Hotel

Free IHG Reward Points for Joining e-Rewards

Posted on August 22, 2015 by 2btravel

I recently received an email from IHG Rewards Club announcing that they’d award me 600 IHG points when I joined e-Rewards and completed two surveys within three months.  As it turns out, I’ve been an e-Rewards member for a long time so I’m not eligible for this promotion.

2015-08-22 IHG e-Rewards Promo

If you’re not familiar with e-Rewards, it’s an organization that sends out surveys and awards you currency for taking those surveys.  You can then use that currency to “buy” hotel points, airline miles or gift certificates.  For example, $25 in e-Rewards currency can be used to “purchase” 500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles, 1000 Club Carlson Gold Points or a gift certificate to Best Buy.  Once you’ve accumulated $25 in e-Rewards currency you can choose to spend your currency at one of 33 merchants (including a few charities).

Some partners have a straight redemption value.  For example, when redeeming e-Rewards currency for American Airlines miles, it’s $25 = 500 miles, $50 = 1000 miles and $100 = 2000 miles, so the redemption value is the same.  On the other hand, Club Carlson will give you a bonus for redeeming more currency. $25 in e-Rewards currency nets you 1000 Gold Points but $50 will bring 2500 points and with a $100 redemption you get 4500 Gold Points.  So you need to keep an eye on what currency is useful to you to know when it’s best to redeem.  Note that you are often limited to one redemption for a particular merchant within a certain time period so if you’re close to the next-higher-level award, it may make sense to wait to redeem.

You’ll be sent survey links and even if you don’t qualify for the survey, you’ll get a token amount of e-Rewards currency.  There are surveys that will award you $5 or more in currency but they are usually quite involved and take a fair amount of time.  I prefer the shorter surveys to fill in the time between doing other things at work.  The currency adds up before you realize it and soon enough you’ve got 500 frequent flyer miles ready to transfer to your account.  Note that the transfer sometimes takes a few days, so plan accordingly.

So if you’re an IHG Rewards Club member, check your email for a similar offer and your personalized link.

Categories: IHG | Tags: | Leave a comment

Bonuses When Purchasing Points or Miles

Posted on July 9, 2015 by 2btravel

Right now there are two loyalty programs offering a bonus on purchased points or miles. These are not new deals but will be expiring soon.

American Airlines Logo

American Airlines is offering both a discount and bonus miles if you purchase between now and Monday, July 13. You’ll get a 15% discount on the purchase price and a tiered bonus, depending on how many miles you buy.
2015-07-09 AA Bonus on Purchased Miles

Looking at the cost at a per point basis, here’s how that works out:
1,000 + 0 bonus = 1,000 for $25.08 = 2.50 cents per mile
15,000 + 0 bonus = 15,000 for $376.13 = 2.50 cents per mile
16,000 + 5,000 bonus = 21,000 for $401.20 = 1.91 cents per mile
30,000 + 5,000 bonus = 35,000 for $752.25 = 2.14 cents per mile
31,000 + 10,000 bonus = 41,000 for $777.33 = 1.89 cents per mile
45,000 + 10,000 bonus = 55,000 for $1128.38 = 2.05 cents per mile
46,000 + 15,000 bonus = 66,000 for $1153.45 = 1.74 cents per mile
60,000 + 15,000 bonus = 75,000 for $1504.50 = 2.00 cents per mile
61,000 + 20,000 bonus = 81,000 for $1529.58 = 1.88 cents per mile
75,000 + 20,000 bonus = 95,000 for $1880.63 = 1.97 cents per mile
76,000 + 27,500 bonus = 103,500 for $1905.70 = 1.84 cents per mile
100,000 + 27,500 bonus = 127,500 for $2507.50 = 1.96 cents per mile

(These prices do not include applicable taxes or a $30 processing fee.)

So the sweet spot – where you’d pay the least per mile – is at the 46,000 mile level.

You may purchase up to 100,000 miles in a calendar year.

Is this a good deal? Actually, it can be! As usual, I defer to Ben of One Mile At A Time and Brian, The Points Guy as to the current value of points and miles. Ben has AA miles valued at 1.8 cents apiece while Brian values them at 1.7 cents each. So if you buy 46,000 miles and get the 15,000 bonus miles you’ll be spot-on. If you only need a few miles to top off your account, it’s not a really great deal – unless you’re going to get more than 2.5 cents of value from the award ticket you’ll get.

