Every once in a while I meet a friend that “gets it”. They understand the power of airline, hotel, and credit card points. A few of my co-workers even get it.
This past week I met someone that holds Chairman’s Preferred status with US Airways, Avis President’s Club, and Marriott Platinum status level. A true road warrior that has mastered the “work / life balance”. He takes free vacations with his family and gets great deals on gift cards to use points he might not otherwise use.
Until we spoke on this past Wednesday he wasn’t signed up for the US Airways Grand Slam promotion. Already a dedicated US Airways flyer with a stockpile of miles missing out on a great opportunity. I had initially thought about not participating in this promo, but the posts from Mommy Points that outlined her success step-by-step I committed to doing it.
I pointed my friend to the promo signup page, directed him to Mommy Points’ blog, and he was off. He’ll have no problem getting to 24 hits (45,000 miles) with a minimal amount of effort. I’ll probably get to the same and now that I have someone right next to me playing along I have the motivation to make sure he doesn’t miss out!
It’s true, you really can “see the world at prices you can afford”. Do your part and teach others how THEY can see the world at prices they can afford! Friends don’t let friends miss out on points promotions.
The winner of the two nights in Savannah is … live2vaca with the recommendation for Equinox Resort in Manchester, VT. The thing that put me over the top with this selection was the recommendation from a close friend who has gotten some amazing upgrades as an SPG Gold. Having lived in Massachusetts for so long I can’t believe I never made it here. It was on my list but just never got to it. Plus, fall in New England is tough to beat. live2vaca please email me at howie@frugaltravelguy.com to coordinate your reservation!
Travel Tip: Know your cancellation rules
Since last Thursday I’ve booked and cancelled a flight to London five times. Delta’s risk-free cancellation policy allows you to cancel a flight for a full refund that originates in the US as long as you cancel by 11:59pm Eastern Time the day after you book it.
The price of my itinerary hasn’t changed one bit and I’m always able to reclaim the previous seats I had selected. Once the price goes up this game would stop for me. I’m lucky though, I got confirmation late last night that I was all set and am headed on my trip in a few weeks.
Packing Tip: Know what you packed
This past weekend my rollaboard got pulled off the x-ray machine for additional screening. As soon as the TSA officer took the bag I knew that it was a new box of business cards I had just received. Densely packed, I bet it looked like a brick. The screening delayed me only by about three minutes so it was no big deal.
I had a similar delay earlier this year with a Kindle I had packed at London Heathrow, however the delay took me 20 minutes. Security was busy and bags being re-screened weren’t making it through in a timely fashion. Had I just taken the Kindle or the business cards out of my bag I would have zipped through security. Lesson learned!
25,000 Bonus Points and a New Lower Minimum Spend Requirement: $5K in Six Months
