Capital One 100,000 Double Miles ChallengeBonus Offer

Posted on March 7, 2012 by wpengine

Talk about a bittersweet deal that came out today from Capital One.

The Sweet of the Capital One 100,000 Double Miles Challenge

  • You can earn up to 100,000 Capital One “Miles.”  These miles can be redeemed for car rental, hotel, airfare, cruise, and a few other expenses.  The 100,000 points means that you can redeem up to $1000 in spending and they wipe it clean like it was never an expense.
  • The minimum spending requirement is only $1000 within the first 90 days of approval.  This is relatively low compared to most other offers on the market.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.  This is great if you are traveling overseas.  I can’t wait to put mine to use when I head to Europe shortly.
  • Once you get the points you can downgrade the card to a fee-free Capital One card and still keep all of the points accrued.  (This does change your earning from 2 miles per dollar to 1.25 miles per dollar, but either way avoids the $59 annual fee.)

The Bitterness of the Capital One 100,000 Double Miles Challenge

  • You can only qualify for the full 100,000 if you spent more than $50,000 on a single credit card last year.  Per the terms and conditions it also excludes a number of cards.

Spend on small business cards, debit cards, fleet cards, private label credit cards, corporate cards, prepaid cards and Capital One credit cards is not eligible.

  • Very few people will qualify to make the full 100,000 bonus.  I wouldn’t even consider this card unless I had spent at least $30,000 on one single card within the last year.
  • Capital One pulls your credit from all three credit Bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  This is a total bummer because it puts more limitations on getting other credit cards in the future.  For more information see our Doesn’t it Hurt My Credit Page.
  • Per the terms and conditions:  This offer is open to new Venture account holders who meet the eligibility criteria and whose applications are received before the promotion ends. Existing Venture customers and 2011 Match My Miles Challenge participants are not eligible for this promotion. Limit one entry per person.
My Summary

This isn’t near as lucrative as last year’s offer of 100,000 Match My Miles Promotion.  Qualifications were much easier last year, but the registration went really fast.  They promised last year to allow either 1 billion points to give away or a two month window, whichever came first.  The offer only lasted about two weeks and they closed it because they had awarded all billion points.

I definitely won’t be applying for this offer from Capital One for the Double Miles Challenge.  The qualifications are REALLY difficult to meet, and the bonus isn’t even worth it unless you spent the $50,000 per year on a personal card.  You would be much better off getting the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card and using the $620 in airfare because the hurdles are much lower.

Posted in Capital One | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Eight Great Travel Apps

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Maybe you’re killing time waiting for transportation.  Maybe you’re in a boring meeting.  Maybe the movie you’re watching is less than captivating.  If you’re like me (and you are because you’re here) it’s time to preoccupy yourself with daydreams about your next travel adventure.

In any of these cases, there’s no question that the smartphone is the ultimate preoccupation device. Of course your first objective must be to seek out the most recent WorldWanderlusting post.  But what do you do after that?

May I recommend that you install the following eight great travel apps?

1. Rick Steves Audio Europe: It’s like candy for your ears.  Imagine an audio tour of ancient Britain, a discussion on Dutch culture, the greatest hits of Barcelona… they’re all at the tips of your fingers with Rick Steves Audio Europe.  You can take it in in 10 minute blips, or occupy an entire 45 minute cardio workout… how is that for wanderlust fuel?

2. Awardwallet: It’s time to brag. Bragging about financial success is taboo, but bragging about all of the free frequent flyer miles you’ve accumulated is a neccesity.  Telling people  that I have more than 750,000 miles and points sounds like an outrageous claim until I’m able to back it up with a simple summary from  www.awardwallet.com.  It also comes in handy when you’ve got booking fever.

3. Google Earth:  Literally hold the earth in the palm of your hands.  Zoom in close enough and you’ll actually feel like you’re walking the streets of Bilbao – or any other city in the world for that matter.

4. TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is the Library of Congress for travel tips, reviews, and ideas.  It becomes a little overwhelming, so sometimes it’s good to begin with something in mind.  Check out the Magic Water Circuit in Lima, Peru.

5. EarthCam: Check in on webcameras from around the world. Years ago, my wife and I visited Akumal Beach, south of Cancun.  A webcamera keeps a constant eye on the ocean lapping at the white sand, and a periodic visit keeps the memories fresh on my mind.  If that weren’t enough, Earthcam’s database will take you virtually anywhere you’d like to go.

6. Wikipedia Mobile: Sitting in an internet cafe in the shadow of Notre Dame is cool, but add in the phone-perusal of architectural specifications, historical accounts, and a plethora of details and it becomes even cooler.  Suddenly it becomes all the more interesting when it occurs to you that Napoleon I was coronated in that very location.  Even if you’re not on-site, the thorough nature of Wikipedia will transmit you there.

7. Skype: Yes, everyone knows about Skype, but its power is awesome.  Skype allows you to turn your phone into… get this… a phone… while overseas!  I just laugh when I hear about people paying for international phone coverage when wifi is as ubiquitous as it is.  On a trip to Costa Rica a few years ago, my friend had his wallet stolen and needed to make at least a dozen calls to cancel credit cards.  He spent more than an hour making calls with my Skype app from the comfort our jungle paradise and, despite my pleas, insisted that he repay me the $2.32 it cost to make them.

8. Chase Ultimate Rewards Bookmark: Ok, so this isn’t an app, but bookmarking www.ultimaterewards.com is an absolute necessity for booking fever.  If you don’t have at least 100k Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you obviously haven’t been WorldWanderlusting for long.  These puppies are powerful elements of free-travel-exploitation, in that you can transfer them to United, Amtrak, Marriott, Southwest, and more.

We hope you enjoyed these ideas.  If you’d like to see more in our series in “Eight Great” posts, please check out: Eight Great Foods to Feed the Wanderlust, Eight Great days in Costa Rica, Eight Great Youtube Travel Videos, and Eight Great Bridges Around the World.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of piling up 100k Chase Ultimate Reward Points, look into the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card, and The New Ink BoldSM with Ultimate Rewards.

Posted in Eight Great | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Travel Location Quiz

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Where in the world will you find scenery like this?

 

 

Posted in Travel Quiz, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

United’s Response to My Complaint

Posted on March 1, 2012 by wpengine

As most of you know I had to write a complaint to United Airlines for their crappy service on my recent flight with them.  It was my first time on their airline and they left a bad taste in my mouth. They delayed my flight by a few hours, which made me spend less time with a good friend from high school and I missed the first half of the Super Bowl.  You can read about my complaint letter to United airlines from my previous post, and this was their response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I requested that they give me a flight voucher to give them another  try, but they rejected that request and left me with 7,000 miles.  That equates to almost a fourth of what I had requested of them.  I’m not sure if that is their normal ratio of how much they give based on your request, but I truly felt like my request was merited.  They totally blew it and it was my first time with them.  I’ll take the 7,000 miles gladly, but am rather disappointed that they didn’t hand over the voucher.

When American Airlines made us late as a result of a mechanical problem on a plane they gave me 10,000 AAdvantage miles for that complaint.  You never know what you can get unless you look into it.  If the airline makes your life a living hell, make sure you let them know.  They sometimes will hook you up with stuff to make you feel better.  Although I’m bummed that they gave me only 7,000 Mileage Plus Miles for the problems it is still 7,000 miles more than I had before writing the request.

Let’s go through a few steps on how to write a successful complaint to an airline.

