Eight Great Things to do on a Free Trip from SLC to LAX

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Brad Christensen

We’ve found a way to get your family of five from SLC to LAX(Los Angeles) for $95. No, not $95 each – $95 total! Now, before you drift off in thoughts of Disneyland, Hollywood, and the beach, let me explain how this is possible.

The British Airways Credit Card will give you a bonus of 50,000 Avios points upon approval. You might be thinking“British Airways, flying to Los Angeles from SLC, is this guy crazy?,” but British Airways is a partner for American Airlines, which means you can use those miles to fly on an American Airlines flight. Flying direct from Salt Lake to Los Angeles only requires 9000 Avios Miles round trip! You could easily load up the entire family, only spending 45,000 of your miles. This credit card does require you to pay a $95 annual fee, and you must pay it for at least the first year. To make it even sweeter, for a limited time, you’ll get 25k more Avios if you spend $10k in the first year on the card, and 25k more if you spend a total of $20k. That means it’s possible to have a total of 11 free flights from SLC to LAX.

(Please remember that an individual who has applied for Chase credit card within the past thirty days will likely not be approved for a second card).

Pack everything tight in a few carry on bags and avoid paying the ridiculous $25 each way to check a bag. Plus you’ll want to pack light to fit in a more affordable option for your rental car – something you can pick up for as little as $20 per day since LAX is such a popular hub.

Autoslash.com is a great website to use for booking a car rental. You tell them where you’ll be renting the car and the book you the lowest rate available. If for some reason the rates drop or a coupon comes out they automatically rebook your car rental at the cheaper rate. I just saved $60 last week when they emailed me and told me the rate for my tour of Alpine Europe had dropped.

So we’ve covered the airfare for five people and a car rental and you’ve only spent $300, if that. Add a tank of gas and you’re still only kicking up around $360. That leave plenty of money to eat out a few times, find some affordable hotels, and see some of the sites.

Here are Eight Great things to do in LA:

1. Disneyland

This is always the obvious answer of what your three children probably want to do in Southern California. Somehow Disney’s subliminal messages control all children and encourages them to beg their parents to make the pilgrimage to the land of Mickey Mouse. Look on www.Craigslist.org to find discount park-hopper passes, but, as always when dealing with Craigslist, watch out for scams.

2. Solvang, CA: Denmark in the USA

This is as close as you can get to visiting Denmark without actually flying across the Atlantic. If you have a Danish heritage in your family then this place is a must-visit. This town is designed architecturally and culturally like a piece of Denmark itself. It is located about 140 miles north of Los Angeles – it could be part of a great beach and mountains loop through Malibu and Santa Barbara.

Courtesy Solvangusa.com

The list of activities in this city is endless. Enjoy the culture of the Danish people, eat unique foods, be transported to a different world. There are over 150 shops you can visit and see products that are made by Danish people. Your children will really have a great cultural experience.

3. Watch a Sitcom (not from your couch)

“Audiences Unlimited” can get you more tickets to a greater variety of TV show tapings than any other single source – over different 60 shows. They can get you tickets to almost every situation comedy made, plus a number of talk shows and game shows. If you’re looking for tickets to any particular TV show, this is usually the place to call first.”

Visit their website to learn more about how you can attend the taping of your favorite TV show for FREE. There is no cost, but the tickets are usually in high demand and the supply is limited. Watching a live taping of your favorite TV show could be part of a memorable vacation to Southern California. Most shows require that the attendees be over 16, but shows like “Figure It Out” by Nickelodeon only requires a minimum age of 10. Look through the available shows to find one for you and your children. Plan ahead because the tickets are free and they go quickly.

4. Take a short Cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico

Ok, this might push you over $1000 on your vacation, but just might be what you’re looking for. Carnival has a short three-day cruise that visits Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. Although neither of these sights are breathtaking, being on a cruise is a very fun experience. It isn’t that often that everyone dresses up fancy to eat dinner. Once you’ve paid for your cruise tickets you can get by with very few other expenses. You’ve never had such good customer service anywhere else. Three words: endless ice cream.

