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American Express Business Platinum Authorized User / Employee Cards Increasing to $350 Annual Fee (Effective June 1, 2022) & New Executive Business Card?

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Good evening everyone, happy (almost) Friday.  I was reviewing my recent American Express Business Platinum Card statement and saw this upcoming change.  Effective June 1, 2022, if you have or add an authorized user / employee Platinum card, the cost will increase from $300 per card to $350 per card.  I believe the only real benefit of having an authorized user / employee Platinum card is the ability to get into Centurion Lounges when they are travelling by themselves.

Also, if you are a servicemember (thank you for your service), you will still be eligible for the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) which waives all annual fees on American Express credit cards.

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Valentine’s Day Giveaway: 10 AwardWallet Plus 1 Year Upgrade Codes [Winner’s Selected]

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Updated at 3:50pm PT on 2/15/22: Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.  I loved reading all of your answers.  I selected 10 comments and will reach out to the 10 winners now via email.

Pam Travel hacking has allowed me to travel at a low cost for almost 30 years. I love that I’m able to explore different cultures and new destinations without breaking the bank.
maxwell1009a I get the physics of flight but it still amazes me that something as big as an airplane can get off the ground when I can barely jump 2′ in the air! And, as a hub captive, chasing status more than mileage allows me to give my “bride” of 40 years upgrades to first class much of the time.
Aleks Travel is a part of a lifelong education, it enriches and rejuvenates, brings new things into the view, and allows to connect to other parts of our beautiful home that we call Earth. Travel can expand your mind and fulfill your soul. It allows to look at one’s life from a different perspective, and connect with other people. And travel-booking skills or hacks allows me to do this wonderful activity more often, for less cost, and have better experiences (like upgraded flights and nicer hotels) – totally worth the time spent acquiring and using them.
Jayashree S I love that traveling opens up our mind and heart to people without boundaries of language, religion, country.
Scott G Collecting points has allowed me and my family to go places, both exciting (Italy) and mundane (State College, PA) for long stays or just short ones while en route to other places.
Gena I love to travel to eat all the amazing food the world has to offer — travel hacking just makes this all more affordable (I’m not really going to say easy here, it’s not always easy ha); but love seeing new places, experiencing new things, and learning more about the people, culture, and place.
YoLaViajera Travel hacking helps our family travel to places we otherwise couldn’t afford, since we’re 4 individuals. It also gives us the opportunity to share the world with our kids’ so that they don’t grow up thinking that their neighborhood, their city, their country is the only thing that matters in the world. Our hope is that they become global citizens, who care about the rest of the world and not just people who look like them or talk the same language.
BothofUs2 What I love about travel hacking is that it allows us to go to places and see things that normally we wouldn’t get to, because it would be too expensive.
Lauren I love travel hacking so that I can save enough money to take additional family members with me on vacation. Traveling is always extra fun when you can share the experience with others :)
Nate It allows me to share my love of travel with my wife (and soon) my son!

Good morning everyone, happy Valentine’s Day!  Since I love my Travel with Grant readers so much, I wanted to show my appreciation with a giveaway.  I have 10 AwardWallet Plus 1 year upgrade codes available.  If you are a free AwardWallet member, you can use this code to get a free 1 year upgrade to AwardWallet Plus or extend your current AwardWallet Plus membership by another year.  If you are not an AwardWallet member, sign up here for a free AwardWallet account.  To enter the giveaway, just answer this question:

What do you love about travelling and / or travel hacking?

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3 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: Southwest (75%), JetBlue (60%) & Alaska (60%)

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Good afternoon everyone, happy Friday!  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found 3 offers that end in the next week.  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 3 offers that end soon.  Up first, Southwest Airlines is offering up to a 75% bonus, depending on the number of Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Points you purchase.  This offer expires on February 15.

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$25 Walmart eGC Retention Offer for Cancelling my Sam’s Club Membership (AKA Disable Auto Renew)

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Good morning everyone, I hope your weekend is going well.  A few days ago, I got an email reminder from Sam’s Club that my membership was auto renewing on March 5, 2022.  I signed up for Sam’s Club last year since there was a targeted offer on my Discover It Credit Card where you would get a $45 Sam’s Club gift card when you signed up for a Sam’s Club membership, which costs $45 (see Doctor of Credit’s post).  I went once to Sam’s Club to activate my membership, get my membership card, and pick up my $45 Sam’s Club gift card (which I used the same day shopping).  I haven’t been back to Sam’s Club since because the closest location is 50+ miles away and I prefer the Costco location 2 miles away.

Long story short, I needed to cancel (or disable the auto renew feature on) my membership so I would not be charged again.  I called Sam’s Club, explained the situation, and the rep sent me a $25 Sam’s Club / Walmart eGC that could be used to offset the membership cost, if I decided to stay with Sam’s Club.  I will document the process below.

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3 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: Choice Hotels (25%), American Airlines (35%) & Hilton (100%)

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Good afternoon everyone, happy Friday!  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found 3 offers that end in the next week.  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 3 offers that end soon.  Up first, Choice Hotels is offering up to a 25% discount, depending on the number of Choice Hotels Privileges Points you purchase.  This offer expires today – February 4.

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