One of the best ways to rack up rewards points is with credit cards. The problem for many of us is that there are only so many things we can pay by credit card. That's where Plastiq comes into play. This is a service that I've used for years, and have…
Partly because I started spending so much time on planes at such a young age, I've never learned how to cook. And my one foray into the world of cooking left me committed to making reservations rather than meals at home whenever possible. Ford has started…
We all have to eat, whether that comes in the form of eating at restaurants or at home. I’ve written in the past about the best credit cards for dining out, and in this post wanted to write about the best credit cards for grocery store and supermarket…
We know that a lot of airlines have been playing games when it comes to issuing refunds for cancelled flights and significant schedule changes. Here in the US, the Department of Transportation is the governing body that oversees that. In early April…
Like all aspects of the travel industry, ski resorts were impacted by COVID-19 in an unprecedented way. Ski resorts across North America were shuttered mid-March, causing an abrupt end to the popular spring season. A mass exodus of seasonal employees…
With many airlines struggling to stay alive, one common question has revolved around what happens to your frequent flyer miles in the event of airline bankruptcy. Unfortunately there's no one size fits all answer to this, though let me address this on…
Over the past several weeks I've repeatedly been asked by readers whether credit card companies would be discounting annual fees or offering other perks in light of the current situation. I wanted to share my take on that. I view earning points as a…
It doesn't really bring me any joy to write this post, but I feel like someone needs to say this? Let me note upfront that this is addressed to a very small percentage of people in our little "world," and it's not intended to be personal. Rather it's…
Obviously all kinds of companies are in a terrible situation right now, though I can't help but feel like many travel brands are leaving some easy(ish) money on the table... While revenue here at OMAAT is obviously way down at the moment, we're lucky…
There's no doubt that COVID-19 has impacted travel plans globally. One particularly hard-hit has been the ski industry, which relies largely on spring skiing sales as a major form of revenue. For skiers, the refund process has been a roller coaster (mogul-coaster?)…
Ever since Congress passed the CARES Act on March 27th, it seems like it's been dominating the news cycles as much as COVID-19 itself. As small business owners, we've all been trying to wrap our heads around it, and when the topic came up with Ben and…
The situation is changing by the hour, and while there will be worldwide social and economic fallout from this pandemic, the impacts on the travel industry are far-reaching. If you're looking for information and updates on the virus itself, please check…
My goodness, the blog today might as well be renamed "One Refund Policy at a Time," because there's so much to talk about when it comes to flight refunds. DOT clarifies flight refund rules The US Department of Transportation has today issued an enforcement…
There are all kinds of benefits to making purchases with credit cards over other forms of payment -- you can earn rewards, you get fraud protection, you can dispute charges, and with some cards you even get purchase protection and other travel coverage.…
Nope, this post has nothing to do with travel, but given the point we're at, I figure TV advice is probably more useful than travel advice. ;) I'm not usually that huge of a TV watcher -- in the past I typically kept up on a few different shows, and…
As the news cycle on COVID-19 evolves and we find our radius of travel getting smaller and smaller (in many cases, to the confines of our homes), it's no wonder so many people are looking to get outside. Even the most stringent of "shelter in place"…
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is daydreaming at the prospect of getting on a plane. At this point I'd be giddy about a middle seat in the last row on a Spirit Airlines flight taking me to a Holiday Inn Express just off an interstate. I continue to…
I know several people who have visited Japan for the first time and had their lives changed forever. Sure, the food is incredible, the public transportation is top-notch, and the culture is fascinating... but that’s not what I’m talking about. It’s their…
If you have any upcoming air travel planned, chances are you're dealing with uncertainty, confusion, and a lack of clear communication from airlines. Frankly that's not surprising, since at this point airlines are struggling with what to make of the…
Airlines are going great lengths to try and deny people cash refunds for cancelled flights. They're doing quite a good job with it, because most consumers seem to believe they aren't entitled to cash refunds, which simply isn't true. Let's take a look…
Much of the travel industry has been asking for government aid, given the unprecedented situation we're in. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding US airlines requesting government aid, given that they've used much of their profits over the…
It's been a complicated few weeks for air travel, to put it mildly, and we're hearing a lot of stories from people who are in the middle of a trip, or otherwise trying to get home, and are being stymied by the constantly changing flight schedules and…
I live in China, but I've spent the last seven weeks doing everything I can to avoid being there. When the virus first started spreading, my wife and I left for a planned vacation on the beaches of Thailand. After seeing the situation worsen after we…
Prior to a couple of months ago, arguably the biggest crisis in the airline industry was the the Boeing 737 MAX, which has now been grounded for over a year, following two 737 MAXs crashing. A Twitter user asks about the Boeing 737 MAX grounding, in…
