US Mint deal might be over as well... :(

There have been numerous reports on flyertalk.com that the US Mint deal may be over. The US Mint, upset about people buying the coins for airline miles and then promptly depositing them, thus making the point of selling these coins to get them into circulation mute, has now changed their policy and are treating the purchases as a cash advance or cash equivalent. Some cards might still treat it as a purchase (like the British Airways Visa)..but it's not assured.

Cash advances on credit cards are bad news obviously. You accrue high interest as soon as you buy them. There has been some talk that some credit cards might still work while others don't. We will update you if we have a definite list. In the meantime, please use your card on regular purchases only.

It was a nice run while it lasted. Personally, Patrick got around 15000 miles from it all. A very moderate amount compared to the guy featured in last week's Wall Street Journal article about the US Mint deal (see here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126014168569179245.html) that got 800000 worth of coins. He's called Mr. Pickles and he's a legend in the mile-hunter community.

Another guy, called Pudding guy, who figured out how to make 250000 miles for only $62.50. He's quite the legend as well. Here's his story: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,996450,00.html

We'll never be a Mr. Pickles or Pudding guy but we'll try our best to always fly for practically free! :)

Hyatt offers 2500 United Miles per stay through Jan. 31st - REGISTER

Hyatt offers 500 base and 2000 miles bonus for stays between now and January 31st. Supposedly for United Elites only but register anyway. Its free and may work for all.

Here is the link

Set your earning preferences to airline miles not hotel points!
If you haven't joined Hyatt yet - go to http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm and check if you get any bonus for registering with the hotel program.

Citicard churn (25000 or 30000 AA miles over, and over and over again) might be over

On Flyertalk.com there's an ongoing discussion about this great American Airlines opportunity to come to a close. :( It's not confirmed yet but we will keep you updated. In the meantime, if you haven't had the 5 different Citicard AA credit cards, (Amex, MC, Visa for Personal & MC & VISA for Business) sign up and enjoy the miles.

10% off American Airline Flights until Feb. 28, 2010 - book by Jan. 31st.2010

10% Off American Flights from the ongoing Soccer Challenge Promo

This promo has been extended and now offers 10% off AA flights booked between now and January 31, 2010 and flown before February 28, 2010. It is good for up to 6 people.

Here is your link to 10% savings

TRAVELREPORT - Halloween in Salem

Deciding to spend Halloween in Salem, MA, was a really good idea.  We decided in early September that since Halloween was on a Saturday this year, we should probably take advantage of it and fly to the Boston area then.  Having experienced the Northeast only in frigid winter months, we were excited to see the gorgeous foliage that the area has to offer.  I can honestly say that visiting this part of the country during autumn is an incredible experience.  I love fall and seeing it in such color just made me miss the 4 season climate even more.  The last few weeks have been really hectic  for us so to experience the quiet of the Boston ‘burbs, the intensity of the hues, the wind rustling the tops of the trees and the storm of leaves falling all around us, was just so intense, and beautiful. 

I think that the above summary is enough on the poetic side and now onto the practical advice.  So on the Halloween in Salem side, keep in mind that it gets pretty crowded.  On Halloween you want to find parking early and just stay.  We wanted to have a more gourmet meal for dinner and did not find a nice enough place in Salem so we went to dine at 9 Elm in Danvers.  Problem was that when we were done with dinner, driving back in traffic, finding parking and then making our way through the crowd to the House of Seven Gables, for two shows just did not work out.  We were late for our first tour/show and only were able to do the second one.  It all worked out well but even with my OCD planning skills, I did not realize how far we would need to walk and the slowness of the crowd.  People party in the streets and in bars, so you can count on street entertainment and fireworks at the end of the night.  For all the events check out Haunted Happenings.

