Hurry, Southwest 75,000 point bonus offer ends Feb. 10th

Southwest 75,000 point bonus offer is ending on February 10th so if you have been thinking about this one, you better jump on it now. 

Why would you want to jump on this offer?

Southwest Airlines is one of the best airlines out there with an easy cancellation and change policy, relatively inexpensive flights, two FREE checked bags and more. It's one of my favorite airlines. 

And Southwest offers one of the best perks in the business, the companion pass. The pass is good for FREE travel for your companion for two years. You can read more about the companion pass here. The 75,000 point bonus offer puts you very close to the 125,000 points needed to earn the companion pass.

There are three credit cards that currently offer the 75,000 bonus offer. Which one is right for you?

You have three choices on personal cards. The differences between the Plus, Premier and Priority are: 

Plus

• $69 annual fee
• 3,000 anniversary bonus 

Premier

• $99 annual fee
• 6,000 anniversary bonus

Priority

• $149 annual fee
• $75 Southwest credit 
• 4 upgraded boardings 
• 7,500 anniversary bonus

I believe the Priority card is the best value because though the annual fee is higher, you also get a credit on Southwest. If you apply for one of these personal cards, you will earn 75,000 bonus points plus 5,000 points for your purchases. So you are looking at 80,000 points with one card. 

You need 125,000 points to earn the companion pass. You are only allowed to hold one personal card at a time. But you can hold a personal card and a business card at the same time. 

Why You Can't Earn American Miles With Hotel Stays Anymore

It's getting harder and harder to earn award miles and convert points without flying. The latest announcement comes from American Airlines. The company is breaking off its partnerships with Hilton, Best Western, and Choice Hotels. The change goes into effect March 31, 2020. 

According to the email from the airline: 

Thank you for being a member of the AAdvantage® program. We know you value the ability to earn AAdvantage miles through many of our partnerships, and we want to let you know about changes with some partners. Effective April 1st, AAdvantage members will no longer be able to earn miles or convert points to miles with Best Western® Hotels and Resorts, Choice Hotels® or Hilton. Members can still earn miles or convert points to miles through March 31, 2020.

But never fear, there are workarounds. Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Use a credit card with lots of transfer partners like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve. Then you can collect points and transfer them to dozens of airlines and hotels OR use the travel portal. 

2. Use Rocketmiles when you book a hotel and get miles on whichever airline you select.

Even though this partnership is ending, there are still ways to earn and convert points so we can enjoy almost FREE family travel. 

How You Can Get 50% Off San Diego Tourist Attractions In Feb

If you live in San Diego or are headed there anytime in the month of February, you can score 50% off a lot of the museums. It's called Museum Month and this year it will last from Feb. 1st through Feb. 29th. Some of the museums participating include the USS Midway, The Natural HIstory Museum, The Air And Space Museum, The Contemporary Art Museum (downtown), and The Birch Aquarium. 

Museum Month 50% Off 

Here's how it works:

• Drop by a San Diego city or county library after Jan. 31, 2020
• Pick up the FREE special pass 
• Pass is good for up to 4 tickets
• Pass is good for multiple visits

Note the pass is not good for special exhibits, IMAX, traveling exhibits and there may be some blackout dates. 

If you are staying at any of the 40 Hilton properties in San Diego, you will get a FREE pass included with your room. The passes are also available for pickup at Macy's. 

Click here to see the complete list of participating museums and to see the list of libraries where you can pick up your pass. Fun and almost FREE. Woohoo! 

Earn 1,000 Southwest Points For Doing Your Taxes!

Southwest is teaming up with Turbotax this year to give you a gift when you file your taxes. At least it makes the process a bit better. 

Southwest is offering 1,000 Southwest points if you file your 2019 taxes with Turbotax. Turbotax is the nation's #1 DIY tax filing software program. 

To take advantage of the offer:

• Log in to your Rapid Rewards shopping account 
• Create a shopping account if you don't have one already
• Click on the Turbo Tax offer
• You have to file by April 15th 2020

Turbotax costs $0-$90 depending on which version you would like to use. If you have been using the Turbotax desktop version (CD), you can switch to the online version, however, you can only import 2018 taxes and you MUST import before you start the process for 2019. 

Yes, these points should count towards the companion pass. The points will post about 6-8 weeks after you file. 

5 US Cities That Should Top Your Bucket List In 2020

Niagara Falls

I have to be honest, I love traveling internationally. I love experiencing different cultures, and learning about the history and traditions of other countries. However, the US is so diverse that it offers amazing opportunities to explore different too. Sometimes you just have to look a bit harder and get out of your comfort zone. Here are my top 5 US cities/places that should be on your list:

1. Niagara Falls - It's one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it is indeed amazing. Just 45 minutes from Buffalo, NY, it's an easy destination. Southwest flies to Buffalo so you can use points and your companion pass. Once you reach Niagara, you can experience the falls from the park above, on a boat, walking behind the falls and from Toronto. I highly recommend the view from the park and the Cave Of The Winds.  which starts with an interactive museum tour. 

