Rocketmiles Can Simplify Your Search (Plus a Hidden Benefit)

Rocketmiles Model

I was a little harsh in my original review of Rocketmiles, which I compared to PointsHound. Both services allow you to earn airline miles when you book a hotel stay through their respective web sites. However, there are a few key differences in their business models. After writing my review, co-founder Jay Hoffman reached out to me so we could discuss how Rocketmiles targets consumers and may offer greater value than PointsHound. What it boils down to is how involved you want to be in the reservations process. I am a control freak. If I rank the travel experience, the destination comes first, then the search and booking process, and finally the actual trip to the destination. There is something satisfying about comparing all the options, … [Continue reading]

Complimentary Glenfiddich Tastings at ORD United Club

United Club Glenfiddich

United Airlines sent me an email this morning announcing complimentary tastings of Glenfiddich Scotch whisky at one of its Chicago-O'Hare United Clubs. The event will be held at T1, Concourse B, near gate B6. Although it will not be every day, it will be pretty frequent over the next several weeks and always from 3-7 PM. Fortunately I have a 1.5 hour layover in ORD on my way to Wichita on June 7. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to make it. Since I'll be taking a regional jet, I was hoping to stop by the newly renovated United Club in T2. But if there is time available, I will try to make it to the whisky tasting in T1 around the start time. You can find a complete calendar of upcoming tasting dates on United's web site. Available … [Continue reading]

Thousands More Hotels Let You Double Up on Miles & Hotel Status

PointsHound Levels

PointsHound offers a revolutionary approach to booking hotels, allowing you to earn miles AND hotel points AND hotel status when you stay with most major chains like Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Marriott, and Priority Club. When I wrote about this before, it was called "Double Dip," but they've decided to rebrand as "Double Up" in order to avoid any confusion with Hilton's existing double dip program. The only real fault I found with Double Up when it was originally announced is that it rolled out in a limited number of properties. Most participating properties were in major markets, and even then you might find two Hyatts participated despite the presence of four in that city, or perhaps all the Marriott properties were game but not the … [Continue reading]

Pay or Redeem? How I Compare Ticketing Options

Brad wrote in with another question for my open forum as he debates whether he should buy a traditional revenue ticket or redeem miles for an award ticket. As usual, my answer reflects my specific needs and interests and what I know about Brad. The purpose of this post is to illustrate my thought process so you can use different inputs and come to your own conclusion. For example, if you don't value elite status as highly as either of us, then you might prefer an award ticket because elite qualifying miles have less value. I'm headed to Rome and Munich in September with two choices and haven't decided which is better: Pay ~$1,550 for an economy class ticket with a few domestic upgrade chances and possibly a GPU chance (flying United), … [Continue reading]

What’s Your Total Cost of Travel?

Total_Cost_of_Travel_Infographic

Hipmunk issued an infographic to people on its mailing list today, and I found it interesting. It outlines all the little ways you can get dinged by airlines, hotels, and associated merchants along the way when you travel. I enjoyed it because it highlights how important it is to take a holistic view of travel and look for lots of ways to save money when traveling. When people ask me where's a cheap place to visit, I might suggest Bangkok as one idea. Sure it's expensive to get there, but once you arrive everything is pretty cheap. Contrast this with Las Vegas. You can drive from Southern California, but many of the fancier hotels (and everything is moving upscale there) can cost $200-300 a night on weekends. If you don't pay attention … [Continue reading]