Tag Archives: Free Stuff

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New Program Benefits Available for Hilton Honors Members

Hilton Honors program updates went live last week. They say, as you can see from this email, that the new program elements and perks are based on feedback and will give Hilton travelers more of what they want. Maybe, maybe not. I don’t have any Hilton stays booked right now and Hilton is only my third most used hotel chain, but I am a Hilton Gold Elite Member, and I do have a stash of Hilton Honors points which I intend to keep from expiring, so I figured I should take a look at these changes.

Changes like these usually reward the more loyal customers who stay more often and spend more money. If you’re an infrequent customer and spend less with Hilton, you’ll receive even less in the way of benefits. I fall into the second category. Hilton’s confusing award chart as well as its point award devaluations have kept me away from the program these past few years. Hilton Diamond Elite Members likely see some of these changes as positive, though I get the sense more and more travelers are looking closely at Marriott/SPG since the merger.

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New Ice Cream Parlor Open in San Diego – Should you Try It?

There was quite a buzz when rumors started that a new ice cream place would be coming to San Diego. I wouldn’t say San Diego is a big ice cream town at all. As much as I like great ice cream, I only enjoy gelato here because I’ve never sampled ice cream in San Diego that I thought was very good. Having grown up on the east coast, and having lived in many places where there are many choices for great ice cream, well, San Diego just doesn’t cut it as an ice cream city.

Last summer, it was officially announced. Salt and Straw, the Portland, Oregon based, family-run by two cousins, small batch ice cream shop would be opening up in San Diego’s Little Italy area. They finally did open just before New Year’s. Recently, I went down to Salt and Straw and spent a few hours talking with one of the managers about ice cream, the company, and its location here in San Diego. Before I give you the full scoop, though, let me first tell you about my relationship with Salt and Straw ice cream.

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Goodbye Citi Double Cash Gift Card Redemption; Hello American Express Plan It (Pay-Over-Time Payment Option)

Good morning everyone, happy Saturday.  I have 2 small credit card topics to cover in this post.  The first topic is regarding the Citi Double Cash Credit Card and the second topic is about a new American Express card benefit that is being introduced to the American Express Hilton Ascend Credit Card (and other American Express charge and credit cards).  According to my recent Citi Double Cash Credit Card statement, the option to redeem cash back for gift cards is ending July 20, 2018.  After that date, you will only be able to redeem your cash back for check, statement credit, and direct deposit (to your bank).

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How to Prevent your Hilton Points from Expiring

A friend of mine recently asked me if her Hilton points will expire. That got me thinking that sometimes people don’t even realize that points do in fact expire. Also, keeping track of hotel points expiration dates can be tricky. It’s true that there are multiple ways of doing this and you’ve likely found one that works best for you. We often think of points as a currency and since currency doesn’t expire, we forget that points do! So the first answer I gave her was that YES, Hilton points do expire.

Hilton Hotels loyalty program is called Hilton Honors and the points expire when the account has had no eligible activity in a 12-month period. Of course, after telling this to my friend, I knew her next logical question would be, HOW do I keep my points from expiring? Good thing there are many ways to do this, so let’s refresh your memory on this topic, too. Here’s what I told her:

Eligible activity that will keep your Hilton Honors points from expiring include some obvious and some less obvious options, such as:

  • Staying at a Hilton property on a points-earning eligible rate
  • Putting spend on a co-branded Hilton credit card to earn points
  • Participating in the Hilton Dining Program and have a qualifying dining expense
  • Shopping online through the Hilton Honors Shopping Portal
  • Transferring points to a Hilton Honors account from an external program, such as American Express Membership Rewards
  • Purchasing points
  • Earning points using programs such as e-Rewards or eMiles
  • Using Hilton Honors points to shop at Amazon

Let’s take a closer look at some of these options. Continue reading

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Wyndham Timeshare Presentation Vacation Packages for 6 Select Cities

Good morning everyone.  A few days ago, I received an email from Wyndham Rewards regarding timeshare presentation vacation packages.  2 years ago, I wrote about attending 2 timeshares in Hawaii and what gifts I received from sitting through those presentations.  Right now, you can pick from 6 different cities and get a 3 day / 2 night stay for as low as $149.  You can book through the website or call the number in the email (877-393-8405).

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