Author Archives: Grant

About Grant

Grant is an expert in frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points, credit card rewards, and cash back deals. He also has a pretty cool travel blog. Find him on Twitter @travelwithgrant.

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My First PayPal Payment Received from BART Perks ($17 from October)

Good morning everyone, happy Tuesday!  (Only a few more days to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday – I hope you are ready.)  Last month, I wrote Introduction to San Francisco Bay BART Perks Test Program.  In that post, I showed you how the BART Perks program works, when to take BART rides to earn bonus points, and how to redeem your points for chances to win cash prizes.  If you live in the Bay Area and have a Clipper Card, there is absolutely no reason not to sign up for BART Perks – the program is free to use and you could win a few dollars (like me).  If you use my referral link, you will get 250 points for signing up.

Last night, I got an email from PayPal that said BART Perks sent me $17 for my October winnings.  If you won any money in October, you should receive a PayPal payment.  It looks like payments are sent 3 weeks after the month ends, so winnings from November should be sent out around December 21.

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How to Easily Cancel your Google Express Free Trial or Membership

Good afternoon everyone.  A few months ago, LivingSocial had a deal where you could get a free 6 month membership and $20 in credit for Google Express for the cost of $5.  I saw the offer as a great way to get $15 of free stuff from Google Express and jumped at the offer.  Like all good things, the free 6 month membership came to an end, but thankfully Google sent me an email yesterday letting me know that my first monthly payment was scheduled to go through on November 19.  They also provided a helpful link at the bottom of the email with steps to cancel my Google Express membership.

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Use Visa Infinite Credit Card to get $100 off Roundtrip Domestic Flights (Discount Air Benefit)

Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  In this post, I will show you how to use your JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card to get $100 off round trip domestic flights.  Unfortunately, if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa Infinite Credit Card, you are not eligible for this benefit.

It all started when I was looking for flights down to Orange County for Super Bowl weekend (Sunday, February 5, 2017).  United Airlines is/was having a fare sale for SFO-SNA and I found a great round trip flight for $127.  My brother (who now lives in the Bay Area – Larkspur to be specific) also wanted to fly down to Orange County that weekend, so I was excited to use the new Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit.

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Reminder: SF Travel Hackers Meetup Tonight (7pm on 11/15)

Good morning everyone, I’m sorry this is super last minute, but I wanted to remind everyone in the Bay Area that there is a SF Travel Hackers Meetup tonight.  This is the topic of tonight’s meetup:

Want to make sure you’re earning the most frequent flyer miles out of your flights? This event is targeted at novice travelers or those looking to take a long trip in the near future.  We’ll be discussing revenue-based programs, changes made to United, Delta and American and how you can set yourself up for the most number of reward flights.

  • When: Tuesday, November 15 @ 7-9pm
  • Where: Startup Basecamp Civic Center, 900 Franklin, San Francisco, CA 94109 (Google Map)

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I will be there shortly before 7pm and their might even be food/drinks provided.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.  Have a great day everyone!

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Guest Post: Hawaii First-Timers: Which Hawaiian Island is Right for You?

The mosaic of colors and ecosystems sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean belong to the Hawaiian archipelago, a significant location on many traveler’s bucket lists due to their eye-popping landscapes, mesmerizing culture and delicious cuisine.  Unfortunately, those who have the opportunity to plan a trip often face a major dilemma: how do you choose which island(s) to visit?

Since they are geographically isolated, located 2,471 miles from the closest point in the United States, planning a trip is time-consuming at best.  Each island is also packed with its own unique highlights, which would easily occupy the best of a week to only scratch the surface.  Piggyback that thought with the fact that most travelers average 2 weeks of vacation time per year and you can see that there may only be enough time to explore one or maximum two islands during one trip.

Image c/o WPPilot on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Image c/o WPPilot on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) // https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Luckily, each island has adopted its own unique personality and travelers can design their Hawaiian vacations by picking those isles that best match their personal characters.  Are you a self-proclaimed foodie whose adventurous palate knows no bounds?  Or do you prefer passing the day on the water, enjoying one activity after another?  Perhaps, Hawaii is your honeymoon destination.  Fortunately, no matter who you are, or what your reason is for visiting, there is an island for everyone. Continue reading