Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I’ve tried working outdoors in a lot of picturesque destinations around the world. It’s one of the idealized aspects of being a digital nomad. Work with your toes in the sand, they say. Work on your tan while sipping daiquiris from a furiou…
Author: Joseph Hostetler
New card alert: Citi Custom Cash available to new applicants (and it’s actually pretty good)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
It’s always good news when credit card issuers concoct new products to help us all earn more miles and points. Citi has announced their newest addition to the Citi ThankYou points-earning family of cards: The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card…
These three cards offer a blank airline ticket to anywhere in the world (round-trip!) as a welcome bonus
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I’ve over-simplified this post to give you an idea of how easy it currently is to visit whichever corner of the planet you’ve always dreamed about. Listed below are not necessarily the absolute best value for your points, but they show you …
The secret to getting the discontinued Ritz-Carlton credit card — and 4 reasons you need it
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I was just reflecting back on a post I wrote last week about an undervalued Priority Pass benefit, and it inspired me to write this post. The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is one of my favorites in my wallet for a number of reasons, which I’ll cover …
DEAL OF THE YEAR: Chase Sapphire Preferred now offering 100,000 points (easy spending requirement)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
YOU GUYS. Know how we’re always screaming at the top of our lungs that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel credit cards in the free world? It just got way, WAY better. Whether you’re brand new to the free travel gam…
Moana Surfrider vs Royal Hawaiian: Review of the two best Marriott hotels on Waikiki Beach
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
At long last! I’ve been aching to do this review for years. Marriott has four hotels along the super famous Waikiki Beach in Oahu — and loads more in or around the neighborhood of Waikiki. But two of them stand out: Moana Surfrider, A Westi…
Priority Pass continues to single-handedly offset my credit card annual fee with this overlooked benefit
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I cannot recall the last time I paid for a meal at the airport. If I’m flying, I and my travel buddies are almost certainly eating for (practically) free. Free food is doubly important at the airport, where restaurant menu prices are insulting. W…
Everything to know about Priority Pass
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Airport lounge access is perhaps the best way to ease the anxiety of a visit to the airport. Not only are airport lounges a quiet hideaway from the noisy terminal, but they can save you a fair amount of money you’d probably spend anyway. Many locations…
Hana-Maui Resort review: Why Hyatt’s newest Hawaiian hotel is a game-changer
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I’ve once before visited the sleepy town of Hana — an extraordinarily remote farming village on the eastern shore of Maui. To get there, you’ve got to negotiate one of the most dangerous roads on earth: The Road to Hana. Hyatt recentl…
Best use of Flying Blue miles
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I was a little down on Flying Blue early on because of their passing on fuel surcharges. But the reality is that they don’t pass on full fuel surcharges on all partners, and there are some great cheap redemptions — some of the best, in fact, to E…
Quick review of the United Airlines business class seat you can book to Hawaii for 12,500 miles
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
It’s one of the best deals in miles and points. You can book 10 hours in a lie-flat business class seat over the Pacific for the price of flying to Thanksgiving at your grandmother’s house. And it’s not even complicated. In fact, the …
Maximizing that ridiculous $50 Amex Platinum credit by splitting tender at Saks Fifth Avenue
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I don’t belong in Saks Fifth Avenue. Stores like that make me furious. Business casual shirts with $400 price tags and and burlap scarves worth a month’s rent. Maybe it’s the miles and points lobe of my brain, but they seem like a mas…
A polite complaint just scored me 30,000 Marriott points
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Honey will take you a lot further in the travel world than vinegar. Many MMS staffers have multiple examples of earning free flights, free hotel nights, free points, etc., simply by asking in a friendly way when something goes wrong. Examples that I ca…
Complete map of Hyatt hotels (with award prices)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Hyatt hotels are priced according to award category. All Hyatt hotel brands fall into Categories 1 to 7 — but a select few Small Luxury Hotels (a fun Hyatt partner) wander into Category 8, which is expensive. Hyatt hotels are many miles and point…
Complete map of Marriott hotels (with award prices)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Marriott hotel brands include fancy hotels like Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis (categorize those under “wildest dreams” hotels, located in stunning destination like the Maldives, Bora Bora, Dubai, etc.) but they also have very practical and ubi…
HUGE news: Capital One adds amazing new partners, transfers 1:1 with select programs
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Capital One just became a big part of your miles and points strategy. This is some of the best news we’ve seen in a long time. It’s been nearly three years since Capital One airline and hotel transfer partners were unveiled. That was a monu…
This Clark Howard travel hack could save you a ton on baggage fees
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I remember many years ago listening to Clark Howard muse about the unique way he skirts airline baggage fees. My memory is a tad foggy — so don’t want to put words in his mouth — but essentially he would decline to pay for a bag by le…
Southwest just devalued your points overnight — but good redemptions are still possible
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Southwest! You’re supposed to be a beacon of light in a murky travel industry filled with customer-unfriendly policies, depreciating airline miles, and zero transparency. Just as America was lacing up its shoes for summer travel to a slowly openi…
Delta’s new tool helps you find cheap flights and plan around COVID-19 (but it’s useful for ANY airline)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Delta recently unveiled a new tool on their website: The Delta Discover Map. This map is designed to help you spend Delta miles or real cash for your upcoming travel. Many of us are flush with Delta miles, as the best Delta credit cards have gigantic l…
How to use American Airlines 500-mile upgrade certificates
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
I have no airline loyalty. I fly the one that’s cheapest, whether with cash or miles. I’ll never really experience the wonders of airline elite status because I never intend to regularly pay for flights. With the right airline credit card s…