My Top 10 Places I Want to Go……Really Soon

Posted on March 20, 2014 by wpengine

Very rarely do I put together a top 10 list of places that I want to go.  I want to go everywhere, so I’m just taking the places as they come.  I figured it would be good for me to put together a list of places that I really want to visit.  This way I can start looking for opportunities to hit up these places.

These locations aren’t listed in order, but they definitely all are in the top 10 places that I want to go soon.

Sheldon’s Top 10 Places I want to Go

Cuzco

Tyler’s Shot of Machu Picchu

  1. Cuzco- My younger brother Tyler spent a couple of days in the Cuzco area last year. He fell in love with the feel of the city.  Tucked away in the Andes highlands, this city is definitely among my top 10.  Any time spent with spitting llamas and checking out ancient Incan civilizations is exciting to me. Gazing over Machu Picchu is something I will definitely do in my life.  I’m just not sure when I’ll make it happen.
  2. New England- OK.  I understand.  I’ve got to have one place within the US, right?  I’ve always wanted to spend a fall driving from Maine down to New York. This place doesn’t have a Machu Picchu or anything groundbreaking, but it does seem like I’ve always wanted to visit a Maple Syrup farm early in the morning.  Watching all of the fall foliage come in and fish in the lakes sounds really relaxing to me.  Heck, anything sounds relaxing to me besides Obamacare.  It feels like it’s running my life right now.  I haven’t taken a trip since September, and it is beginning to wear on me.
  3. Mt Kilimanjaro-  Brad’s story about his fight with Kilimanjaro has definitely intrigued me.  Spending time doing a safari after climbing 19,000 feet sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.  The only difference is that I think the once in a lifetime events should be happening at least every year.  That way you don’t turn around at the end of your life and ask yourself “Was the journey really that fun?”  Put it on my list of places to go.  I probably need to get in better shape first.

    safari

    Kilimanjaro

  4. Ireland-  Something about Cliffs of Mohr, pubs, leprechauns, pots of gold, and bangers and mash all excite me.  Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure anyone wants to meet a leprechaun.  Plus, he might even hook you up with a chance to find a few gold coins at the end of the rainbow.  Really, I don’t even drink, but I want to visit a pub and listen to the locals about their lives.   They might kick me out when I tell them that I’ve never tried Guiness and I really don’t have any desire to give it a shot.  Maybe I’ll even get in a bar fight.
  5. Hungary/Czech Republic- Eastern Europe is definitely underexploited.  The exchange rate isn’t a slaughterhouse like the Euro, yet the food, culture and architecture are just as rich as Paris, Rome, and London.  These rank really high on my priority list right now, so hopefully I can cross them off the list within the next couple of years.
  6. English: Rome, the Coloseum, originally known ...Rome-  Too much history here to summarize.  From the beginnings with Romulus and Remus being raised by a she-wolf to today this place is packed with history.  It is arguably one of the most history-rich cities in the world.  Sure you can find older cities in Iraq, Israel, and such, but Rome’s empire still lives strong in the western world.  Seeing Russell Crowe stab the DB emperor in the Coloseum would be awesome.   Although I’m not Catholic, I would love to spent time in the Vatican City.  I don’t think you could allot yourself too much time exploring the art, sculptures, and architecture of this tiny country.
  7. New Zealand- I’ve yet to meet a Kiwi (What they call themselves) that wasn’t as friendly as Casper.  They travel tons and love their own country, which means that they are right up my alley.  I envision lush green lands with mountains covered with sheep everywhere you look.  In fact, there are 7 sheep per person in New Zealand. They speak the same language, which can reduce barriers for the most part, and make it easier to get around.
  8. See a FAT glacier- El Calafate is a bit out of the reason, but here again my little brother has been showing me up when it comes to visiting some of these places.  If this photo below doesn’t give you wanderlust, then you need to visit a therapist.  Seeing one of these monsters and watching a huge chunk crack off like the sound of thunder and crash into the cool blue water definitely hits high on my list.

    Calafate Glacier

    My Brother Tyler, at El Calafate in Argentina

  9. Blue Lagoon/Bláa Lónið, Iceland

    Blue Lagoon/Bláa Lónið, Iceland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Iceland- I realize that I’m just a couple of hours from Yellowstone, and more than likely Iceland isn’t that much cooler than Yellowstone, but something about it attracts me.  Maybe it’s because I’ll meet someone named Leif, or because I’d love to visit the northernmost capital of the world.  I’ll be honest, taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon sounds pretty sweet too, but I’m sure it’ll look a lot like Craters of the Moon.  Of all the places on my top 10, I for some reason feel like this one would be one of the biggest letdowns, but I still want to go there.

