I came to Utah a day ahead of my ski club as I have friends in the area and we met up for dinner. I needed an airport-area hotel with a free shuttle. Since I had several free-night certificates to burn based on the credit cards I hold, I chose the Hyatt Place SLC Airport. I had stayed here once before, though it was over 10 years ago and I didn’t remember much about it.
Hyatt Place Salt Lake City Airport
Trip Report: Athens and a Mediterranean Cruise
Lounge Reviews: The Club CLT and Centurion Lounge Charlotte Airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A340-600 Charlotte-Munich
Lodging Review: Academias Hotel, Autograph Collection, Athens
Our Time in Athens, Part I (Acropolis and Museum)
Our Time in Athens, Part II (Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Ancient Agora)
Our Time in Athens, Part III (Kerameikos, Temple of Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium)
Our Time in Athens, Part IV (Restaurants and Observations)
Ship Review: Viking Neptune
Our Time in Ancient Olympia (Katakalon, Greece)
Our Time in Corfu, Greece
Our Time in Kotor, Montenegro
Our Time in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Our Time in Zadar, Croatia
Our Time in Venice, Italy
Flight Review: Iberia A330-300 Madrid-Chicago
I was able to check my bag at the Lufthansa counter beginning at 2:30 PM, four hours before my flight. Lufthansa no longer has its own lounge in Charlotte but a business class ticket comes with access to The Club CLT, a Priority Pass lounge. And since I still have an Amex Platinum card (for now), I also had access to the Centurion lounge. Since I had plenty of time before my flight I decided to check out both of them. The Club CLT is located in Concourse A in the connector just before gates A21 & A22. The Centurion Lounge is located near the Concourses D and E connector. Since my flight was leaving from the D concourse I decided to visit the The Club first.
The signage in the airport for The Club is terrible and I walked past the entrance to the A connector twice before realizing that’s where I was supposed to turn. The Club is the lounge used by foreign airlines and it’s also a Priority Pass lounge. It’s fairly small and is subject to capacity controls. As I checked in around 3 PM midweek, the gentleman ahead of me in line was told that there was a 40-minute wait for Priority Pass customers. Since I had a business class ticket on Lufthansa, I was allowed inside. Later in my stay the lounge did empty out a bit and Priority Pass folks were allowed in.
The Club CLT Entrance
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before June 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. Effective this past November, US Bank changed the way you select your categories. Now you’ll need to log into your account and go to the Rewards Center. I found it a little clunky but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. For more info, see this post from Travel with Grant. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will choose Ground Transportation as my second 5x category as I’ll need shuttle services for some upcoming ski trips. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
US Bank Categories for Q1 2024
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q1 the categories are:
Discover’s Q1 2024 categories
I will likely come close to maxing out this category as I eat out a lot.
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click.
Chase Freedom’s Q1 categories are Grocery Stores, Fitness Clubs and Gyms, and Self-Care and Spa Services. This last category is a new one and I’ll be switching my massages to use this card and will also use it for my haircuts.
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex Q1 2024 bonus categories
Activate these changes by visiting the Chase registration site by March 14.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
Updated 11/24/23 to include a Capital One referral link that can earn you $50!
The holiday season is here and a lot of us prefer to do our shopping online. That provides us a great opportunity to double-dip on earning points, miles or cash back through the use of shopping portals! To make things easier, in this post I’ll just refer to “earning points” but know that I’m using that phrase to cover earning hotel points (e.g. Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott), credit card points (e.g. Chase Ultimate Rewards (URs), Amex Membership Rewards (MRs)), airline miles (e.g. American, Delta, United) or cash back.
My first stop is usually Cash Back Monitor. This is an incredible free tool that will show you which shopping portals have the best discounts on that day for the store you want to shop. Note that Amazon rarely has deals for hotel or credit card points or airline miles but sometimes offers good deals for cash back.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you need a gift for a pet so you can enter PetSmart in the “Search Store Here” box. Here’s a list of the current cash back and points & miles offerings:
You can earn up to 15% cash back if you shop through Rakuten. Or you may choose 7 American Airlines AAdvantage miles per dollar (when it’s usually just 1 mile per dollar). But maybe 8 Chase Ultimate Reward points is more your preference – but note that you must have one of the Chase Freedom cards. The Chase Ink and Sapphire cards, which also earn URs, are only earning 6x or 5x respectively. You’ll also see Rakuten listed in the “Other Reward Points” category. That’s because if you have an Amex card that earns their Membership Rewards points, you can choose to earn those points instead of cash back. Why would you want to do that? Because if you play your cards right you can transfer those MR points to an airline and effectively get better than a 1% return.
