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Upgraded to Economy
Upgraded to Economy

Category: Travel

Credit Cards

My first solid hotel points redemption with Hyatt

Upgraded to Economy, September 22, 2023September 22, 2023

After years of hoarding my credit card points for a solid hotel redemption, I’ve finally found one. I tend to not use my points unless the opportunity truly presents itself. That happens whenever there is an amazing points deal or if the cash price is extremely high and it’d be…

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Travel

My tips on going through the border crossing interview in the U.S. and Canada

Upgraded to Economy, August 21, 2023August 23, 2023

Hate the intense questioning that the U.S. and Canadian border guards ask you? I got so tired of it that I first applied for Global Entry and then later NEXUS. Ben Schlappig from One Mile At A Time has a poignant article explaining he wants NEXUS because of the intense…

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Trusted Traveler Programs

Finally approved for NEXUS! (And how I was almost denied)

Upgraded to Economy, August 20, 2023August 23, 2023

As I said in my previous post, I was able to snag an August appointment in Blaine, WA after using Appointment Scanner. Previously, I was only able to schedule a September appointment. I made the trek this past Friday for my interview. I was almost denied for NEXUS, but eventually…

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Travel

Transborder arrival and departure experience at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport

Upgraded to Economy, August 16, 2023August 23, 2023

This week, I took flights to and from Montréal via LaGuardia Airport. I had a trip to New York with friends that got cut short because of some late cancelations. Therefore, due to my proximity to Montréal, I booked last-minute plane tickets between LaGuardia Airport and Montréal–Trudeau. Flights between major…

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Trusted Traveler Programs

NEXUS conditional approval after 15 months

Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2023August 16, 2023

On May 11, 2022, I applied for NEXUS after becoming a member of Global Entry in March of that year. I was planning on moving to Seattle and anticipated driving across the border to Vancouver every other month. From prior experience, I knew crossing the border could take a few…

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How to get your travel history into Canada as a U.S. citizen

Upgraded to Economy, August 1, 2023August 2, 2023

The United States and Canada each keep track of entries into and exits from the respective countries. On July 7, I submitted a request for all of the records that the United States federal government and the Government of Canada have for my entries into and exits out of each…

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Travel

Is going to Point Roberts worth it?

Upgraded to Economy, July 18, 2023

Have you ever been to a peninsula of the United States that’s only accessible by land through Canada? Like almost every single American, neither did I until recently. Point Roberts is a pene-exclave of the United States located just south of Vancouver. Politically, it is part of Whatcom County in…

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Travel

I was a digital nomad for 3 months in Europe. Would I do it again?

Upgraded to Economy, July 15, 2023July 18, 2023

As the pandemic ended, the world started opening up. Even though things weren’t quite back to normal, travel began to rebound. Europe was reopening around this time, finally allowing me the chance to explore a continent I had always wanted to visit. With my N95 masks, CDC vaccine cards, and…

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Travel

Is it better to travel alone or with others?

Upgraded to Economy, July 14, 2023August 16, 2023

The ultimate travel dilemma is whether you want to do it solo or in a group. Is one superior over the other? I typically travel alone, but I’ve organized successful trips with friends before. (I’m not counting trips with my family.) The vibe between each of them are very different….

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Trusted Traveler Programs

My experience getting an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) as a U.S. citizen (and how you can get one too)

Upgraded to Economy, July 8, 2023July 14, 2023

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is designed to expedite entry of businesspeople between different APEC economies. I recently obtained one for myself in case I make any future business trips to Asia. Benefits APEC is an organization of 20+ countries bordering the Pacific Ocean to promote trade between each…

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Trusted Traveler Programs

There’s three ways to check your NEXUS application status, and only one of them is superior

Upgraded to Economy, July 6, 2023July 8, 2023

Due to the lasting effects of the pandemic, processing times for new NEXUS applications currently exceed one year. This is particularly frustrating to people who live on the border and have been waiting for such a long time to get access to this wonderful program. I’ve currently waited for 14…

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Lounges

Review: Capital One Lounge at Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW)

Upgraded to Economy, July 6, 2023July 13, 2023

The Capital One Lounge at DFW is currently the only Capital One lounge available. With continuing delays at Denver and Dulles and with more expected, it looks like this will be the only lounge in their own network for a while. When Capital One opened their lounge for Venture X…

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