So I’ve been at this blog for several years. I’ve shared offers for free status, just for signing up. Folks have gotten plenty of upgrades as a result, whether airline, hotel, or rental car.
I’ve shared free miles offers, sometimes from just clicking a link and other times for churning credit cards, savings accounts, prepaid debit cards, purchasing travelers checks, and whatnot.
Folks have also gotten cheap trips via discount promotions and mistake fares that I’ve posted.
And I’ve worked hard to help folks learn to get the most of their miles, whether via options to transfer or launder via other programs or how to get the best value redemptions or the best return in premium classes using the least amount of miles.
Hopefully y’all have gotten your nickel’s worth of free advice!
But I’d really appreciate the ability to harness the power of my readership. Certainly there are things that I don’t know. I’d love to learn more, even if the tip is one you’re uncomfortable sharing broadly. Or if it’s something you wouldn’t mind my sharing, I’d love to make you famous! Either leave a comment here, or drop me an email
It’s your opportunity, perhaps to share back some advice for the advice you’ve gotten, or to take the microphone and center stage!
What are the best offers out there? The best tricks or secrets? Your hidden gems are welcome!
Two small tips:
1) If you travel with a laptop, keep a grounded plug expander (turns 1 outlet into 3) in your bag. The airports never have enough outlets, and the ones that exist are often full up. Armed with an expander (under an ounce; cost ~$1.50 at your local hardware store), you can politely ask to share in the electricity theft. 🙂 I’ve never been turned down.
2) After Chase watered down their Rewards card, which used to give 5% back on gas/drug/grocery spend, I went hunting for a replacement. You can get the same deal from the Associated Bank card — 5% on g/d/g spend and 1% on all else, capped at $300/annum — with no annual fee. In reality, this is a Citi product with the small bank’s name on it.
You cannot sign up online. (I thought at first that this sounded sketchy, but was reassured by the fact that it seems to be widely attested on Fat Wallet and elsewhere.) Apply by calling 1-877-577-9485; the process is entirely automated, so you will not speak to a live person.
I love my SPG points as much as the next person, but 5% off on certain spending categories is too good to pass up. About the only drawbacks are that you cannot request a statement credit (which Chase allowed); rather, you must request that a rebate check be mailed to you.
I assume you are subscribed to emails telling you when I have added something to my What’s New page.