a Geographer's Place

Traveling without a credit card nowadays is not advised. It's also almost impossible. Even if you only use cash, you still need at least  a debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM. The days of Traveler's Checks and exchanging cash are basically over and done (though for some reason the almighty US Dollar seems to be accepted everywhere still). So, if you're still doing those things. Stop. Now. It's the 21st century! Back in the mid-1990s, I went on a trip with a professor couple. Long story short, they said if I purchased my own airfare, I could tag along on their month-long trek through England and Scotland and sleep in the rental car (or outside, as weather permitted). I jumped at the chance and soon found myself in London, in front of a bank, so we could exchange money. While my well-traveled professor went into the bank to exchange Traveler's Checks and US currency, I went to the ATM machine, put in my card, entered my PIN, and withdrew a cash advance. After a h...

You'd think that, especially with a near-perfect credit score, a co-branded card from a lesser-known bank might be easy to get. But that's not always the case, I suppose. I've written about which cards we personally use . And my belief is still that a person does not need more than a few well-selected cards to wring maximum benefits from the points & game. So why did I apply for this (problematic?) card? Well, I had grand plans for a trip to Europe this winter. And when I saw a nice sign-up bonus for the Best Western Mastercard ($89 annual fee), I started scheming. I've been a loyalty member with Best Western since 2008, so I am familiar with their offerings, and used to stay with them a few times/year when I did fieldtrips in the US. And I also know Best Western hotels in Europe can be very different than their US counterparts, especially in the countryside. I've stayed in Best Westerns that were manor houses, Victorian mansions, previously-esteemed estates, a...

Although I certainly knew this earlier, it occurred to me the other day that US folks have waaaaaay more credit card options than other countries. And can receive waaaaaay more benefits for having/using them. Granted, some non-US banks have "rewards" credit cards, but they pale in comparison to US bank credit card rewards. Especially over the last couple decades or so. As you can find throughout my blogs (and on a plethora of other sites as well as YouTube videos), credit card rewards options abound in the US. Particularly when it comes to rewards/benefits focused on travel and lifestyle. The main US credit card issuing banks (e.g., American Express, CapitalOne, Chase, Citibank, etc.) offer multiple co-branded and non-co-branded rewards cards with some truly outstanding benefits. Really. Often, for a few hundred dollars, you can get elite status, lounge access, and a host of other travel/lifestyle credits. Not so in most other countries around the world. You might get one po...

I see value in being "brand loyal" when it comes to travel. Of course, we might miss a unique family-run experience in Rome or Paris, but we tend to save those experiences for outside larger cities (like, try to find a chain hotel in Maribor, Slovenia). Same with airlines. While our travel destinations usually fall under Oneworld Alliance carriers, we sometimes might need to take flights on local airlines or may find a bargain on another larger carrier. But by and large, we stick to Oneworld airlines. They've treated us well. Retaining hotel and airline status also remains a high priority for me, as they usually represent a good value in terms of service level/expectation. For example, having "elite" status with a hotel chain means you may get an upgraded room, have a later check-out/earlier check-in time, or get free/discounted food and/or amenities. It also means you earn points at a higher than normal rate, and thus can redeem them sooner (or save up more of ...