Red Rock outside of Denver, CO



2. Denver, CO - I went to Denver for a girl's weekend. We chose Denver just because it was geographically desirable for everyone. But wow, the city offers amazing hiking with Red Rock just an hour away and dozens of farm to table restaurants for dining. I highly recommend taking the Seven Falls Hike from the Broadmoor Hotel. First, the hotel grounds are amazing to walk through and then the falls are so impressive. The hotel provides a FREE shuttle to the falls. Beware, there are a lot of steps! 

In New Orleans, you have to stop at Cafe Du Monde for beignets

3. New Orleans, LA - When you are in New Orleans, you could easily be in another country where the culture is a mix between France, Africa, and the US. It's an incredible feast for the eyes, ears, and mouth. The food, the music, the architecture, and beauty is like nothing else.  With a new airport, lots of hotels, and Southwest Airlines, it is highly affordable and easy to navigate. Some of my favorites are Cafe Du Monde, Pat O'Briens and the riding the streetcar down St. Charles Avenue. 

4. Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks - You don't have to go to Alaska to see amazing natural beauty. Try Glacier National Park in Montana and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  Lots of hikes, glaciers, animals and more plus you can try Huckleberry jam. 

5. San Diego - I have to admit, I live here so I must think it's great, right? Whenever people come to visit and I show them around, I realize San Diego is really a great travel destination. From the usual sights of the SD Zoo, Balboa Park, the USS Midway, Torrey Pines State Park, and the Gaslamp to the more off the beaten path of Chicano Park, Borderfield State Park, yoga on the beach and Annie's Canyon Trail. 

Other notables that didn't make the top 5, but that I love include Charleston, SC, Portland, Oregon, Washington DC and Seattle, Washington. What will make your list this year? Tell us in the comments below. And if you decide to open a Southwest credit card, please consider using our referral link.  You will get 75,000 points and we will get 10,000 for referring you. Thank you for your support. 

How To Score A Cruise At 40% Discount

At the San Diego Travel and Adventure Show @travadventure this weekend, I got a chance to talk with Unhooknow.com Wayne Dunlap. Wayne is one of the top travel bloggers in the country. So I was super excited to hear his tips for budget travel. 

Wayne's top tip for cruises is to check out vacationstogo.com.  According to Wayne, cruise companies know which weeks do not sell well and they make incredible deals with third-party companies to fill the ships. 

I entered February 2020 3-6 night cruises and here's what it pulled up. Some nice bargains. 

In fact, I did another search for longer cruises and I found a 30 day cruise that was cheaper than staying home! Wayne said he had been on a few of these cruises and they were great. He recommended repositioning cruises if you have the time. Other top tips from Wayne:

• follow the disaster - this sounds predatory, but think about it. If a natural disaster hits an area, tourism will drop. In order to bring the tourists back, there will be lots of deals. We booked a trip to Cabo San Lucas during the swine flu scare a few years back. Even though our trip was planned for months later, we got a great deal because tourism had dropped. 
• travel during shoulder season - you can google "what is shoulder season for a certain country". This is the season that the weather is nice, but the crowds are less. If you have the time or toddlers, this is by far the best time to travel. I just went to London in October, weather was awesome, flights were cheap and no crowds.

Next blog post, I'll share some of Wayne's favorite websites for budget travel. 

What You Need To Know To Apply For A Real ID

Starting October 1, 2020, you will need either a Real ID or a federally approved government document like a passport when you board a domestic flight or enter a federal facility. So the word of advice is to get this done now. Don't wait. The lines at the DMV will get long as we get closer to the October deadline. 
If you choose not to trade out your driver's license for a Real ID, then you will need to carry your passport, global entry card, military ID or other federally approved form of identification when you fly starting October 1, 2020. It's not the end of the world, but it is one more thing to remember when you travel. 
So if you decide to start the process now, here are the steps:

• Make an appointment to visit a field office (appts are booked 3 months out)
• Provide proof of identity (for example: U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization or citizenship, employment authorization document, permanent resident card, or foreign passport with an approved form I-94).
• Show two (2) forms of residency document (for example: utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage bill, medical document).
• Present proof of your Social Security Number (for example: Social Security Card, W-2 form, SSA-1099 form, Non-SSA-1099 form, Paystub (with full SSN).
• You will be prompted to fill out the application online before you arrive at the DMV. When you finish the application, it will give you a six digit code, you will need this code when you arrive at the DMV. 

The Real ID costs approximately $30 and will expire the same date as your current driver's license. If your current license is close to renewal, you will be issued a Real ID when you renew. Unless you are renewing your license, you should not be required to take a written or vision test. Check your local dmv website for exact details for your state.