Welcome to another episode of Short Cuts on our No Annual Fee Podcast. I recently applied for a Home Equity Line of Credit and noticed that my FICO score was a bit lower than I expected. It got me wondering whether it is still important to monitor my credit report and check my credit score, […]
Spring Cleaning: Four Tune-up Ideas for Points & Miles
We’ve been talking about Spring Cleaning on the podcast the past couple months, before staying at home and social distancing was even a thing. I thought to categorize the activities I’ve been up to in hopes it provides some food for thought for downtime in the coming weeks. Idea 1: Close Unused Bank Accounts If […]
Episode 35 The Game Continues: Where do We Go From Here?
Welcome to another episode of Short Cuts on our No Annual Fee Podcast. Today we talk about where the points & miles game fits in the context of a pandemic like we’re currently experiencing. We discuss the importance of demand schedules. Check this link for more on that topic. Want more? Become a Patron to […]
My Experience Cancelling Award Travel Due to Coronavirus Threat
It’s been a wild week as the threat of Coronavirus has expanded, causing the need for more travel cancellations. Earlier in the week I cancelled a trip to Italy, and more recently a trip to Washington DC. I thought I’d share my experiences here in case they mirror situations you might be facing, and to […]
Avoiding Fees When Cancelling Award Travel Due to Coronavirus
We’ve been seeing a lot of questions in our Slack community and elsewhere about Coronavirus fee waivers when cancelling upcoming travel. A couple weeks ago it was more of a “Should I go?” decision. Now a lot of us are thinking, “Should I reschedule or cancel altogether?” And either way, “How can I avoid fees?” […]
Episode 34 Coronavirus travel deals: Where are we seeing opportunities?
Welcome to another episode of Short Cuts on our No Annual Fee Podcast. Today we’re talking about opportunities for travel deals surrounding Coronavirus. Not necessarily for travel in the near term, but where we see angles to book award travel further out with flexible cancellation terms. Want more? Become a Patron to Unlock 1+ Hour […]
Episode 33: Negotiating Coronavirus Change Waivers
We’re trying something different on our No Annual Fee Podcast this week with a format called Short Cuts. In Short Cuts we’ll cover the latest points & miles news, and our take on recent developments, in short digestible shows with a singular topic. This week we’re talking Coronavirus change waivers, and how to navigate them […]
What Happens When an AirPod Gets Lost in an Airplane Seat?
AirPod Lost in Airplane Seat: Quick Tips Don’t adjust your seat. If the AirPod (or any other electrical device) is in an unfortunate position, moving the seat could snap the device. If you’re having trouble locating the AirPod visually, try disabling Automatic Ear Detection under Bluetooth settings and playing music through it. Or try the […]
My Experience Pursuing a Hotels.com Price Guarantee
I recently tried my hand seeking a price match from Hotels.com. I’ve never pursued a hotel price match through any booking channel, but especially since Hotels.com sells discounted gift cards, has a rewards program, allows for the use of coupon codes, and participates in shopping portals – I thought it would be interesting to write […]
Shop Talk: AA Locking/Shutting Down Accounts
American Airlines has been locking and/or terminating accounts, and cancelling upcoming award travel for some. The common thread seems to be people who have received a number of credit card welcome bonuses, presumably related to the use of targeted Citi/AA mailers. This kinds of adverse action (from AA) has historically been reserved for people selling […]