Once you arrive on Catalina Island you can explore almost the entire island by renting a golf cart. Drive up the steep hills to see the breathtaking views of Avalon, or visit the home of Mr. William Wrigley who purchased almost the entire island in 1919. Golfing is also a popular activity on the island, but can get rather expensive too, so if you’re on the budget you can opt for snorkeling if you bring your own gear or just a romantic stroll down the streets with pretty colored homes.

Ensenada is not the most scenic destination in Mexico, but offers some fun activities. We opted for a rental car where we loaded up the entire family and visited two destinations in one. Many people opt for “The Blowhole, or in Spanish it is known as “La Bufadora.” It is overran with locals trying to sell you everything from tacos to banjos. Go for some delicious tacos and try the churros while you’re there too. The blowhole isn’t anything spectacular, but it is a fun place to visit. Many other visitors choose to see the famous wineries. Most will give free tours of their grounds and explain how the wines are made. Even if you don’t drink alcohol it is interesting to learn how things are made.

5. Hollywood Walk of Fame

For all of the movie star buffs, this is a great location to visit. There are over 2400 stars whose names have been immortalized by the bronze stars that cover the 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard. You can see the entire list of stars on the Wikipedia page about the Walk of Fame.

You will find mostly actors and actresses, but there are cartoon characters, astronauts, directors, and others who are spread among the other movie stars. So whether it’s Michael Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, or Mickey Mouse you’re looking for, this is a free activity that the entire family can enjoy.

6. Take me out to the Ballgame

Being in Southern California, you will always be able to find a sports game on. Book your trip around the Anaheim Angels and watch them play against the Detroit Tigers. Your beloved Kobe Bryant is still playing for the Lakers, or who doesn’t love College Football?

Most sporting events have economical tickets even if you have to sit in the nosebleed seats. Scalping tickets is easier and cheaper than most people think. Always compare the tickets with others to make sure they aren’t fabricated. One time I purchased a box seat from a scalper for $10. You better believe I was in the box above home plate eating free hot dogs, nachos, and caramel apples.

7. Visit the Beach

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at Redonodo Beach, Huntington Beach, or Venice Beach they’re all a piece of paradise. This is usually a low-cost activity that requires some snacks, swimming suits, and a good book. Let the kids play in the ocean while you sip your ice-cold lemonade and enjoy a good book. Your next vacation doesn’t feel too far away now, does it?

Purchase a couple of pails and create a sandcastle with the whole family. Try out surfing for the first time, or spend some time on the boogie board. Don’t forget the sunblock!

 8. Visit the Getty Center

Although entrance to this museum is free, you still have to pay a $15 parking fee. This is a museum that has beautiful gardens, a collection of amazing paintings from artists like Van Gough, Monet, and many more. Once you park, a small tram takes you up to the site, which feels like being transported to a completely different place. The gardens are peaceful and the architecture is astounding.

Tripadvisor.com is a great place to use when doing research on a particular destination. It allows travelers to write reviews of places they’ve been and things they’ve seen. Approximately 800 or so have reviewed the Getty Center, 642 have given it five stars.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas.  If you’ve ever considered making a trip like this happen, now is the time. When else will you be able to exploit credit card rewards to take your family of five to Los Angeles? If you’ve enjoyed this post and you’d like to keep up with us, Follow us on Facebook. Feel free to email us with any questions about how to put some of these things together. We would love to explain how to make this trip happen more clearly. If you have more questions, comment and we’ll elaborate.

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Posted in American Airlines, British Airways, Car Rentals, Credit Cards, Eight Great, Travel Itineraries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Transfer Ultimate Rewards to Amtrak

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Brad Christensen

I just happen to have about 159,600 Chase Ultimate Rewards, and I’ve been playing with them the same way I used to count the nickels in my piggy bank as a child.  One of my little daydreams involves a train ride from SLC to Vancouver, with a one-way flight on return.

