January 31, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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I had a bad breakup this week.
After eight years of happy memories, it’s over. All I needed was one symbolic show of commitment – even just another year. But it was too much to ask. Looking back, I should have known. I always called first, and they always wanted me out by 11. Sure, they made me breakfast, and I never felt happier than waking up in their bed, but it was all for show.
Hilton – we’re finished.
Seriously. Five years of Diamond status, and somehow I’m ineligible for the one-stay extension?
In this week’s cheat sheet:
Grab 6 nights in NYC for free
The secret perk on your Capital One Card
Hilton’s status extension promotion
When it’s time to close your card
It’s not me; it’s them
Steven
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| HOTEL CARDS
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Image: IHG
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The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
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As hotel credit cards go, the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card makes a compelling argument. Now that I’ve separated from Hilton, it’s definitely turning my head. It’s currently boasting an incredible 175,000-point intro bonus after spending $3000 in three months.
On top of the bonus, you’re gifted a free anniversary night stay, a complimentary 4th-night on a three-night reward stay, solid earning rates, and a $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
But let’s look at that bonus. After scoring those 175,000 points, you could do the following:
Six nights in Manhattan at a Holiday Inn Express
Four nights at the Intercontinental Times Square
Five nights in Paris at a Holiday Inn
Five Nights at the Intercontinental Athens
A night at Six Senses Ninh Vanh Bay (usually worth $1000)
Any bookings four days or longer utilize the super-useful complimentary fourth-night award stay. In short, there’s enough for a short super-luxury stay or almost a week of more basic hotel stays in amazing destinations. IHG’s prices are dynamic, so flexibility is the key to finding the best rates.
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| WEEKLY SWEET SPOT
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The Cultivist: Your Capital One card's secret perk
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Capital One has a range of excellent travel credit cards. The Capital One Venture is perfect for newbies to the travel hacking world, thanks to its low annual fee and generous 75,000-point intro bonus. There's another secret benefit it holds, along with its sister cards (the Venture X and Venture One), which is a six-month Enthusiast membership to The Cultivist.
What is The Cultivist?
The Cultivist is a global arts club, working in partnerships with museums and galleries around the world to give members free access, as well as an array of benefits to elevate their cultural pursuits.
There are currently over a hundred of the world’s greatest museums included in a membership, including the Louvre, the Met, the Guggenheim, Palazzo Strozzi, and Rijksmuseum.
Why is this a big deal?
The benefit speaks for itself. The free entry is amazing but also includes access for three guests. A visit to The Met in NYC would cost almost $100 for a family of four or $120 for four adults. That’s a major saving.
On top of that, it’s even possible to plan concierge-style tours of the museums, so you can get a little more involved in what you’re seeing. The Cultivist will also send newsletters about exciting openings or experimental art shows.
How to use it
Timing is key. You must register for a membership; from then, the clock is ticking. If you know you have a weekend trip to New York and a week in Paris three months later, make sure they’re both within that six-month window.
You must sign up via the Capital One X The Cultivist page. Registering on The Cultivist won’t trigger the free membership. It’s worth noting it will start charging you $40 a month after the six months, so set a reminder to cancel if you don’t want to continue.  Â
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| POINTS NEWS
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Hilton's Status Extension Promotion
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I may have over-dramatized things in the intro, but I was disappointed I was not eligible for the extension I mentioned. It really is the final nail in the coffin of my loyalty to them.
If you’re a Hilton Honors member, your tier will have been renewed or dropped this month, depending on last year’s travel habits. As a last-minute incentive (mainly designed to force a few extra bookings), the hotel giant announced that it would extend status for a select few until March 31st, 2024 if they meet specific booking requirements.
The offer seems to differ based on a multitude of unknown factors. Some diamond members only require one stay to retain status, while some Gold members were challenged to make three stays. If you haven’t received an email offer, check your eligibility at one of the following links:
If you’re eligible, you must register and complete any stays by March 31st. The status should be extended automatically from that date until the same date in 2024. I’ll rarely recommend booking a stay for a benefit but if you’re a Diamond member and likely to have a few more trips this year, it might be worth booking a cheap Hilton nearby.
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| MONEY SAVERS
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3 nearly secret things to do if you have Amazon Prime
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Do you shop on Amazon?Â
If so, you might be missing out on huge savings and a chance to earn extra cash on every purchase you make. In the list below, you'll find different hacks that you should know about if you're an Amazon shopper.Â
They'll help you save money, earn cash, cancel unwanted subscriptions, and much more.
Learn more here!
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|Â CARDSÂ OF THE WEEK
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Cards with lounge access
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I’ll be flying a lot this month – Scotland to Amsterdam to Costa Rica to Toronto to London To Glasgow to Cairo to Glasgow to Bucharest, to be precise. Lounges are my best friend during big travel months. They’re great places to relax, get some work done, save money, and usually enjoy a free drink or four.
Make your travel days a little sweeter. The cards below offer some form of lounge access, be it full Priority pass memberships or airline-specific entries. Check if you’ve got one, or consider opening another if you don’t.
The American Express Platinum Card - The Godfather of lounge access. Holders get a full Priority Pass Membership and access to the wonderful Centurion lounge range.
Capital One Venture X - Cheaper than the Amex Platinum but still boasting a Priority Pass membership, the Venture X is a brilliant travel partner. Cap One is adding more of its lounges too.
Chase Sapphire Reserve - The last of the big three offers the same Priority Pass Membership. Chase is unveiling lounges of their own, but there’s only one in Hong Kong so far.
The Unitedâ„ Explorer Card - Perfect for those who travel a little less, the holder gets two visits to the United Club each year.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card - A surprisingly powerful little card, it offers ten lounge visits a year with Priority Pass. More than most travelers would need.
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| STEVEN'S TIPS
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When should you close cards?
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As you dive deeper into the world of points and miles, you might be inundated with cards. I’ve said before that tracking annual fees on any open cards is critical. Too many, and you’ll start eating into the value your points offer you.
It’s essential to have regular cleanouts, but it’s equally important to close the right cards. If you have a card with a high annual fee that doesn’t give you any valuable perks and it’s not earning for you, close it.
But some you should leave open. I had to stop my girlfriend from closing her first-ever credit card the other week. She thought, “I don’t use it; I should close it.” But as her oldest card by about five years, it’s helpful in an unassuming way. Cutting it off would see her average credit age drop drastically, along with her score. It’s one of many frustrating aspects of the credit process, but if we want the perks, we must abide by the banks’ rules.
 Take inventory, weigh the pros and cons, and close up shop.
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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*This link is sponsored
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