 
2015-07-09 Hilton Discount on Purchased Points

Meanwhile, Hilton is offering a 25% discount when you purchase their points from now through Wednesday, July 15. The discount brings the price to 0.75 cents per point (plus applicable taxes and fees). It’s interesting that the website allows the user to choose to buy 80,000 points, but the terms and conditions state that an HHonors member may only buy 40,000 points in a calendar year.

Is this a good deal? Not really. Ben values HHonors points at 0.4 cents apiece and Brian values them at 0.5 cents each. But if you need just a few points to top off an award, it may be the route to go.

Categories: American Airlines, Hilton | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Earn 5000 Bonus Point Per Stay at Hilton

Posted on June 18, 2015 by 2btravel

2015-06-17 Hilton PromoToday Hilton announced a limited-time offer where you can earn 5000 bonus HHonors points for each stay between now and July 6. You must register for this promotion before you check out of your first eligible stay.

2015-06-17 Hilton Double Points Double Miles
When you stack this with the Double Points/Double Miles promotion, you can really rack up the miles quickly!

Categories: Hilton, Hotel Promos | Tags: , | Leave a comment

IHG Adds New Top Tier Loyalty Level

Posted on April 14, 2015 by 2btravel

IHG, the company behind Intercontinental Hotels and Holiday Inn, has announced that they’re adding a new top tier loyalty level that will be the next step above Platinum. Platinum has been fantastically easy to achieve because you can “earn” it just by holding the Chase IHG MasterCard, although you can also earn it the hard way, by staying 50 nights or earning 60,000 points via hotel stays. The IHG MasterCard has possibly the lowest annual fee of any status-earning credit card at only $49 per year. Paying the annual fee also entitles the card holder to a free night at any IHG hotel.

But now a new tier has been added though we don’t yet know its name. Check out the graphic from the IHG website – it’s just called New Membership Level:2015-04-14 New IHG Loyalty Levels

If you get Platinum status the hard way, the good news is that it’ll be easier to attain, requiring only 40 nights or 40,000 points through hotel stays. The new level requires 75 nights or 75,000 points earned at an IHG hotel. Platinum members get a 50% bonus on points for paid stays while the new level members will get a 100% bonus on points earned. They’ll also receive an annual 25,000 point bonus or they can choose to gift Platinum status to a friend or family member.

Another change is that points will now expire after 12 months of inactivity in your account. To get around that you can transfer in points from Ultimate Rewards. As a general rule I’d transfer as few UR points as allowed as URs are much more valuable than IHG points.

And on May 1st IHG will be reclassifying some 450 properties, though they claim that less than 300 will be increasing by 5000 – 10,000 points per night while 150 properties will decrease by 5000 points.

I typically don’t stay at IHG properties though in the last four months I have stayed at two different hotels. My Platinum status didn’t help at all at a Candlewood Suites but it got me an excellent free breakfast buffet at a Crowne Plaza.

The IHG website does state that all stays in 2015 will count towards the new level, so if you often stay at IHG properties, maybe this will be a benefit to you. As long as I still get breakfast and wifi I’ll hang on to the credit card just for the free night. Once any of those benefits goes away I’ll have to re-evaluate.

HT: Frequent Miler

Categories: IHG | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Triple Points at Club Carlson

Posted on April 6, 2015 by 2btravel

2015-04-06 Club Carlson Triple PointsAfter taking away the best benefit in the world of hotel points, Club Carlson is trying to make nice by offering triple points on stays between now and June 28, 2015.  Award stays – whether on points only or by using points + cash – are not eligible.  You must register HERE to take advantage of this promotion.  The triple point calculation is based on the standard 20 points per dollar spent, not on any bonus points you may earn as an elite member.

Additionally, for each reservation made through the Club Carlson mobile app you will receive 1000 bonus points.

