Photo of Ryan Smith

Ryan Smith

Senior Editor

Ryan is a writer and editor who first wrote for AwardWallet team in 2021 but has been around points and miles for several years. He has written at Forbes Advisor, CNBC Select, Miles to Memories, The Points Guy, and USA Today Blueprint.

 

After someone at his hostel in China said “I flew here for free using points,” Ryan was hooked. Ryan is on a mission to visit every country in the world and has just two countries remaining. He will visit his final country in December 2023.

 

His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether all of this is illegal.

Last Call: Earn 75,000 Points With Increased Southwest Credit Card Offers

Chase currently has increased welcome bonuses on three Southwest Rapid Rewards cards, delivering 75,000 bonus points to new applicants. Southwest card benefits are many, and the Rapid Rewards program is a favorite of many. The real selling point of these increased offers, however, is their timing. Let's look at why it's ideal and why you need to apply soon if interested.

Current Citi Merchant Offers: Up to $70 or 10% Back With Lyft, Gas, Hotels, Megabus & More

You might be more familiar with Amex Offers and Chase Offers, but Citi Merchant Offers can provide great rebates on travel purchases. They're available on most personal credit cards, and Citi Merchant Offers provide cash back as a flat amount or a percentage of your purchase. Current offers include Lyft, Extended Stay America, Caesars, Holiday Inn, Megabus, travel services, and gas. Here's a look at the current travel-related Citi Merchant Offers you might find.

Which Credit Card Offers the Best Baggage Delay Coverage? [2023]

If you’ve ever been the last person standing at an empty luggage carousel waiting for your bags, you’ll understand the frustration of your checked bags getting delayed or disappearing. It can mean hours spent filing reports and on the phone chasing up the location of your bag, not to mention the out-of-pocket expense of purchasing essentials like phone chargers, a change of clothes, and toiletries. We've covered the essential policies to check out and the best cards to use for your trips to get built-in coverage.

Save $68 or 13% With Travel-Related Chase Offers for Southwest, Hilton Garden Inn & Chase Travel

Chase is currently offering several travel-related Chase Offers — offering potentially hundreds of dollars back on lodging, flights, travel activities, and gas purchases. You may be eligible for several Chase Offers, such as Air Canada, Megabus, IHG, Marriott, Chase Travel, and many more. Here's a roundup of all travel-related Chase Offers you might be targeted for.

15 Best Rewards Credit Card Offers for December 2023

Each month, the AwardWallet editorial team assembles the top credit card offers that are currently available. The welcome offer — adjusted for how much the points are worth — gets the most weight. However, we consider each card's long-term value, application restrictions, and take into account how much spending is required to capture the full bonus. Here are our top 15 rewards card offers for December 2023 and why each made the list.

Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines To Combine. Here’s What We Know.

In major news, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines will combine. The exact logistics for how this will impact members of both loyalty programs aren't known, but we know there will be just one loyalty program going forward. We also know that Alaska is acquiring Hawaiian; however, the verbiage in the press release oscillates between references to keeping both airlines and having a single airline going forward. Here's what we know and what we don't know about this major announcement.

Hyatt New Hotels Bonus Offer: 500 Extra Points in Tibet, India, Morocco & More

To incentivize World of Hyatt members to fill new hotels, Hyatt offers members 500 bonus points for staying at new hotels within the first few months after opening. Here's how you can take advantage of this promotion, plus the new properties added this month for visiting the site of Buddha's enlightenment, starting a safari in Kenya, or exploring the wonders of Tibet.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Review: Good Delta Perks That Offset the Fee

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is one of four personal co-brand Delta cards offered by American Express and presents substantial value for cardmembers who can take advantage of the perks and benefits the card offers. However, the annual fee is a turn-off to some, and you'll need to regularly use the card's benefits to justify it. Our Platinum Delta Amex review helps you know if this is the right card for you.

You Can Now Book Southwest Flights Through Chase Travel Portal, But You Might Not Want To

One of the more frustrating parts of redeeming points for Southwest flights has been the inability to book those flights via travel portals from Chase, Amex, Citi, and others. Sure, you could pick up the phone and call to make these bookings, but that had its own issues. Now, you can book Southwest flights through Chase Travel. The question is whether you should. Here's a breakdown of why this matters.

Wells Fargo Indicates Points Transfers Are Coming in December

Last month, Wells Fargo printed verbiage on some cardholders monthly statements indicated that points transfers would launch on November 15, 2023. That date has come and gone. Now, cardholders are seeing a message that this feature should launch in December. Much remains unknown, and Wells Fargo isn't spilling the beans. Here's what we know — and what we don't know.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card Review: Bonus Cash Back, No Annual Fee

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card credit card is a good choice for individuals who want to earn cash back on their everyday purchases and have the ability to customize their earnings to their specific spending habits. Our detailed review covers the cards positives and negatives to help you make an informed choice about whether you should apply.

Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes: 30% Off Award Flights to Germany, Tokyo in December 2023

Singapore Spontaneous Escapes price-busting award bookings are back again! For flights in December, you can save 30% off KrisFlyer award bookings between the U.S. and England or Singapore, plus dozens more routes between Singapore and its many destinations. Book one-way award flights starting at just 5,950 KrisFlyer miles. However, you need to book by November 30, so act fast. Here are charts of all eligible routes this month.

Multiply Your Flying Blue Miles: Boost Recent Earnings Up to 12X

Flying Blue — the award program shared between Air France, KLM, Aircalin, Transavia, and TAROM — is offering members the ability to "multiply your miles." This offer lets members multiply their recent earnings by up to 12x. However, there are numerous restrictions to navigate on what miles you can multiply, limits, and who is eligible, plus the pricing won't make sense for most people.

Flying Blue Standardizes Award Rates Between US-Europe. Book Business Class for 50,000 Miles!

Flying Blue — the mileage program for Air France/KLM — has always been a quirky program. Flying Blue previously priced awards by route. Now, Flying Blue seems to have ditched that complicated award pricing scheme. Instead, Flying Blue is now pricing all routes at the same minimum award rate. Now, you can book business class awards between almost any U.S. and Europe airport for as few as 50,000 miles each way!