Let’s face it, train travel in the United States isn’t exactly the luxury it once was.  It isn’t quick, either.  Yet, there’s a place for it and if you’ve got a few of Chase’s Ultimate Rewards lying around,  it may be a nice complement to a trip you’re planning.

Transferring points to Amtrak is as simple as you could imagine. There are no complicated calculations because they transfer 1:1.  You’ll have to set up an Amtrak Guest Rewards account first, and make sure you’re ready to book before you move them over, because there’s no transferring them back.

Redeeming points to book Amtrak tickets is also relatively simple.  They’ve divided their route map into 3 distinct zones.  Stay within a single zone and your one-way coach ticket is 5,500 points (4,000 if you stay within the northeastern sub-zone from Virginia Beach to Montreal).  If your trip will take you into a second zone, you’ll be looking at 8,000 points and a third elevates the cost to 10,500.  All of those options still present quite the value proposition, though, when you consider that your UR points generally worth about .0125.

Essentially what that means is that you could travel from New Mexico to Washington or from Texas to Michigan for the equivalent of $69 in point value.  Now, being  Wanderlusters, you are used to shockingly cheap deals, but this is for real, ladies and gentlemen.

Does that sound like too long in coach? Splurge and spend 15,000 points on a roomette, where you’ll enjoy meals included, climate control, reclining seats and fold-down beds. When you’re talking about a couple of 15+ hour travel days, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

I could go on and on about some of the dreamy itineraries you could work up with these options – Boston to Virginia Beach, San Francisco to Glacier National Park (Montana), or Detroit to New Orleans. We’ll  have to save those for another post.  If you’re one of those poor souls who doesn’t have a single Ultimate Reward Point to your name, take a look at one of these credit cards with UR bonuses and see if there is one that makes sense for you.  Thanks for train-wanderlusting with us.

How could you scrape together 40,000 Ultimate Reward points? I’m glad you asked, because it’s relatively simple.  Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and meet the minimum spending requirement of $3000 in the first three months, and all 40,000 of them will show up in your account – you’ll be well on your way.
If you have a business and could spend $10,000 on a card in the next three months, you might also want to look at the Chase Ink Bold card which will get you 50,000 bonus points and multiple-point-earning capabilities that make this the best travel-rewards business credit card available.

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Hyatt Two Free Nights Credit Card

Posted on April 19, 2012 by wpengine

We’d love to spotlight a new Hotel Credit Card that you’re going to love.

Name of Card:Hyatt Credit Card issued by Chase Bank

Bonus: The Hyatt Two FREE Nights Credit Card offers two nights at any Hyatt property.  This is best used if you are visiting a city that is very expensive like Paris, Tokyo, Zurich, or Hong Kong.  The Park Hyatt Tokyo runs about $550 per night, so you would feel like an absolute king or queen for two nights.  The Park Hyatt Paris would cost an absurd $700 per night.  You could technically get $1400 of value from this credit card.

Extra Bonus: One free night per year that you pay the annual fee.  This must be a hotel that is in categories 1-4.  You definitely won’t be able to stay at the Park Hyatt Paris, but you still can get great value each year by having this card.

As a perk of having the Hyatt Credit Card by Chase you will also joy in immediate Gold Platinum Membership Passport.  This feature allows free in-room Internet at all Hyatt properties.  You will also receive a 15% bonus on points for rooms purchased with dollars.

Spending Requirement: None.  This card offers you the two free nights at any Hyatt upon approval.

Point Earning: 1 Hyatt point per dollar spent will be credited to your Hyatt account for most expenses.  You will receive 3 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels.  

Point Using: Your Hyatt points can be redeemed at Hyatt.com.  Below you will find a redemption scale to see how many points you will need to have a free night at each category.  You can search to see how many points are required for your favorite Hyatt hotel by using their Hyatt Hotel Redemption Search.

Redemption Scale


Point Expiration: The points don’t expire, but you have to use them before you cancel the card.  So make sure you  plan on using them within the first or second year.

