Get American or United Miles Fast for FREE

Since we aren't traveling right now, the easiest way to earn points and miles is by shopping online through a portal. Most of the airlines have shopping portals plus there are some cashback shopping portals as well. Many of the major retailers like Target, Walmart, Home Depot are participating. All you do is instead of going straight to the retailers' website, you log into the portal and then click on the same retailer. You are connected to the retailer's website, but the portal is tracking your purchase and will give you points/miles or cashback on anything you buy. 

It's a way to double or even triple dip on your purchase. 

For example, we just spent a few days in the mountains. I rented an Airbnb for our stay and used the Delta Airbnb website. So I earned Delta miles on the reservation. Then I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3 points per $1. Cha-ching. 

If you want to know the absolute truth, the $300 travel credit also kicked in and erased most of the rental fee. We did rent a boat while we were at the lake and I'm considering cashing in some Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to cover that purchase. 

But back to portals, through August 17th, American is offering bonus miles if you spend a certain amount using its shopping portal. You can spread the dollar amount over several purchases and just have to complete the spend by August 17th. Be sure you click through on the portal as well and don't accidentally get out of it. 

United Mileage Shopping is offering a similar bonus. Though this one ends August 16th. 

Southwest is also offering the same promotion ending August 16th as well. As always, don't buy extra, just buy what you need, but do it smart and get the bonus. 

That's how we do it at almostfreefamilytravel.com

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Get A Bonus On Your Next Hotel Stay

Now you can collect an extra rewards stamp on Hotels.com. Just book a stay by 7/29/2020 for anytime 7/15/2020 through 12/31/2020 and you will get 1 bonus stamp. Look for the collect an extra stamp badge on eligible hotels when you make the booking. You must pay online to be able to enter the promo code. Enter coupon code at checkout: RWD1EXTRA
The fine print says it could take up to 4 weeks to see the extra stamp.

Hotels.com is a third party booking site so you will not earn hotel miles or points on the reservation. But when you earn 10 stamps which equals 10 nights of hotel stays you earn 1 free night credit on Hotels.com. Check out how to redeem your Hotels.com credit. 

Credit Cards For College Students - Why?

 As the kids get ready to head off to college, there are a lot of things to think about. Decorating the dorm, move in, choosing classes etc. But let's talk about a few other things that will help our students in the future.

Credit Cards For College Students - Why?

1. Open a credit card in their name - This might seem counter-intuitive, why would you want a college student to have their own credit card? But here's the deal. It's easier to get approved as a student for a starter credit card and he/she can start building credit. Plus the cards earn cash back or travel rewards so its FREE money as long as your student is responsible. There are a few credit cards out there that will approve students or if you visit your home banking institution with your student, you may find that he/she will be approved on the spot.

Some credit cards available to students are:

1. Discover Student cards - there are two to pick from Discover Cash Back and Discover Chrome. Both have no annual fee, earn cashback, and include a $20 per year credit for good grades.

2. BofA Student cards - Bank of America also has two cards available for students, a cash back card and a travel card. Right now, you can earn a bonus $200 for $1,000 minimum spend on the cash back card. With all the move in purchases, that could be pretty easy to meet. Both cards have no annual fee.

As with any credit card, you must set it on auto payment immediately and pay it off completely each month to benefit. If not, then you lose all the benefits of cash back and hurt your credit. 

The second thing, your 18-year-old must do before they leave for college and even if they don't leave for college is complete forms. Once our children turn 18, the world now sees them as adults so unless you have the proper forms in place, you will no longer be privy to their information. Imagine if they are hospitalized, you will no longer be entitled to talk to the doctor about your own child. Here are the forms and an article from Forbes.com that breaks it down. 

• Fill out a HIPAA release, 
• Power of Attorney 
• Health Care Directive 

Remember to fill out these forms in both your home state and the state where your student will be going to college.
Now you can buy that cute comforter for your child's dorm room. 

How Does Shop Small By Amex Really Work?

If you have an American Express credit card, now is the time to check your offers! American Express is running the Shop Small promotion and you need to register your card by July 26th. You can enroll your card here or log into your account and click on the offer. 

After you register, you can find eligible small businesses on the Shop Small map. There are thousands of businesses listed. In fact, some businesses that I'm not sure even really qualify as a small business. So it's worth your time to check. 

Then use your registered American Express to pay for a purchase at an eligible small business, and you will get $5 back as a credit as long as you spend at least $10. The best part is you can use this promotion up to 10x, that's $50 back. 
For example, I bought two loaves of bread at my local bakery and got a $5 credit. Then we went for Mexican food at a local restaurant and got another $5 back. 

American Express says the credit will appear in 90 days, but obviously, these credits came through in just two days. Wow! 
If you have any other questions, you can check the American Express FAQ page. 
Otherwise, right now, small businesses need your support and American Express is willing to pay you to do it. If you don't have an American Express card, please consider using my referral link. You get 75,000 Marriott bonus points with a minimum $3,000 spend and I get 20,000 points for referring you. 

American Airlines and Jet Blue Team Up, What Does This Mean For You?

