Shopping portal bonuses are stacking up right now 🛍️

If you are doing holiday shopping online, start at a shopping portal first. It takes an extra click, and it can turn purchases you were already going to make into points and miles for your next trip. ✈️ If you follow me, you know how much I love shopping portals! 

Right now there are a whole bunch of portal bonuses running at the same time, and most of them are based on how much you spend through the portal — not on one specific store. So you can add up purchases across different stores to hit a threshold.

Here is the roundup, checked Nov 12, 2026. These offers end soon, so check the live portal page before you buy, because terms can change.

The big one: five airline portals, up to 17,500 bonus miles

All five major U.S. airline shopping portals are running a November spend bonus at the same time. 

The spending is cumulative, so you do not have to hit a threshold in one purchase. You can add up smaller purchases across different stores in the same portal.

These bonuses are on top of the normal miles you earn through the portal, and on top of the points you earn from the credit card you pay with. That is the triple dip. 💳

Alaska Atmos Rewards Shopping — up to 1,500 points, through Nov 20

• Spend $100, earn 300 bonus points
• Spend $350, earn 750 bonus points
• Spend $650, earn 1,500 bonus points

American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping — up to 4,000 miles, through Nov 20

• Spend $200, earn 500 bonus miles
• Spend $600, earn 1,500 bonus miles
• Spend $1,600, earn 4,000 bonus miles

Delta SkyMiles Shopping — up to 2,000 miles, through Nov 21

• Spend $100, earn 500 bonus miles
• Spend $600, earn 1,000 bonus miles
• Spend $1,200, earn 2,000 bonus miles

Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping — up to 5,000 points, through Nov 23

• Spend $100, earn 500 bonus points
• Spend $400, earn 2,000 bonus points
• Spend $800, earn 5,000 bonus points

Southwest runs the longest, through Nov 23, and its top tier is one of the best values here — 5,000 points for $800 of spending.

United MileagePlus Shopping — up to 5,000 miles, through Nov 20

• Spend $125, earn 500 bonus miles
• Spend $500, earn 2,000 bonus miles
• Spend $1,000, earn 5,000 bonus miles

You cannot count the same purchase in two portals, so pick the airline you actually want miles with for each purchase.

New-member bonuses: Rakuten 

If you are not signed up for these yet, the new-member bonuses are worth a look on their own. 🎁

Rakuten — $50 back after $50 in purchases

New members who join through my referral link can earn $50 back after $50 or more in qualifying purchases within 90 days of joining. Sign-ups for this version run through Dec 31, 2026.

Rakuten pays cash back, or you can choose to earn American Express Membership Rewards points or Bilt points Read about how to use Bilt points here. 

One more first-timer bonus: United MileagePlus Shopping

If you have never used the United portal before, there is also a first-time bonus separate from the November tiers above: 500 bonus miles when you spend $25 in the first two weeks after enrolling, or 1,000 bonus miles for the same $25 spend if you hold a United credit card.

A few things to watch before you shop

• Click through the portal first. If you go straight to the store, or use a coupon code the portal does not list, you can lose the portal earnings.
• Gift cards, taxes, shipping, returns, and cancellations usually do not count toward the spend thresholds.
• Bonuses can take a while to post — allow up to 10 weeks after the promotion ends for the airline portal bonuses.
• Compare before you pick a portal. The same store can pay a different rate in different portals, so it is worth a quick check on Cashback Monitor before a bigger purchase.
• Pick the miles you will actually use. The best bonus on paper is not the best one if it is miles with an airline you never fly.

Happy shopping — and if you are already buying gifts anyway, you might as well earn the trip on the way. 😊

Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 💙

The 2027 Travel Hot List by the Numbers: Where Everyone’s Heading Next 📊✈️

 

Bookings to China nearly tripled this year, up 184%. That’s the fastest growth of any country in Fora’s booking data, and it tops the 2027 Hot List. As a Fora advisor, I dug into the numbers behind this year’s list. Here’s what they reveal about where we’ll be traveling next year.

