Time running out to earn highest 70,000 bonus miles with the United MileagePlus Explorer card

As I posted at the beginning of this month, Chase was offering a limited time increased sign up bonus for the United MileagePlus Explorer card. The normal public offer is for 50,000 bonus miles but this limited time offer is for 70,000 miles which is the highest I've seen for this card. However, the offer is set to end tomorrow on June 30, 2016 so if you plan to take advantage of this offer you have to apply now.

Chipotle introduces a loyalty program, sort of

I have always been a big fan of both Chipotle and Costco and have written about both on a number of occasions in the past (no I do not own stock in either company). Chipotle has been doing a lot to try to restore consumer confidence in their brand since the whole E. coli outbreaks earlier this year and have been handing out free food like candy in past promotions. I received a text the other day informing me about a new loyalty program they are launching called "Chiptopia" starting July 1st although this seems to be a limited promotion extending through the end of September.

My short ATL layover debacle continued...

I had written about my upcoming trip from Indianapolis (IND) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) connecting through Atlanta (ATL) booked through Costco Travel a couple months ago in this post. As I mentioned then, I noticed that my connection time was only 44 minutes which for anyone who has traveled through ATL knows can really be pushing it depending on where your terminals are located. I didn't make too much of big deal at the time because I assumed the flight must have met the required "minimum connection time" which is built into most airline booking websites.

Earn up to 55,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points for referring friends

So I know it's been a while since my last post but I've been super busy with work. There have been a lot of topics I wanted to post about recently such as the amazing JetBlue point match promotion, discounted United saver awards to Europe for 45,000 points, and Chipotle's new loyalty program but I'll have to save those for another day. I wanted to write about an email I just received from American Express with an opportunity to earn an easy 55,000 points just for referring friends for the Platinum card.

Limited United promo: Buy miles and get a bonus of up to 60% more award miles

It appears United is running another limited time promotion for up to 60% more miles when you purchase miles depending on how many you buy. This promo is running from June 6 - June 13 and the details are as follows:

Massive European sale...many airlines and many destinations

So I've been itching to get back to Europe since my first trip there earlier this year in March. However, tickets have been so expensive usually ranging in the $1,000-$1,400 range just for a round trip economy ticket from my home airport in Indianapolis (IND). But it appears there is a massive fare war going on between multiple airlines all across the US to Europe for dates in August 2016-March 2017 (excluding the holidays in December). Flights are going for a mere $600-$700 which is almost half the price they normally do but I'm not sure how long these fares are going to last.

Wyndham promo: Earn 5,000 bonus points for using Visa Checkout on mobile app

Wyndham is running a limited time promo in which you can earn an additional 5,000 bonus points just for using the Visa Checkout method when booking a room on their mobile app. The promo seems straightforward enough and you must book and complete your stay between April 27-July 31.

AMEX Platinum Delta SkyMiles card increased 60,000 sign up bonus offer

Another email I received today was an offer for an increased sign up bonus for the American Express Platinum Delta SkyMiles card. The offer is for 60,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express after spending $2,000 or more in eligible purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.

Targeted United offer: 70,000 bonus miles with the United MileagePlus Explorer card, highest ever

So it's been a while since I posted, I never realized how difficult it would be keeping up with this on a regular basis. Much has happened lately so hopefully you are keeping up with all the latest news through other means. I received an email today for an offer of 70,000 bonus miles with the MileagePlus Explorer card which is the highest I've seen so I thought I'd share.

New Hyatt promo: Earn 30% point bonus with purchase of 5,000 miles or more

Sorry for my lack of posts this past week, I was swamped with my normal day job so have been slacking. There has been quite a bit of news just in the past week alone including a 100,000 point sign up offer for the AMEX Platinum that is open to all, amazing airfares to Europe on multiple airlines which are all but dead by now, Alaska Airlines adding Japan Airlines as a transfer partner, and Wyndham introducing new elite tier benefits just to name a few top headlines. Hopefully you have been keeping up with all the news through other methods.

New United promo: Buy miles and get a bonus of up to 100% more award miles

So I received an email today from United for a special bonus offer when I purchase United miles for either an additional 50%, 75%, 80%, or 100% extra miles. When I clicked on the link it took me to a page with the maximum 100% bonus offer with my purchase which I am assuming will be the same for everyone as well.

