Points and Miles Beginner’s Guide #14. Maximizing Large Purchases It seems like the biggest expenses are the ones we can’t pay with our credit cards: Mortgage payments, rent, taxes, car payments, landscaping, housekeeping, etc. I previously outlined how to earn miles on student loans payments. The methods outlines in that […]
Author: Ariana Arghandewal
Trip report: Afghanistan (2011) Part 1: Kabul
Our flight to Kabul was on Ariana Airlines, which is Afghanistan’s national carrier, operated by the government. Most of their planes are in shambles and they are no longer allowed to operate in Europe. Maybe I had my rose-colored glasses on, but my experience was great. First, we were upgraded […]
NEW MyPoints OpenSky promo
A few weeks ago MyPoints offered 150 points per $1 at OpenSky. There was some confusion, with folks wondering if the deal offered 150 MyPoints or 150 OpenSky points. Some of Frequent Miler’s readers reported getting MyPoints for their purchases, which is good news. The deal was dead within hours, with many […]
Trip report: Dubai (2011)
Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is a pain to navigate. I’ve transferred through this airport twice and it always feels like a 5 mile hike getting from one gate to the next. At one point, I thought we were going to miss our flight. Introduction Afghanistan (2011) Part 1: Kabul Afghanistan (2011) […]
Free points, travel and a little extra cash
This past weekend I wrote about a way to truly earn free points and travel. There was an unidentified prize for anyone who correctly guessed it. While there were a few good guesses, unfortunately nobody got it right. It wasn’t fair, since I gave practically no clues in an effort […]
Trip report: Summer 2011
My summer 2011 trip was an amazing experience that not only helped me escape a miserable job, but set off my points and miles obsession. Dubai Afghanistan (2011) Part 1: Kabul Afghanistan (2011) Part 2: The North The trip was very last minute – my dad called me at work […]
A way to earn truly free travel
In 1899, Charles H. Duell from the US Patent office boldly declared, “Everything that can be invented, has been invented.” When I started out in the points and miles game, it was right after the US Mint scheme had been shut down, and I thought I would never have another mile-earning […]
Points and miles beginner’s guide: Brokerage accounts
Brokerage accounts offer lucrative bonus offers on par with credit cards, without the hard inquiry. Applications for these accounts result in a “soft inquiry” on your credit, meaning there is no impact on your credit score. Last year, I accumulated almost 400,000 miles for myself and my family by taking […]
Alaska Airlines Debit Card Earns Miles on PIN Transactions
UPDATE: PointObsession has reported earning miles for the money orders he purchased with his Alaska debit card, so this deal is a go! Now I’ll still head over there to see if I can directly pay my credit card bill, but at least we know the money order portion works. […]
Earning points on mortgage and rent payments
A few readers have asked me about earning miles on mortgage and rent payments. These are the biggest expenses most of us have, yet there isn’t a straight forward way to earn miles on them. While you won’t be able to whip out your shiny mile-earning credit card without paying […]