The Deal Mommy at Saverocity posted something with which I categorically disagree. She writes about a commenter that implored her to consider that miles are worth less than a cash back card would provide and while in some isolated cases...
Reader Question: Airline Loyalty – Which to Choose
Here at UPGRD.com we get emails from readers and from time to time we publish them (edited by blogger for brevity and privacy). This one is from reader VC: I am a graduate student who has been doing some...
Mileage Bonuses For Debit Cards Are Better Than Ever For Some
In case you haven’t heard, there have been some recent setbacks in the world of mileage earning debit cards, but it’s not all bad news. In fact for many consumers it’s better than it ever has been. For those...
My Return to Peru
If you haven’t read the other previous posts, you can read about my mistakes here, more mistakes, elite status saving the day, an unexpected stop in Mexico City, a mediocre flight on LAN, the stinky Sheraton Lima Convention Center,...
Choosing Your Own Hotel Room? This Must Be Life in the Emerald World
It’s no secret that I have had a great experience with National Car Rental, so when National challenged UPGRD to think about what life would be like living in the Emerald World, hotels immediately came to mind… Recently, I...
Mistakes and Mishaps of a Travel Pro – The Struggle is Real and Never Ending
If you have not read the previous two-parter of my completely asinine approach to this trip, check out part one here, and two here. After our lovely stay in Mexico City, we were excited to get our journey restarted...
The True Value of Elite Status – A Chance at Redemption
Being Stuck in a Bad Situation If you have followed the previous posts (start at the beginning) about the mishaps and mistakes I made during a recent trip to Peru, you will know that I was stuck in a...
Mistakes and Mishaps of a Travel Pro – Continued
To catch up on this story please first read this post. Still Stuck at Terminal 1 in Mexico City I had a fleeting thought that perhaps we should just get into a taxi, but taxi drivers sometimes queue for...
Baha Mar Resort Group Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Future of Grand Hyatt Baha Mar?
It’s a sad, sad, day. It looks like the much delayed Baha Mar construction project has come to an end and the future of the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar may be in jeopardy. Chinese construction delays have been blamed...
PSA – Get 30,000 American Aadvantage Miles or 40,000 Thank You Points Free Today
The title is only a partial stretch. You need to sign up today, you will receive the miles in as soon as 31 days. Let me walk you through how this is possible and why it needs to happen urgently....
Mistakes and Mishaps of a Travel Pro
When discussing my travel planning faults it only seems appropriate to wax biblical like my friend Matthew: “We have all fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) And to quote from the one of the finer films...
The Great Wall: Turning a Mileage Run into a Family Holiday
On a recent mileage run (our first as a family) we took advantage of some $450 mistake fares in Business Class from Washington DC to Beijing, China. This mileage run was stretched out just slightly longer than a typical...
