Category Archives: Saving Money

American Express “Shop Small” Comes To Australia!

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No more watching with envy as Americans get all the freebies!  The popular Shop Small promo that occurs around the Thanksgiving holidays in the USA is now being brought to Australia!  It is limited to the first 100,000 registrations and many people have more than one Amex so get in quick!

Shop Small Australia

Register Here. Then get out there and Shop Small.

Register your eligible American Express® Card for Shop Small, and show support for the local businesses at the heart of your community.

The Shop Small movement runs throughout November, and between 23 & 30 November, you can get up to five $10 statement credits just by using your registered Card and spending $20 or more in one single transaction with five different participating shops, cafes, restaurants, and other small business locations.

Limited to the first 100,000 Cards to register.

******************************************************************************************************  If you are Australian and do not have an American Express card, please read this post, especially the text in red to see how I can help you with this card.

*******************************************************************************************************

If you already have an American Express card from Australia here is how you participate:

  • Register each card separately.  You can register supplementary cards too.
  • Check the Shop Small map for participating businesses near you.  You must use your card at these businesses to get the $10 credit.
  • Shopping must be done between 23 & 30 November.
  • Online shopping doesn’t count, you must shop in person.
  • Spend at least $20 per business per card.
  • You can use more than one card at each business (your card, spouse’s card, Amex from NAB, etc) but put $20 on each card.

OFFER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following Offer Terms and Conditions govern both the Offer and the registration of your Card. Our Online Terms of Service and Privacy Statement also form part of these Offer Terms and Conditions. By registering your Card for the Offer you agree to the Offer Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with the Offer Terms and Conditions, do not register your Card.

The Offer is provided by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085 Australian Credit Licence No. 291313) of 12 Shelley Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (“American Express/We/Us”).

® Registered trademark of American Express Company.

A.  The Offer
B.  Eligible Cards
C.  Eligible Transactions
D.  Maximum Participation & Limits
E.  Statement Credits
F.  Privacy and Security
G.  Availability/Interruption
H.  Fraud/Gaming/Glitches
I.  Changes

A. The Offer
If you register an Eligible Card (your “Registered Card“) through the registration page between 00:01 (AEST) on 1st of November 2013 and 23.59 (AEST) on 30th of November 2013 (“Enrolment Period“)  and spend $20 or more in one single Eligible Transaction on your Registered Card at one of the participating merchants listed at https://amexnetwork.com.au/shopsmallmap in Australia between 00:01 (AEST) on 23rd of November 2013 and 23.59 (AEST) on 30th of November  2013 (the “Offer Period“), you will receive a $10 statement credit for each Eligible Transaction.  The offer is limited to 5 statement credits with no more than one statement credit per merchant location.

B. Eligible Cards
Only American Express Cards issued by American Express Australia Limited or by the following licensed network partners are Eligible Cards:

• National Australia Bank Limited;
• Westpac Banking Corporation;
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ);
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia;

If a replacement Card with a new Card number is issued during the Enrolment Period by the above licensed network partners, this will be deemed as a new Card and a separate registration will be required in respect of that Card.

Supplementary Cards qualify as an Eligible Card only if registered for the Offer separately.

The following are not Eligible Cards: American Express Business Travel Accounts, Government Cards, Global Travel Cards, Business Cards that are affiliated with a wholesaler partner, Corporate Purchasing Cards, Corporate Meeting Cards and Corporate Cards.

C. Eligible Transactions
Only valid transactions made:
1. on your Registered Card;
2. after the date you register your Card and during the Offer Period; and
3. directly at one of the participating merchants listed at https://amexnetwork.com.au/shopsmallmap
are Eligible Transactions.

The following are not Eligible Transactions:
1. Transactions that are subsequently cancelled or refunded
2. Online transactions

D. Maximum Participation & Limits
Participation is limited to the first 100,000 Cards to be registered. The Offer is limited to 5 statement credits in total. A limit of 1 statement credit per merchant location for each Registered Card applies.

E.   Statement Credits
Statement credits will be credited to your Registered Card account and are not redeemable for cash or other payment form. Credits may take up to 8 weeks to issue but generally, they should be credited within 5 business days upon confirmation by the merchant of the Eligible Transaction.  American Express may be unable to apply the statement credit to your Card Account if it has been suspended or cancelled prior to the statement credit being issued. Statement credit may be reversed if qualifying purchase is returned or cancelled.