Exciting news! American Airlines and Jet Blue announced a strategic partnership, woohoo! What does this mean for you?
According to the American Airlines website, this means that travelers will be able to codeshare and loyalty benefits between both airlines. Here is the specific plan: 

1. New and expanded routes: The partnership enables new strategic growth opportunities for both airlines. As a result, American will launch international service from New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv (TLV) and to Athens (ATH), and JFK to Rio De Janeiro (GIG) will return as a daily seasonal route in winter 2021, in addition to continuing to serve popular long-haul destinations like London (LHR) and Madrid (MAD). JetBlue will also accelerate its growth in key cities, bringing its award-winning service to more customers. JetBlue will grow in greater New York City, adding flights at LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR), while also increasing its presence at JFK for seamless connections to American’s expanded international network. JetBlue plans to enhance service to strategic markets on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Southeast, building on JetBlue's recently announced service between EWR and nine markets, including Mint® service to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
2. More choice and loyalty benefits: Through their integrated networks, JetBlue and American will operate reciprocal codeshare flights, giving customers new options with improved schedules, competitive fares and nonstop access to more domestic and international destinations. JetBlue will gain connectivity to more U.S. destinations, a broad global network and an improved frequent flyer proposition, while American will complement JetBlue’s improved and expanded service with new international routes. JetBlue and American loyalty members will also enjoy new benefits while the carriers are exploring additional premium experiences for customers.
3. Seamless experience: Customers will enjoy a seamless experience across both airlines, including the ability to book a single itinerary on either website, convenient connections and an improved on-the-ground experience — resulting in a compelling proposition for both leisure and corporate customers. Additionally, customers seeking more comfort in transcontinental service will have access to both JetBlue’s Mint and American’s three-class Transcon service.

So watch as this new relationship develops and gives us more options for travel domestically and internationally. 

Check Your Southwest Promotions For A 30% Bonus!

Check your promotions now to see if you were targetted for a 30% bonus spend offer. If you were, congrats! You will earn a 30% points bonus on all your purchases on your Southwest credit card from August to October as long as you spend at least $6,000. If you have any big purchases coming up or if you are trying to collect points, this might be a good promotion for you. 

Here's how it works:

• login to your Southwest.com account, 
• click on promotions, see if you were targetted. I was targetted, my husband was not. 
• click on register. 

You need to register between July 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020. 

The purchase points and the bonus points will count towards the companion pass. The companion pass is the best deal in travel. It is 2 for 1 flights for you and a companion for the year you earn the pass and the following year. To earn the pass, you need to collect 125,000 points in a single calendar year. There are a number of ways you can do this, we explore the options here. 

This is how the promotion will play out. For each month August - October that you spend at least $2,000 on your credit card, you will earn a bonus 30% points or an additional 600 points. 

If you spend this anyway, it's FREE bonus points. If you don't, but you have big purchases coming up or you are collecting points towards the companion pass or future travel, then every point helps. 

If you do not have a Southwest credit card yet, use this link to get a 40,000 point bonus when you apply and spend $1,000 on your new card. We look at the pros and cons of each Southwest card here. 

Marriott Bonvoy Points Promotion Ends July 15th

Marriott Bonvoy just announced that it is extending the current point promotion through July 15th. If you buy or gift points, you will get a 60% bonus. Marriott Bonvoy points are pretty awesome because you can transfer them to dozens of different airlines at 3:1. Plus you will get a 15,000 point bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer. I'm not usually a fan of buying points, but if you are trying to collect points to get you closer to a specific goal, this may help. 

Here’s what a 60% bonus could look like:

BUY POINTS	GET 60% BONUS POINTS	TOTAL POINTS
10,000	6,000	16,000
50,000	30,000	80,000
100,000	60,000	160,000

This offer ends July 15th. 

Marriott To Offer 10X Bonus Categories

One of the highlights of our trip to Panama last year was dining in Don Jose, named one of the top 50 best restaurants in the world.  Since we aren't traveling right now, I am working on collecting as many points and miles as I can. And chasing the bonus categories for credit cards can be an easy way to do this fast. 

Marriott is launching new bonus categories for its line of Chase credit cards on July 15th. American Express is not included. The promotion 10x points on gas stations and restaurants including delivery purchases. You may not be buying much gas right now, but if you get takeout, then you will want to use the right card. 

Marriott cards included in this promotion are:

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^TM Credit Card, 
• Marriott Bonvoy^TM Premier Plus Business Credit Card, 
• The Ritz-Carlton^TM Credit Card, 
• Marriott Bonvoy^TM Credit Card, 
• Marriott Bonvoy^TM Premier Credit Card, 
• Marriott Bonvoy Business^TM Credit Card.

You will need to register your card by September 20, 2020, it's easy and takes no time at all. Then you will earn 10x points up to $3500 in combined purchases from July 15, 2020 through September 15, 2020. 
I keep a cheat sheet or write notes on each credit card so I know which one to use for which purchase to maximize points. 
If you don't have a Marriott Chase card, you can take a look at the different cards here. They range from the $95 annual fee to the $450 annual fee. Marriott points are super flexible since you can transfer them to dozens of different airlines and use them to book Marriott hotels which include dozens of different hotel brands. 
However, the points have been devalued over the last few years so my first choice right now is collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards Points and Marriott points are second. 

Chase Sapphire New 5x Categories

Chase just announced some new 5x categories for one of my favorite credit cards, the Sapphire Reserve. This is my favorite card because Chase Ultimate Rewards Points are super flexible. You can transfer them to airlines and hotels or use them like cash in the travel portal or just cash them in for cashback. 

Plus when flights were canceled due to Covid, all of my points were refunded into my account. Easy! 

Starting July 1, 

• earn 5x points when you shop at Instacart (delivery and pickup)
• 5x at gas stations. 
• a $50 credit if you purchase an Instacart Express Membership
• earn 10x points on streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. 

Last month, Chase announced that the annual $300 travel credit will now be a grocery credit. It is automatically applied to your purchases. 

My second favorite card is the Sapphire Preferred which carries a $95 annual fee instead of the hefty $550 for the Reserve. Most of the July perks apply to the Preferred too, but at a decreased value. For example, you earn 3x points when you shop at Instacart, 3x points at gas stations and 5x on streaming services. 

And remember if you have the Chase FREEDOM card, this quarter you earn 5x points on all Amazon purchases. 

We can't travel right now, but we can rack up the points so we are ready when we get the green light.