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… Continue Reading
My strange experience with applying for the Chase Ink Business Preferred Upgraded to Economy, July 25, 2023 Recently, I found out that the Chase Ink Business Preferred card was offering a new sign-up bonus of 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after $8,000 of card spending in the first three months. With this greatly improved offer that reduces the spend requirement and increases the number of bonus points,… Continue Reading
Credit Cards Your old Discover Card from college becomes useful again for the next 3 months Upgraded to Economy, July 24, 2023 For the third quarter of 2023, those of you with the Discover it® Cash Back Card that gives 5% back on rotating quarterly categories will find the cash back category widely applicable and generally useful for a limited time. From July to September 2023, in addition to 5% back on… Continue Reading
Credit cards to apply for after starting your first job Upgraded to Economy, July 21, 2023August 16, 2023 So you’ve just started your first job. Congratulations! With your new source of consistent income, you’ll want a good credit card to help you save money on your everyday spending. Do you have a credit card from college? Many college students will have a Discover it® Student or Discover it®… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
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…. Continue Reading
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, 2023November 24, 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… Continue Reading
Easy credit wins: Asking for credit limit increases for existing credit cards without hard inquiries Upgraded to Economy, July 7, 2023July 9, 2023 The fastest way to get more credit is to apply for an entirely new credit card. You’ll be a lot more likely to receive a larger chunk of credit this way, especially if you have a stellar payment history and a high income. But I wouldn’t call this the easiest… Continue Reading
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… Continue Reading
Lounges Lounge review: Capital One Lounge at Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) Upgraded to Economy, July 6, 2023November 22, 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… Continue Reading
Lounges Lounge review: New Centurion Lounge in Seattle (SEA) Upgraded to Economy, July 5, 2023November 22, 2023 The Centurion Lounge at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport was long the bane of American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Its compact footprint in Concourse B left it as a cramped, overcrowded lounge that one would almost always have to wait in line for 30 minutes or more to access. Thankfully, this… Continue Reading