 

 

Save & Share Your Memories With A Shutterfly Photobook

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Even though your precious travel memories are most commonly shared on Facebook or in blogs like this one, most people like to have a photo album to relive their experiences and share with their friends.  I personally have big bulky photo albums going back to the 80’s of some of my trips.  Many of the photos are fading and the plastic pockets they are in are peeling.  These albums also weigh a ton!

For the past 2 years, I have been using Shutterfly to create coffee table style photobooks of our trips.  I first started using them from a promo that awarded a free small photobook and some Hilton HHonors points.  I was so happy with the results, I have been using them ever since!

This is the album I created using photos from our trip to Indonesia in March 2013.

 

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.
***Please note that I do not have an affiliate relationship with Shutterfly as of this date.
What I like about Shutterfly is the ability to choose all kinds of layouts, some with large photo slots and some with smaller ones so I can squeeze everything in.  You can have up to 1000 photos in one book.  In most cases the book and first 20 pages cost around $40, then you add pages for $1 each.  Once you are a member of Shutterfly, they email you codes for up to 50% off.  This photobook would have cost me $123 but I got it down to $53 after applying discounts and codes.  I also clicked through Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall which gives 4 points extra per $.
Here’s an example of current discount codes, you are allowed only one per order.
They have tutorial videos to show you how to make a photobook.  Unfortunately I can’t embed them here but you can see them on their website.  I use the custom page option and do my own layouts, dragging the photos from the strip as you see this lady doing in the video.
Shutterfly ships internationally and you save on the US sales tax if you take this option.  Otherwise you can sometimes get free shipping with a code within the USA.  In my experience, it takes 4-6 weeks for the photobook to arrive in Australia once it’s ordered.

Sleeping In Airports – Casual & Free Options

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It’s not something that most people would look forward to but sometimes you just don’t have a choice.  Maybe your flight was delayed, you don’t have a visa for the transited airport or your connection is in the middle of the night.  If you arrive after 10pm and your flight out is early in the morning, it may not be worth it.

  • Go through customs
  • Find a hotel you can afford
  • Pay for transport (shuttles may not run at night)
  • Get checked in
  • Attempt to get a few hours sleep
  • Check out and pay your bill
  • Get transport back to airport
  • Check in and go through security
  • Get back to your gate

The one thing you can count on is that this option won’t be comfortable.  The best you can hope for is to at least be safe and secure and maybe catch a few winks.  The website Sleeping in Airports has a list of the top 12 airports that meet their criteria for being the best airports to spend a night in.

Comfort: Seats (and lots of them) without armrests and non-metallic.
Conveniences: FREE WiFi, 24-hour food, showers, and activities to do in transit.
Cleanliness: Bathrooms that don’t make us want to gag when we enter and clean floors for those of us who have to sit on the floor due to limited seating.
Customer Service: A smile and friendly attitudes go a long way. We thank the kind airport workers who give us blankets and pillows when we’re stranded and share their tips about the best sleeping spots.

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Over the years, I have personally slept in Singapore Changi Airport, the old Bangkok Airport, Dubai Airport, Papeete Airport (not waiting for a flight, it was just too expensive to get a taxi and a hotel for a few hours), Auckland and more recently Santarem, Brazil.  Eco-travelers are likely to find themselves in this situation as we travel long distances to far-off exotic lands and we have to be flexible when using miles to get an award flight.

Like I said, it’s not the best solution in the world but in a pinch you sometimes have to make the best of it.  The better airports will have seats that aren’t divided so you can stretch out across them.  I try to push a bank of seats against the wall, use my backpack for a pillow and use a sarong to cover up.

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If you aren’t lucky, the seats will be divided so you can’t stretch out.  In this case, you’re stuck with the floor.  Once again, put your backpack against the wall, use it as a pillow and try to cover up as much as possible with a sarong.

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One small consolation is that you probably won’t be alone!

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In the morning, you will probably be woken up early by the cleaning crew.  If you are lucky, there will be free public showers in the bathrooms.  If you aren’t lucky, you can do your best trying to wash up in the sink. Sleeping in an airport won’t be a pleasant experience but if you do get stuck, make the best of it and focus on the trip ahead.  Maybe even treat yourself to a massage at the destination!