  10. Israel- Wow.  What do I even say about this country?  A few things here really fascinate me about Israel.  It is consider a Holy Land for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.  Housing all of these religions at once results in some complexities, yet the all seem to coexist for the most part.  Jerusalem feels like a religious pilgrimage for me, and it is something that will definitely calendar for later in life.

Look,  these are just the top 10 places that I’d like to go next, but there are many places that I want to go.  Where do you want to go?  When will be your next opportunity to cross something off the list of your to 10 places you’d like to go?

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How WorldWanderlusting Followers are Going to Dublin for $85/ea

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Brad Christensen

All of the sudden it feels like people are capturing just how amazing this idea of understanding loyalty points programs really be. I’m having at least a conversation a day with people who are increasingly more and more curious about exactly what we’re doing with this blog.

We’ve hosted quite a few seminars here in our hometown, but despite Idaho Falls’ proclivity to winter weather and the astoundingly obnoxious wind bursts (like the ones that are beating against the side of my house right now), it’s not exactly a hotbed for travel aficionados. That’s why we’re finally embracing some awesome technology and putting together our first WorldWanderlusting Google Hangout so we can share these secrets with people all across the country. If you don’t know what a Google Hangout is, don’t worry – I didn’t either. Basically it’s going to allow us to Facetime you, talk to you about how we travel the world for a fraction of what you’d expect it to cost, and even show you exactly what we’re talking about by going through a few examples with you looking at our computer screen.

The catch is that these things are limited in how many people can attend, so if you want in on this action, we need to have you register right away.  Just go to this page and enter your information, then be sure you have a reminder on your calendar for March 25th at 6:00pm (Mountain Time).

The plan is to go through some specific examples of the kinds of trips you can take like these two that I’ve helped WorldWanderlusting followers book in the past couple of weeks.

Flights from SLC to London, London to Dublin, and Dublin to SLC for less than $85/ticket

Some people do crossword puzzles, others Sodoku… but me? I like to finding ways to most efficiently use frequent flyer miles and make otherwise insanely expensive vacations nearly-free.  So when some blog readers sent me this message, I smiled and embraced the challenge.

Dear Brad:  We’d like to go to Dublin in April/May of this year… and it would be nice if we could do London, too. We could go any time after April 20th and fly out of Idaho Falls, SLC, or even Boise if we needed to.  We have 58,000 AA miles, 45,000 SPG points, and 60,000 British Airways Avios.  Can you help us find a way to book it?

(Licking my chops) Ok, here goes… because I happen to be an avid reader of this blog, I know that British Airway Avios, though aptly named, are not a good way to fly over the pond due to very high fuel surcharges. But I know that they might be a good way to get from London to Dublin or vice versa.

What to do in Dublin

Worldwanderlusting followers are headed to Dublin this April for $85/ea (Photo of St. Patrick’s Cathedral)

With 58,000 AA miles, they have some, but not all of the 80k they’ll need for 2 RT tickets to go to Europe in off-peak season (Nov 15-May 15). But I also know that it’s not only possible to move SPG points to AA miles, but that there’s a 5k bonus when you move 20k.  If I can find availability into London or Dublin and out of the other for 40k each way, they’ll be set.

I start searching for open dates and excluding British Airways from the search results (which is kind of tough, given that if an American Airlines flight is headed to the UK, it’s likely operated by their UK partner), but with the miracle of AA’s merger with US Airways, availability opens wide up and I’m able to find a routing that sends them into London and home from Dublin for a mere 80k AA miles and $110!Booking with AA miles

Now I go back to British Airways and I’m able to get them two one-way flights from London to Dublin for 9k BA Avios and $55.

Booking with BA Avios

I’m not one to brag… wait, yes I am… at least when it comes to getting amazing travel bargains… but isn’t that just plain incredible?  Stay tuned as I’m hoping to figure out how they’ll be able to stay 11 free nights in hotels, too.

