Credit Cards

Double Points or Double Nights at Club Carlson

Posted on November 8, 2014 by 2btravel

Club Carlson is a hotel loyalty program that often gets overlooked here in the US.  The brands we see mostly commonly here are Radisson and Country Inns and Suites.  But overseas you’re more likely to see Radisson, Radisson Blu and Park Inn.  Radisson Blu can be quite nice.  I recently stayed at the Radisson Blu in Istanbul (review forthcoming!) and quite enjoyed it.

Now Club Carlson is running a promotion whereby you can earn your way toward elite status more quickly.  If you’re a member of Club Carlson (and it’s free to join) just register HERE for Double Nights or Double Points.  Then, for each stay between now and December 30, 2014 you’ll earn your selection toward elite status.

Club Carlson Points or Nights

 

Of course, the easiest way to earn Gold status is to pick up the Club Carlson Visa Signature card.  You’ll earn 50,000 points after your first purchase and another 35,000 points if you spend $2500 within 90 days of applying.   This card allows you to earn 10 points per dollar at Club Carlson hotels and 5 points per dollar elsewhere.  Plus you get 40,000 points each year when you pay the $75 annual fee!  And if you need any more incentive to pick up the card, when you make an award reservation of 2 nights or more, the last night is free to all card holders!  It’s a hard deal to beat.

Club Carlson Credit Card

 

Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliation with Club Carlson or Visa and I do not receive any referral incentives

Categories: Club Carlson, Club Carlson Visa, US Bank | Leave a comment

First Friday Bonus

Posted on November 6, 2014 by 2btravel

Remember that tomorrow is the first Friday of the month and instead of the normal 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants, you can get 3 points per dollar with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.  Chase is keeping this offer through the end of the year but we don’t know if they’ll continue it into 2015 or not so take advantage of this offer while you can!  Remember you can buy restaurant gift cards in the store itself and effectively enjoy the 3x points for many more visits!

 

CSP

Categories: Sapphire Preferred | Leave a comment

Even More Promos

Posted on October 8, 2014 by 2btravel

Can you tell that we’re right in the midst of shoulder season?  There are all kinds of promos coming through every day.  Here are recent ones I’ve seen, in no particular order:

2014-10-08 IHG Purchased Points Bonus

IHG Rewards Club is featuring a bonus on purchased points this month.  The bonus depends on how many points you’re purchasing.  I’ve got a nice stash of points at the moment so I’ll sit this one out.

2014-10-08 Club Carlson Bonus

Club Carlson is having a sale at select hotels when you book by this Friday, October 10 and stay on select dates through the end of the month.  Talk about restrictions!  Since I just returned from vacation I won’t take advantage of this either.

2014-10-08 New AF A380 Route

I’m not an aviation geek by any means but one of the few planes I can recognize on sight is the Airbus A380, since it’s a full-length double-decker.  Air France is starting a new route, Miami to Paris (CDG), on December 1st.  Remember Air France is part of SkyTeam which means you can use Delta miles on this flight.  Sadly, Delta will not allow you access to La Premiere (first class) and if you book before the end of the year a one-way ticket will cost as much as a round-trip.  However, Air France’s Flying Blue program is a transfer partner of both Starwood and Amex Membership Rewards, so that’s the way to book first class on the new bird.

2014-10-08 Hilton Purchased Points Promo

And finally, if you hold one of the Hilton co-branded credit cards (Amex has two, Citibank has one) you should have received this offer via email.  The link in the mail is specific for each recipient but you can buy or give Hilton HHonors points until October 22 and get a bonus, depending on how many points you buy or give.  Might be a nice way to top off your account if you’re just a little short.

Categories: Air France, American Express, Citibank Hilton Reserve Visa, Club Carlson, Hilton, Hilton Amex, Hilton Surpass, Hotel, IHG, SkyTeam | Leave a comment

A Plethora of Promos

Posted on October 3, 2014 by 2btravel

Oh, I’m so far behind! I went on vacation for 10 days and have been scrambling ever since I got back. There are several promotions going on right now, so let’s get to the good stuff:

30% Bonus on Purchased Club Carlson Points

2014-10-03 Club Carlson Promo

Between now and the end of the month you can get a 30% bonus if you buy 10,000-40,000 Club Carlson points. I recently points for a two-night stay at the Radisson Blu in Istanbul. If you also have the Club Carlson credit card, the last night of any multi-night stay is free! Click HERE to learn more.

 

100% Bonus on Purchased Dividend Miles Extended Through October 12

2014-10-03 US Airways Buy Miles Promo

Buy or gift US Airways Dividend Miles through October 12 and get a 100% bonus. Click HERE to be taken to the US Airways site.

 

 

1000 Bonus Gold Passport Points

 

2014-10-03 Hyatt Mobile Booking Promo

Book your next Hyatt stay via their mobile app and earn a 1000 point bonus. There doesn’t seem to be any limit and it’s good through the end of the year! Click on the HERE to be taken to the Hyatt site.

 

 

2500 Bonus US Airways Dividend Miles

 

2014-10-03 USDM Credit Card Bonus

 

Use your US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard at gas stations, restaurants, toy & game stores and department stores through the end of the year and receive up to 2500 bonus miles. That’s a bonus of spend in these categories up to $1250. You must activate this offer by October 20th! If you’re already a cardholder, you should have received info about this offer already.

 

That’s it for now. I’ve got some more updates coming including a report on my recent trip to Turkey. Stay tuned!

