Tag Archives: American Express

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Track Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses, Annual Fees & 5/24 Score with TravelFreely

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  A few weeks ago, I was in Denver and went to the Front Range Travel Hackers Meetup Group.  At the meetup, I met Zac, the founder of TravelFreely, a website he created to track credit card sign up bonuses (deadlines to complete the minimum spending requirements), track credit card annual fees, calculate your 5/24 Score, and make it easy for you to track your credit cards along with your spouse / companion’s credit cards.  And by the way, the service is completely free and you can set up your account in a few minutes (unless you have 30+ credit cards like me, in which case, it could take a little longer).  Without further ado, here is how TravelFreely works.  To get started, sign up for your free TravelFreely account here.  Enter your name, email address, and click the Get Started button.

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Why I’m Giving the New SPG Luxury Card a Pass

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I’ve been on the fence about whether or not to apply for the new Amex SPG Luxury card and I’ve finally decided to pass. I’ve been a long time Amex customer and have had both the SPG personal and business cards for many years. I used them both, and put as much spend on them as I could. For years all my non-bonused spend went on the personal SPG card and the business card saw heavy use, too.

I really appreciated the Sheraton lounge access that came with the business card. SPG was for many years my number one hotel chain and until the SPG/Marriott merger, SPG was always in my top two. I’ve had multiple amazing SPG hotel stays on four continents.

I never got to Platinum status but did maintain Gold year after year and always felt my Gold status was acknowledged in many generous ways. The merger with Marriott was not one I would have voted for, but then my vote didn’t count :) My SPG cards came out of my wallet and my last Sheraton stay was 8 months ago. Continue reading →

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Get to the Oakland International Airport (OAK) Escape Lounge Like a Pro

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Disclosure: I have TSA PreCheck, a Clipper Card, and travel with carry-on bags.  If you do not have TSA PreCheck, your security screening will take longer.  If you do not have a Clipper Card, you will need to buy a one-way BART ticket prior to riding BART.  If you need to check your bags, you will need to drop off your bags before going through security.  With that said, here is how to get to the Oakland International Airport Escape Lounge like a pro.

Good morning everyone.  Last week, I wrote Get to the SFO Centurion Lounge Like a Pro.  I wanted to show the East Bay some love too, so I will show you how to get to the Oakland International Airport Escape Lounge like a pro.  This lounge is part of the Escape Lounge collection and is accessible for free if you have an American Express Platinum Charge Card (you can bring in 2 guests for free).  The lounge is located in Terminal 1, between gates 8 and 8A.  The lounge opens at 5am and closes at 9pm, unless the airport is quiet and the lounge will close early.  I’ve been to the Escape Lounge a few times and I recommend reading Points with a Crew’s review of the Escape Lounge.

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Image source: https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2016/11/11/norwegian-partners-escape-lounge-oakland-san-francisco/

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The Fastest Way from San Francisco to the SFO Centurion Lounge

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Disclosure: I have TSA PreCheck, a Clipper Card, and travel with carry-on bags.  If you do not have TSA PreCheck, your security screening will take longer.  If you do not have a Clipper Card, you will need to buy a one-way BART ticket prior to riding BART.  If you need to check your bags, you will need to drop off your bags before going through security.  With that said, here is how to get to the SFO Centurion Lounge like a pro.

Good morning everyone, happy Friday. I fly out of SFO often and try to swing by the SFO Centurion Lounge as often as I can – even if it is just for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat before heading to my gate.  I will show you how to get from San Francisco to the SFO Centurion Lounge like a pro.  Since I work in San Francisco, I usually take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to SFO.  I jump on the yellow line headed to SFO and I can get there in under 40 minutes (make sure you are on the train that says SFO / San Francisco Airport).

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Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BARTMapDay.svg

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American Express Business Platinum 100K Offer Ends Tomorrow!

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American Express has a limited time offer on the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN. New cardholders earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards Points.

If you’ve never had the small business version of the Amex Platinum Card and business is going well, this is a great offer. The card is available not just to formal business owners but also sole proprietors and even those who do consulting or freelance work on the side. This offer ends August 8, 2018.

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