How the List Was Built 🔍

This year, Fora introduced the Taste Index, which scores each destination from 0 to 100 using four signals:

• Booking growth (50%): year-over-year hotel bookings by U.S. Fora advisors. Growth is measured against Fora’s overall growth, so a destination only ranks high if it’s outpacing the company itself.
• Advisor buzz (35%): a survey of 713 advisors on what clients are newly asking about, and what’s overexposed.
• New hotels (10%): luxury and upscale openings since September 2025
• New flights (5%): new nonstop routes from U.S. airports

To qualify, a destination needed at least 100 bookings in the past year.

The 2027 Hot List 🌍

Rank	Destination	Taste Index	Booking growth	New hotels	New U.S. nonstops
1	🇨🇳 China	90.3	+184%	42	0
2	🇲🇹 Malta	86.9	+129%	5	1
3	🇸🇮 Slovenia	86.4	+152%	1	1
4	🇪🇬 Egypt	84.9	+140%	13	0
5	🇻🇳 Vietnam	84.4	+119%	12	0
6	🇫🇮 Finland	82.2	+138%	4	0
7	🇹🇼 Taiwan	79.1	+116%	7	4
8	🏔️ Alaska	72.0	+87%	0	6
9	🏝️ St. Thomas & St. John	71.9	+148%	1	5

What the Data Tells Us 💡

1. Asia is the headline. Three of the top seven spots belong to Asia, and those three countries account for 61 new hotels since September 2025. China alone has 42.

2. You don’t need a new nonstop to be hot. China, Egypt, Vietnam, and Finland have zero new U.S. routes and still made the top six.  

3. The U.S. Virgin Islands is the sleeper pick. Bookings grew 148%, the third-highest growth on the list. It lands at #9 only because the index also weighs advisor buzz and new hotels. If you want somewhere that’s surging before everyone’s talking about it, this is it.

4. Europe is going smaller. Instead of big capitals, travelers are booking Malta (+129%), Finland (+138%), and Slovenia (+152%). You can read about my trip to Malta here. I loved it! 

Quick Hits, Plus Points Tie-Ins 🎯

• 🇨🇳 China: U.S. travelers may qualify for up to 10 days of visa-free travel through designated ports, as long as they have confirmed onward travel to a third country or region. China’s high-speed rail network now covers more than 31,000 miles, which makes multi-city trips easy.
• 🇲🇹 Malta: Delta launched a seasonal JFK–Malta nonstop in June 2026. Time to put those SkyMiles to work. It’s also a good-value alternative to Sardinia and the Greek islands.
• 🇸🇮 Slovenia: United starts its first Newark–Ljubljana nonstop in May 2027. Combine the Alps, Lake Bled, and Slovenian wine country in one compact trip.
• 🇪🇬 Egypt: a total solar eclipse passes directly over Luxor on August 2, 2027. 🌑 Mandarin Oriental relaunches the Old Cataract in Aswan and the Winter Palace in Luxor in July, ahead of it. If this is on your list, plan early. You can read about my trip to the Arctic to see the last solar eclipse here. 
• 🇻🇳 Vietnam: Fora bookings more than doubled, led by Hanoi and the Da Nang–Hoi An region.
• 🇫🇮 Finland: named the world’s happiest country for the ninth year in a row, with three hotels that now hold Michelin Keys. Or you can use points and miles, read about how I traveled to Finland to see the Northern Lights. 
• 🇹🇼 Taiwan: new routes include EVA Air from Dallas–Fort Worth and Washington Dulles, plus China Airlines and STARLUX from Phoenix. That’s good news for Star Alliance miles holders.
• 🏔️ Alaska: Southwest began flying to Anchorage in May 2026, and Princess is sending eight ships on 187 departures in 2027.
• 🏝️ USVI: no passport needed for U.S. citizens. New routes include seasonal Delta service from Boston and Southwest flights from Orlando and Baltimore.