Which Airlines Charge Fuel Surcharges

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HT:  Extra Pack of Peanuts

Another travel blogger, Extra Pack of Peanuts has a superb post on airline fuel surcharges (YQ taxes).  You definitely want to avoid these as they can really blow your budget!

If you’ve been following my strategy of joining my Top 8 Frequent Flier programs for eco-tourists, here’s the ones you need to look out for:

AA – Avoid redeeming on BA & IB, others have no YQ charged

UA – No YQ charged

US – No YQ charged

AV – No YQ as of this date.

BA & IB – I recommend transferring all Avios to BA as IB doesn’t allow one-way redemptions.  There are no YQ charges on my recommended uses on LAN, you are also safe on Aer Lingus, AA in the Americas, Air Berlin and flights within Europe.

QF – Charges YQ on most redemptions.  However if you use them for domestic or short Pacific region flights it’s not too much.  I did a sample booking for BNE-NAN and ALL taxes including Aussie taxes was $84.

VA – No YQ on VA flights and you can use points to pay for the other taxes.  I only recommend using Velocity points for domestic Australian or short-haul Pacific though they sometimes have good rates to the USA.  Nothing wrong with the airline but AA, UA and US are cheaper on this route.

SQ – No YQ on UA, US or NZ flights within the South Pacific (as of 2012 at least).

 

Club Carlson’s Redemption Changes Mostly Good For Eco-Travelers

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Several months ago I blogged about the Club Carlson properties which are located near good birding areas or in gateway cities.  Like all the other hotel chains, they have adjusted their rates but unlike most chains who had major devaluations, there are some great bargains for eco-travelers.

Even though I had already booked our stay at Radisson Summit Hotel & Golf, Panama which is very close to Soberania National Park, I called customer service and got them to rebook it at the lower rate.  Here’s the complete list of hotels changing categories in 2013 and some key hotels to note below.  Almost all the properties in India went down a category (too many to copy), and there are new bargains in the gateway cities of Sao Paulo, San Jose CR, Johannesburg, Cape Town & Tahiti.  You can’t win ’em all and there were increases in Belem, Brazil, Guatemala City and Bangkok.  Remember, if you have any of the superb Club Carlson credit cards, your last night will be free so if you book 2 nights, you will pay for 1 and get the last one free!

While hotel chains don’t offer many options for eco-travelers other than airport gateway stopovers, it doesn’t hurt to maximize the few they do have!

 

 

Earn Frequent Flyer Miles On Non-Chain Hotels Including Some Eco-Lodges

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Pointshound Partners

Pointshound is a fairly new hotel booking engine that gives you frequent flyer miles in your choice of several airline programs.  This is a great option for people who don’t travel enough to get any benefits from joining hotel loyalty programs but still want to earn some miles and book using a secure credit card payment system.  The one frustrating thing I have found is that many smaller hotels and lodges want you to email your credit card details which is very insecure as you don’t know who will have access to them.  Even if the lodgekeepers are honest, it doesn’t mean someone passing by or cleaning the waste bins may not see it.  I like being able to use either Paypal or

First you need to join Pointshound.  It’s free and if you use my link, both you and I will get a bonus 250 points when you book your first room.

Here’s how to find eco-lodges to book on Pointshound.  Let’s use the example of Montverde, Costa Rica which is famous for its cloud forest, Respendant Quetzals and great birding.  I have chosen to earn United miles since that is the next goal I need to achieve for a future trip. (Not my real dates, just being used as an example).   Pointshound supports 3 of the airlines (AA, UA, US) on my Top 8 Frequent Flyer Programs for Eco-tourists.

Booking Pointshound

Since I have been researching this town for my upcoming trip, I know that it’s easy and cheap to get a taxi for the short ride to the park entrance but if your lodge is too far out of town you will be limited on dining choices.  The first screen you see will be sorted on popularity and show which airline program you chose and a list of how many miles you will earn.

Pointshound booking

It’s a good idea to check out the map view to see what location suits you.  I also like to check the reviews on Trip Advisor to be sure the hotel is well located and there aren’t too many complaints, especially from people with at least 10 reviews overall.

Map View

As I scan the locations, prices and descriptions, Cala Lodge jumps out at me for being an attractive small lodge but close to town which is important since we aren’t renting a car but using public transport on this trip.  The reviews on Trip Advisor are good and I am pleased to see that one of the owners is a knowledgeable birding guide.