My AMEX Membership Rewards account got hacked!

So I woke up this morning and was checking my email when I noticed that I received an email from American Express Membership Rewards with a receipt for a $50 iTunes gift card. At first I thought this must be some sort of phishing scam although the email did look rather legit and was also actually from americanexpress@membershiprewards.americanexpress.com so that had me a little worried.

Weekly Review: Expiring points, New AA promotion, Comparing SimplyCash Plus to Ink Cash, Hilton HHonors highest sign up bonus, FoundersCard review, Daily Getaways week 5

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week.

When do you let points and miles expire

There has never been a loyalty or rewards program that I have not signed up for and as a result I literally have thousands of points spread out across hundreds of different programs, some of which I have only used once or twice. If you are lucky then these programs don't have expiration dates for your points such as with Delta SkyMiles but this is usually not the case. As a result, I have many points that are on the verge of expiring which begs the question: What should I do with these?

New American Airlines promo: Up to 35% off on miles in celebration of their 35th anniversary

Last week I posted about a spring promotion from American Airlines offering up to a 75% bonus when buying/gifting miles which brought the cost down to 1.7 cents per mile if you bought the maximum amount of miles possible. That deal ended on April 28th but it appears they have another promotion for up to 35% off when you buy or gift miles in celebration of the AAdvantage program’s 35th anniversary.

Comparing the new AMEX SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card to the Chase Ink Cash Business Card

In January of this year, American Express announced the release of their new no annual fee SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card which is now publicly available. When I first heard about this card, it sounded a lot like Chase's Ink Cash Business Card so I thought I'd give a comparison of the two.

One day left to take advantage of highest sign up bonus ever for AMEX Hilton HHonors cards

There is only one day left to take advantage of the highest sign up bonus yet for 2 AMEX Hilton cards: the Hilton HHonors Card for 75K and the Hilton HHonors Surpass Card for 100K. Just a reminder that you are only entitled to one sign up bonus per AMEX product in your lifetime although there are rumors that these rules may be loosening in the near future.

Reviewing the FoundersCard and access to an exclusive discount code

This post is a little bit different in that I am not reviewing the typical credit card or loyalty program that we have all become so readily accustomed to but rather a card that provides membership into a vast, worldwide network of over 20,000 entrepreneurs and innovators that comes with its own unique set of perks and benefits. While the card itself is more geared towards those in the entrepreneurial community such as business owners, CEOs, presidents, etc it offers plenty of travel benefits that even an infrequent flyer can appreciate. And since I am always looking for ways to obtain elite status or benefits the quick way I thought this card might be worth mentioning.

Daily Getaways week 5

This week marks the fifth and final week of the U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaways deals. For those of you who don't know this is an annual promotion that offers travel getaways across the United States at discounted prices every weekday at www.dailygetaways.com. Offers are sold at a fixed price in limited quantities and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Offers are purchased on the site but booking can be done at a later date. Offers go on sale at 1:00pm ET each weekday and began April 4th, 2016.

2016 Annual Freddie Awards (26th) results out...Southwest and Marriott winners

You may remember getting all those annoying mass emails a few months ago from every airline and hotel chain you have ever used asking you to vote for them in this years annual Freddie Awards. For those of you who don't know what these are, according to their website at freddieawards.com:

Introduced in 1988 by InsideFlyer magazine’s Randy Petersen, the “Freddies” are named in honor of Sir Freddie Laker and have grown in stature and importance to become the most prestigious member-generated awards in the travel loyalty industry. The goal of the Freddie Awards is to give voice to the frequent flyer and to honor the efforts of an industry that counts more than 300 million members worldwide.

Maximizing Mother's Day purchases this year

As we all know, Mother's Day is right around the corner so now is the time many people will start placing orders for flowers, chocolates, jewelry, etc so that it can arrive on time by next week. A year ago I would have gone to a local florist or go online to make these purchases but now I know better and I rarely make any purchases without first trying to go through a shopping portal so that I can at least earn miles on things I would be buying otherwise. Here is how you can do this too.

