Notes And Updates For May 28, 2013

Mercedes Benz Platinum Card

View from the Wing has a great write-up about the 5,000 and 10,000-point bonuses that some Amex charge card holders can earn by enrolling in Amex's “Pay Over Time” feature.  I didn’t qualify for the bonus -- and it’s unclear who does -- but some … [Continue reading]

Beware: The Incredibly Misleading “MagsforMiles” Program

United Miles for Mags

You’ve probably heard of the “MagsforMiles” program, or at least received one of their letters imploring you to buy magazine subscriptions with your frequent flyer miles.  The program partners with most domestic airlines -- Alaska, American, Delta, … [Continue reading]

A New Approach To Avoid Falling Victim To Airport Currency-Exchange Fees

Airport Kiosk Exchange Rate Board

Most people are well-aware that airport currency-exchange kiosks offer terrible exchange rates.  And while it’s easy to avoid those rates when buying foreign currency -- by making a withdrawal from an ATM rather than swapping cash – there’s no great … [Continue reading]

How To Earn Free Points And Miles By Enrolling In Dining Programs

Dining Rewards Table PNG

One of the easiest ways to rack up points and miles with almost no effort whatsoever is to enroll your credit cards in airline and hotel dining programs.  Simply register your cards with a given program (you can register up to five cards per … [Continue reading]

The 75,000-Point Offer On The American Express Business Gold Rewards Card is Back. Again.

UPDATE:  The 75,000-point offer is no longer available. I'm usually brimming with excitement when a 75,000-point offer comes around, but after last week's shenanigans -- in which American Express accidentally released a 75,000-point offer, then … [Continue reading]

BankDirect Mileage Checking: 100 AAdvantage Miles Per Month For Every $1,000 On Deposit

BankDirect Specs

A few months ago, I set forth my case for using Ally Bank as my primary checking account.  And while I plan to stick with Ally as my primary checking account for its consumer-friendly features like unlimited ATM-fee reimbursements, free checks, and … [Continue reading]

75,000-Point Bonus On The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN!

Amex 75K Offer

UPDATE:  The 75,000-point offer is no longer available. This is going to spread like wildfire around the points and miles blogosphere: the affiliate links for the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express are now offering a whopping … [Continue reading]

A Quick Way To Find Out If You Qualify For A 50,000-Mile Bonus On The United MileagePlus Explorer Card

United Explorer

UPDATE:  If you don't qualify for the 50,000-mile offer described below, check your local Chase branch. The standard signup bonus for the United MileagePlus Explorer card is 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 within three months, but targeted … [Continue reading]

30 Miles Per Dollar On Mother’s Day Flowers!

FTD 30 miles per dollar

Here’s an important reminder: Mother’s Day is May 12 (next weekend!).  And if you, like me, find yourself scrolling through endless combinations of indistinguishable floral bouquets on one of the online flower-delivery giants, you might as well take … [Continue reading]