Tag Archives: Credit Cards

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How to Combine SPG & Marriott Accounts (Points, Lifetime Status & Free Night Certificates)

Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  I’m not a huge fan of SPG or Marriott and didn’t give too much thought to choosing a reward package, so I’m far from an expert when it comes to the SPG / Marriott merger.  But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night…  But I did just combine my old SPG / new Marriott account with my existing Marriott account, so I wanted to show you the steps and share some of the interesting things about the combination process.  First thing first, I signed into my new Marriott account (old SPG account) and it shows that I have 3,495 Marriott Rewards Points, which sounds right, since I did have 1,165 SPG Points in my account.  It also shows 2 “Standard Redemption Rate” awards – I’m not sure what those are, but I think they are related to my 2 SPG award stays booked on July 11.

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Up to 50% Bonus on Alaska Airlines Miles (Expires October 4)

Good afternoon everyone.  Yesterday, I received an email from Alaska Airlines stating that they have a mystery buy miles promotion with up to a 50% bonus.  I was curious if I was targeted for the 50% bonus offer, and it looks like I was.  I know a lot of people chose Alaska Airlines when they purchased their Marriott Rewards Travel Packages, but if you still need more Alaska Airlines miles, now is the time to buy more.  A 50% bonus is very generation from Alaska Airlines, so check to see if you were targeted for the 50% bonus.  Always remember to check your math before purchasing miles and points and make sure you have a redemption in mind.

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Who Sells Uber Gift Cards?

Have you ever been in the “know” about a topic only to find out you were in the “how did I NOT know about this” with that very same topic? Even though, thanks to Harry, our Uber insider, I’m totally in the know when it comes to all things Uber, I’m not an Uber user myself.

But my cousin is! She uses Uber a lot. So when I wanted to get her a special present, being the practical cousin that I am, I thought an Uber gift card would be the perfect gift. I figured Uber had gift cards since every business these days has gift cards. But I had no idea which stores carried them.

I’m not late to the party of people who enjoy earning extra miles and points on purchases, though it’s entirely possible I am late to the party in knowing about this Uber link. So just in case you’re like me and need gift cards for those Uber using special people in your life (or even for yourself), take a look at this link. I don’t like showing up to stores and finding they don’t carry the gift cards I’m shopping for, and I’d imagine you don’t either. Here’s the link to find a store near you. Just plug in a zip code and you’re good to go. And please, don’t tell my cousin about her upcoming gift!

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Which Credit Cards Offer Free (or Almost Free) Companion Tickets?

There are many choices when it comes to increasing our miles and points so we can travel more for less. Recently, however, when using my companion passes and free tickets from credit cards, my friend Carrie asked how that worked and which credit cards came with that perk. Good question!  There are many credit cards that come with free bags or priority boarding. Along with those benefits, these three credit cards also provide a free (or almost free) companion ticket benefit.

Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card

The Alaska Airlines credit card is one I’ve had for many years and I never miss using the Companion Fare. Essentially, this annual benefit is a free buy-one-get-one ticket in economy class. The primary traveler must pay the fare, but the companion pays just $99 plus taxes and fees. I always get more than the annual fee of $75 in value per year using this fare. I’ve used it for trips across the US and most recently to Seattle. The certificate is easy to apply to your fare and more than worth the annual fee.

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Chase IHG Premier Credit Card $50 Statement Credit Posted (1 Week After First Purchase)

Good afternoon everyone, I have a quick update to my recent post: Get Matched to the New Chase IHG Rewards Premier 100,000 Point Sign Up Bonus.  In that post, I sent Chase a Secure Message (SM) and got matched from the 80,000 IHG Points sign up bonus to the 100,000 IHG Points sign up bonus.  In the comments section of that post, readers wanted to know if I would still get the $50 statement credit after my first purchase if I accepted the higher sign up bonus offer.  I’m happy to report that the $50 statement credit posted a few days ago.  My first purchase posted on August 7 and the $50 statement credit posted on August 13, roughly 1 week later.  My $89 annual fee posted on August 1, which is roughly 2 weeks before the $50 statement credit posted.

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