Time running out to buy American Airlines AAdvantage miles with up to a 75% bonus

It appears American Airlines is also having a spring promotion for buying/gifting miles with up to a 75% bonus depending on how many miles you purchase. I'm not sure how long this particular promotion has been going on but I received an email today saying that the promotion is set to end soon on April 28, 2016 so I am assuming it has been going on for some time now.

Daily Getaways week 4

This week marks the fourth week of the U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaways deals. For those of you who don't know this is an annual promotion that offers travel getaways across the United States at discounted prices every weekday at www.dailygetaways.com. Offers are sold at a fixed price in limited quantities and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Offers are purchased on the site but booking can be done at a later date. Offers go on sale at 1:00pm ET each weekday and began April 4th, 2016.

Weekly Review: United bonus miles, UK issues warning, AMEX Business Platinum 150K, Travel apps, Layover times, Daily Getaways, and United MileagePlus Club Card

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week.

Time running out to buy United miles with up to a 75% bonus

So I received an email reminder today telling me that time is running out to take advantage of an offer to receive up to an additional 75% more miles depending on how many I purchase. I'm not sure how long this promotion has been going on or if it is targeted or open to the general public but when I logged into both my husband's account and my own they both have the offer.

UK issues warning about traveling to America's south

Its pretty bad when other governments start issuing travel warnings to your country but that is exactly what has happened in response to Mississippi's and North Carolina's recent anti-LGBT laws which have already cost the states millions in lost revenue. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a warning to its citizens on their foreign travel advice website of the potential problems that LGBT travelers may face based on recently passed legislation which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/local-laws-and-customs.

AMEX Business Platinum Card 150K sign up bonus!!!

Last month I posted about an offer I received in the mail for a sign up bonus of 100K Membership Rewards points for the AMEX Business Platinum Card if I spent $10,000 in the first 3 months. I had heard of others receiving this type of offer before and to date it was the highest sign up bonus I was aware of. However, I just received in the mail today an even better offer for up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points which is again for the AMEX Business Platinum Card.

Essential travel apps I use on a regular basis

I thought I would dedicate this post to talk about some of the various apps I have on my phone that I use frequently and have saved me on numerous occasions. Just to be clear, I use an iPhone so not all of these apps may apply in your situation but I'm sure most are also available for Android and other operating systems. Also, just a reminder that I have no relationship with anyone so don't receive any type of compensation for promoting these apps and everything that is said is strictly my own opinion.

How long should a layover be?

I scheduled a short vacation in July at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico this July through Costco travel and didn't really pay attention to the flights until my husband pointed out that our layover in Atlanta (ATL) was rather short and he is concerned about missing our connection. I should have paid more attention to this before purchasing the package because after reviewing the itinerary I think he may be right which leads me to the basis of this post: how long should a layover be?

Daily Getaways week 3

This week marks the third week of the U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaways deals. For those of you who don't know this is an annual promotion that offers travel getaways across the United States at discounted prices every weekday at www.dailygetaways.com. Offers are sold at a fixed price in limited quantities and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Offers are purchased on the site but booking can be done at a later date. Offers go on sale at 1:00pm ET each weekday and began April 4th, 2016.

Should I get the United MileagePlus Club card

I am always looking for ways to get shortcuts to elite benefits without actually having to fly and have been considering applying for some of the co-branded airline cards for some time now. There are co-branded cards for almost every major airline offering various perks ranging from free checked bags to lounge access so it really comes down to your personal preference.

Weekly Review: Approach to booking flights, This weeks Daily Getaways, Accidentally saving points

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week. I know I've been slacking lately so will try to do better next week.

My general approach to booking flights (both paid and award)

There are many ways to skin a cat so I'm in no way implying that this is the correct way you should go about booking travel but I just wanted to share my general approach and offer some tips.

This week's Daily Getaways deals

Last week marked the return of the U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaways deals. For those of you who don't know this is an annual promotion that offers travel getaways across the United States at discounted prices every weekday at www.dailygetaways.com. Offers are sold at a fixed price in limited quantities and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Offers are purchased on the site but booking can be done at a later date. Offers go on sale at 1:00pm ET each weekday and began April 4th, 2016.

