Category Archives: Hotels + Points

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2026 Travel Predictions Midyear Review: Which Predictions Came True?

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope your weekend is going well. As we approach the halfway point of 2026, I thought it would be fun to revisit my 2026 travel predictions and see how many have come true so far.  Predicting the future is never easy, especially in the travel and credit card world, but it’s always entertaining to look back and see what actually happened.

Below are my original predictions and a midyear update.  Predictions in green have come true, while predictions in red have not come true just yet… 

Airline Predictions (0 / 3):

  • Alaska Airlines will change the Global 25K Companion Award into a Global 25K Award Discount (valid for a single passenger). – Nope, Alaska Airlines has not made any changes to the Global 25K Companion Award. 
  • Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, or Delta Airlines will launch a debit card. – Nope, none of the 3 airlines has launched a debit card.
  • Southwest Airlines will not award Rapid Rewards Points on Basic Fares. – Nope, Southwest Airlines has not made any changes to earning points on Basic fares.

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How to Find Out When All of Your Wyndham Rewards Points Expire

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope your week is going well. After reading about the new $395 annual fee Barclays Wyndham Earner Premier Credit Card and the new benefit that Wyndham Rewards points no longer expire for Premier cardholders, I became curious about my own account.

Wyndham tells you how many points expire next, but it doesn’t tell you when the rest of your points expire. I wanted to know exactly when all 111,018 of my Wyndham Rewards (WR) points were scheduled to expire, and it turns out there’s an easy way to find out.

The good news is that Wyndham Rewards customer service can email you two detailed reports that show exactly when every point was earned, redeemed, and scheduled to expire. Here’s how to request them.

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Success! I Used My $325 Altitude Reserve Travel Credit Through the US Bank Travel Center

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope you had a great Father’s Day Weekend. I enjoyed celebrating my first Father’s Day with Madison and Laura.

Last week, I needed to book a hotel stay for an upcoming trip. While planning the reservation, I remembered that I hadn’t yet used the $325 annual travel credit on my US Bank Altitude Reserve Credit Card, so I decided to put it toward this booking.

This was my first time using the travel credit through the US Bank Travel Center. In previous years, the credit was automatically applied to eligible travel purchases made directly with the credit card. Under the current system, however, the credit must be used through the US Bank Travel Center, so I booked the hotel reservation there instead.

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Why I Haven’t Had a Hyatt Credit Card (or Hyatt Elite Status) for Nearly 6 Years

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  With all the recent news about the refreshed Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and the upcoming change to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt, I thought it would be interesting to share why I don’t currently have a Hyatt credit card and don’t have any Hyatt elite status either (shocker!).

Grant’s World of Hyatt Account (as of 6-14-2026)

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Major Wells Fargo Rewards Program Changes: No More Combined Rewards Accounts, Gifting Rewards, or Automatic Redemptions

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  I was reviewing my recent Wells Fargo Autograph Credit Card (originally the Bilt MasterCard) and there was a full page of changes to the terms and conditions of the Wells Fargo Rewards Program.  I figured these changes would be of interest to anyone who is currently earning and redeeming Wells Fargo Rewards Points.  Here is the full text:

IMPORTANT NOTICE OF WELLS FARGO REWARDS® TERMS AND CONDITIONS CHANGES

This notice includes important information about changes to the Wells Fargo Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions for Your Credit Card. All other aspects of the existing Wells Fargo Rewards Program Terms and Conditions and Addendum for Your Credit Card remain in full force and effect. Please read this notice carefully and keep a copy for Your records.

Effective Immediately:

Combining Rewards Account
We will no longer combine Rewards Accounts when You have multiple Credit Cards with the same Rewards currency. Separate Rewards balances will be provided for each of Your Credit Cards.

Effective June 30, 2026:

Travel Rewards Provider
Travel rewards provider will transition to Aspire Lifestyles (AMERICAS) Inc from Aspire Loyalty Travel Solutions LLC and will cover bookings made on and after June 30, 2026. Cruises will no longer be available as a travel option, and you must have an email added to Wells Fargo online banking for all bookings. Your ability to earn or redeem for all other travel rewards will remain the same.

To review terms and conditions for travel rewards go to www.wellsfargo.com/rewardterms

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