Written by Lena Borrelli @ Million Mile Secrets
As we quickly approach the second quarter of 2021, the world today still bears the heavy scars of coronavirus. Nowhere perhaps is it more evident than on the nation’s children, who have not been spared from the sickness and have also seen schools, even…
Category: Guides
Cheapest ways to get foreign currency
Written by Erin Lizzo @ Million Mile Secrets
Here is a scenario that you want to avoid: You’ve budgeted out the obvious expenses for your trip – the cost of a flight to Oaxaca, lodging, food, and entertainment. You’ve researched the currency exchange rate and know that right now, 1 USD = ~2…
Keys to finding Star Alliance Award seats to Europe
Written by Drew Macomber @ Million Mile Secrets
Is summer approaching already? Time flies, and so does Earth’s population during summer vacation. It’s peak season for most everyone in the travel industry, and flight availability can stink. But there are a few solutions for finding better availabilit…
9 tips on how to best use Korean Air Skypass miles
Written by Drew Macomber @ Million Mile Secrets
You’ve seldom encountered an airline as persnickety as Korean Air. It’s got rules that make no sense and airline miles that aren’t exactly easy to acquire (they used to be a Chase transfer partner, but no longer). But with the eccentricities come some …
8 steps to build fun stopovers into your vacation — while getting to your destination for even cheaper
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
When you search for airfare from your home airport to your destination airport, you’re getting an inflated price. Google just shows you whatever predetermined fares the airlines have decided it costs to get you there, along with connections that …
Explaining airline status and its benefits: Is it worth it?
Written by Erin Lizzo @ Million Mile Secrets
You travel frequently, and therefore, you should be able to jump the line once in a while…right? You’re not going to hold up the boarding process by trying to figure out if you can stuff your carry-on in the overhead bin, and for this, you should be re…
8 tips on how best to use British Airways Avios points
Written by Drew Macomber @ Million Mile Secrets
British Airways Avios points are likely the easiest frequent flyer miles to earn for free via credit cards. Not only is there a co-branded British Airways credit card, but it’s also got a laundry list of transfer partners that make it super effortless …
These 3 credit cards have unique bonus categories that change with your spending habits
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
Do you spend a lot at pet stores? On flowers? At funeral homes?? No matter what you tend to purchase most, these cards will give you a bonus. Even if your spending varies drastically month to month! Most travel credit cards have rigid bonus categories …
Where to get a COVID-19 test if you want to travel
Written by Kaeli Conforti @ Million Mile Secrets
There’s so much to think about when it comes to traveling during a pandemic, from the safest way to fly to how to stay healthy at hotels. And chances are if you’re traveling internationally — or hoping to visit Chicago, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Massachuset…
Vaccine passports: What you need to know
Written by Kaeli Conforti @ Million Mile Secrets
With more people getting vaccinated every day, travelers are looking forward to a time when we won’t have to worry so much about boarding a full plane, staying in a hotel and all the other joys of traveling during a global pandemic. Once again in its f…
Air travel safety tips for children with autism
Written by Cynthia Paez Bowman @ Million Mile Secrets
Kids look forward to traveling as an exciting break from their ordinary routines. However, many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find the change stressful. As if airplane travel isn’t enough of a challenge to both the child and parents,…
5 reasons why I book one-way flights almost exclusively
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
As usual, the more effort something takes, the bigger the payoff. If you’re trying to book a free trip with just a few mouse clicks, that’s entirely possible with miles and points. Booking award flights isn’t intrinsically difficult &…
Pros and cons of the 6 major frequent flyer programs
Written by Sarah Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
This post is not about mileage programs and top-tier status. Instead, this is about the pros and cons of the miles that are popular to earn via airline credit card bonuses and similar promotions. Some airlines pass on fuel surcharges, some are great fo…
How to use a United Airlines trip credit (and few details you need to know)
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
It’s been about a year since your summer 2020 travel dreams were dashed against the stone of COVID-19. Do you have trip vouchers, credits, or funds that are soon to expire? Several airlines have extended travel credits into 2022. Whether you̵…
How to find a fare basis code (And why you’d need to)
Written by Sarah Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
You may have noticed that every flight ticket you’ve ever reserved notes some kind of “letter” on the ticket. Whether you’re booking an award flight, a super cheap mistake fare, or an expensive first class revenue ticket, your boarding pass will indica…
JetBlue TrueBlue points value: How much are they worth?
Written by Deborah Atchison @ Million Mile Secrets
Similar to Southwest, JetBlue uses a revenue-based award chart. This means that the value of your points is tied to the cash price of the ticket. So if you’ve earned a stash of JetBlue points, you should use them because you won’t be able to maximize t…
Going from plain ol’ Amex Gold to the Rose Gold version
Written by Alexandra Maloney @ Million Mile Secrets
Let’s be honest. When it comes to cards, looks do matter. When you pull a pretty, sleek card out of your wallet, it makes paying the bills just a little less painful. American Express understands this, which is why they’ve brought back their …
7 secrets to the World of Hyatt program — how many do you know?
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
As straightforward as many loyalty programs market themselves to be, there are always a handful of tips and tricks that many of us are unaware of — or perhaps maybe forgotten. Some involve their hotel credit card, some are booking loopholes, some…
6 best ongoing credit card benefits: Each one can save you potentially $1,000 per year
Written by Joseph Hostetler @ Million Mile Secrets
We tout travel credit card welcome bonuses as the best way to get free travel and save a bunch of money — and that’s correct. But what happens to a credit card after you earn its bonus? It’s true, some credit cards have seemingly litt…
How to tell the difference between planes (Tips for aspiring aviation geeks!)
Written by Million Mile Secrets @ Million Mile Secrets
We fly so much that one day I decided to look around at the planes and check out the back of the in-flight magazine until I could tell the difference between them. The big planes were super easy — but I picked up some more tricks on telling the d…