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When you are trying to juggle a bunch of new credit cards to take advantage of lucrative sign-up bonus offers, there are some risks if you are balancing a few accounts.

Bali is a tropical island in Indonesia with beautiful landscapes. Mountains, beautiful beaches and world-class diving make it a paradise for many travelers.

For three years straight, American Airlines has won two of the top honors among frequent flyer programs: the Freddie Awards for Program of the Year and Best Elite Program.

One of the big disappointments with airline programs these days is that it seems almost impossible to be loyal enough to earn a reward ticket by flying without the benefit of some serious business travel. But it doesn’t mean you should write off traveling using points and miles.

Enough is enough. It’s time to set the record straight.
The credit card industry, especially during the recession, has done too good of a job selling consumers on the value of cash back credit cards.

There are many ways to get to the Holy Land using miles. Just about all of the major airlines fly there, with the exception of American Airlines. But you can still use your AAdvantage miles to fly to Israel on merger partner US Airways or one of American’s alliance partners.

As far as award bookings with domestic carriers go, United is one of the most straightforward. You have all the options you’d expect one ways, multicity tickets, unlimited less-than-24-hour stopovers and you’re able to make almost all bookings online without any inexplicable system glitches keeping you from seeing the seats you’re entitled to cough, cough, Delta.

Airline and hotel programs are designed to get you to fly on their planes and to stay in their hotels. But we all know its not an exclusive relationship for many. While these programs are great for collecting miles and points for your low-cost travel, they are not the only programs you should be considering if you trade in your rewards for travel.

Domestic carriers are courting business travelers on transcontinental routes with flat-bed seats from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you’ve always wanted to visit France but have little time or a limited budget, there is an alternative on this side of the Atlantic. Use your miles to fly to the capital of French Canada, where you’ll find a smaller, less crowded Paris.

If you’re going to Munich, Germany, you should consider a stop in Mozart’s hometown of Salzburg, Austria. The travel time between the two European cities by rail is only two hours so it is easy to see both in one trip. You could also rent a car if you want to try the legendary Autobahn, which, contrary to popular belief does have speed limits.

While Delta’s recent announcements of their sweeping award program changes have caused an uproar among frequent flyers, one of the areas most likely to trip up leisure travelers are the airline’s new cash plus points awards.

Traveling to the worlds smallest continent to dive the Great Barrier Reef is not beyond your reach. You don’t have to spend $1,500 for a plane ticket to Australia. There are plenty of airline programs that will get you to the land down under with miles.

Ever looked for an award ticket, thought you had found a great deal, and then were shocked when the taxes and fees cost hundreds of dollars?

Vancouver, British Columbia, is nestled between snow-capped mountains and the warm beaches of the North Pacific. This cosmopolitan city was named one of the Top 5 Cities in Canada by Condé Nast Traveler. Trip Advisor calls it the top destination in the country. Its also very accessible from the lower 48.

Imagine checking your bag for free at a premium check-in desk with no wait and waltzing past the masses to go through security. Then settling into the lounge for a free meal before skipping the line to board your flight, where you get automatically upgraded to business class. All thanks to your elite status.

I’ll admit it. Ive missed out on some pretty terrific deals in the frequent flyer world for one reason and one reason only: I wasn’t prepared to take advantage of them. Sometimes a fare war makes a trip to a specific destination incredibly affordable. Or an airline may be offering reduced mileage rewards to certain destinations.

The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas is not a budget trip by any stretch of the imagination. The least expensive room will set you back at least $200 a night. These rooms are very basic. But you’re not going there to stay in your room. You are there to play in the water park or swim the private beaches and lagoons filled with tropical fish.

Disney World is not one of those exotic destinations we usually write about, where you can reap huge savings on airfare by using frequent flyer miles to get there. The tickets to Orlando don’t cost an arm and a leg, and most airlines serve the destination so it’s not difficult to get to.

Now that we’ve looked at the best airport lounges in the United States and Asia, we’re heading to Europe with pit stops in Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Turkey. They all have excellent places to spend a few hours between flights. Here are our favorite spots.