Welcome back to our Weekly Summary Series where we review the stories that were covered throughout the week.
Don’t forget to enter the Weekend Giveaway for the Delta First Class Companion Certificate – the giveaway expires tonight!
Targeted Amex Sync Offer: $20 Back On $20+ Amazon Purchase
There is another Amex Sync offer but this one seems to be more tightly targeted than others. I say that because several people I know did not get it and it was not available on any of our 9 American Express cards. But, on the chance that it is available for you, here are the details! This offer is for $20 back on purchases at Amazon of $20 or more. That is a phenomonal deal! Some people are having this available on multiple cards, many others not getting it on any cards.
The Winner of The Favorite Hotel Accessories Giveaway (and great answers)
This past weekend, I ran a giveaway for one of my favorite hotel accessories. To sum up, my favorite hotel accessories are my mini router and my Chromecast. However, I asked readers what their favorite travel accessories were and got some really great answers. Believe it or not, I have not used packing cubes before. I always just nicely pack my carry-on and (for trips over two weeks) use compression bags for my clothes in my suitcase. But, given how many of you consider your packing cubes to be your favorite travel accessory, I definitely will be getting some to try!
Real-Life Comparison of Hyatt Platinum and Hyatt Diamond
Now that I have finished my Diamond challenge and experienced a total of 15 Hyatt nights as a Diamond, I thought it might be helpful to compare real-life experiences of Hyatt Platinum to Hyatt Diamond. Given the fact that anyone can achieve Hyatt Platinum just by holding the Hyatt credit card and how easy it is to get Hyatt Diamond through their challenge, it may give some pointers to those who are wondering which way to go.
British Airways Now Charging Surcharges For International US Airway Awards
Well, that was nice while it lasted! The sweet spots that were available with using British Airways Avios for US Airway international flights have just been drastically altered by the addition of huge surcharges. A few months ago when US Airways joined the Oneworld Alliance, all of their saver award tickets were available to be booked with British Airways Avios. That was great news for all the short-haul flights around the US and Caribbean using the US Airways network! But…
Being Detained In A Foreign Country
It is never a pleasant thing to be detained no matter where you are. This detention could occur by police or customs officials and can be for a variety of reasons. It doesn’t always have to involve being dragged away to a police station but can include being stopped and questioned by authorities. When you are detained on foreign soil, it can really become an unpleasant experience.
Samsung Showcases A Futuristic Airport
Last week, Samsung showcased how they can design setups for the future. One of those setups is their idea of a futuristic airport. They have some pretty good ideas, some of which will undoubtedly be met with resistance based on privacy but that is the way…
Uncharged Phones Not Allowed on Some US-bound Flights
Earlier this week, the TSA announced that certain airports in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will need to institute another layer of security checks. These security checks call for the powering on of phones and laptops and are required, if the agents asks. If the unit cannot power on, then it is not allowed on the plane. A lot of people are really upset about this new rule which is already in place in some airports, including London Heathrow. It translates to the loss of your cell phone if you are proceeding on to the secure zone and your cell phone battery is dead.
$15 Off $100 or More At Staples – Combine w/ 4X UR Points
After posting the offer the other day that American Express has for (some) customers – the free money at Amazon – I have been checking my Amex Offers daily with hopes that it will pop up for me. Well, it hasn’t popped up yet, but this one did today on several of my cards and I thought it was a pretty good one to pass along.
Dubai’s New $7 Billion Mini-City
I have been to Dubai twice now (for the marathon both times) and the one thing you really take away from the city is that they really, really want to have the biggest/tallest/longest of everything. Now, they are looking to do it again. They are launching out to build the new Dubai Mall of the World that will dwarf their existing malls. The amazing part is that their current malls – the Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates – are already the largest malls in the world. This new mall arena will be almost four times the area of the Dubai Mall!
US Airways 100% Buy Miles Bonus – Enough Already!
Here we go again – it must be a weekday because US Airways is running another mile bonus! Seriously, they have really ramped up these promotions lately and it is not something that I particularly care for (which I will address below).
One Of The Best Parts Of Travel…
Because this (and others) are miles and points blogs to help readers travel more for less, you might think that the best part of travel is the first class seat and the luxury hotel suite. Some people might think the the best part of travel is experiencing the “awesome” foreign airline lounges in the airports. Some people might think the best part of travel is racking up the miles. But that is not what I am thinking!
Great Deal: Garmin Forerunner 610 Refurb – $139
Here is another Garmin GPS deal, thankfully as it has been a little dry lately! This one is different from the usual Garmin deals as it does not come with the heart rate monitor or the USB ANT stick. Neither one of those items are a deal killer, especially since heart rate monitors from other Garmins will work with this as well. This works very well for those who may be interested in upgrading to the model. Not only that, but it is a great price.
The 100KM Pharaonic Race – The Race of Pharaohs
I am constantly on the lookout for interesting races that I believe readers may want to hear about (the problem is always my writing the reports fast enough!). I like to look at races where there are not already some decent reports out or that take place in interesting destinations. Well, for this one, I need your advice!
The New Citi AA Mile Offer – Higher or Lower?
Gary at View from the Wing wrote today about the new public offer for the Citi AA Executive card. It had sat around for months at 100,000 miles – easily the best credit card offer around all that time. Recently, it disappeared. Now, there is an offer that is back. But, is it higher or lower?
Weekend Giveaway: Delta First Class Companion Certificate
Here is another weekend giveaway! For this, I am giving away something that can save one of you a lot of money and also bring along someone special on that next trip!
LoopPay – How To Carry All Your Credit Cards
There is a company called LoopPay that is trying to be your source of technology married with your credit cards. It is a mixture of hardware and software that combines to give you the opportunity to carry all of your credit cards with you all the time.
Get $20 Staples Gift Card With $300 Mastercard Gift Cards Purchase
Staples is running another promotion on prepaid card purchases. This is similar to the one from last month except the gift card offered this time is a Staples gift card, not a Visa gift card.