Select the lodge you want and you will see this screen that tells you the price and how many miles you earn.  Choose the room you want, in this case the standard room will do.

Pointhound booking

Lastly, fill out the screen and see the confirmation of the price and how many miles you will earn, also which account they will credit to (which I blacked out here).  Be sure to check the cancellation policies and make sure you are comfortable with them.  For more information about Pointshound, see their FAQ page.

Pointshound booking

February Buy Miles Promos – Are They Worth It?

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Let’s take a look at the buy miles promos that have been released so far this month and let’s assume that we want an award from North America to Brazil not during peak season to keep an even playing field.  The award costs 60,000 in economy on the 3 main airlines serving this route – AA, UA and US.  So how much would it cost to buy enough miles to complete this award?

American Airlines – to buy 60,000 miles it would cost around $1217 including tax and service charge.  You would get your credit card spend miles but no category multipliers as it is processed by Points.com.  This trip can be done for 40k in off-peak season.

AA Buy Miles Promo

 

US Airways – if you have the US Mastercard you can get a 100% bonus, otherwise you get a 50% bonus.  It would cost $1128 to buy these miles including tax.

US Airways Buy Miles Promo

United Airlines has not announced a Buy Miles Promo yet so you would have to pay full price for the whole 60,000 miles – whopping $2257.50!  If they did join the party and offered a 100% bonus promo, the cost would be $1128.75.

United Airlines Buy Miles

 

So how much would it be to simply BUY a ticket from LAX to the gateway city of Sao Paulo, Brazil?  Let’s try Kayak for a generic fare quote.  As we can see, economy fares start at $1015 for a multiple airline routing and go up from there.  The purchase price of a ticket is at least $100 cheaper than buying miles, PLUS you will earn miles from your purchase!

Kayak Quote LAX-GRU

Fare quotes will vary depending on which city you start from and which city in Brazil you want to get to.  If you are headed to the Pantanal, you would need to get to Cuiaba or Campo Grande which can be reached on Brazilian carriers GOL, TAM and TRIP.  In this case, when I tried a fare quote from LAX to CGB (Cuiaba) the fares started at $1414, so in this case if you can use a partner award all the way to Cuiaba you would save around $200, but you would not earn miles.

Fare Quote Cuiaba

 

RECAP

  • Compare costs to buy miles including the promo bonus miles with how much it costs to simply buy a ticket.  Use the examples I have provided to check every program you belong to for the destination you have in mind.
  • If your destination is not the main gateway city, try a fare quote all the way through to your final destination.  Compare that with the cost of buying a local domestic ticket.
  • Check to see if your airline program’s partners can get you all the way to your final destination.  TAM is currently in Star Alliance but will be joining LAN as LATAM and expected to join One World soon.  Copa and Avianca/Taca are in Star Alliance so can be used to get you to domestic destinations in South America.
  • If you are planning an award in business class, you may save a lot of money using a Buy Miles promo.
  • Don’t buy miles if you aren’t going to redeem them within a year.  The award prices could go up, airlines change alliances or even go out of business.

Travel Promo Year In Review 2012

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The quest for free or very cheap airline miles and hotel points is always filled with intrigue and drama!  Here are a few of the most memorable promos of 2012.

1.  Huge credit card signup bonuses – lucky Americans got to collect hundreds of thousands of free miles via credit card signup bonuses.  I have a few of them in my series here if you missed out.  Remember to “learn how to fish” and check out each deal before you sign up for it.  Aussies have a few credit cards too but not as lucrative as the Americans.

2.  Discover America promos in April and May delivered a nice bonanza to those who were quick on the draw.  I am not sure if this will happen next year but I will blog about it if it does.  Meanwhile, read up on it via FlyerTalk.

3.  United’s 4 mile redemptions to Asia.  This was a mistake fare that only a few VERY quick people who were prepared to travel straight away actually got in on.  Many people tried, but when UA discovered the mistake, they cancelled all bookings of people who hadn’t traveled yet.  A few threatened to sue so it got really crazy!  Grab your popcorn and see this FlyerTalk thread!

4.  Club Carlson’s Big Night Giveaway.  What made this one special was that it was available worldwide.  Many people did “mattress runs” to cheaper hotels nearby to get the bonus miles which they could then redeem at an expensive hotel on a future trip or transfer to airline miles.  Lots of fun as most people got in on it!

