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Resources

Get award booking help and personalized travel assistance for as little as $1 a month!

This page is designed to provide you go-to information for some of the most popular topics in travel, award redemptions, and tools to make your life easier. I hate have to go through multiple sites to find the information I need, so my goal is to update this page on a regular basis with these tips, tricks and shortcuts to what you need to know.

Amtrak

  • Inside Amtrak’s Select Executive Status
  • Inside Amtrak’s Select Plus Status
  • Inside Amtrak’s Select Status
  • Redeeming Amtrak Points: Sweet Spots
  • How to guarantee your Amtrak ticket is always less than $50.
  • The secret to the best Amtrak Business Class seating.
  • Amtrak’s Acela Express First Class meal service times.
  • Accessing United Clubs and Amtrak Lounges Using Each Other’s Membership

Award Booking

  • What fare codes should you look for when booking an award ticket?
  • Where should you search for airline award space?
  • Beware of First Class awards with Business Class seats.

American Airlines

  • What’s known about American’s Helix/Eagle ranking system
  • A listing of all AAdvantage partner gateway cities.
  • Using ExpertFlyer to find same day confirmed flight changes on American Airlines
  • How to receive an upgrade on a British Airways Avios domestic US ticket

Delta Air Lines

  • The secret to finding low level SkyMiles availability is on Aeroflot

Elite Status

  • Airline Status Matches 101
  • Is earning entry level elite status worth it if you don’t fly enough?

Inflight Services

  • A comprehensive list of all airlines with inflight WiFi
  • A few tricks to selecting a better economy class seat

Disney

  • Why stay in a Disney condominium vs. a value resort?
  • How to beat the lines at Walt Disney World.

Airlines

  • Which airlines don’t have baggage fees?
  • Why you should always make sure you have a lot of future trips booked before calling an airline.
  • A list of all major fifth freedom routes in the world.
  • Should you take miles or a travel voucher as compensation?
  • What’s the best way to react to a flight delay and cancellation?

Hyatt

  • What year will a stay spanning two calendar years count in?
  • How to redeem Hyatt Gold Passport Points for cash.
  • Book Hyatt stays via Twitter
  • Why MLife Platinum status is worth it.
  • How to always avoid the 1 night cancellation penalty at Hyatt.
  • Which Hyatt Regency and Grand Clubs are closed on weekends?

Ticket Booking

  • How to get the lower price of a ticket back when it disappears online.
  • How to hold a reservation on AA.com for 48 hours, and not 24 hours.
  • How to book and receive discounts on Rail Europe.
  • Always check your award tickets after making any changes

Hotels

  • Strategies for checking into your hotel early
  • Resort fees: the good, the bad, the ugly
  • Always bill things to your hotel room to earn more points
  • My 5 hotel habits every time I check-in

Credit Card Benefits

  • Why I love American Expresses’ Concierge
  • Why I always use Amex Premium Rental Car Protection

Airports

  • The secret to free parking at Reagan National Airport
  • What’s the best way to get to and from an airport?
  • Why I always get to my gate 10 minutes prior to boarding

Blogging

  • Where do travel bloggers get all of their secret information?

On Location

  • Free year-round concerts in Amsterdam
  • The best way to explore Amsterdam 
  • A hidden oasis inside Albuquerque Airport
  • How to use your Verizon Wireless cell phone plan abroad.
  • The largest open air flea market in the US.

Manufactured Spending

  • What gift cards can you buy in what office supply stores?

SELECT transforms any existing credit or debit card into a black card that unlocks VIP perks, pricing, and experiences at thousands of premier destinations around the world.

Looking for the best way to earn miles and points quickly? Visit the "Credit Cards" drop down on the main menu bar above for the hottest deals! Want to learn more and stay up to date on the latest tips, tricks and deals? Join My Travel Tips Facebook Page!   This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Thanks for stopping by! I now regularly write at UpgradedPoints. Read my monthly articles by clicking here.

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Beginner’s Guide

  • Getting Started with Free Travel
  • Miles and Points 101
  • Essentials of Flying Airlines
  • Essentials of Staying in Hotels
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Featured Posts

7 Ways to Overcome a Flight Delay or Cancellation

A Few Tricks to Selecting a Better Economy Class Seat

My 5 Hotel Habits Every Time I Check-In

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About Jamie

JamieJamie Larounis is an avid traveler, blogger and miles/points educator. Traveling well over 100,000 miles a year and staying in hotels for over 100 nights, he leverages miles, points and other deals to fly in first class cabins, and stay in 5-star hotels. The Forward Cabin shares his experiences, musings, reviews, tips, tricks, resources and industry news with you, the fellow traveler. [Learn more about Jamie...]

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