Earn United Miles for Donating to Nepal Relief

Posted on April 27, 2015 by 2btravel

I just received an email from United stating I can earn miles for donating to the Red Cross in support of their relief efforts in Nepal:

2015-04-27 UA Red Cross

You can click on the offer to enlarge it but the highlights are:

  • 250 miles for a donation of $50-$99 USD
  • 500 miles for a donation of $100-$249 USD
  • 1000 miles for a donation of $250 or more

Donations must be received between now and 11:59 pm Central Time on 15 May 2015.

If you haven’t found a way to help out yet, here’s an easy way and you can earn miles in the process.

Categories: Star Alliance, United | Tags: | Leave a comment

New Benefits for American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card

Posted on April 23, 2015 by 2btravel

PremierRewardsGoldCardAmerican Express has several cards that earn Membership Rewards (MR) points. These are a great currency that can be transferred to multiple frequent flyer programs at a 1:1 ratio. Those programs include Aeroplan (Air Canada), British Airways Executive Club, Altitalia MilleMiglia and Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific). MRs can also be transferred to the Delta Skymiles and Ethiad Guest programs at a ratio of 1000 MRs to 750 miles.

The Amex Premier Rewards Gold Card is a charge card, meaning the whole balance is due each month, but it can offer terrific value if used strategically. Currently the card earns:

  • 3 points per dollar for flights booked directly with the airline
  • 2 points per dollar at US gas stations and supermarkets
  • 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Starting June 1, 2015 the card’s benefits will expand to include:

  • 2 points per dollar at US restaurants
  • No foreign transactions fees
  • A $100 credit per calendar year on qualifying airline charges including incidental fees like baggage fees, itinerary fees, in-flight food and airport lounge day passes that are charged by the airline to the card

Cardholders will also now have access to a team of travel professionals to assist with travel needs. This can be great for items that points and miles won’t allow you to arrange for yourself.  Note that the annual fee is $175 after the first year.

These new benefits are nice though I’m disappointed that the 2x points at restaurants is only for US restaurants. If I wanted to take this card overseas that would be a category I’d definitely use but if it’s not going to earn me 2x points I have other cards that will.

If you already have this card you’ll see more details on your March 2015 statement.

If you don’t have this card, you can apply HERE. Be sure to check the card match tool to see if you can get a better offer.

Categories: American Express, Premier Rewards Gold Card | 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

Quick Hits for the Weekend

Posted on April 12, 2015 by 2btravel

Bonus on Purchased AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines is offering bonus AAdvantage miles where the bonus amount varies depending on how many you buy or gift. If you bought the full 100,000 miles you’ll get 60,000 bonus miles for $3201.25 including taxes and fees. That works out to ~2 cents per mile which is actually about as cheap as we’ve seen American offer them for sale. On the other hand, if you’re accustomed to US Airways selling points at 1.7 cents, it’s a bit of a price hike. So it looks like the new management has decided to split the difference on the price. This is a pretty good deal if you need to top off your account for an award but not necessarily a great way to stock up on them. For other, more knowledgeable opinions, check out what Gary and Ben have to say – and if you haven’t combined your American and US Airways accounts yet, Ben makes a compelling case as to why you might like to hold off if you’re planning to buy miles.

 

Discount on Visa Gift Cards at Kroger Stores

I actually don’t get to travel a lot and accrue the majority of my points via credit card sign-ups and through manufactured spending. If you’re not familar with manufactured spending, it’s the process of using points-earning credit cards to buy products that can be quickly turned into cash. For some people this involves buying and reselling things on eBay. For others it’s buying gift cards that can be used like debit cards and loaded to one of the prepaid accounts like Amex’s Bluebird (Wal-Mart) or Target RedCard or used to buy money orders. These prepaid accounts or money orders can be used to then pay off the credit card account.

Now through April 18th, Kroger is offering an electronic coupon that will save you $5.00 when you buy two or more Visa gift cards. Kroger (and their family of stores including King Sooper, Smiths and City Market) sell Visa gift cards offered by US Bank and these cards come with a PIN so that they can be used as debit cards. The cards come in various fixed-value denominations from $25 to $100 and a variable-denomination card where you can load $20-500. There is an activation fee from (I believe) $3.95 for the cheaper, fixed-value cards up to $5.95 for the $100 card and the variable-load card.