Keep an Eye On 👀

• Venice: three major luxury hotels opened in 2026, and Delta plans a Boston–Venice nonstop starting May 2027.
• Montenegro: advisors ranked it just behind Slovenia as the next must-visit spot.
• Peru: the top country for booking growth among Fora’s Latin American advisors.

Fora Called It ✅

Destinations from past Hot Lists that took off this year:

• Sardinia (2025): bookings up 92%
• Panama (2024): up 122%
• Ecuador (2023): up 123%

Thinking about one of these for 2027? Let’s plan it together. I can help you figure out the best way to get there on points, too. ✈️

Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Fly to Hawaii for 11,500 Points or Venice for 25,000: Atmos Rewards’ November Sale Ends Friday ✈️

Seattle to Honolulu for 11,500 points and $6. That’s one of the deals in Alaska’s November Atmos Rewards Global Getaways sale, which discounts one-way awards to nine destinations. If you have Atmos points in your account, now’s the time to use them.

⏰ Book by Friday, November 7, 2026.

🌍 Where You Can Go

These are starting prices for one-way awards to or from the U.S. Each destination has its own travel window, so check your dates first.

Destination	Travel dates	Starting at (one-way)
🌺 Honolulu	Dec. 1, 2026 – March 10, 2027	11,500 points
🌺 Kona, Hawaii	Dec. 1, 2026 – March 10, 2027	11,500 points
🌺 Lihue, Hawaii	Dec. 1, 2026 – March 10, 2027	11,500 points
🌺 Maui, Hawaii	Dec. 1, 2026 – March 10, 2027	11,500 points
🇮🇹 Venice, Italy	Jan. 15 – May 12, 2027	25,000 points
🇮🇹 Catania, Italy	Jan. 15 – May 12, 2027	30,000 points
🇯🇴 Amman, Jordan	Jan. 15 – May 12, 2027	30,000 points
🇮🇳 Mumbai	Jan. 15 – May 12, 2027	30,000 points
🇸🇬 Singapore	Jan. 15 – May 12, 2027	30,000 points

Hawaii Blackout Dates 🚫

• To Hawaii: Dec. 17–30, 2026, and Feb. 12–15, 2027
• From Hawaii: Dec. 27, 2026 – Jan. 4, 2027, and Feb. 19–21, 2027

Bonus for community members: if you belong to one of Atmos Rewards’ member communities, some of these destinations count toward bonus-points challenges:

• Global Locals: Amman
• Huakai by Hawaiian: all four Hawaii airports
• Active Escapes and Club 49: Kona

✈️ What Your Points Actually Get You

Here are a few real examples from the sale:

• Seattle to Honolulu: 11,500 points + $6 👏
• Seattle to Venice: 25,000 points + $48. With the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card, it’s just $27.60.
• Los Angeles to Singapore: 30,000 points + $49, or $29 for Summit cardholders

⚠️ Book soon if your dates work. The lowest prices disappear as other members grab them.

📲 How to Book

1. Log in to your account on the Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines website
2. Check the “Use points” box
3. Enter your route and dates, then click “Search flights”

You aren’t limited to the routes listed above. Any award between the U.S. and an eligible destination on eligible dates qualifies.

🎿 Also This Month: Ikon Pass for Points

Skiers, this one’s for you. Through Atmos Rewards Unlocked, you can redeem:

• 65,000 points for a 2026–27 Ikon Base Pass
• 100,000 points for an Ikon Pass with $100 in mountain credits at participating resorts

Both include one free day of ski butler service when you rent equipment for two or more days. Active Escapes members save 20%. These redemptions close November 23.

You’ll also find experiences like an Iditarod insider experience and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Alaska Airlines Global Training Center. 🐕

💳 Need More Atmos Points?

Fly: Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, or any of their 30+ partner airlines, including Oneworld carriers.

