Educational Posts on Loyalty Programs

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Which Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards Are Worth Holding Long Term?

Which Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards Are Worth Holding Long Term?

With so many good travel credit cards on the market, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which ones to keep in your wallet long-term. If you keep too many, you will end up paying a significant amount of money in annual fees which may end up costing you more than the value you receive from these cards. On the other hand, if you cancel a card and later decide you would like to have it again, you may be prevented from getting that card again due to Chase’s much-maligned 5/24 rule.

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8 Ways to Redeem Miles with Lufthansa Miles&More for Maximum Value

Lufthansa miles

How much value you can you get with Lufthansa’s Miles & More loyalty program? These miles don’t have a big presence in North America, but it’s still possible to accumulate them with Star Alliance carriers, by transferring points from Starwood Preferred Guest, or getting a credit card from Barclaycard. The program offers a few unique values despite collecting additional carrier surcharges on most international award tickets.

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How to Upgrade Your Flight with American AAdvantage Miles

american airlines upgrade options

Many travelers who earn frequent flyer miles aren’t always interested in booking an award ticket. Instead, they want to use their miles to upgrade a ticket they’ve already bought with cash. Upgrades and award travel have a lot in common, but the rules are unique for every loyalty program. This post discusses how to upgrade a ticket purchased with American Airlines.

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Sapphire Reserve Hits the Market, Bye to Etihad Limos, Birthday Bonuses From Virgin

Virgin America bonuses

This week’s roundup has both good and bad news. The Chase Sapphire Reserve applicataion went live this past week with its 100,000 point sign-up bonus. But while there are lots of great ways to earn bonus miles, Etihad has squashed one of our favorite benefits on first class award tickets. Read it and weep amidst the plethora of other good deals out there.

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Ranking the Three Major U.S. Airlines

Ranking the Three Major U.S. Airlines

There have been numerous changes implemented and announced by the three major U.S. airlines, United, American and Delta, in recent months with modifications to frequent flyer programs, credit cards, bank relationships, planes, routes and service.

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New Chase Sapphire Reserve Details and Analysis

Chase Sapphire card

New Chase Sapphire Reserve Details and Analysis

Since details on the upcoming release of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card were originally leaked, there has been a ton of new information hitting the internet. On August 15th Chase officially announced the card via Twitter. However, the biggest news was that on the same day, a developer application link was accidentally made publicly available for a few hours.

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The Ultimate Guide to Global Entry and Automated Passport Control

The Ultimate Guide to Global Entry and Automated Passport Control

The longest line you’ll face when traveling may not be at check-in or even airport security. Instead, clearing customs and immigration can take hours at busy airports when several international flights arrive at once. Global Entry is one of the best programs available to travelers who hope to skip past these lines in the U.S. We also give you a few other options that may be cheaper.

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Delta Suites, Chase’s Sapphire Reserve and FF Program Workarounds

Delta Suites, Chase's Sapphire Reserve and FF Program Workarounds

There’s always exciting news in the travel world, and this week is no different. Learn a clever workaround for maximizing your miles even with new revenue-based programs. Plus, there is some great news in the credit card world, like a new premium card offering 100,000 points and lounge upgrades.

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The Ultimate Guide to Clearing Security with TSA PreCheck

The Ultimate Guide to Clearing Security with TSA PreCheck

When you apply for TSA PreCheck, you’re essentially requesting a Known Traveler Number. This basic form of registration identifies you as an unlikely threat to national security and enables you to speed through the airport checkpoint with less scrutiny.

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9 Ways to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards

10 Ways to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards

1. Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

This is the fastest way to earn tons of Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you have opened relatively few credit card accounts over the past 2 years, it should also be one of the easiest.

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Rent An Apartment In The Air With Rewards Points

Rent An Apartment In The Air With Rewards Points

If you happen to be flying on an Etihad Airways route between Abu Dhabi and New York (JFK), London Heathrow, Melbourne, Mumbai or Sydney, and have enough airline miles, you can exchange that annoying cramped economy seat for an apartment with more amenities than you can imagine.

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Free Entertainment on American, United Discounts Award Travel and Delta Apologizes

united discounts

This week is chock full of travel-related news for frequent flyers. Whether you are earning or burning miles as you travel, consider these tidbits to discover ways to improve upon and enjoy the journey, no matter where you are headed.

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United Changes, Jet Blue Allows Changes, Marriott Makes Friends and More

United Changes, Jet Blue Allows Changes, Marriott Makes Friends and More

In our weekly roundup column we look at what’s happening around the world that is of interest to miles and points collectors.

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Citi Credit Card Application Rules

Citi Credit Card Application Rules

While Citi’s credit card application rules aren’t as complicated or restrictive as some issuers, they can still be confusing. It’s important to know these rules or else you risk being denied for a new card or forfeiting a sign-up bonus. In this post we‘ll cover the basics for applying and some strategies for insuring that you get the bonus.

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United Just Changed a Fundamental Rule for Booking Award Travel

United Just Changed a Fundamental Rule for Booking Award Travel

One of the most valuable features of many airline  loyalty programs is the ability to book a stopover during your itinerary. How does a stopover differ from a regular connection? Usually you must arrive and depart within 24 hours during international connections (or within 4 hours during domestic connections).

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10 Ways to Redeem Miles on Alaska Airlines for Maximum Value

10 Ways to Redeem Miles on Alaska Airlines for Maximum Value

Everyone talks about the amazing trips you can take by redeeming frequent flyer miles, but just how much value do they really provide? This article takes a closer look at ten great ways to redeem miles through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. What, you’ve never flown on Alaska? It doesn’t matter. They have almost a dozen international partners, including American Airlines and Delta Airlines, which makes it easier than you’d expect to earn and redeem miles.

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New Routes and Back-to-School Bonuses

new routes

This week has been full of travel news for points and miles collectors. These are some of the latest tidbits to get you up to speed.

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American Express Application Rules: Will You Get a Sign-Up Bonus?

american express

American Express is one of the most restrictive card issuers in terms of application rules.  Not only does Amex limit how many cards you can have and how often you can apply, but it also has restrictions on who qualifies for sign-up bonuses. Let’s take a closer look at these rules and see if you’ll get a bonus with your next card.

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How and When to Downgrade Your Amex, Chase or Citi Credit Card

You may have been using a particular credit card for a while, but the time may come when you’re not happy with it anymore. There are potentially many very compelling reasons to get rid of a card, including a reduction of benefits and changes in your own lifestyle and travel habits. Sometimes you simply want to get one that is a better fit for your travel goals. You can check RewardExpert to see if a different card might help you achieve your travel dreams sooner.

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FF News: Bye Citi Prestige Lounges, Hello PreCheck and AA Changes

Precheck

Admirals Club access for Citi Prestige

If you hold the Citi Prestige card, you’re about to lose an important benefit. Starting July 23, 2017, American Airlines Admirals Club access will no longer be a feature of the card. Of course, there is still Priority Pass membership as a benefit, which provides access to hundreds of lounges, but there are not as many in the U.S. For the $450 annual fee, this is a big loss for domestic travelers that fly American frequently.

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