If you don’t have accounts with any of the cash back portals, one thing to consider is their cash-out policy. Some portals have a minimum cash-out value so it may take quite awhile to accumulate enough cash back to do that. Others may only let you redeem the cash back for gift cards. So do your research first before jumping at the first big number.
Once you decide which option you’d like to choose you can click the link right there on the Cash Back Monitor page and it will take you to the appropriate shopping portal. Note that, unless it’s specified, you don’t necessarily have to use a co-branded credit card to earn the bonus! As an example, if you choose to go through the American Airlines shopping portal, you don’t have to use the AA co-branded credit card to get the 7x miles. But if you choose the United shopping portal, you’ll only get the 6x points if you use the UA credit card. If you don’t, you’ll only get 4x points. Either way that’s still better than the half-point per dollar you’d normally get.
NOTE: be aware that if you use a coupon code that is not publicly available, you may not receive credit for shopping through a portal. Sometimes it works if, say, the retailer advertises a code for free shipping on their site. But if you were sent an email with a special code for free shipping, then you may not be eligible for the points through the portal.
While some frequent flyer programs like Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards and United MileagePlus have done away with mileage expiration dates, many other airlines require periodic activity in your mileage account to keep your miles from expiring. The team at The Points Guy has put together a handy chart to let you know if and when your miles expire. The good news is that many programs, like American AAdvantage and British Airways Avios, will allow you to extend the life of your miles with activity. And having miles credited to your frequent flyer account for going through their shopping portal qualifies as activity to extend your miles!
One more trick is to install browser extensions. I have a couple installed on my regular browser. The Rakuten extension pops up any time you visit a website where you can earn points through Rakuten. All you have to do is click the purple button and it will temporarily show another page where it’s linking your Rakuten account with this shopping session. Note that if you close the tab or the browser window – or even go to a different website in this same tab – you’ll need to click the purple button again when you return to the shopping site to ensure it’s tracking your purchase.
Rakuten browser extension on the PetSmart website
The second extension I have installed is the Capital One shopping extension. This extension comes into play when you start the checkout process. Almost every site has a box where you can enter a coupon code. If Capital One has any coupon codes valid for the site you’re visiting, it will ask if you would like to try the codes and if you agree, it will try them all for you, one by one. This is a cool way to find some unexpected savings and you don’t even have to be a Capital One customer to use it!
Here’s a bonus! Join Capitol One shopping by 12/1/23 and make purchases totaling $10 or more in the first 30 days after joining and you’ll get $50 added to your Capitol One rewards! Full disclosure, I’ll get $50 too. To join, just use my link: capitaloneshopping.com/r/6R7G5TV
There are lots of ways to save money and/or earn bonus points this holiday season. Hopefully these tips will help.
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before June 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. To register, click on the link in the email you received from US Bank or visit this link. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will choose Gyms/Fitness Centers as my second 5x category. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
US Bank CashPlus categories for Q2 2023
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q4 the categories are:
I expect this is one a lot of folks will be able to use.
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click.
Chase Freedom’s Q4 categories are PayPal, Wholesale Clubs, and Select Charities. Also, don’t forget to check your Chase co-branded offers each quarter at chase.com/mybonus.
I was curious about the charities and it would appear that, for example, your local place of worship would not qualify. Here is the sample list included on Chase’s site:
Activate these changes by visiting the Chase registration site by December 14.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before June 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. To register, click on the link in the email you received from US Bank or visit this link. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will choose Gyms/Fitness Centers as my second 5x category. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x. You have until June 25, 2023 to make your selections.