Las Vegas on Short Notice

As another example, just this weekend a friend of mine called me saying that his wife had a death in the family and that she needed to fly to Las Vegas as soon as possible. They were ready to book a flight on Delta from Idaho Falls the next day for just over $1,000, but they just wanted to check with me to see if I knew of any cheaper or better way for them to use miles to get there.

I first thought of Allegiant Air, which I could book and then reimburse with Barclaycard Arrival points, but that was quickly ruled out because the flight wouldn’t leave for 2 days – and on such short notice it would have been almost $400.

My next thought was to look at Southwest flights out of SLC.  It was an option, as there were flights available the next day, but they’d have to burn 42k Rapid Rewards points – not exactly the most efficient use.

Next I thought to look at that same $1,000 flight on Delta but what it would cost to book with Skymiles. A mere 25k points and a $10 booking fee later, she had her ticket to console her family. The 30k Delta Skymiles they had gotten from the Gold Delta Skymiles Card wound up being worth more than a thousand dollars to them. Who needs bereavement fares when you have a thick award wallet?

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Are you grasping just how amazing this can be?  The reality is that you can take those “once-in-a-lifetime” trips that you’ve dreamed about taking in retirement now, while you’re young and adventurous.  Don’t hesitate when it comes to capturing dreams.  Claim your spot in our Google Hangout and let’s get you started seeing the world!

Posted in American Airlines, Delta, Europe | 14 Comments

Can My Stay-at-Home Spouse Apply for a Credit Card Too?

Posted on March 14, 2014 by wpengine

Over the years this question has plagued many of our readers.  Many people wonder whether or not their stay at home spouse can apply for a credit card separately.  The short answer is yes, but continue reading to better understand why.

stay at home spouse

Questions for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

Credit is Individual

Whether you’re married or not, you both have your own credit scores.  This is important to know when greedily seeking credit card sign up bonuses for your non-working spouse. Both of you need to have credit, and it should be excellent credit.

If your stay at home spouse doesn’t have good credit, you could consider adding him/her to one of your cards as an authorized user.  This will help strengthen their score and give them stability.

Isn’t Being an Authorized User Just as Good?

Heavens no.  Being an authorized user won’t result in 40,000 additional Ultimate Rewards, or 50,000 AAdvantage Miles.  When you’re really cranking out Frequent Flyer Miles you both need to pick up the Sapphire Preferred which gives you 40k and her 40k, which means now you’ve got 80k miles.

Getting a card for each of you will load your Award Wallet with more miles, which means more vacations, and more smiles.  Life is good when you’re on the road visiting new places.  Our strategies will help you to take more vacations more often than your neighbors and friends, which will make them jealous.  The good thing is that you can share this blog with them to help them visit more places for less.

stay at home spouse credit card

Questions regarding income from Barclaycard

What about the Income Question?

When was the last time you know someone who got divorced and the non-working spouse got nothing from the divorce?  Try never.

Living in Idaho, which is a community property state, means that everything that is mine, is my wife’s.  Whether she earned it, or I did, the court doesn’t care and it belongs to both of us.  That’s reason alone for me to put our household income on the application.

On April 29th of 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made an amendment that allows for stay-at-home spouses to use household income on the application as long as they have access to the money, and a few other criterion.  This is great news for all people who have spouses that stay at home with their children.

Now you can put the household income on the application for your spouse who stays at home.  This will result in more applications, a better credit score (when you manage it properly), and more trips.

What about the Occupation?

As far as I can tell, the banks who issue the credit cards can still be more strict on approvals for homemakers if they see a higher risk of default among those consumers than those who are fully employed.

There isn’t any clear advice to give here about your non-working spouse, but you answer the question as you see fit.  Oftentimes I’ll input “Self-Employed” for my spouse because of some businesses that we work on together.  That is honest, and hopefully it gives her better chances of being approved.

Go Get a Credit Card for Your Stay-at-Home Spouse

Give it a shot.  Your 800 credit score isn’t going to win you any awards.  It might as well win you some points and miles!  You might as well put a bit of stress on it to rack up more points and miles.  You’ll be able to get double the amount of cards that you otherwise, which means more vacations and less out of your pocket.

Check out the Best Travel Credit Cards page and see which cards you need to get for your spouse that stays home.

 Be Careful With Your Credit

As always.  We preach responsibility along with this hobby.  Never:

  • Buy something on a credit card that you wouldn’t buy with cash.
  • Carry a balance on your 20% interest credit cards.
  • Apply for more credit cards than you feel comfortable getting.
  • Be late for a payment.

