Beating the System: Travel Pointers for a First Class Lifestyle
on a Budget Presented by: Brian Kelly
Todays Topics Earning Credit Cards Shopping Portals Dining
Programs Buy Miles Finding Cheap Flights Redeeming Frequent Flyer
Programs Other Considerations When to Buy/Redeem The Beauty of
Saver Awards Stopovers and Open Jaws Avoiding Fuel Surcharges
Managing It All TPG Maximizer
Sunday Funday Giveaway
#TPGNYT14
EARNING!
What Makes Up Your FICO Score? Payment History 35% Types of
Credit New 10% Credit 10% Amounts Owed 30% Length of Credit History
15%
Transferable Point Programs
AMEX Membership Rewards Pros: 17 airline partners, 4 hotel
partners Transfer bonuses Quick transfers post instantaneously
Transfer to anyone Cons: Loss of partners Continental (United)
AirTran 6/100 cents per point for transfers to US airlines Earning
portal shut down
AMEX Membership Rewards Tips Star Alliance: Aeroplan (flexible
routing, avoid fuel surcharges); ANA (distancebased); Singapore
Airlines (one-way) Oneworld: British Airways (distance-based);
Iberia (lower fuel surcharges) SkyTeam: Delta (partner awards on
Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic); Flying Blue (save up to 50%
on promo awards) Non-Alliance: Emirates (upgrades); Hawaiian
Airlines (Hilton 1:2)
Chase Ultimate Rewards Pros: No transfer fees Great customer
service Strong partners Cons: No transfer bonuses Limited
partners
Chase Ultimate Rewards Tips Tips: Recent United and Hyatt
devaluation British Airways for short-haul flights Hyatt 30,000
points for Cat 7 hotels and Southwest Companion Pass Angle
Starwood Preferred Guest Pros: Cash & Points Reward stays
count towards elite status Free transfers to others in your
household, transfer bonus Multiple Airline Partners Alaska,
American, US Airways Cons: Posting times vary greatly No shopping
portal Foreign Transaction Fees
Co-Branded Credit Cards Pros: Perks Free checked bags Elite
Status Lounge Access Discounted Awards/Free Nights Cons: Generally
not transferable Cant diversify your points Many perks are the same
as elite perks Examples: American Express: Delta and Starwood
Chase: United MileagePlus Explorer and Hyatt Visa Citi: American
AAdvantage cards, Hilton Reserve
Fixed-Value Cards What are fixed-value cards? Who are they best
for? Pros No award blackouts Earn elite status when using them Easy
to get 1-2.2% in value back Cons Expensive tickets cost a lot of
points
Fixed-Value Cards Barclaycard Arrival (annual fee) Earn: 2
miles per $1 Redeem: 2.2% for travel, 1% for statement credits
Capital One Venture Earn: 2 miles per $1 Redeem: 1 cent per mile US
Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Earn: 1-3 points per dollar
Redeem: 1.33-2 cents per point for airfare Citi ThankYou Premier
Earn: Bonus categories earn 1-3 points per $1 Redeem: 1.25 cents
per point for travel
Perks: Elite Miles and Benefits Elite mileage Free nights Citi
HHonors Reserve, Hyatt Card Lounge Access Earn EQMs with many cards
including Citi Exec AAdvantage, Delta Platinum and Reserve, US
Airways Mastercard Amex Platinum, Citi Exec AA, United Club, Delta
Reserve, Ritz Carlton Airline specific perks Priority boarding,
free checked bags
Perks: Category Spending Travel: Airfare: Premier Rewards Gold,
Chase Ink Bold/Plus, AMEX Blue Cash and Blue Cash Preferred Dining:
Chase Ink Products (dont overlook this) Gas: Premier Rewards Gold,
Airline co-branded cards Office Supplies: Chase Sapphire Preferred,
Barclaycard Arrival Chase Sapphire/Sapphire Preferred, Citi Forward
and ThankYou Preferred Quarterly Bonuses: Chase Freedom, Discover
It
Online Shopping Portals Earn Bonus Miles on Every Purchase Sign
Up Link FF or hotel account Click through to merchant and spend!