Annual Fee: $75 per year

Foreign Transaction Fees: None.  As another benefit of having the Hyatt card it is a Smart Chip Card, which can be very useful when using the card in locations like Europe and Asia. 

Card Type: Visa Signature.  The Visa Signature has additional benefits here.

Card Issuer: Chase Bank.  Chase has been getting almost all of the new cards.  They have had the hottest offers and seem rather reasonable to deal with.

Summary:  This card is amazing for someone who has been planning a trip to Europe, and wants to stay two nights in Paris, but isn’t willing to part with $600 for two nights.  Why not just pay $75 instead?  This card is even great for the family who stays at Hyatt properties often.  I really recommend this card and the annual fee is virtually refunded when you stay one night in a Hyatt property each year.  I think this is an amazing deal.

 

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Inspired by National Geographic Traveler

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Brad Christensen

A few months ago, I posted about how I used a few frequent flyer miles and $2 to get a subscription to National Geographic Traveler – some kindling to spark new travel ideas.  I’ve gotten a couple of issues and been less than impressed, but something changed in the May edition.

The first article that piqued my interest was an annual feature on “2012 50 Tours of a Lifetime.” By the time I had read the first two, I was already adding to my wanderlustbank.  They feature guided tours around the world, all of which were intriguing – some of which were downright necessary.

I found myself inspired to start building my own list – a list of self-guided trips that we, budget-minded travelers could focus in on.  Look for some posts to that effect in the future.

If that was the only “goodie” in the magazine, it would have been enough, but the next one that caught my eye was entitled, “Cheating Death” by Edward Readicker-Henderson.  In some of the finest travel prose I’ve ever read, Ed tells us how he was told that he needed to bid the world farewell, as he had a terminal illness that would take his life.  He set out to bid farewell in his own way, “Whoever created the world went to a whole lot of trouble.  It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible.”

Twenty years later, he’s still traveling – new experiences, people and places, his life-support. Inspiring.

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Earn Frequent Flier Miles for Joining Netflix

Posted on April 15, 2012 by wpengine

Our goal is to provide easy, dependable, and quick ways to earn more frequent flier miles so you can spend more time exploring the world as a bona-fide World Wanderluster. This isn’t too many miles, but a few of the little promotions can really add up and build your frequent flier account.

It isn’t too many miles, but if you were going to join the popular Netflix service then you should consider using one of these links to sign up.

Delta Airlines

Let’s be honest. This is the least sexy option available, but here it are 1500 Skymiles for signing up for Netflix.

American Airlines
If you’ve been following our blog for any period of time you’ll know that I spend most of my time on American. In fact, I’ve flown more miles on American than all other airlines combined. Although 1500 AAdvantage miles isn’t a ton, it is still something for nothing if you were going to sign up for Netflix anyway.

Fine Print

There are a few rules that you have to follow, you can’t have already signed up for an account for your address. So use your business address or your grandma’s address and a different credit card than you’ve been using before and you should be good to go. That might not work so well if you have Netflix mail you the DVD’s, but if you sign up for the unlimited streaming option then it is a great option.

 

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Posted in American Airlines, Delta, United | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fidelity 100,000 Miles Offer

Posted on April 15, 2012 by wpengine

Update: You can only get 50,000 miles per year.  The 100,000 deal is dead.  Oh well, you can still pick up an easy 50K without pulling your credit.

This doesn’t require applying for a credit card, which is nice, but it does require you to have some cash laying around, which might not be a possibility for everyone.  I saw a post from ThePointsGuy who talked about getting 50,000 United Mileage Plus miles and 50,000 SkyMiles from Delta from a Fidelity promotion.  I was very intrigued and couldn’t wait to give this a shot.

