Category Archives: Hotels + Points

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PSA: Hyatt Elites–Don’t Forget This Valuable Benefit!

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Resort fees, destination fees; call them what you want, they all stink. Hotels have a menu (except we don’t get to pick and choose) of junk fees that are attached to our bills for all kinds of “services and amenities” that used to be complimentary or something we could choose to pay extra for. I don’t think any of us really believe hotel claims about why they’re now adding on these fees. From what I’ve read, it seems like these fees enable hotels to still claim their rates are lower and also pay less to travel agents since commissions are paid based on the base rate, not the total rate.

Some of us though do have a work-around for these fees and I was reminded of this recently when booking a Hyatt hotel. As I was finishing up my booking the total rate for the night seemed so high that I actually noticed it. The taxes and fees came to 20% of the total bill.

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Transfer Times to JetBlue from AMEX Membership Rewards, Citi Thank You Points & Chase Ultimate Rewards

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Good morning everyone.  A few days ago, Frequent Miler wrote a post that Citi Thank You Points Transfers to JetBlue were getting better (1,000 : 1,000 transfers), so I wanted to check out transfer times from all the major credit card programs.  I wrote a similar post about Transfer Times to KLM / Air France and Transfer Times to Singapore Airlines.  I tested transfers from American Express Membership Rewards Points, Citi Thank You Points, and Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.  I was going to try a transfer from Marriott Rewards to JetBlue, but the conversion was so bad, I couldn’t do it (see the screenshots below).  JetBlue TrueBlue Points do not have a fixed value and they can range in value from 1 cent up to 2.5 cents, if you find the right redemption.  In some cases, you are better off paying for JetBlue travel than redeeming JetBlue TrueBlue Points.

But with that said, sometimes it makes sense to transfer points into your JetBlue account.  I started with a transfer from American Express Membership Rewards Points since you can transfer in 250 point increments.  Unfortunately, since JetBlue is an American airline, American Express charges a fee for the transfer, either 30 Membership Rewards Points or 15 cents.  The amount of the fee varies depending on the number of points you transfer.

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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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Buy Miles/Points Promos Ending Soon: Southwest Airlines 40% Bonus, Spirit Airlines 30% Bonus, Choice Hotels 40% Bonus & Hilton 100% Bonus

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Updated 7:20pm PT on 9/12: I just found a Hilton promo ending on September 20.  Scroll down to the bottom of the post for more details.

Good afternoon everyone.  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found a few offers that are ending in the next 7 days.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are the 3 promos that are ending soon.  First up, Southwest Airlines is offering a 40% bonus when you purchase at least 10,000 Southwest Airlines points.  This offer expires on September 18.

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Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card 100,000 Points Sign Up Bonus Posted (Matched via Secure Message)

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Good morning everyone.  As part of my Mini July App-O-Rama, I was approved for the Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card.  The sign up bonus was for 80,000 IHG Points after spending $2,000 in 3 months + $50 statement credit after your first purchase.  A few days before my new credit card arrived, Chase increased the sign up bonus to 100,000 IHG Points after spending $3,000 in 3 months, so I sent Chase a Secure Message (SM) to get matched to that offer.  A few days later, I shared my welcome letter & card art; and a few days after that, I shared details of the $50 statement credit.

Chase responded to my Secure Message stating that after I spend $3,000 in 3 months on my new Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card, I should respond to the Secure Message and let them know when the $3,000 spending was complete.  Chase would then manually add 20,000 IHG Points to my account.  I am happy to share the details of Chase’s Secure Message response.  The Chase rep verified that I spent more than $3,000 on my new credit card and stated that the 20,000 IHG Points would post to my IHG account on my next credit card statement.  Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long…

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