — reports have turned mixed. Per this post at Doctor of Credit, it seems it is at least possible and perhaps quite likely than the end is near for the Hyatt card for those over 5/24. An approval is always a stronger datapoint than a denial, so I don’t consider this one dead yet, but at the very least it seems more difficult to get approved.
Resort Fees Have Spread to City Hotels Now: How to Get Them Off Your Bill
Regular readers likely know how I feel about resort fees and these new “destination fees”. What a dishonest scam — I’ve often compared it to a restaurant adding on an “electricity surcharge” for the lights or a “pots and pans” surcharge for cooking your food or a “gas surcharge” for fuel to stoke the stove. It’s just ridiculous that hotels get away with advertising a price they have no intention to charge you just to lure you in the door. I further don’t understand why they don’t just charge a little more and then give you a “free $10 dining credit” or whatever they’re trying to peddle with their BS fees now. When it’s “free”, customers will perceive it as a valuable perk but may not use it since it was “free anyway”. That would seem to engender more loyalty (the way the “raid the bar credit” does with Kimpton. In this post, Frommer’s highlights the deceptive “destination fee” practice (I hope more major media outlets do) and some things you might try to get the fee removed. Add the lack of these fees on award stays to the list of reasons I like Hilton over Marriott.
That’s it for this week around the web. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.
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Is the chase hyatt card subject to or count towards 5/24 for those applying recently. I recently picked up the card and it would be bad if it now counts towards 5/24 retroactively.
It’s always counted towards your 5/24 count. It was previously not subject to 5/24 when trying to get approved.
Hey Nick, thank you for linking to my Membership Rewards post. I hope other readers can learn from our mistakes and link their airline accounts before they need to use them for an urgent transfer. Have a great weekend and early Thanksgiving 🙂