Tag Archives: Free Stuff

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Do you Want to Use Radisson Rewards Free Award Nights at International Hotels? (Like / Retweet Me)

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Good morning everyone, I need your help!  Yesterday, Club Carlson rebranded and changed their name to Radisson Rewards.  They made a few changes to the program (read Doctor of Credit’s post for more details), but one of the most interesting changes was this: “Co-branded credit cards from U.S. Bank now earn a free night for every $10,000 in spend, up to a maximum of three free nights for $30,000+ in spend.”  Historically, only Club Carlson Radisson Rewards properties in the United States are eligible for the free night awards.

According to Frequent Miler’s post, “Unfortunately, you’re limited to using those free nights at properties in the US. Radisson Hotel Group doesn’t have many high-end properties in the United States. In fact, they have just four Category 7 properties in the US and four more in Category 6. Out of those eight hotels, three are in the Minneapolis metro area, two are in New York, and one is in Canada (where you can’t use your annual certificates) — meaning that the geographic distribution of the top two tiers is limited to four cities/metro areas: New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Anaheim.” Continue reading →

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American Express Small Business OPEN Savings Program Ending June 1, 2018

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Good evening everyone, the hits keep coming from American Express.  Earlier today, I reported that American Express is no longer awarding Membership Rewards points for cash equivalents & person-to-person payments.  And just now, I looked at my American Express Business Platinum Charge Card and saw that the OPEN Savings Program is ending June 1, 2018.  I’m not why the program is ending, but I guess the program costs American Express more money than the program brings in.

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Amelia Earhart’s Travel Menu

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What do you enjoy eating on your long-haul flights? And do you ever wonder what pilots eat on their long-haul flights? This pilot’s travel menu relied on three rules! Enjoy this article… it’s a fun read.

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Amelia Earhart. Image source: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/07/08/536024928/amelia-earharts-travel-menu-relied-on-three-rules-and-peoples-generosity

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AirWander Review: Easily Search and Book Stopover Flights

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Wouldn’t you love it if there was a really easy way to search for stopovers? I like the travel and being there parts the best. When it comes to planning the flights and routing, I like it best when it’s super easy to do or when someone else does it for me. And now, with AirWander, I’ve found an online tool that’s both super easy to use and does the searching and routing for me!

In my blog post on stopovers and how to use them and book them, I mentioned that I spoke with the founder of a new online tool that finds stopover flights for us. His name is Doug Deming and together with Ela Bader, their amazing creation is AirWander. I spoke with Doug for quite a while because I really wanted to understand how AirWander worked, its best uses, and since its conception a few years ago, how AirWander had improved.

Is Price The #1 Factor When Booking a Flight?

I wondered if price was the underlying factor when people looked for stopovers. In other words, were people always choosing the least expensive flights. I would have thought so but Doug corrected my misconception. He said that people use stopovers for two main reasons: either to see a city they haven’t been to, or most often, to be able to have a visit with family and friends. This made sense to me. Even if a stopover added a few dollars to the cost of my flights, these two advantages would be worth the price.

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How to Book the Best Stopover Possible

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Do you sometimes find yourself confused by travel terminology? Join the club. One of the topics that baffles many travelers is the concept of stopovers, both what they are and how to use and benefit from them. A while ago, in a blog post I briefly touched on the topic of stopovers, but now it’s time for a more in-depth explanation, so let’s get to it. When you buy airline tickets, many airlines allow you to tack on a free stopover to your flight. Essentially, for the price of visiting one place, you get to visit two. When you have extra time, this is a great deal.

But it’s important to know the definition of a stopover. The most important thing to know is that it lasts more than 24 hours. You might think of this as a layover, so if you do, consider it a LONG layover. To avoid confusion, it’s best to think of a layover as a connection that lasts no longer than four hours for domestic flights and for international flights, under 24 hours. Continue reading →