US Bank CashPlus categories for Q2 2023
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q3 the categories are:
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click. Since I’m still working from home this is not an easy category to max out unless you find a gas station that sells high-dollar Visa gift cards or can make use of the digital wallet.
Chase Freedom’s Q3 categories are Gas Stations, EV Charging stations and Select Live Entertainment. Also, don’t forget to check your Chase co-branded offers each quarter at chase.com/mybonus.
I was curious what kind of “live entertainment” was included and the category is much broader than I thought:
So that may be very helpful if you’re taking the family to a theme park or purchasing tickets for a sporting event. Of course there are exclusions as well. From the Chase site:
Merchants that sell tickets for in-person entertainment are not included in this category; for example, movie theaters, bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance hall/clubs. Purchasing from a hotel/concierge is not included nor excursions or purchases as part of a travel package.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
The Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex, US Bank CashPlus and Discover cards all have quarterly rotating bonus categories in which you can earn 5x points/5% cash back for the specified quarter. What some folks don’t know is that often your airline or hotel co-branded Chase cards will have bonus spending as well. To see if you’ve been targeted, go to http://chase.com/mybonus and fill in your name, last four digits of the card and your zip code and you may be pleasantly surprised. I got the same bonus on four of my Chase co-branded cards: Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and United. All offer 5x points on gas, groceries and restaurants. These bonuses are valid April 1 – June 30, 2023 and for up to $1500 in purchases.
In addition, I received a piece of mail from Citi offering bonus points on my Premier card from now through May 31. My mailpiece gave me a website and an invitation number to register. You can also register via the phone or with the provided QR code. The 5x points are for purchases from Consumer Electronic Stores, Department Stores, Home Improvement Stores and Home Furnishing Stores. You may earn up to 2500 bonus points which works out to bonuses on $500 in purchases. Remember that, in particular, Home Improvement stores sell gift cards so you can buy gift cards there and essentially earn 5x points at many other places!
Regardless of whether you actually use one of these cards for any of these categories on a regular basis, go ahead and sign up for the bonus. You never know when you might use it and there’s no sense leaving points on the table!
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before June 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. To register, click on the link in the email you received from US Bank or visit this link. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will choose Fast Food as my second 5x category. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x. You have until March 26, 2023 to make your selections.
US Bank CashPlus categories for Q2 2023
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q2 the categories are:
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click. This is a great category for me as I eat out often.
Chase Freedom’s Q2 categories are Lowe’s and Amazon. Amazon is a favorite of a lot of folks and remember that Lowe’s sells a lot of gift cards in addition to home improvement products. You can also get many regular household items there as well. Don’t forget to check your Chase co-branded offers each quarter at chase.com/mybonus.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before March 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. To register, click on the link in the email you received from US Bank or visit this link. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will try out Ground Transportation as I will need to use airport shuttles for my upcoming ski trips. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
As a side note, for Q3 I selected TV/Internet/Streaming Services as a 5% category. For streaming services it only mentions getting the 5% after 11 months of continuous charges but I found that since I pay for BritBox a year at a time that I earned 5% on that as well, so that’s good news.
US Bank CashPlus categories for Q1 2023
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q1 the categories are:
Discover Q1 2023 categories
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button.
Chase Freedom’s Q1 categories are Grocery Stores, Target, Gym & Fitness. Grocery Stores is always a favorite though I hate that it overlaps with Discover. Plus, for the last two quarters several of my Chase co-branded cards have also offered 5x at Grocery Stores. Note that you can’t double-dip by buying groceries at Target. You’ll get a max of 5x there. Don’t forget to check your Chase co-branded offers each quarter at chase.com/mybonus.
To register you can go to this link to look at the calendar, then click on the Activate Now button.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
It’s the 15th of the 4th month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before December 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. To register, click on the link in the email you received from US Bank or visit this link. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will try out Ground Transportation as I will need to use airport shuttles for my upcoming ski trips. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
Discover has already given us the full calendar for 2022. For Q4 the categories are:
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button.
Chase Freedom’s Q4 categories are Walmart and PayPal. Note that you cannot double-dip by using PayPal at Walmart!
To register you can go to this link to look at the calendar, then click on the Activate Now button.
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
2B Traveling 
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