Category Archives: Hotels + Points

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Do You Use An Affinity Reward Credit Card? Here’s a Better Option!

I swear this happened the other day because I could not make this stuff up, even if I tried. And it’s by far the number one mistake people make in gathering miles and points. I’m in line to pay for groceries and the man in front of me pulls out a credit card to pay for his items. I have a curious nature, so I always look to see what credit card people use for their expenses. I contorted my body in several different directions in order to catch the name on the card and it was a, drum roll please… TJ Maxx Credit Card. Who knew TJ Maxx even had a credit card? And I’m not judging people who shop at TJ Maxx. Observing this man using his TJ Maxx Credit Card at a grocery store reminded me of all the other friends and family members I have who use these affinity cards. Using affinity cards doesn’t make sense if the goal is to travel more for less. Credit cards that accrue flexible points and miles so they can be used on various airlines and at multiple hotel chains makes much much much better sense! Continue reading

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Does the $450 Annual Fee Count Toward AMEX Hilton Aspire Minimum Spend? Maybe Yes

Good morning everyone.  On May 15, I received my 100,000 Hilton Honors Points from my new American Express Hilton Aspire Credit Card (referral link).  This credit card requires $4,000 in minimum spending within 3 months to get the 100,000 Hilton Honors Points.  The strange thing is, I think I got the 100,000 Hilton Honors Points before I completed the full $4,000 in minimum spend.  I believe I was a few hundred dollars short by May 15, but it looks like the $450 annual fee counted toward the $4,000 minimum spend.  My friend recently got his 100,000 Hilton Honors Points and noticed the same thing.  Let me see if I can dig a little deeper and see what is going on.

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Trip Report: Kimpton Glover Park Hotel in Washington DC

I had a one night stay during a work trip to Washington DC, and decided to try out something new since it was less expensive than my usual hotel, the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel.

Location: The hotel is located on Wisconsin Avenue near the Naval Observatory, across from the Russian Embassy. It’s about a 20 minute walk to either Georgetown or my alma mater of American University, and a 10-20 minute drive from downtown DC depending on traffic. Unfortunately it’s not particularly transit-accessible, but they offer a shuttle to the Woodley Park Metro Station and other destinations in a 1-mile radius.

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PSA: Most US Bank “Travel Cards” Charge FOREX Fees

Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great Father’s Day Weekend. As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m getting ready for my Greece and Malta vacation. As part of my packing process, I call my banks and credit card companies, tell them I’m traveling internationally, and ask them to put travel notifications on my cards. During my recent call to Discover, I “discovered” 3 surprising facts about using Discover credit and debit cards internationally. In today’s post, I discovered some disappointing information about using US Bank credit cards internationally.

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United Airlines & IHG Buy Miles/Points Flash Sales: 100% Bonus

Updated at 3:15pm PT on 6/12: The 100% bonus on United Airlines miles is gone, but there are a few 70% bonus packages still left.

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(Hat tip to Kal for the United Airlines email)

Good afternoon everyone.  I have 2 buy miles/points flash sale deals to share.  United Airlines is offering 20,000 bonus miles when you purchase one of their 20,000 mile packages.  IHG is also offering a 100% bonus on the number of IHG Points you purchase, with a minimum purchase of 5,000 IHG Points.  If you are short on a few United Airlines miles or IHG Points for your next redemption, take a look at these promos and take advantage of the deals.  I have added both offers to our Buy Miles/Points Page.

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