Take good care of your credit because it is a useful tool you’ll need to finance larger items. Never allow yourself to rack up debt on credit cards or all the benefits of this hobby will be negated by the massive interest you’d be paying.

What has been your experience?  Have you been successful getting credit cards for your stay at home spouse?

 

 

 

 

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Dominican Tree House Village – A Week of Adventure

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Brad Christensen

Everyone built a treehouse at some point in their childhood.  It’s a rite of passage. Climbing out on a limb to put up a swing near the one we had built almost cost me my ability to walk at one point… because I fell a good 20 feet to the ground and was lucky to avoid being paralyzed. But it didn’t stop me in my enthusiasm for the idea.

So when I got the opportunity to visit the Dominican Tree House Village recently, I was thrilled to re-live some of my childhood and was completely enthralled by the property and everything there was to do nearby.  It’s a place where you could easily spend a week and enjoy every minute of it… so that’s exactly what I’m telling you to do.

Getting There

We’ve written a lot about how to get to the Dominican Republic with big loyalty point bonuses obtained by the prudent use of purchasing decisions wisely allocated to credit cards which are paid on time and in full. It’s an incredible way to turn flights that could cost $800 each into flights that might cost $100 each.

Frontier Early ReturnsThe best way to go about it right now (if you’re near an airport that is served by Frontier Airlines), is to get your hands on the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard. You need to spend $500 on the card in the first 90 days in order to get the 40,000 bonus points and you’ll be on the hook for the $69 annual fee, but with only 30k of them, you’ll be able to book a RT flight to the Dominican Republic and only pay around $100 in taxes.

Even better, you’ll still have about 10k in Early Returns points that you could also use for a one-way flight in the US.

If you’re not near an airport which Frontier serves (like BOI), you may want to look into using Delta Skymiles.  You’ll need about 35k and 30k of them could come from the Gold Delta Skymiles American Express.

Getting Around

Renting a Car

I just love renting a car when I’m on vacation… particularly in foreign countries.  I like the challenge of navigating and I crave the opportunity to choose my own course and discover things that are off the beaten path.

I just did a search for a week-long car rental out of Samana airport.  You’d be looking at roughly $225 for an economy car for 2-4 people. It would be about the same from the Santo Domingo airport. You can waive the third party insurance, though they are going to try to tell you that you can’t.

Driving up to Samana from Santo Domingo will require you to spend about $13 on a toll road that will get you there in about 2 hours.

Having a car will enable you to set your own schedule and is really cost effective if you have four people.

Public Transport

But you don’t have to brave the Dominican roads all by yourself.  From the Santo Domingo airport you can pay $20 to get to the Caribe Bus tours stop where buses leave to Samana  at 10:00am and 11:00am and 4:00pm and 5:00pm.  Those buses are only $8/person and they’ll leave you right near the Bahia View hotel in Samana.  You can stay there for about $40/night if you get in late, but otherwise, you can pay a taxi about $20 to get to the Dominican Tree House Village.

Getting around from the property will require you to schedule tours through the eco-resort… no big deal there, though, as the idea is that you’ll be in groups and the activities are pre-arranged.

About the Tree House Village

Eco ResortSo many pictures of travel destinations are so hyper-filtered and porn-ified, that when you see them in real life, they’re underwhelming.  But that’s not the case with the Dominican Tree House Village.  It’s literally like something straight out of Swiss Family Robinson.  There are suspended rope-bridges between many of the cabins, and the property itself is a perfect blend of authentic jungle and manicured landscaping.

It’s located right at the base of the Samana Zipline and next to a beautiful waterfall – both of which you’ll hear about in our suggested activities for Day 1. It’s deep enough into the jungle that you really feel remote, but not so far that you’re worried about your safety.

Inside dominican tree house villageThe cabins are open-air, pitched high above the jungle floor and enclosed by not much more than some white curtains and some well-built bamboo rails.  Each cabin has a single queen bed – the mattresses being authentically American, and far more plush than most of what I’ve ever slept on in foreign countries.  It’s equipped with a bug net, but here’s the part that’s going to shock you:  I spent 3 days all over the property and didn’t get a single mosquito bite.  The owners say it’s owing to a strong bat population and the abundance of moving water nearby.