During the day, on Halloween, we checked out Danvers (the actual site of the witch hysteria and for more about this, look here).  We went to the Parris’ home (well ,excavated holes in the ground) and the Rebecca Nurse Homestead.  Both places are worth a visit if you are into history and want a quiet moment.  We also participated in the play, Cry Innocent, which was fun.  I recommend studying up on the trials before going so that when asked to participate as an audience member, you can ask a question which the witty actor who plays a judge cannot easily answer. 

The day after Halloween we ventured down the road of Revolutionary War history (Concord and Lexington).  Again if you are into history, have seen the HBO show John Adams, or just need something to do in the area, check it out.  After that we went to Wellesley College and checked out their beautiful campus.  The afternoon was finished off in South Boston, at Café Polonia, with a yummy Polish lunch.  Happy travels to New England!

Travelreport brought to you by Nadia. :)

US Mint Deal - the party might be over....

Unfortunately it seems the US Mint Deal has, like all good things, come to an end.

The US Mint now seems to call the coin purchases "cash advance" and thus, if you buy coins on credit you will be charged 3% and daily interest starting on the day the purchase posts. There have been mixed reports but if you do a coin purchase, make sure to read the fine print and don't buy them if it says "cash advance" anywhere.

So obviously it's no longer a cost-effective way of fulfilling your minimum purchase requirements.

Not to worry though - there's always a deal out there and we'll make sure we'll let you know when we find one. :)

TRAVELREPORT - CHICAGO (Oct.16-18th)

Our Chicago trip was successful.  From the direct flight to arrival times being right on, everything worked out quite well.  If you don’t have an hour to sacrifice, and it is not rush hour, take a cab from O’Hare into the city, it is fairly quick and convenient.  On the other hand, taking the L, is also convenient, cheaper than a taxi and more carbon-neutral, but it takes at least an hour to get into the city. The hotel we stayed at, Indigo Chicago, was located in just the right spot to venture out and explore. The hotel was sufficiently comfortable and the staff was really sweet. We attended a friend’s wedding and had a fabulous time.  Despite all the festivities, we did get a chance to explore Chicago on this second visit to the Windy City.  We checked out Lincoln Park (including the theater where John Dillinger got shot) and DePaul University.  We were staying in the Gold Coast area part of the city and were able to just walk to Lincoln Park on a nice, brisk October afternoon.

We spent some time downtown, checking out bridges along the Chicago river and new hip spots to hang out, stay and shop.  Our second day was spent visiting Bucktown and Wicker Park.  Both neighborhoods were great and we loved them.  We had a scrumptious brunch at Hot Chocolate.  Their variety of hot chocolates (which can also be served over ice for summertime visitors) is great and each chocolate is almost a meal in itself.  The architecture, history and shopping in this part of Chicago is exciting and we recommend checking it out. 

Our last afternoon was spent enjoying some lunch at a brasserie back in the Gold Coast area and then a walk to Lake Michigan along Lake Shore Drive.  I was amazed at how beautiful, peaceful and cold the lake was.  This is part of Chicago is truly a gem and if I lived there I think I would be passing the time there quite often.  Even though we experienced a bit of rain, mid-October turned out to be a fantastic time to visit this great city. 

Tripreport brought to you by Nadia.

100000 British Airways Miles for credit card sign-up - DO IT NOW!!!!

This is an incredible opportunity. LINK HERE

Normal credit card sign-up bonuses are around 20000-30000 miles max but British Airways has upped the ante. You will get 50000 miles after first use and another after $2000 spent (remember the US Mint coin option everyone!!) in the first 3 months. That's a total of 100000 miles. I don't think I have to go into how far you can fly with this.

All this for a measly $75 annual fee on this card. The cost-benefit is off the charts on this one.

I highly recommend getting this card. Your miles won't expire until for 36months and even then you can keep them active by using this card.

British airways is part of the ONE alliance so you can use these miles with American Airlines and others if you'd like. Just think - 100000 miles are 4 domestic tickets!!

If your credit score is good you should have no problem getting this card!