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.