How I accidentally saved over 13,000 points

As the primary vacation organizer of the family it is my responsibility to book all the plans usually including flights, hotels, transportation, etc. I actually don't mind this usually unless a problem arises and then I want to rip my hair out. This was the case recently when a change in my work schedule forced me to rearrange 3 upcoming vacations which I spent countless hours trying to fix. Luckily, some of the flights fell under the DOT's 24-hour cancellation policy but others didn't. Overall I was able to change most plans without penalty and the damage could have been much worse.

Weekly Review: AMEX Centurion card, Chase Freedom Unlimited now online, MSY Delta Sky Club review, AMEX Business Gold Rewards 75K bonus, Cruise tips, Daily Getaways are back

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week.

Is the AMEX Centurion "Black Card" the most aspirational card out there?

Many have heard of the infamous "Black Card" from American Express that is an invitation-only charge card offered exclusively to the richest of the rich and is rumored to provide some rather exceptional benefits. Little is still known about the actual requirements needed to qualify for this card but presumably you need an excellent credit score, high net worth, as well as high spending habits. Reliable sources have referenced that the average Centurion cardholder spends at least $250,000+ per year, has a net worth of 16 million, and an annual income of 1.3 million!

Chase Freedom Unlimited online application now available

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the next cards I was considering was the Chase Freedom Unlimited card (not to be confused with the Chase Freedom card) which became available last month. However, the only way you could apply for the card at that time was by visiting one of their branches directly or calling in and doing a PC (product change) from an already owned card. Since I had no interest in converting my current Chase Freedom card or standing in line for hours at a bank I decided to hold off on applying until applications became available online.

Review: New Orleans (MSY) Delta Sky Club

As I mentioned yesterday I recently returned from a Caribbean cruise that left out of New Orleans so I wanted to take this time to review the Delta Sky Club there. Similar to my home airport at Indianapolis (IND), there is only one lounge in the entire airport and it happens to be a Delta Sky Club which I luckily have access to through my AMEX Platinum since I was flying on a Delta flight.

AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card 75K sign up bonus

So going along with a recent post about a targeted offer for 100K Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 in 3 months for the AMEX Business Platinum Card, I just received another enticing offer in the mail for 75K Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in 3 months for the AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card.

Back from a cruise and some tips I've learned over the years

As some of you may have noticed, I was MIA for the past week because I just got back from a cruise yesterday. While I probably could have written a few posts from the ship, I did not have easy access to the internet and that also would probably defeat the purpose of going on vacation. It seems like I did miss quite a bit of news in the past week with reports of Alaska Air planning to acquire Virgin America and Anbang ending its run to try to acquire Starwood Hotels and Resorts but I have mostly caught up with the travel news.

Daily Getaways are back from the US Travel Association

Today marks the return of the U.S. Travel Association's Daily Getaway deals. For those of you who have never heard of these, it is an annual program that offers travel getaways across the United States at discounted prices every weekday at www.dailygetaways.com. Offers are sold at a fixed price in limited quantities and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Offers are purchased on the site but booking can be done at a later date. Offers go on sale at 1:00pm ET each weekday beginning April 4, 2016.

Weekly Review: Highest SPG Amex bonus, Credit cards I own, Carnival to sail to Cuba, AMEX Business Platinum 100K bonus, and more

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week.

Time running out for SPG Amex highest sign up bonus ever

As you are probably aware by now, American Express is offering their highest sign up bonus ever for their Starwood Preferred Guest credit cards (personal and business versions) with a chance to get 35,000 bonus Starpoints after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. However, time is running out to take advantage of this offer and it ends next Wednesday 3/30/16 which is less than a week away!

What's in your wallet?

Despite using the slogan from Capital One, I actually don't have any Capital One credit cards in my arsenal. But I wanted to take this post to highlight some of the cards that I do have and discuss why I have them and in which order I obtained them.

Carnival receives approval to start sailing to Cuba

Again, I realize this news may be a few days old but as they say better late than never. There has been a lot of talk about Cuba in the news lately with the recent historic visit by President Obama (and the awkward handshake that went viral), Starwood Hotels & Resorts signing a deal to control 3 hotels in Havana, and the announcement to resume commercial flights to Cuba in the near future and now there is one more way to plan a visit there.

