Chase recently sent out a survey to selected cardholders to gauge opinions on several potential negative changes that could be made to the Ultimate Rewards program and its associated credit cards. While no changes are imminent, this survey could give us some insight into what may occur in the future. Since program devaluations are a constant source of risk in the travel rewards game, it helps to consider which opportunities currently provide outsized value that may be ripe for devaluation.
Earning points and miles through flying on planes, staying in hotels, and credit card spend are all ways to rack up points. But in addition to those methods, most major loyalty programs allow you to buy points directly from the airline or hotel chain. Here’s our guide on the ins and outs of buying points and miles.
Act fast to redeem Virgin Atlantic miles before the upcoming devaluation, and Citi ThankYou points transfers to Virgin Atlantic might get you to that award even faster thanks to a new bonus offer.
You may not be a New Year’s resolution type of person, but you’ll actually do yourself a disservice if you don’t make a few promises related to your travel hacking hobby. Earning miles and points that will help whisk you and your family around the globe in style isn’t easy, and it takes planning and organization.
Before you sing “Auld Lang Syne” at the dawn of the New Year, make a few resolutions that may help you get where you want to go in the next 12 months. Here are some resolutions shared by us at RewardExpert. You may want to commit to them as well.
Part of an effective miles and points earning strategy is to take advantage of every opportunity to rack up extra miles. Here are some tips for earning miles in places you may not have thought of before.
This week brings good news in terms of rich promotions, but also sour news in terms of more restrictive airline fees. Read on to see who the winners and losers are in the world of travel this past week.
Southwest frequent flyers have the ability to collect hundreds of reward points when they join e-Rewards, a program that allows members to earn rewards in exchange for completing surveys and sharing their opinions. By signing up for e-Rewards, Southwest Rapid Rewards members will automatically be eligible to earn 500 points.
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.
So you’re savvy enough to collect points and miles from airlines and hotels, but did you realize that you might be missing out on other perks by not signing up for some of these lesser known loyalty programs.
The Blue Sky Card from American Express is not as popular as American Express’ other cash back or Membership Rewards cards, but it’s a solid product, especially for a no-annual-fee card. There are no limitations where to book your travel. You can book directly with an airline, hotel or a cruise ship, or you can buy your travel from an online aggregator like Priceline.
The Blue for Business credit card from American Express belongs to the Membership Rewards family. It’s a solid, no-annual-fee business card that provides excellent benefits to the cardholder.
British Airways Executive Club is structured a bit differently from many other airline elite programs, mostly because Avios — the airline’s currency — are points, not miles.
El Al is the flag carrier of Israel. It flies to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Matmid, El Al’s loyalty program, has two award redemption charts. One is for the those who live in Israel and have the airline’s co-branded credit card, as well as Executive Circle elite status holders living outside of Israel. The other chart is for everyone else.
Citi ThankYou Prestige is an upscale premium travel reward card that is comparable to the American Express Platinum card. It has many similar travel benefits, and the same hefty $450 annual fee. You should consider getting the Citi card despite the high cost since it comes with some outstanding perks, particularly for those who travel a lot.
People seem to love or hate Sun Country Airlines. Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler have ranked the low-cost carrier one of the top 10 domestic airlines, but online reviews seem to be mostly negative, with one suggesting that “the sun has set on Sun Country Airlines.”
Capital One has made a name for itself among consumers with splashy, celebrity-filled ads, but marketing isn’t the only way the company pushes the envelope. Capital One is constantly creating new credit card offers and reward programs, each with more perks than the last.
JetBlue is often credited with raising the bar for the in-flight experience on board a low-cost airline. In addition to comfort advances and customer service innovations, the airline was one of the first to offer personalized in-flight entertainment for all passengers.
When you reserve a room at any of the 12 Morgans Hotel Group Properties, you will triple your TrueBlue rewards points, receive $50 in food and beverages and get free access to wireless internet.
Virgin America previously had a partnership with Barclays for its reward credit cards, but in 2014 it changed to a lesser-known bank partner, Comenity. They now issue a card that is even more rewarding than before.
