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Ian Snyder

Freelance Writer

Ian Snyder has had a passion for award travel ever since he discovered the miles and points world over a decade ago. He enjoys using points and miles to see the world, whether traveling solo, with friends, or with his adopted kids. Well versed in frequent flyer programs, he loves exploring their intricacies and figuring out how to maximize his miles to see as much of the world as possible. More than anything, Ian wants to demonstrate that extraordinary travel is possible for the ordinary family.

The Best Ways To Earn JetBlue Points

While JetBlue lacks the network breadth of legacy airline competitors, its TrueBlue frequent flyer program offers great value for a revenue-based loyalty plan. You can redeem TrueBlue points on any JetBlue flight with paid seats available, letting you enjoy the excellent service and comfy amenities of this unique U.S. carrier. And it's easy to earn JetBlue points in a variety of ways.

10 Reasons Why Korean Air SKYPASS Should Be on Your Radar

Although SKYPASS miles are difficult to earn, travelers have plenty of solid reasons to love Korean Air SKYPASS. The frequent flier program of Korea's flag carrier boasts some excellent award sweet spots and other features you do not want to overlook. Here are ten reasons why you want to consider using the program for booking award travel.

Double Dip on Rewards With Marriott Bonvoy’s Airline Partners

Reciprocal loyalty program agreements are a great way to get extra mileage out of both your points and elite status. There are two Marriott Bonvoy airline partners you should be aware of, as your Marriott status may come in handy. If you hold elite airline status, you can likewise enjoy additional benefits at Marriott hotels.

Everything You Need To Know About the Citi Travel Portal

The Citi Travel portal is one of several ways you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points. It doesn't offer the same value as the array of transfer partners, but it does have the upside of letting you use your points for flights on all major carriers. It also gives you a one-stop-shop for booking many aspects of your trip. Here's everything you need to know about it.

Sweet Spots of Korean Air SKYPASS Awards (25k Round-Trip to Hawaii, 80k R/T Biz Class to Europe)

Not familiar with the Korean Air SKYPASS program? While SKYPASS miles are harder to earn than most, there are a number of excellent sweet spots you'll want to consider taking advantage of. From 80,000-mile round-trip business class awards to Europe to 25k-mile round-trips to Hawaii, here's why you shouldn't sleep on the SKYPASS program.

How To Redeem and Maximize JetBlue TrueBlue Points

It's not difficult to maximize JetBlue TrueBlue points. JetBlue's frequent flyer program has a revenue-based earning system that is easy to understand. Redeeming TrueBlue points is simple as well, and while you can't get amazing value for them, it's a solid loyalty program to understand and use, especially for certain U.S. markets like the northeast.

Ultimate Guide to Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners

Citi ThankYou Rewards offers a ton of value with top transfer partners and plenty of options to collect ThankYou Points. In this post, we break down each Citi transfer partner in detail to help you decide where to transfer your Citi ThankYou Points, highlighting some great example redemption options with the best partners.

Best Chase Business Credit Cards for December 2023

Chase offers an excellent array of business credit cards. Whether you're looking for cash back, transferable points, airline miles, or hotel points, there's likely a card for you. All of the Chase business credit cards have a solid welcome offer, and many offer excellent travel benefits. Check out our top picks, plus why we consider them the best of the bunch.

The Most Valuable World Elite Mastercard Benefits

Most of the time when we discuss credit card benefits, we are talking about the benefits offered by a specific card. Underlying every card is a set of benefits determined by the issuing network. You may have heard of Visa Signature and Visa Infinite. These are two of Visa's card types. Mastercard has their own network card types, as well. Here, we'll look at the most valuable World Elite Mastercard benefits.

Ending Soon: Using Amex Upgrade with Points on Flight Bookings

One little-known feature of American Express Membership Rewards is its Upgrade with Points option. Rather than deal with airline miles, you can book a ticket and make an upgrade offer directly through Amex. Although this might sound great, the value you get isn't as good as many other uses of Amex points. Here's how the feature works if you want to use it before it ends on December 3, 2023.

Guide to Amex Referral Bonus Offers: How Much Can You Earn?

American Express allows cardmembers to refer their Amex cards for bonus points, miles, or cash back. This is an excellent way to boost your balances. While the number of points you can earn through Amex referral bonuses is capped each year, the counter does reset. In this post, we take a deep dive into Amex referral bonuses, how they work, and how to generate links to send to family and friends.

Ultimate Guide to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

With highly valuable miles, a strong elite program, and unique partnerships with global airlines, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is one of the best U.S. airline loyalty programs. Here, we provide a complete guide to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, including how to earn and redeem miles, the ins and outs of elite status, and the best Alaska Mileage Plan redemption options.

Everything You Need To Know About IHG One Rewards

With over 6,200 properties in nearly 100 countries around the world, IHG hotels are ubiquitous. Thanks to generous promotions, reasonable award rates, and a great credit card portfolio, IHG One Rewards is a favorite hotel loyalty program for many. In this post, we cover everything you need to know about the program — from how to earn and redeem points to program features and elite status.

How Far in Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets?

Finding award availability can be a challenge on its own, but knowing how far in advance award space becomes available and which miles can book at what time can make things even more confusing. We address all that here, including strategies to maximize the likelihood of snagging the seat you want. The booking window for all major carriers' loyalty programs is included.

The Ultimate Guide to Delta SkyMiles

With a strong elite program, great industry reputation, and excellent global network of partner airlines, Delta SkyMiles is a popular U.S. airline loyalty program. Here, we provide a complete guide to Delta SkyMiles, including how to earn and redeem miles, the ins and outs of Medallion status, and the best redemption opportunities.

The Ultimate Guide to United MileagePlus

United's MileagePlus program is one of the most accessible and rewarding frequent-flyer programs. Although we've seen significant changes in recent years, MileagePlus retains its core value for members. In this guide, we'll cover how to earn United miles, the best ways to redeem them, and how to make the most of MileagePlus Premier elite status.

A Complete Guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a unique loyalty program among the big four domestic carriers. Southwest doesn't offer any first-class seats, and it utilizes a boarding process that's disliked by many. However, it also provides awards on all flights, easy-to-earn points, and a one-of-a-kind "buy one, get one" that's arguably the best deal in domestic travel. Here's everything you need to know about the Rapid Rewards program.

What Perks Does AwardWallet Plus Provide?

While AwardWallet Free offers many great features, we'd like to highlight all the extras you can enjoy with AwardWallet Plus. The premium version offers some great features that can remove headaches for those with numerous loyalty program balances who are constantly redeeming miles for travel.

Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

While you can get decent value by using Ultimate Rewards points directly for travel through the portal, Chase transfer partners unlock even greater savings that can’t be attained with other redemption strategies. In this guide, we'll cover the :chase_partners_total: Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners with examples of how to maximize your savings for any type of trip.

Airline Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Policies

It’s often necessary to book award flights months in advance to secure your seat. With such a long period between the date you book and the date you fly, it’s easy for a change of plans to require alterations to or cancellation of an award. In case you need to make changes to your ticket, here's a list of award ticket change and cancellation policies and the fees you can expect to pay.

Complete Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points

American Express Membership Rewards is one of the best transferable points currencies among those offered by major banks. There is a plethora of cards that earn them and many ways to redeem them. We provide an overview of the program, highlighting all its major features and providing links to posts with additional detail if you want to dive deeper on specific aspects.