The bathrooms are centrally located on the property with very clean showers and toilets… if that weren’t good enough, they’re partially constructed with recycled bottles – giving it not only an eclectic look, but also an illuminated feeling.

Dominican Eco lodgeA massive lodge forms the center of the property, where there’s a stocked bar, and where breakfast and dinner (both included with the price of your cabin) are served. It’s an excellent place to sit and enjoy the environment.  Below the lodge are dozens of hanging beds, suspended from the ceiling and all poised to form what will soon be the world’s most amazing jungle movie theater.

Dominican Tree House villageNearby where you can hear the trickle of the river, a stand of loveseat swings encircles a firepit in the most inviting social setting a jungle eco-lodge could ever muster.  This is a place where stories will be swapped by travelers the world over for years and years to come.

Now, here’s the exciting part – if you mention this WorldWanderlusting story when you book the Tree House Village, you’ll only pay $150/night for double occupancy – including breakfast and dinner! If you’re able to get your flights almost for free with Frontier Early Returns points, you won’t pay more than about $1000 for the entire vacation.

This is an experience from which the memories will always abound. If all you ever did was laze around and read, you’d call your vacation a monstrous success… but you’ll do far more than that… assuming you want to…

Day 1: Samana Zipline and Lulu waterfall rope swing

The visionary who built the impressive tree-top palapas in the jungle started with the dream of building a zipline in the mountains between Samana and the North Coast.  He hired German engineers and spared no expense in building what may be the single best zipline experience in all of the Caribbean.  From what looks like a wrecked ship atop the tallest mountain in the area, visitors begin their downhill voyage by walking the plank. Reaching speeds of up to 40 mph, you criss-cross from platform to platform with incredible views.

When you reach the bottom, you’re greeted with a view of a stunning waterfall and a glass of local rum and Coke.  If the hot sun is wearing on you like it was me, you’ll be swimming in the clear waters before you even know it.  A massive rope swing also makes for a dramatic entrance and the locals (particularly the zipline staff) make the experience that much more entertaining.

This is not an entire day’s activities, but hey, you’re on vacation, right?  If you are anxious for more, you may be able to stop by a local house where you’ll get a chance to sample some local fruits and see how some of the delicacies of the area are prepared.

Day 2: El Valle Beach

El valle beach Dominican RepublicNot more than a 10 minute drive or a 30 minute walk from the entrance to the Tree House Village, you’ll reach the north coast in a wide bay called “El Valle Beach.” There may be one or two small fishing boats, but that’s about all you’ll have to share the scene with. This is a massive, albeit extremely quiet and under-utilized beach.  There are just enough waves to make it fun to play in, but not so much that you feel battered.  You can walk around the corner to a more isolated spot that may or may not be owned by Shakira. Soak up the sun and enjoy the day… this is what you’re here for.

Day 3: Hike to Limon Waterfall

Dominican waterfalls

El Limon from a distance – photo by Patrick Bennett

Sleep in and when you do get up, enjoy the complimentary breakfast in the quiet of the jungle. You’ll have a full day ahead of you.  Stop in the small city of Samana and pick up a picnic lunch and some drinks.  About 40 minutes away, you’ll find the trailhead that will take you to El Limon waterfall.  Reports vary, but count on about a 1.5-2 hour hike each way, and the moment you see the 120′ cascade, it will all be worth it.

This activity will take up the bulk of the day, but there are dozens more waterfalls you could hike to in the area if this kind of thing really gets you going.

Day 4: Rincon Beach

Rincon beach is one that someday will become as famous as Cancun, but for now, it’s another stretch of sand that you can almost have to yourself.  A freshwater lagoon on one end of the beach makes for a great place to alternate between the salty ocean and the fresh mountain runoff.  A small restaurant will serve you a good meal and you can enjoy a little shade under one of the many palm trees that line the beach. Open your book and don’t move any more than you have to.

Day 5: Horseback Riding/Dune Buggy Exploring

This may or may not be your kind of thing.  If it isn’t, no biggie, as one more day in the jungle or on the beach may be just what you need, anyway.  If you are into the idea, there are plenty of places you can make it happen.  Horses might be able to take you to romantic vistas, to remote beaches, or to more waterfalls.

You can also rent a dune buggy and do a little off-road exploration of the area.