Portals Airlines: Aeroplan, American, British Airways, Delta,
Frontier, Hawaiian, Southwest, United, US Airways, Virgin Atlantic
Hotels/Other: Amtrak, Choice Rewards, Hilton, Marriott Credit
Cards: Ultimate Rewards, Discover
Dining Dining Programs Gift Cards Dining Rewards Network
Airlines, Hotels OpenTable Restaurant.com Purchase from Category
Spending Bonus Merchant Chase First Friday Earn 3X per $1 every
month
Finding Cheap Flights Using the ITA Matrix Maximize your
airfare purchase with the right credit card and portal
Finding Cheap Flights theflightdeal.com airfarewatchdog.com
flyertalk.com Mileage Run Forum Maximize your airfare purchase with
the right credit card and portal
REDEEMING!
Frequent Flyer Programs Delta SkyMiles Pro: Partner awards at
saver levels Several credit card and earning options RTW 280,000
Business Class 180,000 Coach Con Devaluations SkyMiles 2015 Changes
No First Class Partner Awards Blackout Dates Three-tier award
system soon to be five-tier
Frequent Flyer Programs American Airlines Pro: Off-peak economy
awards Distance-based Explorer awards One-way awards International
gateway stopover equals free one-way flights Upgrades from most
fare classes Con Big fees on British Airways
Frequent Flyer Programs United Pro: United-operated flights Low
taxes and fees Good website One-way awards Australia awards Con
Recent devaluation Expensive partner awards
Frequent Flyer Programs US Airways Pro: Flexible routing rules
Relatively cheap awards Especially business North Asia South Africa
Australia Joining Oneworld March 31/eventually merging with AA Con
Bad website Several fees Non-flexible awards rules No one-way
awards Joining Oneworld March 31/eventually merging with AA
Frequent Flyer Programs British Airways Pro: Distance-based
awards for short/mid-haul Several transfer partners Chase AMEX
Starwood One-way awards Con Huge fuel surcharges on certain
carriers Large fees on certain awards Pricey long-haul flights
Frequent Flyer Programs Alaska Airlines Pro: Strong mix of
partners One-way awards Good website/app Generous award chart for
most regions Relatively cheap buy miles program Con Inability to
mix multiple partners
Fixed-Value Programs Jet Blue 1.3 cents Southwest 1.8 cents
(1.4 after March 31 devaluation) Virgin America 2 cents
Stopovers and Open Jaws What is a Stopover? What is an Open
Jaw? Who Allows What? American Delta United US Airways
Aeroplan
Avoiding Fuel Surcharges British Airways Aeroplan Flying Blue
Iberia ANA Korean Air Singapore
Alliance Changes Joining US Airways March 31st Sri Lankan
Airlines Air India March 31st TAM Joining June 2014 Avianca Summer
2014 Leaving US Airways April 2014 March 31st TAM March 31st
Joining Garuda Indonesia March 5th
Top 10 Current Deals 1. CITI EXEC AADVANTAGE: 100,000 miles
after $10,000 spent in 3 months 2. INK BOLD/INK PLUS: 50,000 points
after $5,000 spent in 3 months 3. SAPPHIRE PREFERRED: 40,000 points
after $3,000 in 3 months + 5,000 points when you add cardholder 4.
MERCEDES-BENZ PLATINUM: 50,000 points after $3,000 spent in 3
months 5. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RAPID REWARDS PREMIER: 50,000 points
after $2,000 spent in 3 months
Top 10 Current Deals 6. BARCLAYCARD ARRIVAL: 40,000 miles after
$3,000 spent in 3months 7. CITI HILTON HHONORS RESERVE: 2 weekend
night certificates after $2,500 spent in 3 months 8. CLUB CARLSON
PREMIER REWARDS: 85,000 points after $2,500 spent in 90 days 9. US
AIRWAYS PREMIER: 40,000 miles after first purchase 10. BUSINESS
GOLD REWARDS: 25,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months
