Bonused 5000 Starpoints

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Brad Christensen

So I’ve heard on Flyertalk about American Express changing the benefits for their Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card, but at this point it was all rumors. I had never heard anything more. The rumors kept saying that they would have an offer for 30,000 Starpoints instead of 25,000 Starpoints. The offer that we have on the blog is 25,000, and not for 30,000.

I decided to call American Express to see if the offer did exist out there, and see if they would bump my bonus to 30,000. The Customer Service guy was very friendly and one of the things that he mentioned was that I have had an American Express card since 2006, it is the Blue Sky from American Express℠ and doesn’t have an annual fee. That is my staple card. I’m pretty sure they are more lenient for someone who has been a great customer than for someone who is new, but you never know unless you ask.

He asked me where I had seen the offer and I told him that it was all rumors that I had read online. I didn’t specify any one website in particular. He mentioned that he saw that the offer was available, but he would have to have confirmation from his supervisor to bonus me an additional 5000 Starpoints. That would make my sign on bonus a total of 30,000. The suspense killed me as he left me on hold and visited with his supervisor. When he picked back up the phone he told me that it was approved and that they would show up in my account within the next two weeks. Great Success!!

I was also hoping that he could lower my spending requirement as I’ve got to spend $15,000 in the next six months. I’ve already spent two, and having a baby will bring me up to another five thousand or so, and hopefully I can get someone who has a business to help me out with another couple thousand and then I should be good to go, but lowering the spending requirement would be even better. He mentioned that there wasn’t anything that could be done for me about my spending requirement. I guess I’ve got a few months to figure the rest of the spending out.

Either way I see it as a great success. I look at 5000 Starpoints as a value of over $100. When I go to Europe next spring I’ll be glad that I had those extra points because they will equate to another hotel in Europe, which is worth well over $100. The lesson learned is that it never hurts to ask.

Posted in American Express, Starwood Preferred Guest | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

What’s in it for us?

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Brad Christensen

One of the avid readers from our growing following of wanderlusters recently messaged us.  His inquiry was something like this: “Is this legit? What’s in it for you guys?  If it really works as well as you claim, why not keep it to yourselves?”

It’s a legitimate question, and one that we’re fine to address head-on. First off, we do get paid when you click on and/or apply for some of the offers we’re putting out there for you to consider.  There are far more links on this blog that don’t pay us a thing – we’re putting them out there because they are great travel resources and offers that are phenomenal.  This isn’t the kind of thing that is extremely lucrative, and it’s not like we are making a killing on our daily posts.  If we averaged it out, we’d be making well below minimum wage.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been approached to get in on some kind of multi-level marketing deal, and it’s just not something I have any flair for.  Maybe I’m unique in having a hard time telling people that they’re overweight and that they need to try a miracle drink, but I just can’t get excited about it.

I can get very excited about sharing my travel stories.  I am thrilled when people take my recommendations and spread their wings to the world of international travel.  For years I’ve emailed people when I find amazing travel deals, I’ve shared my pictures and stories hoping that others can share in the joy that comes from experiencing other cultures, jungle adventures, and historical reminiscence.

I’ll confess that it was my brother who opened my eyes to this idea of exploiting credit card rewards to quench (no, that’s impossible) to nourish our wanderlust.  I realize that this is a tenuous line to walk.  We don’t take lightly the idea of offering credit advice.  I want to stress that to this date, I have never paid interest on any credit card.  I pay off the balances in full every month… they are essentially debit cards.  I do not charge purchases that I wouldn’t otherwise make.

I agree with Dave Ramsey on the point that it doesn’t make sense to borrow money to build credit to borrow more money.  Though, I suppose I depart from him in my belief that if I’m not using my credit score to borrow money, I should use it to take advantage of the amazing offers that financial service companies are putting out there.

If you see that we’re promoting a card that requires $4000 in spending in the next six months, and you don’t have that many expenses to charge in that timeframe, please don’t apply.  If you can’t manage to pay your payments on time even with the amazing help of Mint.com, please don’t get carried away.

But as long as you can be responsible in the way you manage your finances, please take advantage of these offers and Wanderlust with us.

Mint is an amazing tool to comprehensively manage all of your accounts.

Credit Sesame will help you monitor your credit score to make responsible decisions.

Posted in Credit Advice, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Southwest 2 free flights

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Brad Christensen

UPDATE: THIS CARD HAS EXPIRED. YOU CAN STILL SCORE THE “ONE FREE FLIGHT DEAL FROM SOUTHWEST, BUT THE TWO FREE FLIGHTS HAS EXPIRED. 