  1. Have a legitimate reason to complain. Don’t expect to get a free international flight voucher for having a magazine where someone had already completed the Sodoku.  If you missed a connecting flight, lost a bag, or something major then write up your complaint.
  2. Keep as Much Information as Possible  Keep the lost bag claim number, your flight number, the names of the employees who helped you and the names of those who offended you.  They are going to want to know the baggage claim number in order for them to legitimize your claim.  If you tell them that your bag showed up three weeks later, but in reality it arrive one hour after the flight, then they will be able to verify that information.
  3. Your Letter  Remember that real people will respond to you.  They have a heart too.  If you start your letter cursing them then they might not be so inclined to help you.  If you start the letter explaining how much you love their company and how often you fly with them, then they are probably more likely to help you out.  Explain how much you love them and then let them know how they have let you down.  This is crucial because you want the airliner to think twice before they leave you in the cold.
  4. Know the Rules.  If you missed your flight because of a snowstorm then don’t expect too much from them.  They probably won’t be awarding you any points or vouchers if the root of your problem was Mother Nature.  Mechanical issues are better to report than the snowstorm that came through town yesterday.  Keep in mind that the “crew rest” is not the airlines’ rule, so even if a flight gets in late because of a mechanical issue from the night before, you need to emphasize the mechanical issue instead of the “crew rest” rule.
  5. Ask For It.  You’ll never get anything unless you ask for it.  When writing a complaint to an airliner you always want to give them the wish list.  It might end up like Santa Clause where you probably won’t get the  new car that you wanted, but you might get some wiper blades.  Make the request realistic, but them hope for the best.  Explain that their gesture will help you feel better about their poor service and will keep your allegiance to their company.  Remind them again how great of a customer that you are.

You’re not always going to get what you ask for from the airline as a result of the complaint, but you might get something, which is much better than nothing. Here are some links to each of the largest airlines in the United States.  Use these links to submit your complaints.

We would love to hear your success stories of complaining and the points or vouchers that you’ve received.  Leave us a message and let us know how you made off like a bandit!

Don’t Forget to Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

Posted in United | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Transfer Ultimate Reward Points to Southwest Airlines: $834 in SW Fares

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Before we begin today’s wanderlustful adventure, let me just set an expectation for you that somehow I hadn’t previously anticipated: if you’re foolish enough to schedule a flight that arrives at midnight, you must expect that the only remaining rental car on the lot will be a baby blue minivan. Yes, I’ve foregone my claim to manhood and despite eating delicious and masculine East Texas BBQ beef brisket, each time I step back into it, I descend further and further into the shameful world of van drivership.

What I’m not ashamed of, though, is the $264 “Wanna Get Away” fare that got me from SLC to HOU. As this is a work trip (yes, my frugality does extend to work trips) I paid for it with cash, not points. But what gets really exciting is to consider what I could have done with points. Southwest has gotten very generous, particularly with reward flights on “Wanna Get Away Fares.” Each dollar of the ticket value requires 60 reward points. For example, my $264 flight would have cost me a measly 15,840 points. Stop choking. This is for real.

Am I telling you that 50k Southwest reward points could get you three round trip domestic flights!? Yes, worldwanderlusters, that is what I’m saying.

But wait a minute, does that mean we could apply for the Chase Sapphire PreferredSM card  and then magically transform those points into Southwest Airlines points? Yes, Worldwanderlusters, that is what I’m saying.

Uh-huh, your 50k UR points are worth roughly $834 in SW “Wanna Get Away” fares.  Is that better than the Chase Southwest rewards card? Why, yes, in some cases it is.

How could it possibly be better than that? Keep in mind that you can also pick up another 50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points from the Ink Bold® Charge Card.  Two tiny inquiries on your credit for $1,668 in airfare on an airline that allows you to check TWO bags for FREE.

Does that mean that you, too, could be eating beef brisket and driving a baby blue minivan around Houston? Yes, Worldwanderlusters, that is what I’m saying.

 

Posted in Chase, Chase Ultimate Reward Points, Southwest | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How to Save $4,000 on your European Vacation

Posted on February 26, 2012 by wpengine

Don’t Forget to Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter:

It is true. With almost everything booked I’m salivating at the thought that I’m going to be paying probably $2000 of a $6000 vacation to Europe.

