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Andy Shuman

Andy Shuman

Andy Shuman is a freelance travel blogger and the author of the Lazy Travelers Handbook series. He is also a miles and points aficionado with a strong knowledge of frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs. Most of all, he is a travel junkie who wants to be on the road as much as possible.

Loyalty programs: American, United, US Airways, Delta, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Jet Blue, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Iberia, LAN, Japan Airways, Air Nippon, Bangkok Airways.

Favorite program: American Airlines. It is still the best despite some shortcomings.

Favorite travel destinations: Latin America, Southeast Asia.

Most memorable trip: Argentina/Brazil 2005. Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, Oktoberfest in Blumenau and short resort stay in Camboriu.

Travel rewards credit cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Platinum, Chase IHG Club, Citi AAdvantage, Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, Barclays Arrival, etc. I’d better stop right here or it will take up the whole page.

Favorite rewards: Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer your points to several airline and hotel programs, book travel, or redeem for cash. It’s a very versatile program.

Andy Shuman Andy Shuman’s posts:

Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Elite Status: How to Get it and What’s in it for You

Cathay Pacific is a member of the OneWorld Alliance and transfer partner of three U.S.-based airline travel programs: American Express Membership Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Citi ThankYou. That makes collecting Cathay Pacific miles relatively easy, so if you often fly to Asia, you may want to consider attaining elite status on Cathay Pacific.

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Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card from American Express

Who is the Gold delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express Good For?

There are three Delta co-branded American Express cards available for businesses and individual consumers: Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. Of the three, only Platinum and Reserve cards offer the feature called MilesBoost, which allows you to earn Medallion Qualification Miles by spending money on your card. MQMs earned with the Amex Delta credit cards edge you closer to elite Medallion status.

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British Airways Elite Status: How to Reach it and What’s in it for You

british airways elite status

British Airways Executive Club is structured a bit differently from many other airline elite programs, mostly because Avios — the airline’s currency — are points, not miles.

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Spirit Air Big Front Seat is the Airline’s First Class Equivalent

Spirit Air is an ultra low-cost airline that’s earned a bit of bad rap, some of it well-deserved. Its 28-inch pitch is the worst in the industry, and they charge for just about everything on board. However, Spirit’s burning desire to upsell extra services can be used to your advantage.

For a small fee you can get a seat that by just about every measure is first-class quality. Spirit’s calls it the Big Front Seat.

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Five Reasons to Use the Venture From Capital One Card at Home and Abroad

benefits venture card

There are two types of travel rewards credit cards. Airline and hotel co-branded cards help you earn miles or points in one frequent flyer or hotel loyalty program. General rewards credit cards, on the other hand, let you use the points you earn on any kind of travel, be it airlines, hotels, cruises, or car rental.

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Expedia+ Voyager Credit Card Review

Who Is the Expedia+ Voyager Credit Card From Citi Good For?

If you book hotel stays with Expedia, this premium credit card is the best way to get you some extra points. There is another, no-annual-fee Expedia credit card, but as it often happens, the annual fee comes with some nice benefits.

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Elite Status: United Airlines Premier Elite

United Airlines Elite Status: How to Reach it and What’s in it for You

Soon after Delta announced the revenue component to its frequent flyer program, so did United. The new United Mileage Plus program requires you not only fly certain amount of miles, but also spend a predetermined amount of money to reach elite status.

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Expedia+ Credit Card From Citi Review

Who Is the Expedia+ Credit Card From Citi Good For?

Expedia credit cardholders can capitalize on the its rewards program aptly called Expedia+. There are several benefits that can be useful for a cardholder who books their travel via Expedia. You get instant +Silver status that lets your earn more points for bookings, and some additional perks depending where you apply for the card.

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Elite Status: Delta SkyMiles Medallion Program

skymiles medallion program

Delta Air Lines completely reshuffled its program in 2014, turning its earning component into a revenue game. If you are chasing elite status, being in that seat is not going to be enough — you also have to pay more for the ticket. A lot more in fact.

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Use Miles to Visit the Ski Resorts in Latin America This Summer

Use Miles to Visit the Ski Resorts in Latin America This Summer

Just like skiing in Europe is synonymous with the Alps, skiing in Latin America is all about the Andes. And because of the difference in seasons, the big ski season there is actually our summer so you can pick this hobby up again in June by flying south. This is the perfect time to plan that trip. If you start now, you can earn your free ticket there in time for the start of their season.

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Delta Reserve for Business from American Express Review

Who is the Delta Reserve for Business from American Express Good For?

There is only one type of traveler who can benefit from this rather expensive credit card — a status chaser. But if you need to run business expenses and you do seek elite status with Delta, you won’t just benefit, you will benefit greatly!

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The Best Ski Resorts in Europe are in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland

The Best Ski Resorts in Europe are in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland

Conde Nest Traveler has come up with the Reader’s Choice Awards for 20 best ski resorts in Europe. Skiing in Europe has always been associated with the Alps, and the 2015 list includes resorts located in four countries that include them:

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Top Ski Resorts in the U.S. That You Can Get to for 25,000 Miles

Top Ski Resorts in the U.S. That You Can Get to for 25,000 Miles

Deciding on a ski resort is no small matter. There are several factors to consider. Beginner or advanced? Couple or family? Alps-style chalet setting or a traditional hotel?  How steep do you like your terrain? And of course, where?

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Chase Freedom Credit Card Review

Who Is the Chase Freedom Credit Card Good For?

Chase Freedom is one of the best, no-annual-fee consumer credit cards. It belongs to the Chase Ultimate Rewards family of cards, which also happens to be one of the best travel reward programs in the market.

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The Business Platinum Card® From American Express Review

The-Business-Platinum-Card®-From-American-Express

Who Is the Business Platinum Card From American Express Good For?

The American Express Business Platinum Card is part of the Membership Rewards program and the top premium business card offered by American Express. It carries a high annual fee, but the exclusive benefits are worth the high cost of admission.

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See More of Europe on Air Canada with Stopovers

We discussed how to use Aeroplan‘s stopover rules to visit more places in South America. Aeroplan (Air Canada’s program) allows two stopovers or one stopover and one open jaw on a roundtrip award ticket.

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Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express Review

Who is the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express Good For?

The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express is a premium charge card that allows you to earn Amex Membership Rewards points. Along with a generous sign-up bonus, the card lets you choose the best point-earning category and waives the annual fee for the first year.

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El Al Matmid Program Review

El Al Matmid

El Al is the flag carrier of Israel. It flies to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Matmid, El Al’s loyalty program, has two award redemption charts. One is for the those who live in Israel and have the airline’s co-branded credit card, as well as Executive Circle elite status holders living outside of Israel. The other chart is for everyone else.

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See South America With Free Stopovers on Air Canada

Air Canada is one of the world’s largest airlines and a member of the Star Alliance. Aeroplan, Air Canada’s loyalty program, has generous routing rules on award flights. A round-trip ticket can include two stopovers or one stopover and one open jaw.

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Asiana Visa Business Card Review

Who Is the Asiana Visa Business Credit Card Good For?

If you’re a member of Asiana Club, Asiana Airlines’ frequent flyer program, you may already carry one of the co-branded personal cards offered by Bank of America: the Asiana Visa Signature Credit Card, Asiana Visa Platinum or Asiana Visa Classic. If you also run a small business, you should consider the Asiana Visa Business card, which has some unique features not offered by the other cards.

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