The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express (review) are among the most popular premium cards out there. They have hefty annual fees -- it's $550 for the personal version (Rates & Fees),…
Advice
Is Paying Bills With Plastiq Worth It?
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. I wrote about Plastiq several months ago, but wanted…
How To Maximize Value At Four Seasons Hotels
Four Seasons is considered by some to be the Holy Grail of hotels and resorts (just look at their properties in Hawaii, Bora Bora, and Los Cabos. Others may say they are overpriced and overrated, although I think it's fair to say that Four Seasons properties,…
How To Redeem Miles For Cathay Pacific First Class
Back in the day Cathay Pacific used to be one of the most consistent airlines in the world when it came to releasing last minute first class award space. Unfortunately that has changed significantly over time, so in this post I wanted to take an in-depth…
This Flight Attendant’s Defense Of Bad Service Explains Everything
A few days ago I wrote about the pitiful service I received in American Airlines first class when flying between Dallas and Hong Kong. With the exception of TAAG Angola and China Southern, it was unlike anything I've otherwise experienced in international…
Why I’m Falling Out Of Love With The Sapphire Preferred Card
I've been following the credit card rewards space for a long time (well over a decade), and I remember how excited I was when I got approved for my first credit card at the age of 18. The space has evolved significantly, and credit cards have truly never…
Which Credit Card Should You Buy Points With?
I frequently write about promotions for purchasing airline miles and hotel points, as this can represent an excellent value. While I generally don't recommend buying points without a particular use in mind, in some cases you can get outsized value, particularly…
How To Use American Airlines Systemwide Upgrades
While domestic upgrades are nice, upgrades on long haul flights are even nicer. Having a flat bed on an overnight transoceanic flight makes all the difference. If not outright redeeming miles for an award ticket, there are sometimes opportunities to…
Buckle Up: Major Air Canada System Migration Starts Monday
Air Canada will be starting a major conversion of its reservation system next week, which will temporarily affect bookings, same-day changes, and upgrades, in some cases for a few months. This will impact Aeroplan as well, so even if you don't typically…
Reclining Your Airplane Seat: Right Or Privilege?
I feel like some debates are simply never settled. Nearly nine years ago I wrote a post about whether reclining your seat on an airplane is a right or a privilege. It's a controversial topic, especially as airlines keep squeezing more seats onto planes.…
My Take: Splitting Expenses When Redeeming Points
Twitter user @Howardisthebest points to an interesting question in the Social Q's section of the New York Times, which tries to provide "lighthearted advice about awkward social situations." The Twitter user asks for my take (and the take of some other…
Don’t Forget: 2019 Chicago Seminars
I can't believe I forgot to write about this earlier. Well, I can, as it's been a complicated summer here, and this is one of those things each year where I know I'm going, pretty much everyone I know seems to be going, and at some level I think I just…
Caution: Amex To Aeroplan Transfers Limited To Once Daily
This won't apply to everyone, but just in case it's relevant to you I wanted to share a quick note of caution regarding making multiple transfers from American Express Membership Rewards (at least the US program) to Air Canada Aeroplan in a single day.…
Equifax Settlement: More Hoops To Jump Through
This Equifax data breach settlement keeps getting sillier... In September 2017 Equifax had a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of about 147 million Americans, and several weeks ago a settlement was finally reached with the Federal…
Chase 5/24: What Is It & How Do You Check It?
Chase issues some of the best rewards credit cards out there. When it comes to applying for Chase credit cards, people frequently find themselves faced with Chase's "5/24 rule," which is one of the restrictions they have in place. So in this post I wanted…
What Are The Best Credit Cards For Gas Stations? (2020)
One of the best way to maximize your credit card rewards is to pick a credit card that offers bonus points in the categories that you spend the most in. In the past I've written about the best credit cards for everyday spending, restaurants, supermarkets,…
How To Deal With People Not Using Headphones On Airplanes And In Lounges…
Perhaps this is more of a “big picture” life question than something specific to airports and airplanes. However, with the summer travel season in full swing, I feel like I’ve been noticing this more than ever before, and I can’t…
9 Of The Best Sweet-Spot Airline Awards
I do what I can to write about the best deals for earning and redeeming miles. In this post I wanted to share what I consider to be some of the most useful sweet-spot award redemptions right now. I wrote a similar post a few month ago, but some things…
Global Entry & Renewing Your Passport
As I wrote about earlier, I just went through the process of renewing my passport. Now that I have a new passport, I realized that there's one important thing that I have to do. As anyone who travels frequently internationally knows, Global Entry is…
My Luggage Needs A Makeover, Stat!
There are areas of my life where I'd like to think that I'm fairly competent (like writing 10 blog posts per day, knowing everything about 90 Day Fiancé, and taking good pictures of my dog). Then there are areas of my life where I'm a hot mess. I'm a…
Should Passengers Dread The A321XLR?
I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing about the A321XLR by now, but in this post I wanted to address a big picture concern that many readers have had with the plane. The A321XLR is no doubt incredibly innovative in terms of the route possibilities it…
