Fishing4Deals

aka the "Priceline Queen"

Holiday Spending Bonus from Southwest

Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 11.40.19 AMReports are popping up about targeted bonuses for credit card spending between now and the end of the year.  The bonuses are targeted to select holders of various credit cards issued by Citi, Barclays, and Chase banks.  These deals offer extra points for general or category-specific spending over the next three months.  The offers typically are capped at a certain spending limit.

I received an offer from Chase and Southwest Airlines for 3,000 bonus points if I spend $5000 on my Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card between October 1 and  December 31, 2013.  The bonus is on top of the regular 1x point you earn on purchases.  You must pre-register your card to receive the bonus points.

In effect, the bonus boosts the earn rate on eligible Rapid Rewards credit cards to 1.6x points for the last quarter of 2013.

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Best Western Credit Card Boosts Sign-Up Bonus to 64K Points

Best Western Zion Park Inn, Springdale, Utah
Best Western Zion Park Inn, Springdale, Utah

If you are planning a trip to the “Golden Triangle” of national parks and monuments in the Southwestern U.S., you are bound to come across some Best Western Hotels in scenic locations.

Would four free nights at a Best Western enhance your travels, whether to the Southwest, or elsewhere?
If so, the latest offering from Barclaycard may be of interest, because it boosts the sign-up bonus for the Best Western credit card from 16,000 points to a whopping 64,000 points — enough for four free nights at mid-range Best Western hotels.
This is a no annual fee credit card; the full complement of points are awarded after spending $1000 within 90 days.
Best Western’s are not just located in the American West — 4,000 independently owned hotels all over the world operate under the Best Western banner.  You might be surprised how many Best Western’s there are in Paris!

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Part 3: Check Inn to 20 to 40 Percent Savings with CLC Lodging

Check Inn CLC Lodging

If you’ve ever wished your small business could take advantage of the discounts on lodging that big corporations negotiate with hotels . . . you may be in luck!

If you have a small business credit card such as one of the Chase Ink MasterCards, there’s a little known benefit that can save you 20 to 40 percent on lodging costs.

I stumbled upon several seldom-publicized travel savings opportunities which I discuss in a three-part series of articles.

Part 1: Visa SavingsEdge

Part 2:  MasterCard Easy Savings

Part 3:  Check Inn – CLC Lodging

The MasterCard Easy Savings program offers cash rebates for certain everyday business purchases.  You need to register your business MasterCard (such as the Chase Ink credit cards) in advance.

One of the most attractive benefits of the EasySavings program is free membership in the Check Inn Card program run by CLC Lodging.

This program offers pre-negotiated “corporate discounts” of 20-40 percent on lodging with 17,000 hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

Here’s How it Works:

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Major Devaluation of Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Miles

Boo Hiss.  Southwest Airlines has just announced a major devaluation of the Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program:

Wanna Get Away® reward flight bookings made on or after March 31, 2014 will require 70 points per dollar. This is an increase from the 60 points per dollar currently required.

In other words, the miles will be devalued by 15 percent.

Take Another Look at Pick2Pay

Angry Birds Credit Card
Which Card Should You Pick to Maximize Rewards?

If it’s been awhile since you had a chance to use the Pick2Pay tool on the sidebar, you may want to take a second look.  This is a tool that helps you pick which credit card to use to maximize your points for a particular purchase.

The developers have incorporated a number of enhancements.

Most notable is the ability to search for rebates from cash-back portals like FatWallet as well as the credit card or airline sponsored portals.

My personal preference is to stick with FatWallet and the Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall for simplicity’s sake.  Points and cash back deals for online purchases can vary considerably, though, so if you have a big purchase coming up, it is worth checking around.

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How Do You Like Them Apples!

Apples to iPods

We are looking forward to our trip next month to southern Vermont!  Fall is my favorite season in New England.  The leaves should be spectacular, and if we are lucky, we will be able to go apple picking.

If we are really lucky, we may even pick up another kind of Apple!

This year marks the 7th annual Apple to iPods promotion by the Vermont Department of Tourism.

