When to Use SPG Points vs Marriot Rewards
As many of you know, Marriott purchased SPG a while back and now members of both loyalty programs can transfer points back and forth instantly. The current transfer ratio is 1 SPG to 3 Marriott Rewards, which opens up some very interesting arbitrage opportunities that I have written about in the past. One thing I
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Alaska’s Same Day Flight Change Rule
As you probably know, I have a huge crush on Alaska Airlines because they seem to go against everything that the airline industry is doing. Rather than devalue their program, they continue to demonstrate extreme value in their program. From the amazing customer service I experience to their new North American award redemptions to the amazing
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Reader Success Story – Lorraine and John
I love helping people when it comes to travel but to be honest, it can get a bit tiring explaining the same concept to multiple people, which is one of the reasons I started this blog. With that being said, I’m still willing to help you if you have an issue but nothing makes me
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Bumped to First Class!
I am currently at the Calgary International Airport relaxing in the Aspire Lounge that I accessed for free using my American Express Platinum Card. I received a very nice email from Alaska Airlines this morning notifying me that I have been upgraded to First Class on my flight to Seattle. I mean, it’s only a 1.5
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Emirates Awards Using JAL Miles – A Reader Question
Let me preface this post by saying that I have never collected or redeemed JAL Miles before but I am okay at researching travel and travel redemptions so I’m gonna give this a shot. In the Call for Topics Post, PointsNerd reader Allan asked the following: Like I said, this is new to me but
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Maximizing Points – A Reader Question
So apparently people really liked my post about the mindset I use to maximize my points when I make a purchase online or in store. One of PointsNerd’s readers, Paul, reached out with a very specific question about how to maximize his points when it comes to making a purchase of a $2,500 fridge. Cash
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Category Bonus Overview and Cheat Sheet
This entry is part 2 of 12 in the series Credit Card ReviewIt’s no secret that category bonuses can significantly boost your miles and points balances but with so many cards out there, there’s no easy way to quickly determine the best card for your spending habits … so I made one. Overview Reward cards
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Data Point – Marriott Points Holds
Did you know that as a Marriott Rewards member, you can reserve a hotel room even if you don’t have enough points? This is a great way to make sure you get the room you want while you are awaiting a point transfer to be completed. As an example, while I was waiting to complete
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Data Point – AMEX Membership Rewards to SPG – Transfer Time
Up until Marriott purchased SPG, I have never transferred my American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points over to SPG because of the transfer ratio. The current transfer ratio is currently 2 MRs to 1 SPG so it is typically is not a good use of your MRs but because you can transfer 1 SPG to 3 Marriott
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Maximizing Points – A Mindset
One of the things that I instinctively do before paying for anything at the cash register is to mentally go through my active credit cards to think if there is a category bonus for the location I am at. Today, I want to walk you through my way of thinking and hopefully get you thinking
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