The Bank of America Better Balance Rewards card is no longer available for signups, and no longer available for product changes. But I bet a lot of people still have the card for its unique rewards structure. I recently discovered my Better Balance Rewards card not working in that I wasn’t getting the quarterly bonus. […]
Does Upgrading an Amex Card Reset Referral Capacity?
In this post we’ll explore whether upgrading or downgrading an Amex card resets its annual referral capacity. Quick Answer: No, it does not. Background One great thing about Amex is their referral program whereby you can earn a bonus for referring friends and family who in turn are approved for Amex cards. The referral bonus […]
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Diplomat Suite Review
On our way back from Thailand we were transiting through AUH on a stopover between midnight and 10:30a. Rather than get a place in or near the airport I wanted to check out the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. The hotel opened in 2011 and has 306 rooms, suites and villas in a resort setting on […]
Best Tour Ever: Kayaking Phang Nga Bay with Two Sea Tour
In this review of Two Sea Tour I’ll cover why I think it’s not only the #1 boat tour in Phuket on TripAdvisor, but the best tour I’ve ever taken anywhere. I’ll describe what the tour entails, compare it to other options for experiencing Thailand’s Andaman Sea, and describe how Two Sea Tour is different […]
Amanpuri Review, Phuket Thailand
The main focus of our trip to Thailand was seeing rock formations in the Andaman Sea and staying at the Amanpuri resort in Phuket (pronounced Poo-ket). This post is an Amanpuri review. I cover a great tour of the Andaman Sea in this post. Here’s a quick 2 minute promotional video from Amanpuri that sums […]
Park Hyatt Bangkok Review
We’re just back from a week in Thailand that started off with two nights in Bangkok. In this Park Hyatt Bangkok review we’ll go over the stay overall, and explore whether the hotel is a good value. The property opened in 2017 and has 222 rooms. It is situated on top of the ambitiously upscale […]
Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for Airport Transfers: Deal or not a deal?
While poking around the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal the other day, I noticed a new [to-me] redemption option: Airport Transfers. Direct Link While I’ve noticed some ground transfer options pop up while booking activties through the Chase portal, this option is a specialized subset within their portal. It provides a way to pre-arrange transportation between […]
The Delta/Virgin Atlantic Paradox: Business Class Awards to Europe
The Delta/Virgin Atlantic partnership is one to keep in mind any time you see low-level award availability on either airline. Last April we flew on Virgin Atlantic Upper Class using Delta SkyMiles. Next April we’re planning to fly DeltaOne using Virgin Atlantic miles. Ironically, it’s almost always better to pay with the partner’s miles rather […]
Park Hyatt Kyoto Now Accepting Award Reservations
Park Hyatt Kyoto award bookings are now available for reservations starting December 1, 2019. This is a highly anticipated opening since 5 Star hotels in the area (Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton) tend to be pricey, and the Park Hyatt Kyoto can be booked with points. HT One Mile at a Time The hotel is slotted in […]
Breaking Through Peak Vacation Airfare Pricing with Partner Awards
Booking windows are just opening up for the Massachusetts school break in April 2020. And as usual, the opening salvo from carriers like Delta is a bit of a gut punch. But with a Delta partner award, I was able to find great award pricing on direct flights at perfect times. Let’s work through an […]