Alaska State

Frequent Miler

Bilt has announced their next set of Rent Day promotions and there’s a couple of excellent opportunities, both involving their newest transfer partner – Alaska Airlines. On July 1 you’ll be able to get a 25%-100% transfer bonus to Alaska based on your Bilt status, plus Bilt Gold and Platinum members can get MVP and MVP Gold status respectively through the end of the year. This status match is available right now through July 1.

Bilt Rent Day for July: Up to 100% Alaska Airlines transfer bonus + Alaska status match

Preferred Hotels and Resorts is yet another marketing group and booking channel that represents more than 650 independent hotels and resorts across 85 countries (similar to Small Luxury Hotels or Mr & Mrs Smith). It’s been on our radar because of its partnership with Choice Privileges, which allows Choice members to book properties that are members of Preferred Hotels with Choice points (although the value to recently took a hit when Choice drastically increased the pricing on many properties).

Get Top Tier Preferred Hotels status with just an Aeroplan credit card

Chase is incorrectly denying cardholders Sapphire Preferred welcome offer points, Hyatt buys a new brand and a trick for booking cheaper business class awards. All that and more in this week’s Saturday Selection, our weekly round-up of interesting tidbits from around the interwebs (links to each article are embedded in the titles).

A trick for cheaper business class awards, Chase incorrectly denying bonus points and a new Hyatt brand (Saturday Selection)

Yesterday Hilton announced that AutoCamp properties were now bookable through Hilton for both cash and points stays. To celebrate that launch, they’re also offering 1,000 bonus points per AutoCamp stay through August 12. The Deal. Earn 1,000 bonus Hilton Honors points when booking AutoCamp stays. Direct link to offer...

Earn 1,000 bonus Hilton Honors points on AutoCamp stays through 8/12/24

The Wall Street Journal published a report over the weekend that there is friction in the relationship between Wells Fargo and Bilt. Both Wells Fargo and Bilt released statements confirming their commitment to their partnership. Did the details match the headline? What did the article actually say and what do we make of it? Find out on this week’s Coffee Break.

Podcast: Bilt is costing Wells Fargo dearly. Should you duck & run or double down? | Coffee Break Ep15 | 6-18-24

I’m sure all of you are well-aware by now of our ongoing travel challenge “Flying by the Seat of our Points”. These challenges are an all-hands-on-deck effort which we scheme about for months and months. And like all good things, it’s a community effort! Today’s Saturday Selection is dedicated to the ways our community helps pull these challenges off.

Video recap of our challenge so far, where did the challenge idea come from, and reader analysis on Nick’s “big mistake – Saturday Selection

Pepper Rewards is again offering a targeted promotion to get 10% back on all third party gift cards, this time now through June 30, 2024. Both my wife and I received what I expect is a targeted email for this promotion. As has been the case with past promotions, you should receive 5% back in Pepper points (“coins”) right away and the additional 5% will post a couple of weeks after the promotion ends — this time on July 15, 2024.

Pepper Rewards again offering 10% back everywhere for some [Targeted]

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J. Souza

An 81-year-old foreign passenger was found dead in her cabin onboard a Maltese-flagged cruise ship on Saturday afternoon, according to a statement from the Greek Coast Guard. A Greek news outlet reported that the incident occurred while the vessel was docked at the picturesque Port of Mykonos, a popular tourist destination in the Aegean Sea.

Cruise Ship Passenger Found Dead in Cabin, Coast Guard Reports

California State

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Alameda Post

California regulators just stopped AT&T from pulling the plug. California’s Public Utilities Commission on June 20 rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option.

Still Need Your Landline?

There are new, targeted Chase Offers out for both Hyatt Place and Hyatt House that are giving 10% or 15% back when spending $100 or more. Get 10% or 15% back when spending $100+ on room rate & room charges at the following brands with a targeted Chase Offer:. Hyatt...