So if you log into Kroger.com or the Kroger app and apply the coupon you can save $5.00 which will nearly cover one of the activation fees. Plus, if you use a cash-back card to purchase these gift cards, you’ll save even more.

HT: Miles To Memories on Frequent Miler

Categories: American Airlines, Manufactured Spend, Quick Hits | 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

Turkish Airlines 777 Business Class IST-IAH

Posted on April 6, 2015 by 2btravel

Turkey Trip Overview
Booking Flights To Turkey
British Airways First Class Lounge IAH
British Airways 777 First Class IAH-LHR
Transiting Heathrow and British Airways A320 Business Class LHR-IST
Marriott Courtyard Istanbul Airport
Pegasus Airlines Istanbul to Izmir and Back
Ephesus, Mary’s House and Basilica of St. John
Swissotel Efes
Pamukkale Bus and Preiene
Ritz-Carlton Istanbul
Major Sites to see in Istanbul
Radisson Blu Bosphorus
Turkish Airlines Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines 777 Business Class IST-IAH

We boarded through door 2L and I crossed through the galley to the right aisle to settle in seat 3K, which I had selected via a call to Turkish Airlines once the seat selection window opened in June. And it was here that the tale of musical chairs began.

Turkish Airlines 33
IST-ISH
Boeing 777-300ER
Seat 3K (business class)

Continue reading →

Categories: Star Alliance, Turkey, Turkish Airlines | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

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

3x Points on Dining Today With Chase Sapphire Preferred – But That’s Not The Best Option

Posted on April 3, 2015 by 2btravel

CSPQuick reminder that today you’ll get 3x Ultimate Rewards points on purchases at restaurants today if you use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. But that’s not the card I’ll be using today.

The no-fee Chase Freedom card is offering 5x Ultimate Rewards points at Restaurants throughout April, May and June so that’s a better rate than the CSP. The Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Freedom card can be combined with those of the Sapphire Preferred so that you’ll have a single pool of points.

Chase FreedomIf you don’t have a Freedom card but do have a Sapphire Preferred, why not sign up for one now? There’s no annual fee and even though the sign-up bonus isn’t great (10K points after spending $500 in 3 months) you can also get a 2500-point bonus for adding an authorized user and then you’ll have access to the quarterly rotating bonus categories.
Note: I do not have any affiliation with Chase and do not receive any compensation for any credit cards opened via these links. It will benefit another deserving blogger, however.

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

New Aviator Card Rollout

Posted on April 2, 2015 by 2btravel

2015-04-02 Barclay Aviator RolloutNow that the US Airways Dividend Miles program has been rolled into the American AAdvantage program, we’ll start to see Barclay’s US Airways Dividend Miles® MasterCards® being rolled into AAdvantage® Aviator™ MasterCards®. There are several types of the Aviator cards and just which kind you will receive will depend on the Dividend Miles card you had.

In my case, I had previously received an email stating I’d get the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red MasterCard® sometime this spring. Yesterday I received an email letting me know my new card would arrive in May.

The email also reminded me of new and existing benefits for this card:

  • First checked bag free for me and up to four companions on the same reservation. This is a carry-over benefit.
  • No foreign transaction fees. I don’t recall my USDM card having this benefit so if it’s new, it’s a great addition.
  • 25% off in-flight purchases. Again, I don’t recall this being a benefit but it’s nice to have.
  • 10% of redeemed miles back. This is definitely new and a terrific addition. I already had this benefit via the American Airlines Platinum AAdvantage card but for those who don’t have that card, this can save you up to 10,000 miles per year, depending on how many you redeem. I actually maxed it out in 2014 for the first time.

2015-04-02 Barclay Bonus PromotionThe email also reminded me to be sure I’d registered my card for the 50% bonus on eligible purchases from now through the end of June. If you haven’t registered your card yet, do so now by logging into your account and clicking on the promotional banner on the right side of the page.

Categories: AAdvantage Aviator, Credit Cards, US Airways MasterCard | 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

Blog at WordPress.com.