Author Archives: Shelli

About Shelli

Shelli Stein is a health and fitness entrepreneur who travels the world in search of culture, food, and fun! Besides contributing to Travel with Grant, you can find her at Joy in Movement.

a dock leading to a beach

Big, Better, Best Sign Up Bonuses on Hilton Credit Cards

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Hilton is now the master of the co-branded hotel credit card domain. Back in January, Hilton began teaming up with American Express to offer co-branded credit cards. Many Hilton loyalists were excited by this transition away from Citibank to American Express because it increased the Hilton co-branded card offerings, which equated to more opportunities to earn Hilton points. And now, all four Hilton Honors American Express cards are offering elevated bonuses.

These are the best offers Hilton has had since these cards became part of the American Express Hilton portfolio of cards.

Recently a reader asked me what the different benefits were on the four co-branded Hilton American Express cards. Good question!

Benefits and Elevated Offers on the Hilton Honors Cards 

HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD : Earn 75,000 Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months

  • No annual fee
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status. Earn Gold status after spending $20,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year.
  • 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide
  • 5x Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations
  • 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on all other eligible purchases

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TSA: Keeping Us Secure, But Not From Germs!

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Perhaps another good title for this post is “You can never carry enough hand sanitizer when you’re in the airport!” But do we really think ANY place in an airport isn’t chock full of germs? I guess, though, it’s always good to know which places at the airport are the most likely ones to be full of germs and viruses. Extra precautions can’t hurt, but does the TSA take them? I was surprised to learn about a TSA protocol that I can now request. Hopefully this will keep me away from “virus central.” Be prepared to up your stash of hand sanitizer after you read this!

a heart made of coffee beans

How Organic is Organic Coffee?

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As you enjoy your weekend morning coffee, or depending on your time zone maybe that’s your afternoon espresso, or even your post dinner digestive beverage also known as espresso, here’s an interesting story. When I travel I seek out one-off locally owned coffee houses. When I talk with the owners I’m often told that their coffee beans are indeed organic, and the conditions on the coffee farms are indeed “sustainable” but that they as shop owners, as well as the coffee farmers, don’t have the funds to get all the necessary certificates to say so. This article delves into whether it’s really possible to even monitor conditions for all these certifications. See what you think. Are you buying only sustainable-certified coffee?

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Reader Question Answered: Best Uses of Alaska Airlines Miles

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Is finding award seat availability a challenge for you? It’s no secret that families find it both challenging and frustrating. The easier part is accruing miles and points, because after all we put our spend on credit cards offering us bonuses, accrue miles from flying, and can even buy miles when we need to. We have big smiles on our faces when we see our airline point balances, but often those smiles turn to frowns when we try to put them to good use booking award flight tickets. Reality is not always an easy cup of espresso to swallow!

Alaska Airlines Award Tickets

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What’s Your Favorite Time of Year in Paris?

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I love the emails I get this time of year from friends and family who live in Europe. With great joy and in great detail they tell me all about their summer holidays. And for the French, in particular, vacation is seen not as a perk but as a necessity of life that everyone has the right to. There are even French organizations that help economically disadvantaged families go on holidays. This article brought back fond memories of visiting Paris when all the Parisians have gone elsewhere. Whether you prefer Paris when it’s quiet or when it’s full of French hustle and bustle, this article is a quick fun read.