A Beginner’s Guide to Hilton Honors

2018-03-14 2018-03-21 0 Comments

ContentsIntroductionHilton Honors BasicsMembership TiersShortcuts to Elite StatusHilton Status MatchHilton Cobranded Credit CardsAdditional Ways to Earn Hilton PointsRedeeming Hilton PointsBooking Reward Nights Conclusion Introduction Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. is one of the largest multinational hotel conglomerates in the world, comprised of 5,200 properties across 14 hotel brands. Brands owned by Hilton include Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy, Curio, Hilton, DoubleTree, Embassy suites,…
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Hilton Honors

Sallie Mae (SM) Credit Card Review (Discontinued)

2018-03-11 2018-06-21 54 Comments

Sallie Mae (SM)

Sallie Mae Credit Card (SM) Review 2018.3 Update: This card will be automatically converted to Barclaycard Rewards Credit Card (Discontinued) (HT: DoC). This is also a useless card. No idea what Barclaycard is doing here. 2016.12 Update: This card will be automatically converted to a card called “Commence by SallieMae Mastercard”. It only offers 2% cashback on Grocery & Utility and 1%…
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Discontinued Credit Cards

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Fly business class one-way to Europe for 25K miles or ~$500 (March 18th deadline)

2018-03-09 2018-03-21 0 Comments

Iberia has an award ticket sale going on, where you can fly one-way from NYC/Boston/Chicago to Madrid for just 25.5K Iberia Avios in business class. You can also fly Miami to Madrid for 31.9K Avios. Economy awards are also discounted 25%, and the deal is valid for October – December 15, 2018, excluding certain dates (detailed below). This is an…
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Limited Time Deals

A Beginner’s Guide to the Marriott Rewards Program (2018 Update)

2018-03-08 2019-07-17 6 Comments

Contents1. Brief Introduction to Marriott Hotel Group2. Marriott Rewards3. Point Redemption4. Elite Member Status5. Short-cut for Elite Membership5.1. SPG Status Match5.2. Status Challenge5.3. Credit Cards5.4. United Airlines6. Best Rate Guarantee (BRG)7. SPG Point Transfer8. Travel Packages 1. Brief Introduction to Marriott Hotel Group Established in 1957, Marriott Hotel’s headquarters lies in Washington D.C, with over 4,000 hotels and resorts across the world. After they…
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Marriott Bonvoy

Mercedes-Benz Cards from American Express Will Be Discontinued in Jan 2019

2018-03-02 2018-03-02 22 Comments

People used to earn a lot Amex Membership Rewards points by getting sign-up bonuses from different versions of Platinum cards. They currently offer Platinum, Mercedes-Benz Platinum, Schwab Platinum and Ameriprise Platinum for normal users. You at least can get 195k MR points by simply getting sign-up offer of these Platinum cards. However, if you go to application page of AmEx…
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News

Amex PRG-Platinum Upgrade/Downgrade? Get the Travel Credit Twice!

2018-02-28 2018-02-28 6 Comments

ContentsIntroductionReceive Multiple Incidental Credits when UpgradingReceive Multiple Incidental Credits when DowngradingSummary Introduction I recently received an offer for 60,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points after spending $5,000 by upgrading my Amex Premier Rewards Gold (PRG) to an Amex Platinum. The offer was received via email with the subject line “Congratulations [NAME], Get Exciting Benefits When You Upgrade to the Platinum Card!” Of course…
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AmEx Summaries

Anbang Insurance, Which Nearly Bought SPG, Is Now Taken Over By The China Insurance Regulatory Commission

2018-02-22 2018-02-22 4 Comments

I believe many of you still remember that Marriott and Anbang Insurance became the last two players to buy SPG after SPG Hotel Group revealed its willingness to sell itself in 2016. At that time, the two sides constantly offered higher prices. At some stage, the Anbang Insurance Group prevailed, and offered a price that Marriott can not afford. What’s…
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News

Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi Review (2025.5 Update)

2018-02-19 2025-05-02 5 Comments

Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi Review ContentsApplication LinkBenefitsDisadvantagesRecommended Application TimeSummaryHistorical Offers ChartApplication Link Application Link Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi Benefits Earn 5% cash back on Costco gas; 4% cash back at other gas stations and EV charging stations; 3% cash back at restaurants and eligible travel spending; 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com; 1%…
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Citibank Business Card

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Barclays Ring Credit Card Review (Discontinued)

2018-02-19 2021-07-16 0 Comments

Barclays Ring MasterCard Review 2019.6 Update: This card is currently unavailable because Barclays is “re-thinking” this brand. ContentsApplication LinkBenefitsDisadvantagesRecommended Application TimeSummaryAfter ApplyingHistorical Offers ChartApplication Link Application Link This card no longer accepts new applications. If you have this legacy credit card, you can still enjoy its original benefits. Benefits Enjoy a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within…
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Discontinued Credit Cards

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BoA BankAmericard Credit Card Review

2018-02-19 2023-02-15 23 Comments

BankAmericard Credit Card Review ContentsApplication LinkBenefitsDisadvantagesRecommended Application TimeSummaryHistorical Offers ChartApplication Link Application Link BoA BankAmericard Benefits Introductory 0% APR for your first 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within 60 days of opening your account. Introductory $0 balance transfer fee for the first 60 days your account is open. No annual fee. Disadvantages No sign up bonus….
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BoA

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List of Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fee (FTF) (2018.2 Update)

2018-02-08 2018-06-21 0 Comments

When using your credit cards abroad, you usually need to pay a 2%~3% Foreign Transaction Fee (FTF). Some credit cards do not charge this fee, and thus are very suitable for using abroad. Here are some common credit cards with no FTF. Note: Aside from the Foreign Transaction Fee, Visa/MasterCard may also charge a Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) Fee, which can be…
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Credit Cards Comparison

My AA Executive Platinum Status Expired, and I’m Happy

2018-02-02 2018-02-02 4 Comments

Since American Airlines decided go revenue-based and introduced Elite Qualifying Miles last year, many AA loyalists feel betrayed and don’t bother re-qualifying anymore (well, unless your corporate contract forces you to fly AA). As an half academic flyer/half leisure traveler, I don’t necessarily feel betrayed. Nonetheless, AA no longer appears appealing to me. In addition to changes in Elite Qualification,…
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Oneworld

How to Retroactively Request Airline Mileage Credit

2018-01-31 2018-01-31 1 Comment

This is an introduction to how to retroactively request mileage credit on the major U.S. airlines. There are a variety of reasons one might want to retroactively request mileage credit. For instance: The miles from a flight you took do not appear in your frequent flyer account after a certain period of time (varies by airline, as described below). You…
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Airline Miles Guide

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