Categories: Club Carlson, Credit Card Promos, Hotel Promos, Hyatt, US Airways, US Airways MasterCard | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Discover Q4 Bonus Registration Now Open

Posted on September 1, 2014 by 2btravel

2014-09-01 Discover Q4 Registration

Each quarter the Discover Card offers bonus categories in which you can get 5% cash back. Registration is now available for 4th Quarter shopping in October, November and December. This quarter’s bonus categories are online shopping and department stores. So if you’re planning to load up for Christmas, wait until October to do it!

Log into your account on the Discover website to sign up.

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First Friday Bonus Point on Dining with Chase Sapphire Preferred

Posted on August 1, 2014 by 2btravel

I eat out a lot and that’s one of the reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is so valuable to me.  It earns 2 Ultimate Reward points per dollar spent on dining.  But on the first Friday of each month it earns 3 points per dollar.  And guess what today is!

CSP

Ultimate Rewards have a variety of airline and hotel partners, making them one of the most valuable and versatile points currencies.  So volunteer to pick up the check at lunch today and have everyone else reimburse you!

Categories: Chase, Credit Cards, Sapphire Preferred | Leave a comment

Chase Sapphire Preferred changes

Posted on July 21, 2014 by 2btravel

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of my favorites. It earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to a number of frequent flyer and hotel programs. The points can also be used as cash to reimburse flights or hotel rooms at certain locations. It earns double points on travel-related items (airfare, hotels, taxis, parking, tolls, etc.) and dining (which is where I really rack up the points).

CSP

One of the great benefits of the card has been that each February you receive a bonus of 7% of the points you earned the previous calendar year, even if you’ve spent some of them. So for non-bonus spends you actually earn 1.07 points and for bonus categories it’s actually 2.14 points per dollar. Sadly, this benefit is going away. That’s a shame and I hate to see it go.

But the card is getting a new benefit – one that’s actually worth something and not just a new spin on an old benefit. When renting cars with the CSP the card now offers PRIMARY rental insurance. This is a great addition! It’s especially helpful overseas where it could be much harder to fight an insurance claim, simply due to distance.

At least Chase has given us plenty of notice for this change. While new cardholders will not get the 7% bonus, those who already have the card will get the bonuses in February 2015 and 2016 before it goes away.

Categories: Chase, Credit Cards, Sapphire Preferred | Leave a comment

AA 100K offer not dead!

Posted on July 13, 2014 by 2btravel

It seems the reports of the demise of the American Airlines 100K mile credit card were premature.  True, the link was not working for a few days but it seems to be back now, per this post from Mommy Points.2014-07-13 AA Exec Card

Get yours while it’s hot!

Categories: Citibank AA Executive MasterCard, Credit Cards | Leave a comment

Latest AA Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus

Posted on July 11, 2014 by 2btravel

In February American Airlines introduced their Citi Executive AAdvantage credit card.  It came with a steep $450 annual fee but offered AAdmirals club access, a $200 credit after $200 in purchases as well as 100,000 miles after spending $10,000 on the card in three months.  As of today that offer is dead.

2014-07-11 ACExec-75K

But the good news is that they’ve got a new offer!  Not quite as many miles but with a lower spending requirement.  The new offer is 75,000 miles after $7,500 in spending within three months.  There’s a $100 credit after $100 in spending though the $450 annual fee is still in place.

Offer: Citi Executive/AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard

Full list of terms:

Terms and Conditions

           Terms and Conditions

 

What’s not mentioned is that these cards are churnable!  That means you can apply for and receive the card, meet the spending requirement, collect the miles, then cancel the card and start the cycle all over!  Being a little more cautious than some, I picked up two of the 100,000 mile offers.  I plan to pick up one of the 75,000 cards when it’s time for my next round of credit card applications.  There are some limitations as to how quickly you can churn these so feel free to ask if you have questions.

Thanks to View From The Wing for pointing out this offer!

 

Categories: American Airlines, Citibank, Citibank AA Executive MasterCard, Credit Card Promos, Credit Cards, OneWorld | 2 Comments

Register Now for Third Quarter Bonuses

Posted on July 4, 2014 by 2btravel

It’s the start of a new quarter and the start of new quarterly bonuses with your Discover (or DiscoverIt) card and your Chase Freedom Visa card.

Discover 3rd Quarter Bonus Registration

Discover 3rd Quarter Bonus Registration

For the Discover card, you can get 5% cash back (up to $1500) when you use your card at gas stations.  Register HERE for the Discover quarterly bonus.

Freedom 3rd Quarter Bonus Registration

Freedom 3rd Quarter Bonus Registration

For the Chase Freedom Visa, you earn 5x Ultimate Rewards (UR) points on purchases at Kohl’s and at gas stations.  UR points can be used in two ways: redeem them for a penny a point on travel or, if you have a Chase Sapphire or Ink card you can transfer these points to airline or hotel points, where it’s possible to get more than a penny a point.  I prefer to wait until I need the points in a specific airline/hotel program before transferring them.  Of course when using points this way you’re at the mercy of the airline/hotel to have award seats/rooms available.  When using URs to “buy” airfare/hotel rooms the airline/hotel sees the purchase as one made with cash, so you’re actually earning points in that airline/hotel’s program during your stay.  Register HERE for the Chase Freedom quarterly bonus.

Got questions about quarterly bonuses? Just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help.

Categories: Chase, Credit Card Promos, Discover | Leave a comment

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