Hungry for Points

Flight Reviews | Food Reviews | Hotel Reviews | Trip Reports

Introduction: Everyday I’m Trufflin’
ByTerence Chan February 25, 2016December 28, 2023

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year to travel for a couple reasons. Firstly, while other holidays rotate around, there’s no guessing which days you’ll have off for Thanksgiving – it’s a 4-day weekend every single year. Secondly, while domestic travel during Thanksgiving week can be a nightmare, it’s the perfect time to travel internationally. As an added bonus, you can essentially bank on the fact that there will be a premium cabin sales each year which means that you can fly in style, most often to Europe, for a fraction of the normal price.

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Strategies | Tips and Tricks

How Did You Get Started With This Hobby?
ByTerence Chan February 24, 2016December 28, 2023

I’m constantly talking to friends, family, and even strangers about the points and miles hobby. I do understand that it can be a bit intimidating to get started, so I’ve even tried to boil it down into a “how to get started” presentation that I’ve given a few times. But even after spelling things out for people, I’ve noticed that the uptake rate has still been pretty low in terms of those that dive head first into it like I had.

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Strategies

Redeeming Korean Air Miles Has Become Significantly Easier
ByTerence Chan February 23, 2016December 28, 2023

I’m one of the charter members of the “Korean Air Fan Club” and in recent years have been funneling the vast majority of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points into the Korean Air Skypass program. I’m planning a trip to Asia later this year, and decided to finally cash in those Skypass miles. I blocked off an hour of time to go through the incredibly confusing and annoying award booking experience that I remembered from 2014, but to my surprise, I had confirmed tickets in my account in less than 10 minutes.

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News

Alaska Airlines Adds Two New SoCal Routes from San Jose
ByTerence Chan February 22, 2016December 28, 2023

For Silicon Valley Alaska Airlines frequent flyers, right now there aren’t really any good options when traveling to Orange County or San Diego. Starting June 8, 2016, that will change as Alaska Airlines begins 3x daily non-stop service to both destinations from San Jose.

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Uncategorized

Is Taiwan a Country?
ByPeter February 22, 2016December 28, 2023

Is Taiwan a country? This is a difficult question without a simple answer. But in its online Travel Notification tool, Citibank seems to take a stance on this sensitive issue.

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Strategies

You Can Now Earn Miles On Your Entire Home Purchase
ByTerence Chan January 16, 2016December 28, 2023

In the market for a new home in the Seattle area? Learn about FlyHomes, which is a new real estate brokerage firm which will give you 1 Alaska Airlines mile for every $1 you spend on a home. But before diving in, there are a few things you need to consider.

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Uncategorized

Aspiration: Mecca
ByPeter January 11, 2016December 28, 2023

This is an article about a city of global significance that sees little coverage on travel blogs; a place that is simultaneously mysterious and very popular; one that I would absolutely love to visit, but probably never will. This is an article about Mecca.

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News | Strategies

Attention Bay Area Travelers: Make Money By Attending Tomorrow’s Warriors Game
ByTerence Chan January 11, 2016January 11, 2016

The Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat game on January 11th, 2016 features a giveaway to the first 12,000 fans of a 50% voucher off a future Alaska Airlines flight between April 21, 2016 to June 15, 2016.

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Tips and Tricks

Traveling with Young Children
ByPeter December 31, 2015December 28, 2023

2015 was full of adventures for my family: we brought home a newborn from the hospital, and then we traveled the world. As we made a name for ourselves as brave traveling parents, I figured it’d bring the year to a proper closure by sharing our experiences.

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Strategies | Tips and Tricks

Thirsty for Points – Maximizing Starbucks
ByPeter November 23, 2015December 28, 2023

I love Starbucks. More precisely, I love the Starbucks Rewards program. To quote my friend Dr. J, “I go there just to watch those stars fall on my phone.” It’s designed well to entice brand loyalty. More importantly, the program works quite similarly to frequent traveler programs – you earn stars, achieve elite statuses, and get free drinks. As a newly minted points enthusiast, I became excited about playing with a new rewards program and figuring out how to get the most out of it. I started drinking coffee and, a year later, now have two Gold cards.

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