I’ve put together a little table that shows where my savings came from and how you can save tons of money too. Although the offers that I have received here aren’t all available to you, there are other options too that you can use to get the frequent flier mile credit cards and fly for virtually nothing.

Retail Value Paid Cap 1 Redemp My Cost
Airline Tickets (2) $2,000 $240 ($240) $0.00
Hotel in Dallas $189 3000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Car Rental $500 $500 ($500) $0.00
Hotel in Dornbirn $125 4000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Hotel in Innsbruck $130 $130 ($130) $0.00
Hotel in Bolzano $140 4000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Hotel in Padua $100 4000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Hotel in Venice $200 200 ($200) $0.00
Hotel in Milan $135 7000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Hotel in Milan $135 7000 SPG Points N/A $0.00
Hotel in Zurich $240 38K CC Points N/A $0.00
Totals $3,894 $1,070 ($1,070) $0
SPG Points Used 33,000
CC Points Used 38,000

The three credit cards that I used were the following:

  • American Airlines 75,000 helped us to get the 80,000 miles that were required for the round trip airfare for two to Europe.  This offer has expired but you can get 50,000 AA miles from the current offer and a few other perks too.  Make sure you double down on this offer and use the “Two Browser Trick” as explained by our friend Daraius at www.MillionMileSecrets.com.
  • Capital One “Match My Miles” promotion last March.  This was a very short term offer that gave me 110,000 Capital One Miles that can be used for car rental, airfare, or hotels.  The nice thing about this offer was they gave me $1,100 to spend however I wanted.  You can see how I’ve used these points below.  I wouldn’t normally get the Capital One card, but in this case it was worth it.  Only get this one if they offer this same promotion again.
  • Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card by American Express.  This looks like it is worth the least based on the low amount of points rewarded, but you have to remember that points are relative to the way that you can use them.  This card offered me 30,000 as a sign on bonus as long as I could spend $5000 on the card within 6 months.  I’ve already stayed two nights in a Starwood property in South Carolina and I loved it.
  • Club Carlson offered a big night giveaway at the end of 2011.  BAR NONE this was the best hotel promotion I’ve ever seen.  I stayed one night in the Salt Lake Airport Radisson for $66.  They gave me 50,000 Club Carlson Gold Points to use however I wanted.  I now am booking a room in Zurich saving $220 and I still have one more night for free in Salt Lake City.  That means that I stayed in almost $400 worth of hotels for $66.  I really like their redemption options and the Club Carlson team is great.

Overall you might feel skeptical at first when you read about accumulating frequent flier miles and hotel points for virtually nothing sounds too good to be true. I was skeptical until I took a free flight to Costa Rica, and a free trip to Tennessee last fall. Now I’m booking a $4000 vacation and paying almost nothing to do it.

You can do this. Anyone who has good credit can take advantage of these deals. Follow our blog and read about Doesn’t it hurt my credit. This post was designed to help you to understand how your credit works and how doing this will not affect your credit hardly at all if you are cautious. Then read our tab called How to Wanderlust. This will give you basic instruction on how to make sure you hit the right deals and set yourself up to travel for virtually nothing.

I’ve just proven to you that you can take that vacation of a lifetime without breaking the piggy bank. Save up so you can do fun things on your trip, but don’t pay for the trip. Keep following our blog to learn how to save thousands on your next trip.

Collecting frequent flier miles and traveling is possible for almost everyone.  Be smart about your decisions.  Please use our links that we provide as they help us earn a few dollars and motivation to keep sharing the secrets with you.  Wanderlust with us!

Enhanced by Zemanta
Posted in Capital One, Credit Advice, Credit Cards, Europe, Hotels, Starwood Preferred Guest, Travel Itineraries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Travel and Currency Quiz

Posted on February 25, 2012 by wpengine

Thanks to Casey for letting me rob this picture from his Facebook.  Let us know where the picture was taken and what currency they use there.  We also need to know what currency they used there prior to 2002?

Posted in Travel Quiz | Tagged , | Leave a comment