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Andy Shuman

Andy Shuman

Andy Shuman is a freelance travel blogger and the author of the Lazy Travelers Handbook series. He is also a miles and points aficionado with a strong knowledge of frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs. Most of all, he is a travel junkie who wants to be on the road as much as possible.

Loyalty programs: American, United, US Airways, Delta, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Jet Blue, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Iberia, LAN, Japan Airways, Air Nippon, Bangkok Airways.

Favorite program: American Airlines. It is still the best despite some shortcomings.

Favorite travel destinations: Latin America, Southeast Asia.

Most memorable trip: Argentina/Brazil 2005. Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, Oktoberfest in Blumenau and short resort stay in Camboriu.

Travel rewards credit cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Platinum, Chase IHG Club, Citi AAdvantage, Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, Barclays Arrival, etc. I’d better stop right here or it will take up the whole page.

Favorite rewards: Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer your points to several airline and hotel programs, book travel, or redeem for cash. It’s a very versatile program.

Andy Shuman Andy Shuman’s posts:

See South America With Stopovers on Alaska Airlines

You might be surprised to find that you can use Alaska Airlines miles to fly to South America. And Alaska’s flexible stopover policy makes its loyalty program, Mileage Plan, a great option for booking that itinerary.

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Asiana Visa Platinum and Classic Credit Cards Review

Who Are the Asiana Visa Cards From Bank of America Good For?

Asiana Airlines, a major South Korean carrier, offers two personal Visa cards to residents of the United States: the Asiana Visa Classic and the Asiana Visa Platinum. Anyone who flies to Asia and Korea on a regular basis would benefit from the ability to earn some extra Asiana miles via credit card spending.

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See Fiji, Australia and New Zealand With Stopovers on Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines allows you to make a free stopover on one-way award flights, even if they’re booked on one of the carrier’s partners. This flexible policy makes it possible to go to multiple destinations without spending more miles. In this post, we’ll look at several possible itineraries that include Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

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Visit the Holy City of Varanasi With Miles

Visit the Holy City of Varanasi With Miles

Varanasi, also called Benares, is the holiest place for Hindu and Jain believers around the world. It’s considered the center of earth in Hindu mythology, and it’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.

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Quiet Beaches and Vibrant Nightlife: Get to Los Cabos With Miles

Quiet Beaches and Vibrant Nightlife: Get to Los Cabos With Miles

Los Cabos, a municipality in Mexico, is sometimes called the End of the Earth because of its location at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Its main settlements—the sleepy San Jose Del Cabo and the frenetic Cabo San Lucas—have their own distinctive personalities, offering visitors a wide variety of activities.

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Find an Award Flight to Anchorage

About half of Alaska’s population lives in the state’s largest city, Anchorage. It is located in the midst of raw, majestic wilderness, making it an outdoor paradise with impressive scenery, abundant wildlife and well-developed ecotourism. Basing your adventures out of Anchorage allows you to also enjoy all the amenities you’d expect from a major metropolitan area.

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Fly to Kerala, India With Miles

Fly to Kerala, India With Miles

Its idyllic coastline, tropical climate, year-round festivals and relatively unknown status among tourists makes the Indian state of Kerala a near-perfect destination. Among the area’s appealing attributes are miles of tranquil beaches, myriads of ecotourism activities, unique local celebrations and access to ancient Ayurvedic healing practices.

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See Guam’s White-Sand Beaches With Miles

See Guam's White-Sand Beaches With Miles

Guam, a Pacific island located between Hawaii and the Philippines, is a great place to relax and recharge. Its peaceful white-sand beaches are always just a step away from wherever you are, whether that’s one of the island’s elegant hotels, comfy bars or fantastic restaurants.

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Fly to the Dominican Republic’s All-Inclusive Resorts With Miles

Fly to the Dominican Republic's All-Inclusive Resorts With Miles

No matter how adventurous you are, there comes a time when you just want to relax, lie on the beach, sip a drink and do nothing. This is when an all-inclusive vacation is in order. Enjoy some good food and drinks, catch a show, grab a tour or two and unplug. There’s nothing wrong with having a cocktail in your hand at 9 o’clock in the morning!

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Find an Award Ticket to Curitiba, Brazil

Find an Award Ticket to Curitiba, Brazil

Curitiba, Brazil, may not be as well known as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, but its attractions are plentiful and diverse. There’s a lot to explore, including everything from quaint historic districts and quiet parks to modern architecture, art museums and shopping.

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Delve Into Delhi and Get There With Miles

Delve Into Delhi and Get There With Miles

Delhi, the capital of India, is one of the oldest cities in the world. It’s a magical place with nearly 3,000 years of history, stunning architecture and unbelievable bazaars. And you can get there for almost free with miles from any of the major airline alliances.

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Fly to Maui and Kauai in Hawaii With Miles

Fly to Maui and Kauai in Hawaii With Miles

Travel + Leisure recently placed the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai in the top 10 of The World’s Best Islands. They’re ranked just one spot below the exotic and beautiful island of Moorea in French Polynesia. Hawaii’s much easier to get to, even with miles, so it might be time to plan a trip to Maui or Kauai.

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Find an Award Flight to Mexico City

Find an Award Flight to Mexico City

Mexico City is a place where tradition meets modernity.  And as one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, the city can easily overwhelm visitors with things to see and do. It offers seemingly endless numbers of quaint streets, fascinating museums, amazing restaurants, historic buildings and archaeological sites to explore.

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Fly to Salvador, Brazil With Miles

Fly to Salvador, Brazil With Miles

Located in northeast Brazil, Salvador was founded in 1549 and served as the country’s first capital. It’s the third largest city in Brazil, and one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. Salvador’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s renowned for its beautiful cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and numerous churches.

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Use Free Stopovers on Alaska Airlines’ Partners

Alaska Airlines’ generous booking policies allow you to make one free stopover per one-way domestic award ticket, or two stopovers per roundtrip. But you also get free stopovers on award flights booked with Alaska’s excellent international airline partners, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.

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See the Pacific Northwest With Free Stopovers on Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines’ generous stopover policy allows you to take one stopover per one-way flight, or two per roundtrip, without adding any cost to your ticket. The best part is that the rule also applies to domestic flights, not just international itineraries. In this post, we’ll look at how to take advantage of these rules to visit three destinations in the U.S. for the price of one round-trip award flight.

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Using Stopovers on Alaska Airlines to See More

Alaska Airlines has a generous booking policy that allows passengers to make a stopover on a one-way ticket. That means that you can make two stopovers on a round-trip ticket, which is even better than United’s policy, which allows for one. In this post, we’ll show you how to use that rule to see more places without spending extra miles.

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Using Open Jaws on Delta to See More: Europe

Delta’s free open jaw on round-trip award tickets will allow you to see more while paying the same price in miles and cash. But the airline’s booking policy is important to know about if you’re traveling to Europe, since it adds fuel surcharges to one-way flights that originate there.

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Using Layovers on American Airlines to See More of Europe

Layovers are usually involuntary. They occur when travelers have make connections and transfer from one plane to another. Nonstop flights are normally more expensive, so you’d typically include an unnecessary layover in your itinerary for only one reason—to save money. But, if you time it right, you can also use a layover to see more without spending extra miles.

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Using Stopovers on United to Save Miles: Australia and Fiji

In this post, we’ll show you how to use United’s free stopover policy to save miles on an award flight to Australia. As an added bonus, this mile-saving itinerary also takes you to the exotic island of

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