Marriott is now offering a Platinum challenge called “Road to Platinum” to select members. The program basically grants you Platinum (or Gold) status after completing the required number of stays in a 3-month period. The following are the stay requirements for each level. Marriott Rewards Elite Status Challenge Requirements Status Stays Required Time Period Platinum…
American Express is now offering a Los Angeles Restaurant Week promotion where you can get $5 back after spending $21 at a participating restaurant. Amex has done an LA restaurant week promo for the last 3-4 years, and unfortunately the promotion has gotten less and less generous over the years. Still, if you are foodie…
One of my all time favorite credit cards is the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card. It’s great because Starwood hotel redemptions are among the most favorable in the industry, but the option to convert Starpoints into airline miles often at a 1:1 ratio offers another tremendous avenue to value. To top it all off, if…
I made a huge gigantic oops recently that I think might help many of you out there. In February my wife signed up for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Visa Card. The card included a huge 100,000 mile sign up bonus if you spent $10,000 within “3 months of becoming a cardmember.” We were consumed by…
I recently took an Uber X ride back to my home after a dinner in Washington D.C. When my wife and I were ready to take request an Uber, I noticed that Uber was assessing “surge pricing,” which they frequently do as a way to raise their prices, and what they claim is an incentive to…
I think Kiva is a great idea and platform for connecting investors/donors in developed countries with microfinance lenders in developing countries. And I strongly believe that there are a lot of people who want to help others help themselves in developing countries who can establish a business for themselves if they had a bit of seed money…
I currently have both the Citi AA Amex personal card and the Citi AA Visa personal card. Since, I obviously want to avoid paying two $95 annual fees this year, I called to cancel my Citi AA Amex, which has an annual fee coming due this month. Calling The Citi Retentions Department Sometimes I call…
Banana Republic has launched some great bonus point earning opportunities valid for the entire year. Through December 31, 2014 you Banana Republic Luxe card members can earn extra points for purchases in the following Luxe card bonus categories: 3x points on gas 2x points on groceries 1x points on everything else Is This a…
In March 2014 Macy’s introduced their new Star Rewards Card with new benefits and a tiered status based on how much you spend with Macy’s. The benefits in terms of points earned and coupons is tied to how much you spend in a single calendar year (they defined their calendar year as December 1st –…
Marriott Rewards offers an elite buy back program for Platinum, Gold, and Silver status where you can redeem miles to retain your elite status. You are allowed to buy back your status until April 1, 2014, and you MUST buy back to the status that you held last year. Here is a summary of the…