5.  50% Bonus on Hotel Points converted to Dividend Miles.  Nice way to get rid of extra hotel points or make a huge profit on Starwood SPG points!

6.  The rise and fall of Bluebirds and Vanilla Reloads.  No, I don’t mean THIS bluebird!   I mean the frenzy of people seeking cheap Ultimate Rewards via Office Depot and various reload card options.

7.  Wyndham Rewards Phantom Phrenzy.  It was supposed to be a targeted promo but somehow a link got out and people were booking cheap Wyndham hotels and not even showing up to stay in them just to get the 16,000 point bonus.  I didn’t do it as I am wary of mistake promos as sometimes they are honored, sometimes they aren’t and this one you had to fork out for the rooms in advance without knowing if you would get the bonus or not.  It turns out they did get it after LOTS of complaints back and forth to Wyndham.

8.  Cartera Online Mall Mania.  Cartera is dodgy at best about giving you miles for your click-through purchases.  Unfortunately, they operate most of the airline’s affiliate shopping malls so you can’t really escape them.  Sometimes they stuff up and offer ridiculous bonuses that are obviously a mistake but people will try to get them honored.  This Flyertalk thread has one of the best ones that carried over from last year and had most people getting a “goodwill” bonus instead of the cheap miles they had hoped for.

9.  LifeMiles 250 miles per purchase bonus.  New kid on the block, Avianca Taca’s LifeMiles opened an online shopping mall and sent out emails to all members offering 250 bonus miles per purchase.  Of course savvy miles collectors wasted no time in finding the cheapest way to rack up the miles.  Those of us who are eco-friendly opted for online automatic transactions such as e-books, donations to puppies and e-gift certificates.  The worst of the bunch were ordering $1 shampoo bottles, each of which were packaged separately and shipped individually until the drugstore cancelled the unfilled remaining orders and withdrew from the online mall.  So far, no one has gotten their bonus miles but you can read all about it here.

10.  The demise of US Airways Grand Slam promo that had been going for 4 years previously.  This was the one we all waited for with breathless anticipation of cheap miles to be spent on exotic destinations all over the world.  The more experienced Grand Slammers would start saving a year in advance for hotel points and other “hits” to be used in September each year for this extremely lucrative promotion.  Last year, FlyerTalk had a whole forum dedicated to the Grand Slam! In August, we eagerly started following US on Twitter, playing with URLs looking for a hint of the 2012 Grand Slam…………….all for nought!  It didn’t happen!  Most people blame it on several beginner oriented bloggers who spell out the tricks and loopholes in such detail a two year old could do it and it no longer required finesse and intelligence to maximize the promo.  It would have been unsustainable for US to hand out so many miles to so many people.  In October, they did throw us a bone with a Share Miles promo that wasn’t nearly as good as the Grand Slam had been but allowed us to top up our accounts at a discounted rate.

What does 2013 have in store?  Of course no one knows, but if you follow this blog by rss feed or subscription (use the form in the sidebar to the right), we will be right on top of the new promos that come up so you can get to those wonderful ecotourism hotspots you are all dreaming about!

Mileage Earning Credit Cards USA Edition And Best Uses For Eco-Travelers

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A GUIDE TO CREDIT CARD SIGNUP BONUSES

***Disclaimer:  This is going to be a reference post about the many opportunities available for Americans.  Due to the heavy competition between credit providers and airlines, Americans are blessed with unequaled chances to acquire huge amounts of frequent flyer miles and hotel points simply by applying for credit cards.  I know there is a lot of controversy about referral links from bloggers so I want to assure you that I do not have any referral agreement with any credit provider.  I do have Google ads down the right side and you may be presented with ads from credit providers at random which may be a good deal so I would suggest read the ad, compare it with all other offers for the same credit card, then if you are satisified the ad is the best deal, I would appreciate if you click through this site to apply for the card.  I have no way of knowing which ads are provided as they will vary based on your physical location.

