Welcome to this week in review around the web, where we recap some of the articles that caught our eye around the Internet.
Minimum Manufactured Spending Required to Travel (Hint: You Don’t Have to Go All Out)
A few years ago, I bought my wife a massive shipment of flower bulbs from the Netherlands thinking that she would have all of the flowers she could ever want or need (seriously…it was that many). What I quickly learned was that my wife’s desire for flowers isn’t something to be satiated. It’s something that only grows in direct proportion to the number of flowers she has. She soon wanted flowers for different times of the year and for different parts of the lawn and to stagger the blossoms and to line the sidewalk and to form runway lines along the driveway….and so it is with me and points. When I first read this article from Ariana at Point Chaser, I thought I agreed — you don’t have to go all out to earn enough points to enjoy a nice vacation. But then I asked myself “Which 60,000 points would I focus on if I could only get 60K? What about those with a family to fly? What if Garuda Indonesia suddenly offers first class awards for 90% off and I don’t have any Citi Thank You points?”. I don’t know — what do you think? How much is “enough”?
Cheapest lap infant award tickets for international travel
Speaking of traveling with a family, this post from asthejoeflies caught my eye as a topic especially poignant for new parents. I was having dinner with friends last night and we were talking about some of the things you just don’t know about if you’ve never had kids. How to book an infant on an award ticket didn’t come up in that conversation…but I’d say we could definitely add that topic to the list. Have you ever wondered if it could be done or how much it would cost to bring a baby on your first class flight? The answers vary and might surprise you. Heads up, expectant parents: bookmark this one so you’re ready for your first family trip.
Secret Trick to Booking Etihad First Class Awards Departing the U.S. That Don’t Appear to be Available
I’ve not yet flown the Etihad A380, but Etihad first class is hands down my favorite out of the carriers I’ve flown. Thanks to this nugget of wisdom from Gary at View from the Wing, I’ll know what to do when I’m ready to book a trip in the apartments. Spoiler alert on that previous lap infant article: you won’t want to add an infant if you’re booking this with AA miles.
Why Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance is Not Enough
Do you buy travel insurance, or just rely on the protections afforded by your credit cards? True confession: I only buy it sometimes — usually if my trip is going to be especially long or to a place I perceive as especially accident-prone (like the pictured cable car I took near Mindo, Ecudaor) or where I think it would be prohibitively expensive to get medical care. But the Deal Mommy reminds us that medical emergencies happen unexpectedly — and that your credit card may not cover as much as you need. She also includes a smart hack that really just ensures that you aren’t over-insuring, but it’ll help you save money on your next travel insurance purpose.
Which Hotel Promotion Is Better? Comparing New Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest Promotions
A very helpful comparison of the SPG and Marriott promotions from Pizza in Motion that more eloquently explains what I briefly stabbed at in my quick thoughts on the promos. I’ve actually re-tooled some of my travel plans based on these promotions — they may steal some of my business from Hilton despite Hilton’s own generous promotions this quarter.
A Complete Guide to Finding and Hiring the Best Guides on Your Next Vacation
Have you ever hired a guide on vacation? I haven’t. In the past, we budgeted for flights and hotels and food and sightseeing and relied on our guidebooks and the Internet to tell us what we wanted to see. But as miles and points have grown to cover most of the costs associated with our trips, we’ve become more intrigued with the thought of hiring a local guide when on vacation. Gilbert at God Save the Points briefly reviews several sites for choosing a guide — I’ve bookmarked this for our next trip — and offers up direct suggestions if you’re interested in specific cities.
Altitude Reserve flight search better than expected but far from perfect
Finally, this week we close with an article that wasn’t from elsewhere on the web but rather right here at Frequent Miler. I somehow neglected to include this in our Frequent Miler week in review, but wanted to include it here for readers who count on our week in review posts to recap what they may have missed. In this post, Greg gives us good news about his experience with the US Bank Altitude Reserve flight booking tool — and it’s not just good for Altitude Reserve holders (hint: If you have a FlexPerks card, check out this post for the news). It’s not all roses and sunshine, but better is a good thing.
That’s it for today’s week in review around the web. Keep your eye out for more quick deals and this week’s last chance deals.
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