In March 2018, Barclays stopped accepting applications for the Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® (see terms). This coincided with the ramp up to the launch of the Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite Mastercard® (see terms) and Barclays'…
For the less familiar, Aeroplan is the once spun-off but now recently-acquired loyalty program for Air Canada. So if you are earning Air Canada miles, you are actually accumulating miles with Aeroplan. I know many bemoan the devaluations we've seen…
Recently, I've been thinking more and more about how to leverage the use of cash back cards for travel. Sure, some people simply want a cash back card because they're not interested in travel but that's clearly not who I am -- and, I doubt many of you…
When it comes to Amex business cards, your mind probably immediately thinks of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Business Gold Card. Considering that Amex launched versions of the Gold and Platinum cards decades…
When it comes to evaluating the benefits of credit cards, most of my focus is on the welcome bonus and the bonus categories for continued earning. I fully recognize that there are a number of valuable benefits such as trip delay insurance -- I've used…
When I talk with folks who are new to using credit cards to earn miles and points, I regularly see people assume that to earn hotel points, one needs a hotel credit card. Yes, this might be the case in some circumstances but not always. Tiffany and Ed…
In each of the other regions we've discussed, there have been lie-flat business class award options via Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. However, if you're planning a trip to the Caribbean, Central America or Mexico, you will rarely find these…
I know we spend a lot of time talking about the amazing premium cabin experiences that you can fly across the world, but South America is all about the destination if you're flying from the U.S. Don't get me wrong, you can still get a comfortable business…
While booking awards to Africa isn't quite as easy as many other regions, you will have a few solid opportunities with Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Your best bets will be on SkyTeam and Star Alliance partners -- or a special case via Virgin Atlantic's…
If you're expecting to book a non-stop award from the U.S. to the Middle East or India, you'd better be ready to do some work to find award space and have flexible travel dates. While you can definitely use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to get there,…
In the last couple of years, I've had a bunch of friends tell me they'd like to move to New Zealand or Australia. Having visited Queenstown recently, I absolutely understand the appeal of such a naturally beautiful location. Australia totally makes sense…
Chase Ultimate Rewards points provide some great SkyTeam and Star Alliance award options regardless of your final destination in Asia. While your options for Oneworld are more limited -- and expensive when booking premium cabins -- booking with British…
Forever a popular destination for Americans, I couldn't tell you the number of times I get asked about how to book awards to get to Europe. Fortunately, with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you'll have options that save you points or help you avoid carrier-imposed…
Admittedly, I generally use miles and points to travel internationally but there are a number of circumstances when it can make sense to use them for domestic travel. If you're flying to Hawaii and have seen some of the cash fares floating around, it…
We've received a ton of positive feedback on our Best Ways To Use Membership Rewards series so I've decided to dive into the Chase Ultimate Rewards program as well. As with the American Express series, I'll be breaking this up into regions. Our current…
I often joke about my disinterest in using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal to book flights as my focus is on redeeming points for first and business class flights. What can I say? I like lying down when flying and enjoying a glass of champagne (or…
When it comes to SkyTeam awards, Korean Air SkyPass has been a go-to Ultimate Rewards partner thanks to solid availability on its own flights plus competitive partner award rates. Sure, you'll find exceptions and you'll be on the hook for surcharges…
Other than the Wells Fargo Visa Signature card, Wells Fargo hasn't been discussed very much compared to other major card issuers such as American Express, Chase and Citi. This partially stems from the fact that Wells Fargo doesn't have a flexible points…
When I talk to friends and family about flying, their thoughts go to a miserable place of security checks, lines and just general frustration. Most feel that escaping the madness by visiting a lounge is like being welcomed into a peaceful gated community…
Unlike the other regions I've covered in this series on the best ways to use American Express Membership Rewards points, flights to the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico won't have the fun lie-flat products you've come to love. That's okay though,…
When it comes to booking flights from the U.S. that provide over the top luxury, South America won't be your destination of choice. That being said, the countries themselves are more than enough reason to visit. Whether you're a foodie, a nature buff…
