[Kerwin at Passrider] Current Travel Offers - December 18, 2024

Airline shopping portals and travel deals from Virgin Voyages and American Express also from my partner Walks.

December 18, 2024

Hi Fellow Traveler,

It’s time for the weekly offers…

It’s almost Christmas and so there are lots of offers and deals that are out there. If you have a credit card use the travel portals for your airline programs as you can get points and miles for your purchases;

If you have an American Express Platinum card, check the offers section once you sign in to your account. Some of these offers end on December 31, 2024, so don’t miss out. Then you lose them and they re-start on January 1, 2025.

Some of these offers are quite lucrative. Check below for a list of the offers.

Let’s see what I found this week:

  • American Express Platinum card benefits

  • Virgin Voyagers 2025-2026 Cruise Deals

Plus, in the Miles and Points Tips section, I talk about how to value your points and miles.

This week’s sponsor is Nike; please be sure and take a look at what they have to offer.

Give the Gift of Sport With Nike

The holidays are here—a time to connect, celebrate, and share the joy of giving. Nike makes it easy to find gifts that inspire greatness and movement.

From timeless sneakers to cozy fleece hoodies, Nike’s gift guide has something for everyone. Whether you’re shopping for the sports enthusiast, the weekend adventurer, or the casual style icon, these gifts are designed to elevate their routine.

Take the stress out of shopping with Nike’s curated collections and effortless online experience. Celebrate the season with gifts that bring joy to their every step.

From American Express

The American Express Platinum Card® offers a range of benefits totaling over $1,500 in value. Here's a summary of the key features:

Travel Benefits

  • $200 Hotel Credit: Annual statement credits for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel.

  • Global Lounge Collection: Access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including Priority Pass Select, Centurion Network, and Delta Sky Club.

  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Annual statement credits for incidental fees with one selected qualifying airline.

  • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Annual statement credit to cover CLEAR Plus Membership cost.

Entertainment and Dining

  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Monthly statement credits for eligible purchases with partners like Disney+, Hulu, and The New York Times.

  • Global Dining Access by Resy: Special access to sought-after restaurants globally.

Shopping and Lifestyle

  • $200 Uber Cash: Monthly Uber Cash for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the US.

  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Monthly statement credit for Walmart+ membership.

  • Saks Fifth Avenue Credit: Up to $100 annually in statement credits for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases.

  • Amex Offers: Opportunity to earn extra rewards on qualifying purchases with select brands.

Additional Perks

  • Fine Hotels + Resorts Benefits: Room upgrades (when available) and $100 property credit for eligible charges.

  • Uber VIP Status: Match with top-rated drivers where available.

These benefits are subject to terms, conditions, and enrollment requirements. Cardholders should review the specific details for each offer to maximize their card's value.

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From Virgin Voyages

Special offers for Caribbean, Europe, North America and Transatlantic cruises

Sponsored
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Have you shared this newsletter with your friends yet Fellow Traveler?

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MILES/POINTS TIP OF THE WEEK

Set Your Personal Value Baseline for Miles and Points

Not all points and miles are created equal—some redemptions offer better value than others. By establishing a personal baseline value for your rewards, you can quickly decide when to redeem and when to save.

How to Do It:

  1. Calculate the Value:

    • Compare the cash price of a flight or hotel room to the number of points or miles required for an award.

    • For example: If a $600 ticket costs 40,000 miles, you’re getting 1.5 cents per mile ($600 ÷ 40,000).

  2. Set Your Threshold:

    • Decide what value makes sense for you—say, 1.4 cents per mile for flights or 0.7 cents per point for hotels.

    • If a redemption meets or beats that number, it’s a good deal; if not, you might want to pay cash and save your rewards for a better opportunity.

  3. Stay Flexible:

    • Airline and hotel loyalty programs change frequently. Revisit your baseline every few months to adjust for new promotions, shifting award charts, or dynamic pricing models.

Pro Tip: When you have a go-to value benchmark, it becomes much easier to spot when your miles and points are giving you genuine savings—or when you’d be better off holding them for a future trip.

PS: You can get lots more information about frequent traveler programs for airlines, hotels, and car rental companies in my frequent traveler course at https://cruisinaltitude.newzenler.com/courses/frequent-traveler-101.

HOTELS

If you book directly with the hotels, head over to https://www.passrider.com/hotels for links, and if you prefer to use an online travel agency, head over to https://www.passrider.com/expedia, my hotel booking partner.

STANDING STATUS MATCHES

Here are some more status match offers from other airlines. Remember that you cannot status match within the same Alliance. So if you have say American Airlines AAdvantage status, you can’t status match to British Airways:

Airlines

Cruise Lines

BILT REWARDS MASTERCARD

CURRENT CREDIT CARD OFFERS

Here are a few credit card offers that came across my desk. They have points sign-up bonuses so you can use them in your travels. Usually, a minimum spend is required before you get the points, so ensure you read the terms and conditions and abide by them.

Click on the bolded titles for the card in which you’re interested.

Capital One has several cards. See if you qualify for any of them.

  • Earn 4 free nights with the IHG One Rewards Premier credit card.

  • Earn 80,000 bonus points with IHG One Rewards Traveler credit card.

  • Earn 140,000 bonus points with the IHG One Rewards Premier Business credit card.

I can be rewarded if you apply here and are approved for the card.

Note: If you do get approved for any of these cards, I will earn points from the partner. Thank you in advance.

FREQUENT TRAVELER COURSE

St. Barths

You can get a lot more information about frequent traveler programs for airlines, hotels, and car rental companies in my frequent traveler course at https://cruisinaltitude.newzenler.com/courses/frequent-traveler-101.

And if you have any questions about credit card offers or any other travel questions, please hit reply and let me know.

Thank you!

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