For some crazy reason Fidelity has an offer that will give you 50,000 United Mileage Plus miles if you deposit $100,000 in a trading account with them.  Before you click to navigate away from the page you’ll be shocked to learn that you don’t have to add all $100,000 at a time.  You can add and take away to account for the entire $100,000.  If you have $10,000 laying around then you still might be able to make this offer happen.  It will require some time, but could definitely pay off if you have the patience.

Fidelity’s 100,000 miles offer

Use this link to apply for this offer:

United Airlines
Delta Airlines

Here are the steps to getting this amazing offer:

  1. Use the above links to apply and open the United Airlines offer first.
  2. Fund the account with $100,000 however you can within the first 90 days of having the account open.  Maybe you have a rich parent who has some money laying around, who knows, but find some money and deposit and withdraw until you have it done.
  3. Wait until your 50,000 total miles and celebrate by taking a trip.

Once you have gotten your 50,000 miles from United Airlines you can open a new account under the Delta link above.

  1. Apply for the Delta Offer
  2. Fund the account however you can.
  3. Celebrate with your 50,000 Delta miles that won’t get you anywhere.  JK

Just maybe a couple hours work and you get 50,000 Mileage Plus miles and 50,000 SkyMiles.  That is easily worth $2000 and puts you that much closer to your next vacation.  You can’t beat $500 per hour.  Not too many people can claim that.

We’ve written before about great TD Ameritrade offers that help you to accrue Starwood Preferred Guest points and I’m a benefactor of those 20,000 points.  I have yet to do this offer, but I’m working on opening my account after I finish this post.  I’ll definitely have to deposit and withdraw a few times to hit the magic number, but I’ll get there.

I have been rather cautious lately because I might be needing a loan in the next few months so I haven’t been applying for many credit cards.  It has been depressing watching other people score great deals and having to sit on the sidelines.  This is a great option for anyone who is in that boat.  Keep in mind that I haven’t scored these miles yet, but ThePointsGuy already got his 100,000 and has been mighty satisfied.  You can also read a slew of information on the Flyertalk post that has the information of many other people who have scored this deal.

Here are the Terms and Conditions for the deal:

This promotional offer is only available to new or existing Fidelity brokerage account customers opening or depositing new assets into a joint or individual nonretirement Fidelity Account®. This offer expires October 1, 2014, and it is not transferable or valid in conjunction with any other Fidelity promotional offer. Fidelity Investments reserves the right to modify, change, or alter the terms and conditions of the promotional offer in its sole discretion at any time. Fidelity Investments may terminate this promotional offer at any time. Other terms and conditions may apply.

Promotional offers are limited to one per individual per rolling 12 months.

The promotion is not available for business accounts, trust accounts, retirement accounts including, among others, Fidelity IRA, Roth IRA, SEP and SIMPLE accounts; 401(k) and 403(b) workplace retirement plans; fiduciary accounts (including custodial accounts and estate accounts); college investment trust accounts; 529 college savings plan accounts; annuities; Fidelity accounts managed by Strategic Advisers, Inc. (for example Portfolio Advisory Services); Institutional Weath Services (IWS) clients; and clients of registered investment advisors working with Fidelity Investments. Offer not valid for government officials, candidates for federal, state or local office, as well as state employees and employees of municipalities, commissions, agencies, public universities and health care programs, or any other public entity that can influence decisions involving Fidelity as a service provider to that public entity; union officials or employees, non-U.S. residents or persons and members of their immediate families and households affiliated with or employed by FINRA or its member firms, Fidelity or its affiliates, a securities exchange or its members, or the media. Public officials or candidates for office may be subject to state or local gift laws.

Transferred assets will be valued, for the purposes of determining eligibility for this promotional offer, at the close of business Eastern time on the business day or next business day, if on a weekend day or holiday, following receipt by Fidelity Investments of the assets into the account that is eligible for the promotional offer. Funding must come from an external, non-Fidelity source via any standard monetary transfer method (a standard Transfer of Assets form, check, electronic funds transfer, ADM deposit, etc.). Your Fidelity account must remain open with the qualifying funding for six months from the date that the qualifying assets are first received in the eligible account.

