The Lazy Traveler's Handbook

Hilton Honors Devaluations Update (March 2018)

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 3 Comments

On February 20, I posted about cheap Hilton sweet spot redemptions in the Americas and Europe. On February 26, I posted another piece on redemptions in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Guess what: in just one month, Hilton has managed to devalue some of these properties. Gee, how dynamic of them! The History… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Miles and Points

30% Bonus for Citi ThankYou Points Transfer to JetBlue and What You Can Do With It

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 1 Comment

From now until May 19, 2018, you can get a 30% bonus for transferring Citi ThankYou points to JetBlue. It means, 1,000 ThankYou Points = 1,040 TrueBlue points (HT ha_ka on Reddit). I’ve done a fair share of JetBlue writeups in the past. This is a fantastic deal if you’re interested in flights in… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Bargains, Cheap Travel, Miles and Points

What Are Points Worth to You?

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 16 Comments

Let me point it out right away — this is not about points valuation. Over the weekend, I received an email from a reader who has questioned my redemption principles in response to my Hilton Honors series. He brings up an interesting point, the point, I happen to disagree with. He basically says that “extreme… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Bargains, Cheap Travel, Manufactured Spending, Miles and Points

Should I Get the AMEX Hilton Aspire card? Part 1: $250 Resorts Credit Detailed Review

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 16 Comments

The reason for this and the follow-up post is to help you decide if the card is for you, because $450 is not a small matter. Let’s take another look at the major AMEX Hilton Aspire card features. $450 annual fee 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points (after you spend $4,000 in the first 3… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Bargains, Miles and Points, Miles and Points Trip Ideas

Club Carlson Devaluation 03.01.18 and the Hotels You Might Want to Book Now!

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 1 Comment

There is yet another Club Carlson devaluation. According to Loyalty Traveler (because I was too lazy to count), 55 hotels are going up and 69 are going down in award category. Not too bad, right? Wrong! Because the numbers don’t matter. Let’s put it another way: 9 half-decent hotels in somewhat interesting locations are going… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Miles and Points

New Revamped IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks Review IN DETAILS: for Better or Worse? (Book Until April 30, 2018)

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 0 Comments

It’s been a while since I was excited by the IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks promotion. A reminder: IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks used to allow you to book selected properties at 5,000 points a night. I kept away from covering them for exactly one year — here is my last one if anyone’s interested. Read it,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Miles and Points

New Hilton American Express Credit Cards FAQs: Points Bonus, Elite Status, Lounges, and More

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 1 Comment

Now that American Express has wrestled exclusive rights to all Hilton cards from Citi, there are 4 Hilton American Express credit cards left. I’m not big on wasting bandwidth on marginal features and benefits no one cares about, so I will list the major selling and “counter-selling” points. Hilton Honors American Express Card No… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Miles and Points

Did You Receive Free American AAdvantage Platinum Status?

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 7 Comments

I received a free offer for American AAdvantage Platinum status. I hate writing about targeted offers, because (a) I never get them, and (b) they are usually useless for general public. Except when I do get targeted offers myself, because then it tells me one thing: if a targeted offer — any kind of… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Bargains, Miles and Points

Delta Award Sale to the Caribbean and Central America: From 12,000 Miles Roundtrip

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 2 Comments

Delta is having another one of its flash sales starting at 16,000 miles per roundtrip, this time to the Caribbean and Central America (found at DoC). I found one city-pair for 12,000 miles, and there might be others. The Link The list above is only partial; here are all eligible destinations: ANU, AUA, BDA, BON,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Bargains, Cheap Travel, Miles and Points, Miles and Points Trip Ideas

Do Travel Hackers Have Credit Card Debt?

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Andy Shuman • 8 Comments

Yes! It has come to my attention that there are people among miles and points collectors with credit card debt. Think I’m kidding? I wish! Let me give you a moment to let it sink in. Because if you’re reading this post and you’re one of those people, well… You. Must. Stop. Here are some… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Miles and Points

Follow The Lazy Traveler's Handbook