All links on this page go to the airline’s credit card information page.  These may or may not be the best offer available.  So learn how to fish!  Fishing CC

TEACHING YOU TO FISH

You’ve all heard the saying “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime”?  Learning how to use credit card sign-up bonuses to get free or almost free airline tickets and hotel rooms is basically like learning to fish.  You will need to know how to choose an airline based on your destination and be familiar with the credit cards they offer, then know where to look to get the best deal.  You also need to know your credit score to see if you will qualify for these lucrative sign up bonuses.   Before signing up for a credit card, you need to be a person who can manage credit and pay your bills on time and preferably the full amount so you don’t incur interest.  Most people have enough daily expenses such as food, gas, utilities, travel expenses, clothing, etc that if they route everything through a mileage earning card, they can make the minimum spend requirements and continue to accrue miles every month.  Always check the ever-changing master credit card thread on FlyerTalk for more recent information.  Also see the Glossary at the bottom of this page for terms that you will encounter while applying for mileage earning credit cards.

***These offers are available only to US citizens or permanent residents with a Social Security Number (SSN) and excellent credit scores***

 

CREDIT SCORES

Use one or more of these options to get your credit score.  Everyone has three credit scores, one from each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion.

Annual Credit Report – Free once every 12 months.

Credit Karma – Free, no credit card required, based on TransUnion.

Credit Sesame – Free, no credit card required, based on Experian.

Equifax Score card – $15.95 but you can get a free one with Annual Credit Report

 

MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – ONE WORLD AIRLINES

CC AA

American Airlines – AAdvantage

Issued by Citibank

Sign-up bonuses from 30k-50k depending on product, historical high offer 75k

Annual fee $95 waived first year

Churnable after 18-26 months (varies)

Minimum spend $2500-3000 in 3 or 4 months depending on offer, varies so check carefully

Can get 2 Citibank cards at once using 2 Browser Method.  Open Firefox and IE, click on 2 different cards-a Visa, Mastercard or Amex, fill out both applications but don’t send right away.  Wait until you have both apps filled out completely, then VERY QUICKLY go to each browser and click the “Apply” button.  If you are not instantly approved, you can call their reconsideration number and try to push it through.  1-866-606-2961

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

 

Best uses for Eco-travelers: (Round-trip awards but bookable as one-ways for half the amount) 80k USA to Australia or South Pacific; 35k USA to Central America, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador; 40k USA to Rest of South America, 90k USA to Indian subcontinent, 70k USA to Southeast Asia (such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia.  Also good for long distance domestic Australian awards 10k for a one-way trip such as Perth to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.  Some good deals on LAN awards intra-South America too.  Full award chart

CC BA

British Airways Avios Visa

Issued by Chase

Signup bonuses from 50-100k, depending on levels of minimum spend, historical high 100k

Annual fee $95 not waived

Probably not churnable

Minimum Spend $1000 in 3 months for 1st 50k, additional 25k when you spend $10,000 in first year, an additional 25k after an additional spend of $10,000.  I tend to look at this card as a 50k card because only the $1000 spend is easily reached for most people.

Possible retention bonus if you call them and say you want to cancel it before first year is up (done to avoid additional annual fee if you don’t want to keep the card)

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

 

Best uses for Eco-travelers: Short-haul one way trips within Australia and South America.  Examples:  Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo on LAN for 7500 Avios or Brisbane to Cairns on Qantas for 7500 Avios.  Also bargains from West Coast USA to Hawaii on American or Alaskan for 12,500 Avios each way.

CC LA

LAN-LanPass Visa

Issued by US Bank

Signup bonus – Up to 20,000 Bonus Miles with first use, Up to 4,000 Bonus Miles with annual renewal (Visa Signature)

Annual fee $25-75 depending on product, waived first year.

No minimum spend

No data on churnability

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

 

Best uses for Eco-travelers:  Domestic one way flights within South American countries.  Not amazing value but possibly worth it since there is no minimum spend on this card.  See chart here.  Brazil’s TAM is expected to merge with this program in the near future so possible intra-Brazil redemptions.

 

MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – STAR ALLIANCE AIRLINES

CC UA

United Mileage Plus Visa

Issued by Chase

Signup bonus 30k-65k  (some offers targeted), historical high 65k

Annual fee $95 waived first year

Probably not churnable

Minimum Spend $1000 in 3 months for most offers.

Possible retention bonus if you call them and say you want to cancel it before first year is up (done to avoid additional annual fee if you don’t want to keep the card)

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

Best uses for Eco-travelers:   (Round-trip awards but bookable as one-ways for half the amount) 80k USA to Australia, South Pacific, Indian subcontinent; 65k USA to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc); 60k Brazil, 40k Peru, 35k Central America.  Also good deals on Copa and Taca awards within Central America such as Flores (near Tikal, Guatemala) to San Jose, Costa Rica for 7500 miles one way.

CC US

US Airways Dividend Miles Mastercard

 

Issued by Barclays

Signup bonus 30-50k, offers vary widely.  Some have 10k annual bonus on anniversary.  Some only give the last 10k with balance tranfer so read the offer page carefully.  Historical high 50k.

Annual fee $89 usually not waived.

Some people have churned it once or twice, bank may possibly be cracking down on this.

Usually no minimum spend to get signup bonus of 30-40k depending on offer,  additional 10k which will be advertised in offer usually requires balance transfer from other credit card.

Credit card holders save 5000 miles on US Airways metal redemptions

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

Best uses for Eco-travelers:   (Round-trip awards only) 80k USA to Australia, South Pacific, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc); 60k South America (35k for off-peak), 35k Central America.

CC AV

Avianca Taca LifeMiles Visa

 

Issued by US Bank

Signup bonus – Up to 20,000 Bonus Miles with first use, Up to 6,000 Bonus Miles with annual renewal (Visa Signature)

Annual fee $25-75 depending on product, waived first year.

No minimum spend

No data on churnability

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

*** If you let me refer you, I can get a bonus of 5000 LifeMiles.  This has no effect on your application, but it does help me out with future eco-trips.  Once you have the card, you will also be able to refer people and earn your own bonuses.  Please use the contact form to request a referral. ***

Best uses for Eco-travelers: Redemptions on Taca Peru or Taca Central America short haul flights.  Example:  Lima to Puerto Maldonado, Peru 3500 miles one way or San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) to Panama City, Panama (PTY) 7k miles one way.  Good deals on Taca’s flights between USA and Central America such as LAX -SJO Round trip 24k.  You can also travel between USA and Central America on Star Alliance carriers for 30k round trip.

 

MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – SKYTEAM AIRLINES

CC DL

Delta Skymiles American Express

 

Issued by American Express

Signup bonus – 30k-45k (see Flyertalk thread) depending on product.  Historical high 75k.

Annual fee $95 and up, sometimes waived so you need to check each offer

Minimum spend is all over the place!   Sometimes 35k after $750 spend in 3 months, sometimes 30k after first use and an extra 20-25k after an extra specified spend.

Possibly churnable after 24 months

Dedicated FlyerTalk thread

 

Best uses for Eco-travelers:  (Based on round-trip, no one ways allowed) USA to Australia and Pacific 100k, USA to Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia or Africa 80k, Southern South America 60k, Northern South America 45k, Central America 35k.  Full chart ex USA here.  New possibilities when Garuda joins Skyteam for domestic Indonesia awards.

CC KE

Korean Airlines Skypass Visa

Issued by US Bank

Signup Bonus 15k for Visa Signature, otherwise I wouldn’t bother.

Annual fee $80 not waived

No Minimum spend

Best uses for Eco-travelers:  Not a whole lot, but they do partner with Garuda so the 15k gets you close to a round-trip Garuda domestic award for 20k.

 

MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – NON-ALLIANCE AIRLINES

These will have very little use for eco-travelers, though they may have some use for mainstream tourism.  I will just provide the links to the airlines’ pages and you can see for yourselves if any of them would suit you.

Alaska Airlines Visa

Frontier Airlines Mastercard

Hawaiian Airlines Visa (B of A)

Hawaiian Airlines Visa (B of H)

Southwest Airlines Visa

Virgin America

 

GLOSSARY

App-O-Rama – A term used by credit card churners to describe a behaviour of applying for different credit cards on the same day with different banks.  This is usually done because enquiries (applications for credit) can lower your credit score making it more difficult to get the cards approved.  If you do all your application on the same day within as little time possible, the banks won’t see the new enquiries on your credit report.

Churning – Applying for the same credit card you have already had to get the signup bonus again

Credit Line Shifting – This happens when you apply for a second card with the same bank but they are not willing  to give you additional credit.  They may be willing to shift credit from your existing card to the new card.  Also, if you plan to close a card you no longer need, always shift the credit line to another card with the same bank if you have one.  If they don’t, try to shift to a card with no annual fee to preserve the credit line.

Reconsideration Line – The bank’s credit department with the power to approve your application.  You may need to call the reconsideration line if you don’t get an instant approval and are in a hurry or if you are denied credit and want a second chance.