New accounts must be opened within 30 days of registering for the offer. Additional deposits to the eligible Fidelity account may earn you a higher mileage award provided the result is that the cumulative assets meet or exceed the next eligibility tier (up to a maximum of 50,000 miles). For new accounts, initial and subsequent deposits must be made within 90 days of Fidelity account opening. For new money deposited into existing accounts, all deposits must be made within 90 days of registering for the offer.

Make sure you pick up some hotel points to go with your 50,000 United miles.  With the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card you can earn up to 25k bonus Starpoints®: 10K after your first purchase and another 15k after you spend $5K in purchases on the card within the first 6 months.

 

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Eleven Free Roundtrip Flights from Boise to Seattle

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Brad Christensen

For almost two years now, I’ve been attacking credit card travel offers with the same careless zeal with which I’ve been devouring sugar since I put the low-carb diet on hold. And let me tell you, it’s been every bit as satisfying! Sheldon and I have been blogging about it for a year now as of this week and we’re thrilled to have a following of wanderlusters who share our passion for travel.

WorldWanderlusting is everything I dreamed it would be and maybe even a little more.  I’ve flown my entire family to Colombia, had a guys’ getaway to Roatan, sent my wife to her friend’s wedding in Rhode Island, and skipped over to New Orleans for a Caribbean cruise.  I’m up to 13 free nights in hotels, and if all of that weren’t enough, I have a stockpile of more than 600,000 miles and points that I figure are worth at least $8000 to me.

I’ve helped friends plan airfare-free trips to Costa Rica, Panama, Hawaii, Peru, and Belize.  Other trips to great stateside destinations like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Nashville have also been worked up.  Two weeks from now, on my birthday, my brother sets out on a trip to Alpine Europe, on which he figures to save about $4000.

Looking at it as saving money is satisfying enough, but really it’s more than that.  I’m making opportunities to do things that I didn’t think I’d be able to do until I got insanely rich (which, unfortunately, I’m still far from). My four kids under  7 years old have memories of paragliding in Colombia. I’ve been scuba diving with sharks.  I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Ok, I’m boring you. You came here because I said something about 11 RT flights from Boise to Seattle. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. Chase is doing a limited time offer of a total of 100,000 British Airways “miles” when you sign up for the British Airways Credit Card and spend 20k on it in the first year.  (50k for signing up, 25k for spending the first $10k and 25k for the second $10k). This card does have a $95 annual fee that is not waived for the first year, so unless you’re great at sweet-talking customer service reps, I suppose these miles will cost you $95. Technically, if you do spend the 20k you’d also accumulate another 20k miles, so maybe I should have named this post “Thirteen Roundtrip Flights for $95…”

Before you start daydreaming that those miles could take you across the pond to England (as the name seems to connotate), push that thought from your mind.  BA charges insane fuel surcharges on mile purchases that make that option impractical. Really your best bet is to use them on short, direct flights on American Airlines, like the BOI to SEA route.  Checking the Avios (that’s the name for BA frequent flyer miles) Calculator, you’ll see that it will cost you 4500 Avios each way or 9000 RT.

If you get tired of Seattle, you could always opt for Portland. Ok, yes, Seattle and Portland are basically the same thing… pony up a few more of your free points and fly from Seattle to Sacramento or from Portland to San Francisco.

I’m thinking this would be a perfect way to plan a family cruise to Alaska. If you’re looking for deals on cruises, always check the www.Vacationstogo.com 90 day ticker.  If you call, sometimes they can even get you a better price than what is posted.

So if the idea of having more than ten free short, direct flights in your pocket really appeals to you (and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t), take a closer look at the BA credit card.

In the interest of full disclosure, we do receive a commission when you apply for cards from our site – its like frosting on the delicious cake of seeing other people jump on the free travel bandwagon. As always, if you have any questions, please just post a comment and we’ll be happy to help you wanderlust with us.

 

Posted in American Airlines, British Airways, Credit Cards | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments