Let’s be clear…learning the “rules” associated with miles, points, and credit cards can be extremely overwhelming and confusing. Rest assured you are not alone. Today, in my continuing series to answer reader questions…

Life Is Short, Travel Now
Let’s be clear…learning the “rules” associated with miles, points, and credit cards can be extremely overwhelming and confusing. Rest assured you are not alone. Today, in my continuing series to answer reader questions…
A few minutes ago, I received an email from a 1TP subscriber on a subject that I believe everyone will find useful. I admit that sometimes I (unconsciously but apologetically) use…
Becoming accustomed to credit card lingo is very similar to learning a new language. If you don’t spend time learning the foundational “language,” like APR, variable interest rate, and credit utilization ratio, the big picture can seem overwhelming. Unfortunately, Rosetta Stone and Babbel don’t offer…
Most travelers understand the concept that when you fly, you accrue miles. However, many travelers don’t understand how to calculate the amount of miles they are going to obtain for flying. In fact, the overwhelming majority of flyers don’t check their…
The points and miles hobby can appear complicated at first glance but before you even delve into the hobby…you need a credit card. One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive is “what score do I need to obtain (insert card name)?”…
The current pandemic has brought the travel industry to it’s knees and many travelers (understandably) have questions about aspects of the airline industry. 1TP subscriber Dana asks:
A few days ago, I responded to a reader question and spoke about whether it was a good idea to redeem points for cash. Surprisingly, I received quite a few private questions after that post and wanted to dive a bit deeper than I did in the original article.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The travel industry is bleeding hard, no one knows when or how it’s going to stop, many analysts say the “financial bailout” isn’t enough, and that ultimately makes travelers, particularly those involved in the points and miles hobby, uneasy.
Over the past few days, I’ve received several questions about expiring free nights certificates and I wanted to speak, specifically, about the Hyatt free night certificate (FNC) because I am in the same boat as many of you. I want to be clear by saying…
Airlines are going great lengths to try and deny people cash refunds for canceled flights and they’re doing quite a good job at it as most consumers appear to believe they aren’t entitled to cash refunds.
If you’re listening to the radio, watching TV, or hanging out with friends and family (while, of course, social distancing of 6 feet), the topic of discussion is COVID-19. Understandably, it’s important to know the latest details but instead of focusing on how airlines have now adjusted their schedules and which countries have closed borders, I’ve decided to…
This morning I received an email from a 1TP subscriber that, at first, may seem very complex but also highlights the benefits have having miles and points. The message read…
Over the last few weeks we’ve been diving a bit deeper into points and miles. I recently received an email from a subscriber and I thought the question would make a great post and…
I redeem points for a lot of my flights but I also book many paid tickets. Recently, I received a message inquiring about my thoughts concerning Online Travel Agencies (OTA) and whether it…
Let’s be candid…credit cards points can be a challenging subject to understand (at first). Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even after years of experience, you’ll find…
A few days ago I posted an article explaining some of the details about my upcoming trip to Fiji. In the article I detailed my expenses for the trip and which hotels I planned to review. I’m not surprised that I received…
One of the things that make flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards so valuable is the ability to transfer the points to various airlines and hotel partners. For example, at the moment, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points directly to…
We have some very perceptive readers on this blog and I wanted to explain a concept that I have received a few emails about. Over the last few days I have been publishing an extended trip report where I…
A few days ago, I posted an article to remind everyone that American Express was offering a 40% bonus for another 10 days. Within an hour I received an email from a reader asking…