One benefit of the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer card (Flyertalk link) is getting an additional 5000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user. To add an authorized user, all you need to do is call Chase and give them a name, and then Chase will send you a new credit card with that name on it….
Most people probably don’t care about this announcement since Discover’s cards aren’t particularly interesting from a frequent flyer perspective, but Discover’s peer-to-peer payments service called Money Messenger is being discontinued starting October 10th, 2013. This service, powered by Paypal, was slightly interesting in that there were no fees for sending money, but you still earned…
The big dirty non-secret amongst popular travel blogs is that many of these bloggers make their money off of credit card affiliate links. So when you click on one of their credit card links, apply for the credit card, and get approved, the blogger makes money. I have no idea how much, but I’m guessing…
I picked up the Citi Hilton Reserve credit card in my last round of credit card applications, largely because I want to use the two free weekend nights at the Conrad Hong Kong when I’m there later this year. I like that the card gives free Hilton Gold status (although I may have already obtained…
Conventional wisdom amongst travel blogs says that when you call to cancel a credit card, you should consolidate your credit lines (i.e. add the credit line of the card you’re canceling to one you already have) so you don’t lose the credit. The primary justification is so you can then use that credit as a…
Last week, I wrote about the credit cards that I was considering applying for. It wasn’t a particularly ambitious cycle as I was only looking at 2 new cards, but I was a little worried that I might not be approved for a business card considering that my business (i.e. this blog) doesn’t make any money….
Applying for credit cards is one of the best ways to accumulate miles and points quickly. Assuming you have good credit and pay off your balances in full every month, if you’re not regularly applying for credit cards, you’re leaving a lot of easy miles on the table. I’ve already detailed the cash back, bank…
As I plan my next round of credit card applications, I’m always cognizant of how much spend I’m signing myself up for. While there are still some credit cards out there with minimal spend requirements (e.g. the Barclays US Airways Mastercard, which I love), many credit cards require that you spend a certain amount on…
Continuing on the theme of online shopping portals, I almost always buy my flights through Travelocity, specifically because of the Ultimate Rewards portal, using my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Chase Sapphire Preferred gives 2 points per dollar spent on travel. You can also use the Ultimate Rewards portal to book travel directly for 3 points…
Before I buy anything online, I always check to see if I can earn additional points by buying through an online shopping portal. These portals give you additional points back per dollar spent if you navigate to ecommerce websites through the portal. The portals that I use the most are Discover’s portal, which typically gives…