Chase has just announced a new Southwest airlines card.  This new card is going to be twice as useful as their old card.  This card is going to offer you two free flights. Before you hit this up you might want to make sure that your credit score is excellent. Use Credit Sesame to make sure that your score is over 720.

 

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase – 2 FREE FLIGHTSis the absolute best way to get free flights and seat upgrades for the things you buy, every day. You’ll receive 50,000 bonus points with your first purchase – enough for TWO FREE FLIGHTS! Plus, every anniversary of your card membership you’ll earn 6,000 rewards points. This anniversary bonus is good for $100 towards a Wanna Get Away® Fare. You can now redeem the points you earn with this card for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.

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Why I love Southeast Asia

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Brad Christensen

At 27 years old many people would think I’m crazy for having gone to Southeast Asia on two different occasions. I would tell you that it is an amazing place to visit for anyone.  I know that some people are concerned with travel outside of the USA, but I think that it is great.

I still remember the chatter at my wife’s family’s house as we discussed our potential trip.

Parking lot in Ho Chi Minh City

Many people voiced concern as to why it would be too dangerous, too far, and too scary. We had grandpas, parents, aunts, and uncles who protested our proposed trip, but we still forged on with the itinerary.  I had already been to Southeast Asia on one occasion, and knew that it was a very safe place.  The people there are very docile and friendly.

We used the multi-destination tool to purchase a ticket that flew into Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and out of Bangkok, Thailand.  This worked out great for us because we loved the idea of trekking across Southeast Asia together as a couple.  I wanted to see more of SE Asia than Thailand (As I had already been there) and she wanted to see Thailand. I know that we spent quite a bit on our tickets, but the best part was that we racked up 20,000 AAdvantage miles each on the trip.  This made it like getting a free flight in the US after having purchased the ticket to SE Asia.  I wish that I would have known about some of the credit card offers at that time, but what is past is past.  Now we are here to help you to acquire points, miles, and most importantly: experiences.

Cambodian Tourists

Planning a trip like this is always a blast.  Taking a variety of flights and buses to get across the land is always great.  I wish that I would have taken a boat from the Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but we were short one day of being able to do that.  The buses aren’t this packed for everyone, unless you are a Cambodian tourist.  The best part is hard to see in this picture, but they have three people in the drivers’ seat as well.  They travel about 50 mph with all of these people on top of the vans.  I just love seeing how other people live their lives, and how tourism is for them as well.  Many of the people on this bus spent a lot of money to ride to the capital to tour their own capital.  They are very humble, and have an incredible history.  If you would ever spend the time to learn about the Khmer Rouge and their reign in Cambodia I’m sure that you would be surprised to learn that 1/3 of their population was either killed or starved to death after the Vietnam war.  There is a lot to learn, but you might never know the story unless you get out there and travel.

One of the best things about SE Asia is the Thai Massage.  This isn’t a traditional Swedish massage where you take off all of your clothing, it is required that you wear a set of loose fitting clothing that is provided to you.  The Thai Massage includes rubbing, stretching, relieving pressure points, and bone popping.  I would prefer to have one Thai massage over three oil massages. I still haven’t even gotten to the best part.  You can get an hour massage for about $5-6USD.  This is well worth the few dollars as you are tired from your trekking each day.  I recommend at least one daily.

Elephant Ear Fish

Some people have fears of foods when visiting other countries.  I, personally, am usually very excited about foods in other countries.  I love trying new things, and I would almost eat anything.  While we were in Vietnam my wife and I had a fried elephant ear fish. I wouldn’t tell you that it was amazing, but to take the picture and try it was worth the few Dong that it cost me.  We also fell in love with the dessert that is found at almost all restaurants there which is called mangoes and sticky rice.  This is a delicacy that is pretty much unmatched in the US.  The

Mangoes and Sticky Rice Cart

chilled mangoes are placed on a bed of warm rice and then warm coconut milk is poured over the top and it is garnished with toasted sesame seeds.  We are talking some delicious food here.  Next time you go to a Thai restaurant, I encourage, I demand that you purchase this dessert.  It tastes much better when you are only paying $0.50 instead of paying $6, but without going there it is second best.