Open an Atmos credit card:

• Summit Visa Infinite: 100,000 bonus points plus a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,000 in the first 90 days
• Ascent Visa Signature: 60,000 bonus points plus a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. You get 20,000 more points if you reach $5,000 in spending in those same 90 days.
• Visa Signature Business: 70,000 bonus points plus a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days

Transfer points:

• Bilt Points: 1:1
• Marriott Bonvoy points: 3:1

Buy points: through November 7, you can buy up to 250,000 points with a bonus of up to 110%. The full bonus kicks in at 30,000 points. For example, $1,128.75 gets you 30,000 points plus 33,000 bonus points, which works out to 1.79 cents per point.

One more perk: award tickets earn status points toward Atmos elite status. 🙌

The Bottom Line

If you have Atmos points and your travel dates fit these windows, check this sale today. Hawaii from 11,500 points and Venice from 25,000 are the standouts. Book by Friday, November 7.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How Travel Insurance Paid My Client $200 When Her Flight Was Canceled ✈️

My client paid $130 for travel insurance. When her flight home was canceled, $200 landed in her app almost instantly. Here’s what happened and why I recommend Faye Travel Insurance to every client.

A Bucket-List Trip to Spain 

My client just returned from two weeks in Spain. She traveled by train from Barcelona to Valencia to Madrid, filling her days with tapas, sangria, and Gaudí. 🍷

Her first flight home went smoothly. Then her connection from Charlotte to the West Coast was canceled.

Before she had time to panic:

• American Airlines rebooked her on a new flight
• Faye Travel Insurance deposited $200 into her in-app wallet 🎉

Why I Recommend Faye 📱

Faye is a newer travel insurance company that uses an app to make coverage and claims faster and simpler. I recommend it to my clients for its pricing and its smooth claims process.

👉 Get a free Faye quote here

Choose Your Coverage

Faye offers three tiers of coverage, plus add-ons for whatever you’ll be doing on your trip, like adventure sports or rental cars.

My tip: at a minimum, add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage. Buy it soon after you book your trip, because there’s a time limit on adding it.

Let the App Do the Work

After you buy your policy, download the Faye app and enter your flight details. From there, the app:

• Sends real-time flight alerts, sometimes faster than the airline
• Offers lounge passes during long delays 🛋️
• Deposits money into your Faye Wallet for eligible cancellations and delays

Help When You Need a Doctor 🩺

Another client got sick while traveling in Switzerland. Through the Faye app, she booked an in-person doctor’s appointment within two hours.

The Bottom Line

We all hope every trip goes smoothly, but when it doesn’t, travel insurance saves you time, money, and stress. My client’s $130 policy paid her back $200 on her way home.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How Many FREE Walking Tours Are In New York City?

Brooklyn is the second most diverse area in the United States, right after Queens. That’s one of the things I learned on a free walking tour of Brooklyn, and it’s why I’m hooked on these tours.

How “Free” Walking Tours Work 💵

You can find walking tours in most big cities around the world. Some of the most popular companies are Yellow Umbrella, GuruWalk, and FreeTour. You can also find paid tours on Viator and Get Your Guide. 

Here’s the catch: they aren’t really free. They’re donation-based, and the expected tip is $10–$20 per person. You still get a local guide and a few hours of stories for less than a museum ticket.

New York City alone has 31 free walking tours, including:

• Greenwich Village History Tour
• Discover the Hidden Secrets of Wall Street
• Discover the Soul of SoHo

On my last visit, I tried two of them, and both were fantastic.

Tour #1: Explore Brooklyn — Bridge, Heights & DUMBO 🌉

City Hall Park. The tour begins at the fountain with the history of the buildings and public art around the park. My favorite story was about the model who posed for many of the statues on top of nearby buildings. I won’t spoil it for you. 😉

Brooklyn Bridge. The views from the walk across are spectacular. Our guide stopped several times to explain how the bridge was engineered and built, and how it changed the communities on both sides of the river.

