Posts

24 hours in Helsinki

-
Image
Despite having sworn to stay away from JFK, a deal like this was too good to pass up and a fun way to spend my birthday in the air while also revisiting a city I really enjoyed 11 years ago.   I booked with American Airlines AAdvantage program which cost 115,000 miles and $48.60 taxes/fees round trip for lie flat business class.   Unfortunately my outbound direct flight was cancelled due to pilot strikes at Finnair and I was originally re-booked in American Airlines economy with a layover in London, but after a quick call, customer service was able to get everything sorted. After spending an hour covering the last 18 miles of the Van Wyck Expressway, I breezed through priority check-in to American Airlines' Greenwich Lounge.  I went straight to "The Bridge" which overlooks the terminal. There is a full service bar and as a bonus, I was sitting right next to Dean Norris from Breaking Bad!  I tried the chicken and waffle along with some deviled eggs, both of which...
Read more

Status Match Perks: Free Dinners, Hotels, and Cruises

-
Image
I just returned from a mostly free trip to Las Vegas and have a free 7 night Bahamas cruise planned later this year.  Below is how I did it...read on for more.   If you need additional help with a personalized points/miles earning and/or redemption strategy, drop me a line at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com.   It all starts with Wyndham Diamond status, which small business owners (whether a side hustle sole proprietor or a real estate LLC) can earn with a single Barclays credit card that comes with a $95 annual fee.   The initial fee is immediately offset by the sign-up bonus of up to 100,000 points outlined below whereas the ongoing annual fee is further offset by a 15,000 point anniversary bonus every year as well as by the first step in our status match journey. 50,000 after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days  50,000 after spending $15,000 in the first 12 months.   Status Match 1 (Online) : Wyndham Rewards to Caesar'...
Read more

FRA-JFK in Singapore's A380 Suites

-
Image
This is by far my most expensive booking for a one way flight, however I had really wanted to try this product as well as finally fly on an A380 and with limited options now out of JFK, Singapore offered me a chance to do so with significantly lower out of pocket costs (in the form of taxes and fees) than Emirates.  Miles were transferred to Singapore's Krisflyer program from American Express's Membership Rewards, which are relatively easy to earn.  You can browse their sign-up bonuses here . My return trip home from Europe started with a visit to Lufthansa's Senator Lounge, as Frankfurt is obviously an outstation for Singapore and my flight being a rare Fifth Freedom flight between two countries other than the airline's home country.  Fifth freedom flights are allowed so long as it originates or terminates in the home country, so technically my flight was just an extension of the earlier flight from Singapore to Frankfurt.  This lounge had a much nicer vibe than I w...
Read more