AMEX Business Platinum Card 100K sign up bonus

I received an interesting offer in the mail today for a 100K Membership Rewards sign up bonus for the AMEX Business Platinum card which is one of the highest bonuses they offer. I had heard of reports of others being targeted for this offer but I never expected to be targeted myself. I had previously tried to see if I qualified for this increased sign up offer before when I was applying for the AMEX personal Platinum card last year but unfortunately I was only able to receive the standard 40,000 Membership Rewards sign up bonus which is what they are still advertising on their website.

Capital One becomes first financial company to partner up with Amazon Echo

I know this news is a few days old but I thought I'd share it regardless. Recently it was announced that Capital One teamed up with Amazon to let customers use their Amazon Echo to perform different actions such as paying your bill or checking your balance.

Free food from Chipotle

I know this has nothing to do with travel but I thought I'd mention it anyways. It is no secret that I have always been a huge fan of Chipotle. Even with the whole recent E. coli outbreaks I still love their food and think they are a quality company so I will keep going there.

And the 2016 best airline reward program goes to ...

The 5th annual FlyerTalk "Best Rewards Programs" awards were announced earlier today and the winners come as no surprise as they were also the winners from last year as well.

Should Zika affect your travel plans?

In anticipation of an upcoming cruise that I'm taking next week that is stopping at many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the inherent risks associated with the recent worldwide outbreak of the Zika virus.

Starwood signs historic deal to manage 3 hotels in Cuba

As the diplomatic ties between US and Cuba continue to strengthen, Starwood Hotels & Resorts just signed a historic deal giving it control over 3 hotels in Havana which is likely just the start of many more to come. This represents the first time an American hospitality company has struck a deal with the Cuban authorities since 1959 and comes just on the eve of President Obama's historic visit to Cuba which is the first by an American president in over 90 years.

Weekly Review: Military travel benefits, Starwood buyout update, Southwest sale, Chase Freedom Unlimited available, and more

Here is a brief recap of all the posts you may have missed from this past week.

More travel benefits for members of the military (and their families)

In a previous post, I talked about a limited time offer for a free companion airline ticket if you signed up for Veterans Advantage which is a program available to all members of the military (active, reserves, retired) and their families. While this offer has expired there are numerous other opportunities for members of our US Armed Forces to take advantage of when traveling.

Things just got MORE interesting with the Starwood buyout

As announced earlier this week, another player entered what seemed like an already set in stone deal between Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Marriott International that has shook up the travel industry. As outlined in a prior post, the relatively unknown fully financed Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group had submitted an initial offer for $76 a share which was already higher than Marriott's offer and they just upped the ante to $78 per share which equates to buyout of around $13.2 billion.

FREE companion airline ticket, limited time offer

First, I want to give the disclaimer that this offer is not available to everyone in the general public. It only applies to those in the military, veterans, or their families so if you do not fall into one of these categories then there is no need to go any further

Southwest offering sale for flights as low as $69 one way

I've noticed Southwest doesn't get too much attention in the travel blogs except when it comes to their coveted Companion Pass but they can they still be a good option in many cases. As I mentioned in a previous post, they are one of only 2 options for me to fly non-stop from my home airport in Indianapolis (IND) to Las Vegas (LAS) which I frequent often and the other choice is the budget airline Allegiant so in reality its my only option for non-stop flights. They also have some pretty generous policies such as their cancellation policy which allows you to cancel your flight for no charge and they are the last of the legacy carriers to offer not one but TWO free checked bags.

Another reason I love my AMEX Platinum Card

There is no doubt that the AMEX Platinum offers an array of invaluable benefits although does come with a price and has an annual fee of $450 so isn't for everyone. When I first got into this crazy game a year ago I was researching which card I wanted to apply for first and I ended up picking the AMEX Platinum and here are a few reasons why.

Activate Q2 bonus category for Chase Freedom now

In my post yesterday, I talked about how it was the last day to activate the Q1 bonus category for your Chase Freedom card. Hopefully you weren't one of the people that forgot to do this as it is too late now but that doesn't mean you can't be proactive and go ahead and activate for Q2 (April 1 - June 30) so you don't miss out.

A few Chase Freedom updates

So as I alluded to in a prior post, one of the newer cards that I have been considering applying for is the Chase Freedom Unlimited card that is set to be available next month. However, it sounds like as of today you can apply for this card either through a secure message on their website or directly at one of their branches.