DUMBO. The tour wraps up winding through DUMBO, with stops near Jane’s Carousel and Pebble Beach. It was a fascinating look at how this neighborhood has changed over time.

Tour #2: Harlem Renaissance & Heritage 🎷

The public library. The tour starts here, where the guide tells the story behind the giant mural across the street on the wall of the hospital.

Through the neighborhood. From there, you pass an urban farm and a live music club. Our guide also pointed out a speakeasy that still operates on one of the side streets. 🤫

The Apollo Theater. The tour ends here, and it’s a fitting final stop. 🎤

Add a Walking Tour to Your NYC List 📝

Both tours gave me a new appreciation for neighborhoods I thought I knew. I already have my eye on a few more for next time. Whether you live in New York or you’re just visiting, a walking tour is one of the best-value ways to spend a few hours in the city.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Talk to me about your next trip and I'll figure out the best way to use your points and miles, Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "LETSGO" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

New Southwest Card Offers Up to 90,000 Points: Your Last Shot at a Companion Pass ✈️

One credit card bonus can now get you most of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass, but only until December 2. After that, card bonuses stop counting toward the pass for good.

The New Offers 💳

All three Southwest personal cards have elevated welcome bonuses right now:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card: 90,000 points after $3,000 in spending in 3 months
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card: 85,000 points after $2,000 in spending in 3 months
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card: 80,000 points after $1,000 in spending in 3 months

Each of these gets you most of the way to the 135,000 points you need for the Companion Pass.

I don’t have referral links for these new offers. I always want to point you to the best deal, though, so I’m sending you over to my friends at The Points Guy.

The Fine Print: Apply by December 2 📅

• You must be approved by December 2, 2026.
• Your bonus still counts even if you finish the minimum spend in early 2027.
• The pass is valid through December 31, 2027. You get one year instead of the usual two, but if you’re planning trips for next year, it can still save you a lot.
• The two-card strategy still works. Pair one Southwest business card with one personal card, and apply for both by December 2.

Why the Companion Pass Is Worth It 🙌

The Companion Pass gives you buy-one-get-one flights anywhere Southwest flies. Your companion flies with you for just taxes and fees.

• Pick anyone to be your companion, like a spouse, a friend, or a family member
• Change your companion up to three times per calendar year

I’ve held the Companion Pass for the past 10 years. I’ve used it for college visits, family vacations, family events, and much more, and it has saved me thousands of dollars. 💰

Don’t Wait ⏳

These offers end December 2, and there’s no extension coming. Card bonuses won’t count toward the pass after that. If a Companion Pass would help with your 2027 travel plans, now is the time to apply.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Talk to me about your next trip and I'll figure out the best way to use your points and miles, Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "LETSGO" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How a College Student Flew to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day on 13,000 Points ☘️

If you’re studying in Europe this spring, you already know: St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin is the trip everyone wants. That means flight prices climb fast.

Last week, a college student studying in Spain called me for help. She’d been looking at fares around $550 round trip, which is a lot on a student budget. 😬

What We Found 🔍

We searched award availability on seats.aero and found Aer Lingus seats for:

• 6,500 Avios + $27 in taxes each way
• Only four seats left at that price, so we moved fast

How She Booked It ✈️

She had just earned 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from a limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus. That offer has ended, but even the standard bonus covers this trip several times over.

1. Created an Aer Lingus AerClub account
2. Linked it to her Chase account
3. Transferred 13,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Avios
4. Booked her round-trip flights 🎉

Total cost: 13,000 points and about $54. That leaves her with 87,000 points for more weekend trips this semester.

Why Flexible Points Win 💳

This is why I love flexible points. Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Bilt, and Citi all let you transfer to airline partners. You aren’t locked into one airline, so you can book whichever one has the best deal.

Come March, she’ll be in Dublin with her friends, and she paid about the price of a pint for her flights. 🍀

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Talk to me about your next trip and I'll figure out the best way to use your points and miles, Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "LETSGO" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.