Why you might want to stop spending on Delta cards (and start spending on Hilton cards?), misAAdventures, and more [Week in Review]

A (perhaps over-inflated) claim was made last year about the volume of charges being put on Delta credit cards each year. This week on Frequent Miler, we encourage you not to contribute to that, discuss why (and, importantly, how) you might want to spend on Hilton cards given the partnership with SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World), Greg has a misAAdventure with AA, and a bunch of resources have been updated. Read on for more from this week at Frequent Miler.

This week on the Frequent Miler blog…

SLH is a big win for Hilton hoarders

If you’ve been sitting on Hilton Honors points waiting for a chance to get great value, your ship has come in. The partnership with SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) has seen a wider launch this week and the news is looking good for Hilton Honors members as many more SLH properties have come online this year than were previously expected in 2024 and rooms have been bookable as standard room awards. What makes this very exciting for Hilton Honors members is the fact that the SLH partnership creates numerous opportunities to get much higher than typical value out of Hilton Honors points and free night certificates. In this post, I point to some example properties, but these are far from the only opportunities.

Stop putting spend on your Delta card

Are you one of the many Americans contributing to the massive amount of money spent on Delta credit cards each year? You probably shouldn’t be. Don’t believe me? See Greg’s post here that explains why most people shouldn’t be spending at all on a Delta credit card. Let me be clear: you might want to have a Delta credit card for free checked bags and/or a companion certificate, but it’s not a great card to use for any purchases (even Delta ones!) unless you’re chasing elite status with a Delta Reserve card.

Family travel tips from a frequent family traveler: What to bring and how to stay sane, comfortable, and happy

Family travel is constantly changing, but over the past six years my family has visited dozens of countries and many states within the US together with young kids. This post is our long guide to tips we’ve gleaned to make travel with a family a little bit easier.

My AAdventures AAttempting to fly AA to London

This story goes from funny to frustrating to frightening (and then back to Chicago). Beyond the bad luck, there are a number of nuggets in this post. I was impressed at how Greg “saved” his trip and got off the plane he had boarded in Detroit and then in the end it goes to show that knowing your options — in the end, that 3:45pm flight on United — is the first step in advocating for yourself (and you’re going to need to advocate for yourself now and then). We sure are glad that all ended up well on this journey.

How to maximize value with Amex multi-card referrals

One of the easiest ways to bump up your Membership Rewards points balance is through referrals thanks to the way that Amex multi-card referrals work. For instance, when I opened an Amex Hilton business card late last year, my wife picked up a bonus 25,000 Membership Rewards points. In fact, my wife and I regularly refer each other for new Amex cards and that helps us trigger those referral bonuses and short-time referral promotions. See this post for everything you need to know about how to do the same.

Podcast: Hilton delivers luxury through SLH | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep263 | 7-12-24

Greg and I are both pretty excited about SLH’s new partnership with Hilton as it represents a nice lift in terms of getting elevated value out of your Hilton Honors points. On this week’s Frequent Miler on the Air, we discuss why we’re excited about the partnership, how you can earn more Hilton points and free night certificates, a few of our favorite SLH properties, and more.

Which is the best Amex Platinum card in 2024?

Consumer versus Business, Schwab versus Morgan Stanley versus “vanilla” — which is the best Amex Platinum card for you? In this updated post, we compare the features and benefits to help you decide for yourself which “flavor” of Platinum is most appealing to your palate.

What is a dummy booking? How to get targeted offers using this trick

When I’m considering a hotel or airline credit card, I almost always try a dummy booking just to see if I’m offered anything interesting. While you can often get a different offer through a dummy booking, it’s worth knowing that different doesn’t always mean better — you have to be able to run the numbers and determine whether or not that dummy offer makes any sense.

How do you travel with young kids? | Ask Us Anything Ep68 | 7-3-24

The Frequent Miler team gathers live on Youtube on the first Wednesday every month for an “Ask Us Anything” where you can fire away with your questions about miles, points, and travel. If you missed this month’s live broadcast, you can now catch the replay on Youtube or on your favorite streaming platform. See the post for full timestamps.

How to use Hyatt free night certificates on a multi-night stay

While it has often been said that “there’s no IT in Hyatt”, I have to hand it to them that their “Pay My Way” function is a nice little feature that I’d love to see Hilton adopt. Hyatt allows you to mix paid nights, free night certificate nights, and award nights using points, but they don’t make the process as intuitive as I wish they would. See this post for more about how to mix and match.

Best ways to get to South America using points and miles (2024)

We maintain guides for the best ways to get to various regions of the world using your points and miles. This week, our guide to ways to get to South America got spruced up and republished. If you’re planning a trip South, this post has many of your top options.

That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Don’t forget to keep an eye on this week’s last chance deals.

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