  • American Express – 866-314-0237
  • Chase Personal – 888-245-0625
  • Chase Business – 800-453-9719
  • Citibank – 800-695-5171 or 800-763-9795
  • Barclays – 866-408-4064
  • US Bank – 800-947-1444

Retention bonus – Sometimes offered by banks to keep you as a customer after the first year has passed and your annual fee is due.  Sometimes it is a credit on your account to offset the annual fee, sometimes it is a bonus of miles to your frequent flyer account but you have to pay the annual fee.  There may be conditions of a minimum spend attached to the retention bonus.  Usually you call the number on the back of your card, hint to the CSR that you may not want to keep the account and get them to transfer you to retention.

2BM (Two Browser Method) – Only works with Citibank cards.  Open Firefox and IE, click on 2 different cards-a Visa, Mastercard or Amex, fill out both applications but don’t send right away.  Wait until you have both apps filled out completely, then VERY QUICKLY go to each browser and click the “Apply” button.  Do not try this with 2 tabs in the same browser as the cookies will over-ride each other and give you a duplicate application for the same card.

Hotel Point Earning Credit Cards

Flexible Points Credit Cards

 

Best Marriott Hotels For Eco-Travelers And 2000 Free Points

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Using hotel points strategically can save you a lot of money in gateway cities so it’s a good idea to study them carefully to see which programs can best suit your travel plans.  This week, let’s look at the Marriott chain.  They have 3840 hotels around the world.  If you are a business traveler, you may already be getting free points from you employer-paid trips.  Lucky Americans can get a LOT of free points with the Chase Marriott Visa Card (not an affiliate link, just information) and meeting planners can get 50,000 points by planning a meeting at a Marriott Hotel.

Award nights start at 6000 points for a “Pointsaver” at a Category 1 hotel (which are pretty rare).  Marriott has a referral program by which members can earn up to 50,000 points per year by referring others to the program.  You can only do this 5 times per year so only give your referrals to people whom you know are going to stay at a Marriott within a year.  I still have my 5 referrals for this year so I would be glad to refer new members,  just use the Contact Form to send me your email and I will send you an invitation.  Once you are a member, you will then be able to invite 5 people on your own account!

OK, so how do we find the best options for eco-travelers?  Let’s have a look at the hotel directory and see what places have a Marriott property.  Most birders will be drawn to tropical places in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.

 

AFRICA – Out of these 4 countries, Rwanda would possibly have some birding including a couple Poicephalus species but it’s much better known for the mountain gorillas……but keep an eye on the safety issues in Rwanda.

ASIA – India has some good possibilities.  From Bangalore you can get to Coorg where there are Malabar Parakeets and others, same goes for Kochi which is near Thattekad.   From Jaipur, you can get to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary which has both endemic and migrating birds.  Indonesia is mostly resorts in Bali or city hotels that would do for gateway cities to other birding hot spots like West Papua and Seram.  You would pass through Manila to get to Palawan for Red-Vented Cockatoos or Subic Bay for Philippine Hanging Parrots.  Singapore has good birding in the Botanical Gardens which makes a nice detour from a shopping or business trip.  There are also good birding spots in Thailand and Malaysia.

AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC ISLANDS – From Brisbane, you could make the long but worthwhile drive to Bowra Station or Lamington National Park which could also be accessed from Surfers Paradise.  From Melbourne, you could head up into the Dandenongs.

CARIBBEAN – Of these places, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Domincan Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela all have good birding.

CENTRAL AMERICA – there are 6 Marriotts in Costa Rica and 5 in Panama.  As I wrote in the Carlson Hotel, Panama post, there is the Soberania NP and Metropolitan NP both in less than an hour’s drive from the city.  In Costa Rica, San Jose is the gateway to great birding destinations like Selva Verde, Arenal, Monteverde and Savegre.  Herradura is not too far from Carara NP, famous for Scarlet Macaws and Guanacaste also has great birding!

SOUTH AMERICA – all the Marriotts are in large gateway cities which will come in handy as the birding and ecotourism destinations are pretty far flung, requiring domestic flights or buses to reach.

The one thing for sure is that you can save a bundle if you use hotel points in the right places but you do have to be a good planner and maximize any other hotel stays you may have with business or family trips to save points for your big eco-adventure!