How to Live for Free – Part 1
How to Live for Free – Part 1 There aren’t many things in life that are free, but when they […]
Articles & Blog Posts
Guides and updates on award travel, credit-card points, cruises, hotels, and trip planning — everything Miles Man has written, in one place.
How to Avoid Being Scammed out of Your Miles
Even if you think you are vigilant, you too can be scammed. Here’s a little cautionary tale of how my
Most People Waste Their Credit Card Credits — Here’s How to Turn Them Into Cash
If you have premium credit cards, there’s a good chance you’re wasting hundreds of dollars every year. Between dining credits,
Spirit Airlines Shutdown: What Happened & What to Do
On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines ceased operations entirely, stranding travelers mid-itinerary and leaving anyone holding an upcoming reservation
Virgin Voyages
46 Must-Know Insider Tips for Sailing on Virgin Voyages
Yes, I said 46 Insider Tips! No gatekeeping here, so here we go… Last week, I detailed my sailing on
Airfare
Now’s the Time to Use Your Miles and Points
As we’ve recently seen, fuel prices have been skyrocketing, causing airfares to rise and schedules to be reduced. What should
Cruising with Comics on the Virgin Voyages Comedy Fest
I recently sailed with Virgin Voyages, an adult-only luxury cruise line, for its U.S. Comedy Fest. The five-night sailing aboard
Free Miles for the Taking
Many credit cards come with valuable credits as card benefits. If you have any of these credit cards, there are
How I Negotiated with United for a $1500 Travel Voucher
Flying home from Miami after a Virgin Voyages cruise, I turned a routine “take a later flight” offer into a
How to keep track of those credit card credits
In recent years, many credit cards have increased their annual fees, but added credits for various products and services as
Travel for Free
Creative Spending Tips to Get Big Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses
A fantastic way to build your miles and points balance is to open a new credit card. Look for one
Maximizing Miles Earning Opportunities – Play Doubles if You Can
What’s better than miles and points for one? Miles and points for two! Why should one person in the family
How to Fly Semi-Private for Free
by Eric Lipkind Are you tired of waiting in long TSA lines at the airport? What about waiting for an
Delays
Chase Sapphire Reserve StubHub/Viagogo Credit: How to Get the Most From It
When the Chase Sapphire Reserve refreshed its benefits in October 2025, it added a semi-annual $150 credit for StubHub or
Miles Man Updates: Enhanced Website, New Content, and IATAN Accreditation
As Miles Man continues to grow, I’m happy to announce several enhancements. Welcome to Miles Man 2.0! Website The Miles
New Pricing Tiers for Virgin Voyages: What You Need to Know
by Eric Lipkind Virgin Voyages continues to innovate the cruise travel experience. I’ve made no secret of my love for Virgin
Bonvoy, MGM
Free Weekly Bonvoy Points
by Eric Lipkind If you want to boost your Marriott Bonvoy balance, there is an easy way to do so weekly
Delays
Navigating Newark Airport Delays
by Eric Lipkind As you may know, Newark Airport has been plagued with many problems due to runway construction, FAA technology
Virgin Voyages
Free Drinks on Virgin Voyages Ending Soon
by Eric Lipkind I have written about booking Virgin Voyages using miles or points. In addition to assisting with mileage trips, I am
United
New Way to Upgrade on United
by Eric Lipkind United offers upgrades using cash and/or miles after making a reservation. Many times, if you want to upgrade
AMEX, Hilton
New Hilton AMEX Business Platinum Benefit
by Eric Lipkind The American Express Business Platinum card offers many credits as card benefits ($200 airline, $400 Dell, etc.). A
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages Love Affair
by Eric Lipkind I have gone on many different cruise lines in the last ten years. I have made it no
AMEX
Accelerated AMEX Business Platinum Points Rebate
by Eric Lipkind One of the great benefits of the AMEX Business Platinum Card is the Amex Pay With Points 35% points
AMEX, Fine Hotels and Resorts
Amex Platinum Fine Hotels + Resorts: Benefits, How to Book, and the Math
The American Express Platinum Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) benefit turns a normal luxury-hotel stay into one that often costs
Bonvoy, Marriott
Get 200 free Marriott Bonvoy points!
By Eric Lipkind Everybody likes free points. Well, Marriott is offering 200 free Bonvoy points for every Bonvoy card you register
Virgin Voyages
Book free Virgin Voyage cruises with points now!