Specially-marked wooden apples are hidden in 15  pick-your-own apple orchards all over the state.

If you find one of the unique wooden apples, you’ll win an Apple iPod or  iPad!

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Alaska Airlines #1 in Fuel Efficiency

International Institute for Clean Transportation Airline Fuel Efficiency Study
Source: International Council on Clean Transportation
U.S. Domestic Airline Fuel Efficiency Ranking 2010

A new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), finds that Alaska Airlines is the most fuel efficient domestic airliner, while Allegiant Air is the least fuel-efficient, among 15 domestic air carriers operating in the U.S. in 2010.  In other words, of the 15 airlines analyzed, Allegiant Airlines generates the most greenhouse gas emissions to provide a comparable level of service.

The International Council on Clean Transportation, a nonprofit research organization, used publicly available data to compare the efficiency of the airlines independent of size, network structure, or type of service.

The figure highlights the large gap between the most and least efficient airlines serving the U.S. domestic market.  The analysis found that Allegiant would have used 26 percent more fuel than Alaska Airlines to provide a comparable level of transport service.

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Ten Loyalty Programs with Birthday Bonuses (+130 more)

Screen Shot 2013-09-11 at 3.06.35 PM
Virgin America Birthday Bonus

Today my thoughts turn to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11.

Today is also my birthday.

Today while most people are remembering the tragedy that occurred 12 years ago, I find my inbox overflowing with birthday greetings from various frequent flyer and loyalty programs.

It’s strange.  I guess birthdays are big business, and loyalty programs everywhere are getting on the bandwagon.

These are the birthday benefits I’ve racked up:

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One-Day Deal on iTunes Gift Cards at Staples

iTunes gift cardStaples.com has a flash deal today (9/10/13) on $50 iTunes gift cards for $40 with free shipping.  This sale could earn you 280 Ultimate Reward points if you have a Chase Ink card and go through the Chase Ultimate Rewards online shopping portal.  (5x on office supply purchases plus 3x via Ultimate Rewards portal.)

Cards will be mailed via the U.S. post office with a tracking number.

This will sell out quickly so act now if you are interested!

Part 2: Stack Savings on Chase Ink MasterCards — Automatically!

Screen Shot 2013-08-25 at 12.11.10 AMIf you have a small business credit card such as one of the Chase Ink cards, there’s an easy way to earn an extra 1-10 percent savings on certain purchases.

I  stumbled upon several seldom-publicized travel savings opportunities which I discuss in a three-part series of articles.

Part 1: Visa SavingsEdge

Part 2:  MasterCard Easy Savings

Part 3:  Check Inn – CLC Lodging

These three savings programs for small businesses are among the best kept secrets in the travel blogosphere. The programs have all been around for years and they are a cinch to use.

The MasterCard Easy Savings program may be even a better deal than the Visa SavingsEdge.  I say that because you can earn statement credits for every day expenses like gasoline, and even car repairs at  20,000 brand name gas stations.   

If you register your small business credit card with the MasterCard Easy Savings program, you will automatically receive a cash rebate on your statement for certain everyday business purchases.

No coupons. No codes. Savings are automatic. What’s even better is that you can stack these rebates on to other points earning opportunities.

The MasterCard Easy Savings program offers savings on everything from office equipment to shipping, from hotels to rental cars. Every time you use your enrolled MasterCard small business credit card at a participating merchant, you get an automatic cash rebate on your monthly statement.

So which MasterCards are eligible?  For starters, the Chase Ink business MasterCards participate in the Easy Savings program.

For frequent travelers, it is notable that you get 1% back at many gas stations (through the Fuelman network), 5% back for car rentals at Budget and Avis, 5% back for Frontier Airlines purchases, 5% back at Wyndham hotels, and 4% back from any hotel in the MasterCard hotel network.  I checked my local area and found that the hotel list is quite broad and includes both Hilton and Marriott hotels among many others.  Most every local gas station is a member of the Fuelman network.

Merchants participating in the Easy Savings discount program include:

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