Hyatt Place & Hyatt House Chase Offers: Get 10%-15% back on room rate & room charges

Save 25% when booking Southwest award flights and using promo code SAVE25. Must book by June 17th and travel by November 20th, 2024. Book a Southwest® flight on Southwest.com or swabiz.com using your Rapid Rewards® points from June 14 through June 17, 2024 (the “Booking Period”) and receive 25 percent off when you fly between June 14-November 20, 2024 with travel blacked out July 6 and July 7 (the “Travel Period”).

Southwest Award Sale: Get 25% Off Points Bookings

Hertz – 10.1%. There are some good cashback rates available here if you’re wanting to book any paid travel with the eligible companies. Be sure to also check Capital One Shopping as you might see even higher targeted rates there (e.g. I have an offer for up to 12% with Priceline).

TopCashback Travel Tuesday Flash Cash Back: Hilton 9%, Best Western 15.15%, Virgin Atlantic 3.03% & more

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card has had a a bit of a topsy-turvy journey over the last few years, befitting its unusually wordy name. It began life known as the SPG Luxury card, the high end offering of the now-defunct Starwood Preferred Guest program and was launched at the same time that Marriott began its merger with the Starwood and Ritz Carlton reward programs.

Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Credit Card Review (2024)

Chicago Happenings

What is more summery than an icy, sweet frozen drink? If the heat wave is getting to you, try whipping up this simple frozen strawberry lemonade. All you need is your choice of lemonade and some frozen strawberries. You can use store-bought lemonade, make your own from scratch, or a powdered version. As for strawberries, frozen ones are the easiest choice. If you'd rather use fresh, add at least two cups of ice until you reach a nice, frozen consistency.

2-Ingredient Frozen Strawberry Lemonade: Beat the Heat!

I’ve flown Qatar Airways several times now and have found that service seems to range from fine to extraordinary. On my recent flight from Zagreb to Doha I experienced truly extraordinary service. The great service combined with excellent food and comfortable seats made this daytime flight one of my favorite flights ever.

Qatar A320 Business Class Review (Phenomenal!)

During our team’s 2024 last-minute-travel challenge, Flying by the Seat of our Points, each of the contestants found excellent award flights. In this post, I’ve described step by step (to the best of my memory) how I found each award. Hopefully this will prove helpful for your award searches in the future, regardless of whether you’re booking last-minute or well in advance.

How I found awesome awards for our last minute travel challenge

WyoFile

Within hours of the sighting on Wednesday, Frank van Manen caught word that there was a grizzly sow with five cubs in tow spotted in Yellowstone National Park. Five cubs following mom is so unlikely that van Manen, who leads the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, pondered an explanation.

Five grizzly bear cubs make the largest litter in Yellowstone-area history

Missouri State

CJ Coombs

The first time my family walked into a Ponderosa Steakhouse was in the late 1960s. It was new and the experience was great. Like other new restaurants, if the management doesn't stay on top, the quality of service can decline. The location we went to did change through the years, but in the beginning, it was great.

The 1960s: the Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses are still around in some states

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Bryce Gruber

The color yellow is gorgeous, eye-catching, and downright happy for most people. So much so that it's the main hue in the world-famous happy face—but science says it's not the best color to wear on a date.

You Shouldn't Wear Yellow on First Dates, Here's Why

Virginia State

Margaret Minnicks

Many new laws become effective in Virginia on July 1, 2024. However, a law has always existed in Virginia, but some residents might not be aware of it. According to WSET, leaving grass clippings and other debris on Virginia roads is illegal.

It is illegal to leave grass clippings and other debris on roads in Virginia

NewsBreak

Stackable: 20% transfer bonus to Air Canada Aeroplan from Chase (stack w/ cardholder bonus)

From 6/15/24 to 7/31/24, Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a 20% transfer bonus for eligible cardholders when converting points to Air Canada Aeroplan. This is stackable...

Stackable: 20% transfer bonus to Air Canada Aeroplan from Chase (stack w/ cardholder bonus)

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