Photo of Patrick Stouffer

Patrick Stouffer

Freelance Writer

Patrick Stouffer is a freelance musician, writer, and travel consultant currently based in Los Angeles. He joined the AwardWallet team in 2019, but now works full-time for Miles4Migrants.

 

For the last ten years, Patrick has been living on the road full-time as a musician for various Broadway musical theatre tours and cruise ship productions. He met his wife, Patricia, while they were both working on a cruise ship in the East China Sea. Since then, their mutual love for travel has been a driving force in their relationship. Between work and leisure, Patrick and his wife have visited over 50 countries together, using points and miles to finance and elevate all of their experiences.

 

When he’s not playing trumpet, writing about points and miles, or traveling, Patrick enjoys going to the gym, trying craft beers, and spending time at the lake with his family.

Last Chance to Register for Hyatt Elite Status Shortcut for American Airlines AAdvantage Elites

In mid-September, Hyatt and American Airlines launched a new round of elite-status fast track match-challenges. This time around, AAdvantage elites members have the opportunity to match to get elite status in the World of Hyatt program. Then, you can challenge to keep that status through February 2024 by completing qualifying activities. However, you'll need to register by November 30, 2023 to take advantage of this year's offer.

How To Get Airline Elite Status Without Flying

For non-business travelers, airline elite status presents a conundrum. It's desirable to improve your travel, but airlines only tend to bestow it to those who fly (and suffer) a ton without it. But what if you could shortcut your way to elite status without paying your dues first? In this post, we'll show you how.

Stack LifeMiles Promotions to Save on Awards (Lufthansa Biz Class: 27k Points + $500)

LifeMiles is hosting two incredibly lucrative promotions at the same time. First, you can convert Amex Membership Rewards points to LifeMiles and receive a 15% bonus. Second, you can receive another 115% bonus when transferring LifeMiles to another account. The real fun begins when you combine both promotions. Stack these promotions to book Lufthansa first class awards to Europe by starting with just 36k Amex points.

How to Easily Combine Chase Account Logins

One of the cons of having both personal and business Chase credit cards is having multiple login credentials. To simplify things, Chase added a feature to its online account center. Now you can easily combine multiple logins into one — including personal and business accounts. Here's how to do so.

Donate Aeroplan Points to Miles4Migrants and Reunite Families

Miles4Migrants is a 501(c)(3) charity that uses donated frequent flyer miles to help reunite asylum-seekers and refugees on their journey to their new forever home. Through April 2023, Miles4Migrants is partnering up with Air Canada Aeroplan to try to raise two million Aeroplan points. Alternatively, you can donate Alaska, Flying Blue, JetBlue, and United miles.

Airline, Hotel Programs That Have Still Paused Point Expiration Due to COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought most travel to standstill, many airline and hotel programs paused point expiration. However, as more people are traveling these days, airline and hotel loyalty programs are resuming normal expiration policies. Here is the latest information on point expiration rules related to COVID-19 - including the 13 major airline and hotel programs that have still paused expiration.

Register to Earn 1,000 American Airlines Miles Per Stay at Eligible Hyatt Hotels

Registration is now open for the newest bonus earning promotion for the partnership between Hyatt and American Airlines. Through September 5, 2022, World of Hyatt members can earn 1,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for every stay at eligible Hyatt hotels. This is like a promotion the partners ran a few months ago, but at that time it was targeted. This promotion is available for all Hyatt members, but first you need to register.

FoundersCard Adds Several New Discounts. Should I Finally Sign Up?

FoundersCard is a membership program designed for traveling entrepreneurs and business executives. Through its partnerships, members can get a slew of travel perks. FoundersCard has added several new discounts and perks, including renewing its complimentary Virgin Atlantic elite status benefit. So, in this post, I dive into all of the perks to consider whether a FoundersCard membership is worth the cost.

Citi Prestige’s $250 Travel Credit Isn’t Limited to Travel in 2022

In 2020, Citi debuted the ability for cardmembers of the Citi Prestige® Card to redeem their annual $250 travel credit for supermarket and restaurant purchases. This made it much easier for cardholders of Citi's premium travel rewards card to receive value when they can't—well—travel. With things still not back to normal in 2022, the card issuer has extended this flexibility through 2022.

Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases in December 2023

Redeeming points and miles for travel is the endgame for all award travelers, but even the most seasoned point collectors have to cough up some hard-earned cash sometimes. That's why it's essential to have a great card for travel purchases. Here's a roundup of all the best cards for travel purchases in 2023.

How to Book an Airbnb Like a Pro

Love it or hate it, Airbnb has forever changed the face of travel. In this guide, we're doing a deep dive into all things Airbnb to demonstrate the fantastic value it can present for travelers. After reading this, you should have all the tools you need to book Airbnb stays like a pro.

Hyatt Extends “Work From Hyatt” Program Through 2022

Hyatt originally launched its "Work From Hyatt" and "Office for the Day" programs in 2020. These have proven to be so popular that both have been extended through 2022. Here are the latest details on these Hyatt programs, including where they're available, what they offer, and benefits/perks earned by World of Hyatt members.

Best Credit Cards for Dining & Restaurants (2023)

Restaurant and delivery spending is a large portion of many American's budgets. In fact, over 37% of all spending on food in the U.S. is spent dining out. That's why it's so important to have a credit card in your wallet that earns solid rewards for restaurant purchases. To help you find that perfect card, we've rounded up all of the top choices here.

The Most Incredible Suites Bookable With World of Hyatt Points

The World of Hyatt program is an incredible example of hotel loyalty done right. Hyatt charges far fewer points for a free night than the competition—including to book the best rooms at top-tier properties. My favorite Hyatt redemptions are for ‘Premium Suites’, which members can book for double the standard award rate. Here are our picks for the best Hyatt Suites across the globe.

Register to Earn 5X Points on Shipping and Home Improvement Stores Using Chase Business Cards

Chase just announced an exciting promotion offering increased earning rates for targeted small business credit cards. Starting today, June 8, 2021, customers currently carrying an Ink, Southwest, or United business card are eligible to earn up to 5X (or 5%) per dollar on up to $10,000 in combined shipping and home improvement purchases. That's 50,000 total points if maximized!

Capital One Adds New Redemption Options – Restaurants, Streaming Services, and Phone Services

As travel came to a standstill in April 2020, Capital One offered Venture and Spark cardholders another use for their travel-oriented miles: using them for restaurants and streaming services. This promotion has been extended multiple times since and is now valid through June 30, 2021. Here's what you need to know about using your miles for these alternatives.