Day 6: Las Galeras Beach

Las Galeras is a tourist town that will not disappoint you.  If you’d like to arrange to do some scuba diving, a whale watching tour, or anything else you have in mind, you can get it booked here. The scuba diving is also particularly interesting because this area boasts a couple of unique underwater attractions – a 170 foot coral tower jutting up from the bottom of the ocean, and some historic wreck dives.  The dive company that operates here, http://www.las-galeras-divers.com/ gets rave reviews on Trip Advisor.

Day 7: Las Terrenas

About 40km from Samana is the small city of Las Terrenas – another great place with plenty to do.  You can kitesurf on the beach, eat at delicious local restaurants, or just enjoy the quaint little town.

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These are just a few ideas and there are many other things that could keep you busy while you visit.  Check out http://www.godominicanrepublic.com/ for more information on what you could do while you’re visiting and thanks for wanderlusting with us.

In the very near future, we’ll be hosting a giveaway for free stays at this eco-village, so please pay close attention to our blog and get immediately serious about making a trip like this happen!

Posted in Caribbean, Frontier | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Travel and Service: Haiti Sak Plen

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Brad Christensen

I’ve been a bit of a slacker and haven’t produced a good post for a couple of weeks.  I have a good excuse, though.  Last week I was in Haiti, doing a service mission for a non-profit organization that I helped establish after the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

Two of my best friends from Haiti, Stanley and Pouchon

Two of my best friends from Haiti, Stanley and Pouchon

I haven’t traveled nearly what I’d like to, but I’ve been a fair amount of places… and strangely, one of the places I’ve been to most often is Haiti.  I have such mixed feelings about the experience, but the net has always been positive. For one, it makes me appreciate so much more all the blessings that we enjoy to live where we live.  It’s also inspiring to see people who are so destitute, and yet so impenetrably happy.

Haiti has become a part of me, and I’ve developed a love for the Haitian people moreso than almost any other place I’ve been (the Basque people being the exception – Gora Euskadi!) I think it’s a product of the objective of my trips there, which has never been anything other than service. That said, I’ve done my fair share of playing… two of the funnest waterfall experiences I’ve ever had have taken place in Haiti – cliff jumping at Bassin Bleu, and the crazy voodoo experience at Saut d’Eau.

I’ve written a lot about Haiti, though very little of it has been on this blog.  I’d just like to share some of the posts I’ve made over the years on our non-profit organization site, HaitiSakPlen.com.

You know the purpose of our blog is to build an army of worldwanderlusters – zealots who travel more often, for longer, and to places they wouldn’t have otherwise been.  But given my experience with these service missions and the deep satisfaction that’s come from a genuine commitment to help however possible, today I’m going to urge you to find the passion to travel for a service purpose.  You can’t apart your entire vacation budget to something like this, but it will enrich your life as it has mine.

Where will you go? What will you do?  Have you already done something like this?  What was your experience?  Please don’t hesitate to comment and share with all of our readers.


 

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Posted in About us, Caribbean | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Exciting New Flights From Small Towns Like Idaho Falls

Posted on March 4, 2014 by wpengine

The newspaper is normally full of bad news.  Stories of horrible things that have happened to too many people, people who have died too young, and more divorces than marriages line the pages. However, things were different when I cracked the newspaper last week.  The news brought a smile to my face, something it rarely does.  Frontier Airlines would now begin offering flights from my hometown!  Yay!

English: Frontier Airlines N929FR at FLL.This is excellent news for people who live in these under-served areas.   You easily burn 2 days of your vacation in airports and cars simply getting to your destination and home.

One time I was at a work meeting with some New Yorkers who didn’t know what I meant when I said I had made a connection on the way to Cincinnati.  They thought I had met a prospect on the airplane.  They didn’t realize that some people actually drive 3 hours to get to an airport, then stop two other places on the way there.  They were clueless.

New Frontier Airlines Routes

Here are their new routes to get excited about:

  • Denver—>Idaho Falls, ID (Yahoo!)
  • Denver—>Bakersfield, CA
  • Denver—>Sioux City, IA
  • Denver—>Missoula, MT
  • Denver—>Knoxville, TN (Seasonal)
  • Denver—>Harrisburg, PA (Seasonal)

Look how amazing this is for travelers from Idaho Falls:

Frontier Airways

Check this out!! You’ll love this

You’ll love how these new flights will connect Idaho Falls, Bakersfield, Sioux City, and Missoula to locations all across North America.  Now you’ll be able to find more flights to more places from your own hometown, so stop making a long drive to a longer airport, and switch airlines.

