✈️ Whether you’re an early bird or not, a new study from Upgraded Points ranked the 50 busiest U.S. airports by departure times, delays, and even coffee shop hours, revealing the best spots to catch your ideal flight (and I must say...it's pretty interesting). Read the full study here.
Good morning from 30,000 feet over Kazakhstan! I’m in a lie-flat bed that cost me zero points and only about $150 on one of the world’s best airlines.
But more on that another day… 😉
Here’s what’s on deck today:
🏨 Buy Marriott points with a mystery bonus
Buying points is one of the more controversial travel tactics in the game.
It can be hard to tell when it makes sense to snag points on the cheap, especially with enticing bonuses.
Marriott is one of those programs where, if you have the right booking in mind, buying points could save you hundreds of dollars… per night.
Right now, Marriott is selling points with a “mystery bonus” ranging from 30% to 50%.
As you can see, my personal bonus is only 30%… even so, I’ve found some pretty solid opportunities to make good use of this.
For example, just earlier today, I left Almaty, Kazakhstan, where there is a gorgeous Ritz-Carlton hotel that only costs 30,000-40,000 points per night.
💡 By the way, this hotel is an AMAZING way to burn your 35k free night certificates that you get from cards like this one. Almaty is an awesome city, too.
As you can see, the cash cost of this Ritz-Carlton is over $700 per night, which is CRAZY and makes my anxiety spike.
But if you really wanted to have a luxury stay with a substantial discount, you could BUY enough points for a night for just $375.
Don’t get me wrong… that’s a LOT of money.
But if you find a hotel like that one where you can have a special stay at a top-notch luxury property for half the cash price, saving $325 per night is an awesome deal.
If you had the higher 50% bonus, this price would go down to just $325 per night.
But even if you’re looking for more budget-friendly hotels for a longer stay, this could still come in handy.
For example, I’ve already booked a 5-night stay at this hotel in Rwanda for my trip there in a couple of months. 👇
Because of Marriott’s 5th night free perk, five nights here costs 56,000 points.
To buy these points, even with the 30% bonus, would cost $538.
To buy five nights with cash would cost $780.
That’s close to $250 in total savings just for the simple act of buying points strategically.
If you’ve been offered the 50% bonus, there are even more situations where you can come out ahead like this.
So here’s the bottom line:
If you have upcoming travel plans where there are some Marriott hotels, crunch the numbers as I did here and see if buying Marriott points can get you into a hotel at a discount.
💳 What’s your business?
We know a lot of you have recently signed up for this business card because of its low annual fee, solid earning rates on travel, and CRAZY elevated welcome offer right now.
And by crazy I mean 120,000 UR points… which is… a boatload of points. Truly, that’s a massive pile of ‘em.
The highest we’ve ever seen, in fact 😳
And we’ve preached to you over and over to not be afraid of the word “business” in a card’s name because even if you don’t run a six-figure company, you likely still might have a business in your life that is worthy of such a card.
And that got me thinking… I’m curious…
…curious about those of you who recently signed up for that card (or any business card) and what you listed as your side hustle or business on the application.
I was SO curious that we devised a poll to put in our Facebook group, the Lounge, to see exactly what you all put.
And here are the results 😏
As you can see, none of these appear to be some big-ass Fortune 500 company.
But what do I know? Some of you could be making bank selling on Etsy or walking dogs.
Rather, these answers are full of just regular ‘ole side hustles and second incomes that are attainable by anyone (if you choose to have a side business, that is).
And I’m not surprised at all that online businesses, contractor roles, real estate, and freelancing positions were among the top answers.
But also, HOW COOL that we have at least one professional athlete among us 🤗
We really wanted to do this poll just to show the rest of you who are still on the fence about business cards that you truly can apply (and get approved for) just about any additional income that is classified as a business.
Plus, this elevated offer is another BIG reason to apply for this card right now if you’ve had the slightest thought about getting your first (or second or third) business credit card.
It really is one of the best offers we’ve ever seen, and we just don’t want you all to miss out on earning a ton of UR points 😭
Anyway, I hope this convinced some of you that almost anyone can apply for a business card—especially when this cool card is dangling a welcome offer with 120,000 bonus points in front of your face 😛
🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday
Which European landmark was the most-visited tourist attraction last year? |
Only Email Recipients can participate in polls. |
(If the photo didn't give it away) The correct answer is… Hagia Sophia!
In 2023, Istanbul's Hagia Sophia grabbed the top spot as Europe's most-visited tourist attraction, welcoming over 13.6 million visitors.
Not sure about y'all... but this one surprised me.
Originally constructed in the 6th century as a Christian basilica and later converted into a mosque, it now serves as an active place of worship and a symbol of Istanbul's rich culture.
But Hagia Sophia wasn't the only European landmark drawing crowds. The Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome also saw an increase in visitors, with over 12 million stopping by.
Curious to see the full list of Europe's top tourist spots? Check out the rankings here!
Speaking of the Daily Drop Lounge from earlier…
Look at HOW COOL this win is that a Lounge member recently shared 👇
So come on over if you have additional travel questions, want to share your own travel knowledge, or just want to hang out with other cool people 🤗
That’s all for today, my friends! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for some fun travel tips.
Take care,
