Tag Archives: Credit Cards

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Did I Upgrade My Chase Marriott, Hyatt & IHG Credit Cards?

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Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday.  Lately, there has been a lot of news about new Chase credit cards and upgrade options for 3 Chase hotel credit cards.  I have all 3 Chase hotel credit cards (Marriott, Hyatt and IHG) so I had to decide if I wanted to upgrade any, all or none of my credit cards.  The old and new credit cards are good for some people, but everyone’s situation is different.  I will share my thought process about keeping or upgrading each credit card.  Since everyone travels differently, you may agree or disagree with my decisions.

Before I share my decisions, here is where I stand on hotel loyalty programs.  I am very loyal to chain hotels and would rather stay at a chain hotel than an independent hotel or Airbnb.  But I do not have loyalty to a specific hotel loyalty program.  I consider myself a free agent and do not care about hotel elite status unless it is given to me free for having the credit card.  Lastly, I spend 1-2 nights a year at Marriott, 4-8 nights a year at Hyatt, and 5-7 nights a year at IHG (I divvy the rest of my hotel stays between Hilton, SPG, and Radisson Rewards).  I use points and free night certificates for the stays as much as possible, unless the cash rate is cheap.  Without further ado, let’s get started.

Upgrade Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card?

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Don’t Miss These Carry-on Luggage Policy Changes on Alaska Airlines

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Airline policy changes…….who can keep track of them all? And carry-on luggage restrictions are mind-boggling, to say the least. There are no standards and each airline sets their own rules. And sometimes these rules change. I was reminded of this today when this email popped into my inbox.  Alaska Airlines has changed the size requirements for their carry-on bags.

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I created this master chart of all the airline carry-on bag policies so I could keep track of changes like this. Check out what Alaska has to say about their reasoning and also about how to “tame” your carry-on bag!

And if you’re interested in getting  the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Credit Card which saves you the fee on your first checked bag, I’d appreciate it if you use my referral link. I have the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Credit Card and the first checked bag free option saves me money I’d rather spend on coffee!

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Use Uber in Athens, Greece to Request & Pay for Local Taxis

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Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  This is my last post from Athens, Greece, before I head to the Radisson Blu Beach Resort in Milatos, Crete.  If you missed my post yesterday, be sure to read Heading to Athens, Greece? Book the Small-Group Culinary Walking Tour.  In today’s post, I will explain how Uber works in Athens (the only part of Greece that has Uber).  If you are not an Uber rider, join for free (thanks for using my referral link).

Technically, Uber doesn’t exist in Greece, but you can request and pay for taxis with the Uber app (the taxi drivers use the Uber app like all other Uber drivers).  The only thing that is strange is that you cannot see the total price of your Uber ride until after the ride is over.  All the taxis have a set price schedule for rides, so your rides will always be priced right.  Unfortunately, I could not use my Uber credits in Athens, so I paid for all my rides with my Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card (my referral link) since I earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards Points on Uber and it has no foreign transaction fees.

We used the Uber app to request a ride from the Athens International Airport (ATH) to our hotel, the InterContinental Athenaeum Athens.  The Uber pickup was a bit tricky, since our ride was in a taxi and there were many taxis waiting at the airport.  Our driver told us where to meet him, but it was still very difficult to find him (he ended up finding us).  Our ride to the hotel took 45 minutes and cost 40.70 Euros ($47.43).  As of June 25, the exchange rate is 1 Euro = 1.16 US Dollars and I will use that exchange rate throughout this post.  In comparison, a shuttle van to/from the airport and the hotel would have cost 100 Euros ($116).

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Common Travel Scams & How to Avoid Them

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There are travel scams and then there are travel scams. You don’t need to fall victim to any of them. Here are some scams you’ll face and how to avoid them.

As experienced travelers we think we’re savvy when it comes to travel scams and how to avoid them. However, since the busy travel season is upon us, reviewing the most common scams and how best to avoid them can’t hurt, right? After all, these scams happen to the best of us.

Knowledge is power, so here are some of the most common scams you’re likely to deal with. The more you know about these scams, the less likely you’ll fall for them. Continue reading →

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When Does the AMEX Hilton Aspire Free Weekend Night Certificate Post to Your Account?

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Good morning everyone.  A few months ago, I was approved for the American Express Hilton Aspire Credit Card (referral link).  As part of sign up bonus, you get 100,000 Hilton Honors Points after spending $4,000 in 3 months, you get Hilton Diamond Elite Status as long as you have the credit card, $250 airline fee credit every calendar year, and a Free Weekend Night Certificate every cardmember anniversary (good for a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night stay at qualifying Hilton properties).

A few days ago, I received the following email from Hilton with the subject line of “Your Rewards has arrived!” with details of my Free Weekend Night Certificate.  In today’s post, I will share how long it takes to get the Free Weekend Night Certificate and where you can see the code.

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