Sunday Success Story

Your Sunday Success Story will serve as a living example that all of us average Americans can indeed see the world at prices we all can afford. We can do this by working together and sharing our stories. Send your story to me at rick@frugaltravelguy.com. Include you first name and last initial, along with your occupation and a photo if you wish. 

Hi Rick,

Want to start with a big thank you for all the advice you have provided that led me down this path.   I was lucky to have parents who taught me the importance of good credit. I have always paid everything on time and built up a great credit history.

Since I didn't travel much for work, I never thought that airline miles, hotel points, etc., could ever be better than regular cash back. Before I stumbled onto your blog, I thought hitting a little over 2% cashback would be the best use of my credit card spend. However, once I started reading about your travels and strategies about a year and half ago, I thought, "Hey, I can do that!"

A few helpful e-mails with you last year and I was off and running with a Starwoods Card and American Airlines Card. Now, as I said, I don't travel too much for work and really don't have time for mileage runs, so I focus mainly on the credit card bonuses and spend. Since then, only using sign-up bonuses I have successfully received 30,000 Starwood points, 60,000 AA miles, 100,000 British Airway miles, 70,000 Marriott Points (plus free night cert), and $880 in Southwest Fares all the while monitoring and keeping my high credit score.

Those bonuses and credit card spending tricks let me accomplish the following using only points earned (and small taxes/fees on airfare)...

• Rooms at the Sheraton Louisville for the Kentucky Derby (Sheraton had a rate of $899/night for this high demand event and even Super 8's have plus $200/night rates.)
• Flights for my fiancee and me in Grand Cayman for her sister's wedding during high season this spring.
• Gold Status on Starwoods that has given me free upgrades to balcony rooms at the Westin Diplomat in Ft. Lauderdale, and club level rooms at Sheraton in Tucson, NY, and Atlanta (even with a Priceline or package trip room).
• Flight to Tucson, AZ for this Christmas.

Finally, and most importantly, I just booked our honeymoon airfare direct from Chicago this September to Hawaii for $40 in fees. We are now trying to decide on which hotels on which islands we want to stay for our trip, but we have tons of options anywhere using points I have earned. With the cost of our wedding and other expenses this year, there is no way we would have been able to afford this level of trip right after our wedding without using miles and points.

I am definitely coming up much more ahead than my old 2% cash back bonuses with travel.

I just wanted to let everyone know, you do NOT have to be a business traveler or need time to do mileage runs in order to travel the world at an unbelievable low cost. Just use your credit history!

Thanks again, Rick.

-- Ed

Congrats, Ed, on the free travel and upcoming honeymoon. We did ours in Hawaii as well!

Limited Time Offer! First Year Fee Waived: 50,000 Points Transferable to Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Continental and British Airways