Carpe Points

April 24, 2013April 30, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Starwood Promo:
Register, earn double points 1 May – 31 July

Starwood today launched their Double Take promotion, which, after registering, will give you the opportunity to earn double the points when staying at most Starwood properties, and 500 additional points if you book through their mobile app.

Typically, points are earned at a rate of 2 for every dollar spent, so this bonus brings it to 4 points per dollar. If you’re an elite member of their Starwood Preferred Guest, bonus points earned from that status are not doubled, however.

There are quite a few hotels that are not participating in this program, so book wisely. Otherwise, it’s a great opportunity earn double the points for spending 30 seconds filling out a form.

in Loyalty Programs 0 comments

April 23, 2013April 30, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Fare Deal: Last minute San Diego to Atlanta or Salt Lake City

Delta is currently running a good fare deal for a last-minute fares to Atlanta and Salt Lake City. Depart on Saturday, April 27, and return either Monday or Tuesday, April 29-30.

For $319 roundtrip, San Diego – Atlanta nets you 3772 base miles roundtrip. This works out to 8.4 cents per mile.

For $219 roundtrip, San Diego – Salt Lake City nets you 1252 base miles roundtrip. This works out to 17.4 cents per mile.

While neither flight is an amazing deal in terms of earning cheap miles, they are good deal for last-minute fares.

in Fare Deals 0 comments

April 22, 2013April 22, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Earth Day: Traveling more eco-friendly

Each day, thousands of people travel the globe. Many think about their mileage per gallon on their cars before they buy one, or how much the cost of gasoline hits their bottom line. But when you last travelled by air, did you consider your environmental impact? If you need to go from one end of the country to the other in a day, you don’t have much of a choice in how to get there – you’re probably going to fly. But when you do fly, there are ways to lessen the impact your travels have on the environment.

in News 0 comments

April 20, 2013April 22, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Fare Deal: $228 San Diego to Boston roundtrip

United currently is running a great deal from San Diego to Boston, even on last-minute fares.

For around $228 all-inclusive, you can fly roundtrip to this outstanding city. Fares are valid until October 31, although you can’t always find this rate on all days.

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April 19, 2013April 19, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Thinking about taking a cruise? Next time, book it through…an airline?

Are you one of those people who likes to go on cruises? Many are – 14.3 million people cruised in 2010, up a million from the previous year. Personally, I’m not one of those people — but you may be. So when you decide to float on for a romantic vacation — or a week on a ship with your kids — did you know that you can earn airline miles for taking that cruise? Some airlines offer better deals than others, so if you’re in the market for an adventure on the oceans, it may behoove you to do some research.

in Loyalty Programs / The Basics / Travel Hacks 0 comments

April 15, 2013April 20, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Tools of the Trade

When I fly internationally, I almost always use my miles to get from Point A to Point Z. But when flying domestically, it usually makes the most sense to pay for a regular ticket. But just because you’re paying for a ticket doesn’t mean you have to pay a lot, it just means you have to have the right tools in your pocket to get the most bang for your buck.

in The Basics 0 comments

April 11, 2013April 17, 2013 by Adam

Look Who’s Playing “The Match Game”

Recently, Virgin America announced they’re offering to match their Elevate Silver and Elevate Gold statuses to the fliers who hold premier or elite status on United, American, and Southwest Airlines. This happens every now and then when an airline wants to attract new frequent (read: business) travelers whose loyalties and non-discounted fares often make up the majority of a carrier’s revenue on any given flight.

in Loyalty Programs 2 comments

April 11, 2013April 17, 2013 by Adam

Make Your Long Layover Its Own Vacation –
Make It A Laycation

A while ago, Dave wrote about how he got to Europe for under $30. In business class, no less. Color me jealous. Unfortunately, I’m not as quick with my mileage accrual as is Dave (no miles-earning credit cards in my wallet), so I have to pay a fair bit more for my trans-oceanic journeys. There’s a positive in all this low-fare hunting, though; in my attempts to save money, sometimes I get to finagle two vacations into one. All that’s required is a little flexibility in your schedule and a tiny sense of adventure.

in Travel Hacks 0 comments

April 8, 2013April 15, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

Berlin to Zurich to LAX in Swiss’ Business Class? Blah.

Last week, I flew home from a short trip to Berlin, Germany that I booked for a total of $27 with taxes and fees. A very good deal, I also had an opportunity to fly home on Swiss International, today’s iteration of Swissair (its name before it went bankrupt and was bought by Lufthansa in 2002). But how was the flight back? It was good, but that’s about all it was. Compared to my inbound flight on Lufthansa, I’d describe my flight back in their business-class product as a resounding “blah”.

in Trip Reports 0 comments

April 1, 2013April 15, 2013 by Dave McCulloch

2 reasons Global Entry is totally worth it – they rhyme with “saving hours of your time”

Yesterday, I arrived back from Europe, along with 200 or so of my newest traveling companions. It was a solid 12-hour flight, but most people had another big wait in front of them after stepping off the plane: US Customs and Immigration. Luckily, I got to avoid this with one of my favorite anti-line weapons: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s Global Entry.

in Time Savers 3 comments