How do I fly for free??–Pick up some EarlyReturns Miles!

This a bonus for all those who have recently scored the The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®.  Now you’ll be able to search for airfare and leave your car in the garage at home.  Don’t stress about the park and fly or the 3 hour drive, just ask a friend to drop you off at the local airport and you’ll be on your way.

If you haven’t gotten the The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®, and you live in one of the above mentioned cities, what are you waiting for?  There has never been a better time to saddle up and put this card in your arsenal.

  • Earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases in the first 90 days
  • No blackout dates! Book any roundtrip award flight on Frontier starting at 20,000 miles (subject to fees/taxes from $5)
  • $69 Annual Fee

Redemption on their flights is rather simple, and here is a quick look at what those miles can do for you.

Frontier AirlinesAs you can see, the 40,000 Early Returns Miles from this card will offer you at least 2 round trip tickets with the US, right from your own front door.  You could also choose to use the miles for a trip to Central America or the Caribbean and have another 1 way ticket left for another opportunity.

The places you will go are endless.  Just don’t delay.  Start wanderlusting now!

Here are a few other posts to read about Frontier Airlines:

 

 

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Go for the Gold with USBank FlexPerks Olympics Promotion

Posted on February 26, 2014 by wpengine

Visa and USBank have teamed up to spice up the bonus on the FlexPerks card in order to celebrate the 2014 Winter Olympics.  This short-term FlexPerks Olympics Promotion boasts a higher sign on bonus than what was previously offered.

Link: USBank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Card.

Olympics USBank PromotionWhat is the FlexPerks Olympics Promotion?

Brad and I don’t earn a commission when you get this card, but you should be able to know about some of the newer offers that are coming out, so we want to bring them to you.  When creating the formula for this card they did it based up on the amount of medals that the USA earned during the Olympics according to the following format:

Travel Reward Credit CardWith the USA’s 28 total medals USBank and Visa bumped the promotion from 20,000 FlexPerks up to 27,450.  Thank you to all those who represented us in the Olympics.

What are the other Terms of the FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa?

Of course they include this one:

We will first consider you for the U.S. Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature card. If you are not eligible for the Travel Rewards card, you’ll automatically be considered for the U.S. Bank FlexPerks Select Rewards card, which does not qualify for the Sochi Olympic Bonus FlexPoints.

Bummer.  If you’re not approved for the best card, they’ll approve you for one that is significantly inferior.

Spending Requirement? Yes.  You’ve got to spend $3500 within the first four months.

Annual Fees?  U.S. Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa® Card: $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months, After that $49

Foreign Transaction Fees? Yes.  2-3% per charge.  Ouch.

Taking advantage of this offer is going to require you to hurry.  The terms state:

Get approved for a new FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Card* issued by U.S. Bank before 3/7/14 and make a purchase by 3/31/14, and you could earn the points below – based on the total number of medals that Team USA won at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games – courtesy of Visa!1

The downer is that you must be approved by March 7th.  Sometimes it takes them a couple of days to decide whether or not they’ll offer you the card, so you better get the application rolling if you plan on getting this card.

Redeeming your FlexPerks

Putting your FlexPerks to work isn’t as easy as the BarclayCard Arrival.  In fact, it’s not very friendly at all.  To maximize this offer you’d want to find a flight that would normally cost you $599.99.  What?  Confusing right.  They value 30,000 FlexPerks at $600.  Whether you buy a flight that is $599.99 or $99, they burn all of the FlexPerks.  Here is the chart.

  • 20,000 FlexPoints = Up to $400 ticket value
  • 30,000 FlexPoints = Up to $600 ticket value
  • 40,000 FlexPoints = Up to $800 ticket value
  • 50,000 FlexPoints = Up to $1,000 ticket value

You’ll be really close to the 30,000 FlexPerks with this Olympics Promotion once you meet the spending requirement on this card.  That makes the value of this card a maximum of $600, but could be less depending on how much the flight is that you book.

This FlexPerks Olympics Promotion isn’t the best offer I’ve ever seen out there, so don’t all hurry at once to get this card.  If you’re out of other options, this might be one you give a try.  Let us know if you get approved and tell us when you use the points to get out there and wanderlust.

 

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