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...

Almost everyday I see people complaining on social media about the woes of airline (and hotel) elite status being downgraded or devalued. Like, just because they're the highest frequent flyer tier on an airline, they never get an upgrade. Or the points aren't as "valuable" as they were previously. I get it  –  those people likely spent thousands of dollars on a product and want to be rewarded for it. But that kind of entitled and whiny attitude bothers me. A lot. So much so that I'm writing a blog post about it. First off, I believe travel is a privilege , not a right. Until the turn of the twenty-first-century or so, flying was classy. You dressed up and the on-board service often reflected the classiness. Even in coach/economy you had space and a decent meal, even when flying a shorter hop. Nowadays economy-class meals aren't served unless it's a long/international flight, leg-room is tight, and people wander on an airplane in their pajamas and make life...

If I could say one thing to people beginning the points & miles game, it is this: earning and then making the most of your points and miles accumulations takes a LOT of work and time . So, in the interest of that advice, here are my tips for wringing the maximum value from your hard-earned miles and points. Monitor points & miles blogs and promotions  daily . Most mainstream, for-profit blogs have email newsletters and/or social media accounts, so checking in with them during your downtime is important. They have cadres of people researching the latest changes, promotions, and perks. You can also sign up for hotel and airline email newsletters and promotions, or check their app every few days. Just be consistent. You never know when a good value might appear. I follow ThePointsGuy , One Mile at a Time , and Loyalty Lobby . But there are hundreds of other blogs and sites. (Unlike those blogs, I do NOT receive any compensation from any corporate sponsors, but if you want...

The first thing to know about credit card perks is, they are ever-changing and always evolving. So you need to KEEP UP with the promotions for each card you have, especially if your card(s) have an annual fee. Second, most banks have different "tiers" of cards, and some can be co-branded , like the cards my wife and I personally use . These tiers represent this post's focus. Most every bank has a basic, no annual fee card . These usually have no perks, though some co-branded cards might come with basic/limited perks like low-tier hotel elite status, point earning bonuses for certain purchases, and interesting redemption/credit offers. By and large, however, if you want to utilize your points and miles for travel on a yearly basis, consider at least a mid-tier or higher card, which will likely represent a better value than a no-fee card which offers no perks – as long as you are only spending what you normally spend and pay off your credit card bill monthly. Mid-tier car...

As noted in another post , we utilize co-branded credit cards almost exclusively. This post details those (few) cards we tend to use and why  –  basically the story of how we got into the points & miles game. Even before I started playing the points & miles game I traveled internationally a couple times each year. Throughout all of it, I mainly flew American Airlines (or its partners). I believe this stems from my first "real" job after college, which sent me to Chile. While waiting at the airport (almost 30 years ago), I thought: it's a lot of miles to Santiago, I should probably sign up for their frequent flier program. I should have done it earlier of course, but didn't know what it really entailed. Nowadays it's easy to glean information from a Google search, but back then, pre-internet, it all was kind of word-of-mouth, and I was totally a cheap-ass budget traveler, and didn't think the frequent flyer community would be beneficial (nor did I reall...

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 ...

After returning to the States after more than two months in the Middle East, I remember going through US Customs at JFK (New York) airport. Here’s how it went:   “Where have you been?” the Customs Officer asked me. “Umm, let’s see…Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey—I loved Turkey,” I gushed. “How long have you been out of the country?” he said in a stern tone. “Oh, a few months,” I responded. “Where’s your luggage?” “Right here on my back, sir,” I replied. “Bringing back any trinkets? Any souvenirs?” he said, eyeing me. “Just pictures, memories, and my travel journal,” I said. He waved me through, but I had a sneaking suspicion he thought I was trying to sneak something illicit into the country. How could someone spend two months traveling without buying a single souvenir? Easy: travel light and make memories your souvenirs rather than material possessions. Now, I’ll admit every once in while I purchase something overseas (usually for someone else). But there...

I was trained to travel cheaply. Well, maybe “cheap” is the wrong word. Frugal is a better choice. Yes, I travel frugally, depending on my given budget. Preferring to crawl around odd sites and discover obscure views, I will give up a swanky hotel most anytime. When you think about it, while traveling, a hotel is simply a place to wash-up and lay your head for the evening. While Spartan accommodations can leave some people cold (pun intended), they can be beneficial. Take, for example, the place in this picture: This is an $8 room in Lima, Peru: just a place to lay your head and maybe write a post card. But what else do you need? You should be out and about exploring, right? Okay, okay…so once in a while it’s nice to stay in a five star palace and be taken care of (I have done that several times). However, if I had to choose between posh lodging or an extra destination, pyramid, cathedral, ruin, or museum (and I usually do), I’d pass on the feathery comforter, room service, and bell...

As a Geographer, I’ve traveled. A lot. I’ve taken solo jaunts and been on guided excursions; been a group tour guide and one for myself. After years of traveling from all different angles, there’s one thing I’ve noticed: most tourists try and do too much. Whether you’re planning a trip on your own or you have a travel agent/company doing it for you, be careful to pace yourself. Here are a couple examples… Let’s say you only have a one week vacation coming and you want to “do Europe”. The first-time tourist (and sometimes the perpetual tourist) might think, “Okay, seven days…I’m seeing London, Paris, and Amsterdam”. Can it be done? Sure. But can you REALLY appreciate anything along the way in five days? (Five days because it takes one to get there and one to get home). A trip of five days visiting London, Paris, and Amsterdam might look something like this: Day 1: Fly from home to London, overnight flight Day 2: Grab the “tourist” hop-on-hop-off bus way early and zip around the city wi...