By Eric Lipkind At the risk of sounding like a salesperson for Virgin Voyages based on the number of Virgin Voyages posts recently,
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages Continues to Innovate with Season Passes and More
by Eric Lipkind I make it no secret that Virgin Voyages is my favorite cruise line. Having also sailed on Disney,
Virgin Voyages
Richard Branson awards free Virgin Voyage Cruises
by Eric Lipkind Virgin Voyages is my favorite cruise line and I’m looking forward to my upcoming sailing this summer. Virgin
Carnival, Casino, Cruise, Travel for Free, Trip Review
Not All Free Travel is Created Equal
by Eric Lipkind The main reason many people get into this hobby of miles and points is to get free and
Cruise, Emirates, Travel for Free, Trip Review, Virgin Voyages
How We Got $38K of Mediterranean Travel for $517
by Eric Lipkind Yes, you read correctly. My wife and I just got back from a 17-day Mediterranean travel vacation that
Delays
Flight Cancellations Due to Weather
June 28, 2023|Airfare The bad storms the last few days have caused severe flight cancellations. Miles Man was featured on
United
Getting credits when fares drop on United
by Eric Lipkind It is always annoying when you buy a plane ticket and then the fare drops in the days
Paypal
Paying Bills With PayPal Bill Pay
by Eric Lipkind Have you ever wanted to pay hills using a credit card, only to find the merchant wanted to
Frontier
Frontier all you can fly pass update
by Eric Lipkind Frontier has announced that the all-you-can-fly pass can be used to book flights 10 days in advance for
Frontier
Is the Frontier All-you-can-fly pass worth it?
by Eric Lipkind Frontier just announced an all-you-can-fly pass for $599 for one year starting in May 2023 and can be
AMEX
AMEX chat has disappeared
by Eric Lipkind A week and a half ago I noticed that the AMEX chat function disappeared on both the app
Frontier
Free flight to Vegas on Frontier
by Eric Lipkind Today I received an email from Frontier airlines thanking me for being a customer. There was a code
AMEX, Marriott
New Marriott Amex Offer
There is a new Marriott Amex offer that can be added to select Amex cards. This offer appeared on my
United
Discounted United Flights for 18-22 Year Olds
by Eric Lipkind United is running a promotion through June 30th, where 18-22 year olds can get a 5% discount off
Chase
Chase Credit Card News
Chase released some information today on new/extended benefits coming to its cards: Lyft Accelerator Extension through March 2025 DoorDash Co-Brand
AMEX, Retention Bonus
Latest Data Points on AMEX Retention Offers
by Eric Lipkind American Express has been very generous with retention offers in the past, while others have not (I’m looking
Emirates
Emirates Skywards+ Provides Great Benefits
My wife and I have an upcoming trip to Dubai. When looking to book with points, I found something on
Caesars, Casino, Founders Card
Caesars and Atlantis have upped their offer
If you have Platinum status or higher in Caesars Rewards, you are entitled to free nights at Atlantis in the
Frontier
Frontier reduces baggage weight allowance
by Eric Lipkind If you fly on Frontier, be aware that the baggage weight allowance has been reduced to 40 pounds
Paypal
Did you know you can pay THESE with credit cards?
by Eric Lipkind Credit cards are the easiest way to earn miles and points. Most people think of using credit cards
Hyatt
World of Hyatt Triple Nights
by Eric Lipkind I recently got a new Chase World of Hyatt credit card. Aside from the bonus points and 5 night credit
Bonvoy, Caesars, Casino, Hyatt, Priority Pass, Travel for Free, Trip Review
Nearly $7,000 of travel for $1,000 – Bahamas
Nearly $7,000 of travel for $1,000 – Bahamas October 7, 2021|Bonvoy, Caesars Rewards, Casino, Hyatt, Priority Pass by Eric Lipkind My
AMEX, Bonvoy, Retention Bonus
Latest round of retention offers
by Eric Lipkind Every year after the annual fee posts to one of my cards, I call the card issuer to
Chase, Hyatt
Does Chase even understand the 5/24 rule?
by Eric Lipkind As has been widely published, Chase has a so-called 5/24 rule whereby if you have gotten 5 new
Autoslash, Travel for Free, Turkish Airlines, United
My latest free travel and how I did it — $7,085 for $272
by Eric Lipkind If you’re looking to travel last-minute for free, it can be done! Let me explain. My son and
Paypal
The 100,000 Brex points finally posted
Two months ago Brex had a promotion for 100,000 Brex points for signing-up for the no-fee Paypal Merchant Services credit card processing.
AMEX, Annual Fee, Bonvoy, Chase, Frontier, Retention Bonus
Update on value gained out of credit cards with annual fees
by Eric Lipkind Last month I wrote about how I get value out of credit cards with annual fees. In May, I
Delta
Nice surprise from Delta
by Eric Lipkind Last year I had signed up for a status match challenge with Delta SkyMiles. It gave me Platinum
United
United PerksPlus devaluation
United Perks PerksPlus is a program for business owners which allows the business to accumulate points for awards based upon dollars spent
Bonvoy, Marriott
Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance: Discontinued (What to Do Instead)
Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance no longer exists. Marriott stopped accepting new Points Advance reservations on March 27, 2023. If you’re
Crypto
Brex points for Crypto?