Some people might think I’m reckless when it comes to traveling, but I did my research before going.  I used tripadvisor.com a ton before going to be sure that all of the places that we would go didn’t have any problems with crime or with a war zone.  For example, I deliberately avoided the border crossing from Cambodia to Thailand as I heard that there was a lot of crime, prostitution, and theft at the border crossing.  I knew that many Thai people went to Cambodia to gamble as it is legal in Cambodia.  This made me a little bit nervous, so I simply avoided going there.  It meant that I would have to fly out of Siem Reap instead of busing.  I knew that AirAsia was a great way to get around SE Asia becuase they were known for their cheap flights.  I found that I could fly to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and to Phuket, Thailand for cheaper than I could fly directly from Siem Reap to Bangkok.

This post will be continued….

Until return, begin your Wanderlust by checking your credit score for free with Credit Sesame.

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Wanderlusting: Cuba

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Brad Christensen

I have a friend who visited East Germany while it was still behind the iron curtain.  He tells the story of feeling like he was in a world transformed… and he was.  What

I read a story earlier this week about how Cuba has begun loosening regulations on the sale and transfer of homes and vehicles… something that has been highly regulated under the communist system of government which has been in place since the revolution in 1959.  The proposal still won’t allow Cubans to own more than one home, but it will enable them to own more than one vehicle and to freely buy and sell post-1959 vehicles.

I’m intrigued by this idea of visiting a place that has a radically different system of government.  As I’ve mentioned before, my travels have concentrated on Central America, and in some regards, I could expect a trip to Cuba not to be much different.  Yet, when you consider that they’ve been living in a Communist system for more than half a century with a stiff American trade embargo, I can imagine that it would be a stark contrast to the rest of the Carribbean and Central America.

I suppose it’s naive to want to visit a place that people are literally dying to get out of.  A couple of years ago, my parents were on a cruise ship in the Carribbean when their captain spotted someone floating aimlessly on a piece of styrofoam… when they rescued him, they found that he was one of the many Cubans who’ve cast their lot to the see in hopes that they’ll wash up on American shores.

As I understand it, my best chance of making a trip like this happen would be to enter Cuba via Mexico, specifically, Cancun.  When we were there a few years ago, we noticed that trips to Cuba were being marketed.

If you have any interest in going to Cuba, or if you’ve been or know more about it, please contact us.  In the meantime, I’ll continue wanderlusting.

Posted in Fun Travel Stories | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Travel and Currency Quiz

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Brad Christensen

Here is a picture that I took on one of my trips.  Where was it taken and what currency do they use there?

Check out your score so you can be certain to qualify for the hot cards at hand.

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My Boy Max

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Brad Christensen

Well, I know that this doesn’t have much to do with traveling at this point, but it is all that I can think about.  My wife and I had our first baby on Thursday at 1:00AM.  He made his grand entrance to the world and the first thing that the doctor said was, it looks like both of his pipes work.  I  guess that when he was coming out he was peeing.  That hasn’t been the last time he has peed without a diaper on.  He has probably peed 10 times in his life and 5 of them have been without a diaper.  The cool air must give him the incentive to let it all out.  Hahah.

We are already planning his first trip.  We are headed to Tennessee to visit family in November.  The trees will be changing colors and it will give us a nice test run to see how possible it would be to take him along on a bigger trip.  I’m hoping that we don’t run into problems at all, but you never know.  It was great that I had the AAdvantage miles from the 75,000 Citi card offer.  That has supplied me with miles that will last a long time.  We generally fly coach, and haven’t had the luxury of flying business or first class.  Maybe sometime we will have to get some status with a carrier so we can get upgraded for free.

Having a child is quite an experience.  After watching the whole process I’m even more convinced that God exists.  There is no way after watching the whole process that I could tell you that he doesn’t exist.  It is amazing how it will change things for my wife and I who have been married for over three years.  We’ve had some adventures, and more are to come, but the next few adventures might be a little different.

Life is a ride, and I can’t wait to see the curves that come in the future.  There are a few things that are certain, which are the fact that whatever comes our way in the future we will still travel.  We’ve made it a decision.  This method of hitting great credit card bonuses is making it all possible.  I look forward to our next few trips all the time.  Lately I have been rather occupied with my family as there have been some urgent needs, but we will get back in the saddle soon.

Max is the cutest little boy and I’m not exaggerating.  I can’t wait for him to catch the wanderlust.  His room is all setup for him so that he can begin learning early.  I can’t wait to start showing him the map with all of the places that we have been and also to dream about the places where we’ve yet to go.

Wanderlust with us.
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Posted in Fun Travel Stories | Tagged , , | 4 Comments