Tag Archives: Marriott Hotels

a reindeer pulling a sleigh

A Travel Hacker Wish List for Santa (Reader Ideas Needed)

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Good afternoon everyone, here is the filler post of the weekend. Enjoy!

Usually this time of year, we look back at the predictions we made at the end of 2015 or early 2016 and see how many things we got right and how many things we got wrong. It is usually a little depressing to look back and see how much has changed (for the worse) over the last 12 months. I wanted to put a positive spin on the predictions this year and turn it into a Christmas wish list for Santa. If Santa had the power to make travel hacker lives better, what would you wish for?

Grant’s wish list (in no particular order):

  • I want Chase to create a “no 5/24 rule day” so everyone can be approved for the Chase credit card they really want (I have my eye on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card).
  • I want the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card to change the $300 travel credit (incidentals only) to match the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card $300 travel credit (paid airfare and hotels).

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a blue rectangle with white text

All Travel AMEX Offers: Renaissance, Westin, Red Lion, Aerolineas Argentinas & 8 More

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Good morning everyone, I hope your week is off to a great start.  I wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who was able to make the Mountain View meetup this past Saturday.  I arrived at In N Out around 11:40am and left around 4:15pm.  What a long day of talking and sharing tips and tricks – thank you everyone!  Now, let’s get back to the deals.  American Express has loaded several new AMEX Offers, specifically into the travel category.  For easy access, log into your AMEX account, go down to the AMEX Offers section and click the Travel button to view all travel related AMEX Offers.

All Travel AMEX Offers

Here are the 4 best offers I spoted in my account:

  • Renaissance Hotels: $40 off $200
  • Westin Hotels & Resorts: $50 off $250
  • RLHC (Red Lion Hotel Chain) Family of Brands: 40% off your stay
  • Aerolineas Argentinas: $100 off $500

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a black credit card with white text

Unboxing my JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card: Cart Art & Welcome Packet

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Good morning everyone, I hope your weekend is off to a great start.  This post has been in the works for almost a week.  I wanted to document everything that came with the new JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card to show everyone exactly what the card looks like and all the items that come inside the welcome packet.  First things first, the top 2 images are of the old JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Signature Credit Card that I received in December 2014, when the sign up bonus was 140,000 Ritz Carlton points (basically Marriott Rewards points) and a few other perks.  The bottom 2 images are of the new JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card.  Personally, I like that card art on the old design better because the lion is bigger.  Both cards feel and weigh exactly the same.  If you have the old card and want the new card, just call the number on the back of your card and request a new Visa Infinite credit card be sent to you.

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a woman holding her hands up with a man in front of him

Travel Predictions for 2016 Part 1: Airlines and Hotels

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Update: Travel Predictions for 2016 Part 2: Credit Cards and MS is now live!

Good morning everyone, happy New Years Eve!  To prove how smart or dumb I am, I wanted to make a few predictions for 2016.  In Part 1, I will share my thoughts and predictions about airlines and hotels.  In Part 2, I will share my thoughts and predictions about credit cards and MS.  If you strongly agree or disagree with any of my thoughts or predictions, please leave a comment below and we will see who is right next year.  Without any further ado, let’s make some guesses!

Airlines

Southwest – Southwest points used to be worth 1.67 CPP, then they were worth 1.43 CPP, now with route variability, I have no idea how much Southwest points are worth.  I wish Southwest points would be worth a fixed amount, maybe 1.5 CPP for all flights.  I hope Southwest continues to announce new routes, especially a few routes from the West Coast to Hawaii.  Lastly, for the last several year, credit card sign up bonus points have counted toward the Southwest Companion Pass.  I think this might change in 2016.

American – after the devaluation goes into effect, I hope award space improves considerably (it can’t get much worse).  I hope American gets rid of the close-in booking fee for booking award flights within 3 weeks of travel.  I also hope that Citi adds the ability to transfer Citi Thank You Points into American Airlines miles.  I hope Citi Prestige Credit Card holders retain the ability to book American and AA codeshare flights for 1.6 CPP.

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a blue and orange horse head logo with Boise State University in the background

Boise, Idaho, here I come (Boise State vs. Wyoming College Football Game)

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Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  I’m going to assume that 99.9% of you don’t care about Boise State Football or have ever been to Boise, Idaho.  For whatever reason, I have been a big fan of Boise State for the last few years, even though I never went to school there and I don’t know anyone who lives in Idaho.  Maybe the bright blue turf football field has something to do with it, I’m not sure.  Either way, I am finally going to a game in Boise Saturday night (I still need to buy tickets for the game).  Watching a Boise State football game is on my “sports bucket list” and I am happy to check it off my list.

Boise State Blue Turf Football Field

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