Categories: Club Carlson | Tags: | Leave a comment

Club Carlson Removes Crucial Visa Benefit

Posted on April 3, 2015 by 2btravel

Club Carlson Credit CardOne of the great things about Club Carlson is how easy their points are to accrue. The Club Carlson Visa offers 10 points per dollar for purchases at Club Carlson hotels like Radissons, Radisson Blus, Park Inns, and 5 points per dollar everywhere else. The cherry on top of this was that when you have the US Bank Club Carlson Visa and have an award stay of two nights or more, the last night is free. That meant for two people who each had the card, they could make alternating reservations of two nights each and the stay would cost half the points.

Per Frequent Miler’s post this morning, this benefit is going away. In its place is an offer for a free night each year after spending $10,000 on the card and paying the annual fee of $75.

This is a huge devaluation. I hadn’t even had a chance to take advantage of this benefit and it’s already going away. At the time I made my reservations for our stay at the Radisson Blu Bosphorus, I was not a card member and thus couldn’t take advantage of it.

I’m seriously wondering whether or not I should keep this card once the annual fee comes due. Club Carlson is not my go-to hotel chain and their footprint in North America is pretty small. It’s certainly better overseas but my plans for the next few years include places where I expect I’ll be able to find Hyatt, Marriotts and Hiltons. I will definitely have to reconsider keeping this card.

 

Update 13:45 CT – Club Carlson has now sent out an email to holders of the Club Carlson Visa further clarifying the changes:

Beginning June 1, 2015, you can earn a Free Night, good at any Carlson Rezidor hotel in the U.S. This Free Night will replace the current Bonus Award Night benefit. Bonus Award Night stays may not be booked after June 1, 2015. You’ll receive the new Free Night award upon renewal of your card after an annual spend of $10,000. Updated program terms and conditions will apply and be available on June 1, 2015.

As a Club Carlson Visa® cardholder you will continue to enjoy the following benefits:

  • 10 points per $1 spent in eligible Net Purchases at Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide – that’s in addition to the 20 points per dollar you earn as a Club Carlson member
  • 5 points per $1 spent in eligible Net Purchases everywhere else
  • 40,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card by paying the annual fee
  • Gold Elite Status – which now includes a dining discount at participating hotel restaurants!

And, to thank you for your continued loyalty, you can earn 30,000 bonus Gold Points® on your next Eligible Stay at a Carlson Rezidor hotel worldwide when you pay with your Club Carlson Visa®. Offer ends August 31, 2015. Terms and conditions apply.*

So spending $10,000 on the card each year will net a free night and at least 50,000 points for that spend. Pay the annual fee of $75 and get 40,000 bonus points. If you were to use the card to load the Target Redcard you could get 90,000 points per year for the annual fee of $75 or $0.000833 per point. Even if you bought Visa gift cards for $10,079, you’d only pay $0.00171 per point. Either way that’s a pretty awesome price for points and a free night to boot.

And if you have a stay at a Club Carlson property before the end of August you’ll get an additional 30,000 points. If you can find a room for $90 those 30,000 points will cost $0.003 apiece. Of course, if the cheapest room you can find is more expensive, the points get more expensive too. Ben values these points at 0.4 cents per point while Brian values them at 0.6 cents each. So if you can get the points this cheaply, it may be worth it to you, especially if you have a great use for them.

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

Club Carlson Promo for Elite Members

Posted on March 30, 2015 by 2btravel

I’ve only stayed with a Club Carlson hotel once in the last several years but thanks to owning a Club Carlson credit card, I’m considered an elite member.  Today I received an email with information about a promotion for elite members only.  Simply book a reservation using the Club Carlson mobile app by April 5th and complete the stay any time in April and they’ll give me 5000 bonus miles within 10 days after I complete the stay.  Be sure to note that the fine print states that the room must paid in full – and in advance (!) – to qualify.  Points + Cash reservations do not qualify for this promotion.

2015-03-30 Club Carlson PromoI don’t have any travel scheduled for the month of April and even if I wanted to make a mattress run, there’s no Club Carlson property within about 200 miles of me so I won’t be taking advantage of this promotion.  Besides, as easy as Club Carlson points are to accrue, this offer is not enough to make me change a booking.

The Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature card is one of those cards to get and hang onto.  It has a number of great benefits:

  • It’s issued by US Bank, so you can have this card in addition to the number of  Chase, Citibank and Amex offerings.  If you’re planning to apply for several cards on one day, anecdotal evidence suggests it’s good to apply for this one first as US Bank doesn’t like to see a lot of applications within 90 days or so.
  • On award stays of 2 nights or more, the last night is free when you own this card.  That means if two people are sharing a room and they each own the card, each person could make a reservation for two nights and the second night would be free!  Just alternate the reservations and it’s half the points.
  • Current sign-up bonus is 85,000 points: 50,000 after the first purchase and 35,000 after spending $2500 within 3 months.  There’s a $75 annual fee
  • Each year you pay the annual fee, collect a 40,000 point bonus just for keeping the card open.
  • The card earns 10x points at Club Carlson hotels and 5x points everywhere else.

So an extra 5000 points is great but I won’t be going out of my way to earn it.

Note: I have no affiliation with US Bank or Club Carlson.  The link provided will profit a very deserving blogger, though I am not affiliated with his blog either.

Categories: Club Carlson | Tags: | Leave a comment

5000 Bonus Club Carlson Points Per Night

Posted on March 26, 2015 by 2btravel

2015-03-26 Club Carlson PromoIf you’re looking to earn some bonus Club Carlson Gold Points and have plans for a spring or early summer trip, now’s the time to book. Book your trip by April 7 and you can earn 5000 bonus Gold Points per night on stays between April 17 and June 27 at participating locations in the US, Canada and Latin America.

This offer seems to apply only to Country Inns and Suites and to Radissons and not all of the Carlson Rezidor brands. Click HERE for participating Counts Inns and Suites locations and HERE for participating Radisson locations.

Categories: Club Carlson | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Review: Hyatt Place Los Angeles/LAX/El Segundo

Posted on March 24, 2015 by 2btravel

After wrapping up our visit with our friend who lived in Pasadena, we opted to stay near the airport for our last night in town.  Prior experience had taught us that though it was great to stay out in Pasadena/Arcadia/Monrovia, when it was time to catch our flights if we stayed there then we had to get up earlier.  This was our first time to stay near the airport before a flight home and I think it’s a practice we will continue.

Arranging our stay like this let us not worry about when our flights left as the hotel has an airport shuttle so my friend could return the car convenient to her flight and I didn’t have to get to the airport two hours earlier than I really needed.

We’d stayed in a Hyatt Place once before (though not this one) so I had a good idea of what to expect and this property lived up to my expectations.  We were welcomed at the front desk and promptly given keys to our room.  The staff members were friendly and went over the details about the airport shuttle – I did need a reservation even though it was free – and briefed us on breakfast.

We took the elevator to our room and found just what we expected: a small living area with a sleeper sofa, two queen beds and a bathroom.  The beds were comfortable and there were several pillows on each bed.  A central nightstand had outlets for our electronics.
Hyatt Place LAX Beds

Hyatt Place LAX Sofa Continue reading →

Categories: California, Hotel, Hyatt, Lodging Review, North America, United States | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Review: SpringHill Suites Arcadia, California

Posted on March 16, 2015 by 2btravel

A friend and I were visiting another friend who lived in Pasadena, California and we had a free night certificate for a category 1-5 Marriott hotel so we selected the closest one, the SpringHill Suites in Arcadia, about 10 minutes away. The certificate is an annual benefit for those who hold the Chase Marriott Visa card and is good for exactly six months after the cardholder’s anniversary.

As a Silver member we were given a quiet room at the end of the hallway on the third floor. There were two centrally-located elevators for this four-floor property. While both elevators were working the day we checked in, only one seemed to be working the next day which meant more of wait than one might expect.

As all the rooms are suites we walked into the “living area” which contained a pull-out sofa and two small tables that could be used as a coffee table or moved to the sides of the sofa as end tables. Across from the sofa was an area with a desk and chair on one side and a kitchenette on the other. The kitchenette had a built-in microwave and a mini-fridge along with a sink as well as a coffee maker and condiments.

SpringHill Suites Arcadia Sofa

SpringHill Suites Arcadia Sofa

SpringHill Suites Arcadia TV Stand and Desk

SpringHill Suites Arcadia TV Stand and Desk

SpringHill Suites Arcadia Kitchenette

SpringHill Suites Arcadia Kitchenette

Continue reading →

Categories: California, Hotel, Lodging Review, Marriott, North America, United States | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.