Things just got interesting with the Starwood buyout

As many people have already probably heard by now, there has been another offer on the table for the upcoming Starwood acquisition that was announced earlier today. The offer came from Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group which is largely unknown in the US but did make headlines when they bought New York's Waldorf Astoria for $1.95 billion back in October 2014 which was the largest-ever U.S. real estate purchase by a Chinese buyer at the time.

Experiencing Las Vegas for free

There is no doubt that the Sin City is like no other place on Earth and whether you like to gamble or not the city offers a little bit of something for everyone. That is one reason I've found myself returning time and time again and there are definitely ways to take advantage of what Vegas has to offer without having to break the bank. In this post, I'm going to highlight some of the ways I've managed to go back on numerous occasions basically for free.

How I got elite status in 3 hotel programs without any stays

While developing a plan of action to get to where you want to go may just be half the battle, the next issue to tackle is where you're going to stay once you get to your target destination. That's why having top tier elite status in multiple hotel loyalty programs becomes essential as any frequent traveler knows. It's not just the base point bonus or convenience of having guaranteed room availability and late checkout that makes these programs valuable but the elite benefits of many hotel programs can translate into literally hundreds of dollars in savings, especially when you start talking about suite upgrades, free internet/breakfast, lounge access, and free award nights.

My first experience booking award travel

As mentioned I am relatively new to the points and miles game and just booked my first award tickets to Germany last week so wanted to share my experience. I had already done a fair amount of paid travel over the past year to various places in the US such as Hawaii, New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Las Vegas, and Maine but had yet to make the journey across the pond which has always been a goal of mine. We decided to set our sights on Germany as our destination of choice, mainly because my spouse had lived for 4 years there near the Vilseck area while he was stationed in the Army so knew the area well and had many acquaintances that still lived there.

Is there a doctor on board?

I have done a fair amount of flying over the years and never encountered any major issues except for some light turbulence but nothing like the recent Spirit Airlines brawl that broke out yesterday. However, that all changed last month on a short flight to Vegas for a quick getaway.

Time running out to buy 40% discounted United miles

United is currently running a promotion to buy United miles at a discounted price based on how many miles you purchase. The max discount is up to 40% and the breakdown is as follows:

What it's like being married to someone not interested in the hobby

In an ideal world you and your significant other would both be equally invested in playing the points and miles games but this is usually not the case. I happen to fall into that category and my husband could care less where we stay, what airlines we fly, and what credit card to use as long as we get to where we need to be. I find myself having to constantly remind him which card to use for gas vs restaurants vs flights and so on and so forth which is also constantly changing based on category bonuses as with the Chase Freedom card so I can understand from his perspective how it can be confusing.

The next credit cards I'm considering

I'm always on the lookout for new credit cards to add to my growing collection and the cards I'm most probably going to apply for next are the Citi Prestige and the Chase Freedom Unlimited cards. Anyone who has been in the hobby for long enough has at least heard of these cards if not already holders themselves. Let me just give a brief overview of each.

Why I love TSA Precheck

For those of us who travel frequently (and even those who travel infrequently) there is probably no greater hassle than having to go through airport security. The lines are usually horrible, I always forget to completely empty my pockets or I'll leave a drink in my bag, and sometimes I am even lucky enough to receive a full body pat down. Also depending on how you budget your time you may even end up missing your flight or layover. That is why I believe TSA precheck is probably the greatest invention ever to come to the airline industry and here is why.

Review: Indianapolis (IND) Delta Sky Club

As mentioned, my home airport is Indianapolis (IND) and the only premium lounge here is the Delta Sky Club so I visit this lounge quite frequently. There is one other lounge here which is the USO lounge located before security near the baggage claim but this is only for US military members and their families so I will not be reviewing this one although my spouse was in the military for 15 years so I have been to it.

My first attempt at blogging...

So I want to use this post as an attempt to explain the purpose of forming this blog and share a little bit about my background in order to give you a better understanding of what to expect in the future. Although I've been following the points and miles game for about a year now I still would consider myself as having only a beginner/intermediate level of knowledge so I will be writing from that perspective. I know just enough to be dangerous but am definitely no expert when it comes to searching for award space or booking on partner airlines and I actually just booked my first transatlantic flight last week using points to fly to Germany on United.