While I am still awaiting my 110,000 point bonus Brex points from the Paypal and Carta promotions, yesterday they rolled
AMEX, Annual Fee, Bonvoy, Chase, Retention Bonus
Why Its Worth It To Pay For Credit Cards With Annual Fees
My wife and I have many credit cards. We have many credit cards that charge annual fees. 26 to be
Autoslash, Bonvoy, Frontier, Hertz, Priority Pass, Trip Review
Trip review – Tampa, FL
Earlier this week I moved my son out of college in Tampa, FL. I’ll review the flight, hotel, car rental,
Paypal
My Brex saga
Last week I wrote about the new Brex offer giving 100,000 Brex points for signing up form Paypal Merchant Services credit
Paypal
Brex 100,000 point offer from PayPal
Brex is a relatively new platform that offers a no-fee debit card that earns points which can be redeemed for
Bonvoy, Frontier, Marriott, Travel for Free, Trip Review, Uber
San Juan: Latest travel hack 94% off – $7,021 of travel for $391
For Spring Break, we wanted to travel domestically to avoid a COVID test on our return. We were able to find
United
New United Budget Search Feature
There is a new feature on United.com called Budget Search which the website says is still in beta testing. What this will
AMEX, Delta
New Amex Delta Offers
There are also new Amex offers on the Delta cards. Remember to add the offers to your cards. 3 extra
AMEX, Bonvoy
New Amex Bonvoy Offers
Some new Amex offers just came out on the Amex Bonvoy cards. Some help largely offset the annual fees. Both
AMEX, Retention Bonus
Amex retention bonuses continue
As I’ve mentioned, American Express has been extremely generous with retention offers. In the past, you could get a
Bonvoy
Great Bonvoy News for 2021
Today Marriott rolled out some great enhancements to itw Bonvoy program. This is in addition to enhancements added last year.
AMEX, Paypal
New Year, New AMEX Offers
Happy New Year! AMEX has released a bunch of great new offers and credits on several cards. Some offers are
Bonvoy, Marriott, Trip Review, United
Trip Review – Punta de Mita, Mexico
by Eric Lipkind Last month, amid rising Covid cases in the US, my wife, son, and I went to Punta de
Bonvoy, Marriott
Homes and Villas by Marriott Promotion
If you didn’t know, Marriott has a new program called Homes and Villas by Marriott International. From what I can
Bonvoy, Marriott
Free Bonvoy Nights Promotion
Some Bonvoy members have a promotion in their accounts for two free nights. You will get one free night after
AMEX, Founders Card
Maximizing AMEX Dell credits – $1,393 of items and a profit
by Eric Lipkind One of my favorite benefits of the AMEX Business Platinum cards is the semi-annual $100 credit to be
AMEX, Uber
December AMEX Platinum credits
Don’t forget to use your new December AMEX Platinum card credits. Amex Platinum Business card – $20 on cell phone
AMEX
Use your AMEX Platinum Dell and Saks credits TODAY
The American Express Platinum Business card comes with $200 in Dell credits the second half of 2020. The American Express Platinum card comes with
Annual Fee, Retention Bonus
How to Get Your Credit Card Annual Fee Waived (Or Reduced)
I always mention it’s worth asking for annual fee waivers or retention bonuses. However, sometimes it happens even without asking.
Delta
Great new Delta Covid Tool
by Eric Lipkind Delta has a great Covid Tool which not only shows where they are currently flying, but it also
AMEX
One year Free of Blinkist Premium via AMEX Offers
There is an AMEX offer which can be added to your AMEX card for one free year of Blinkist Premium that gives
AMEX, Retention Bonus
AMEX Retention Bonuses for No-Fee Cards
I have had a lot of success lately with Amex retention bonuses on my cards that had large annual fees.
Airfare, Bonvoy, Marriott, Travel for Free, Trip Review, Turkish Airlines, United
My latest great points booking for $10,846 of travel for $339!
By Eric Lipkind With Covid raging out of control and feeling a bit cooped up, we decided to book a vacation
AMEX, Bonvoy
Amazing Amex Bonvoy card offers
American Express currently has amazing sign-up offers for the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant Card and the Amex Bonvoy Business Card. Amex Bonvoy Brilliant
Chase, Paypal
How to Earn Credit Card Points Paying College Tuition (Now That PayPal Key Is Gone)
Luckily, one of my kids’ colleges takes Visa or Mastercard with no credit card fee. Back when I originally wrote
AMEX, Retention Bonus
Another day another Amex retention offer
Following up on yesterday’s post where I got a 65,000 Bonvoy point retention bonus from Amex on my Bonvoy Brilliant card, today
AMEX, Bonvoy
Amex Bonvoy Brilliant Retention Offers: How to Ask and What to Expect
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card now carries a $650 annual fee. Before you decide whether to keep it,
United
Easy 10,000 United Mileage Plus Miles
The Mileage Plus X app is a great app that acts like a shopping portal by letting you buy gift
AMEX, Uber
New month, new credits to spend
Just a reminder that certain credits replenished at the start of the month on the AMEX Platinum cards. Make sure
AMEX, Marriott
30% Off Marriott Amex Offer
There is a new Amex offer for Marriott for $75 off $250 in stays which is 30% off. This is
AMEX, Chase, Discover
How to Choose Which Credit Card to Use for Each Purchase
If you can manage multiple credit cards — and pay them off in full each month — you can maximize
United
United ends change fees
United offered a surprise today by eliminating change fees. They say there are no change fees for all tickets but
AMEX, Bonvoy
Some great Amex offers
There are some great Amex offers that you can add to your card: $100 off $100 purchase at Dell (Platinum
AMEX, Uber
New month, New reset on Amex Platinum credits
As the new month starts, remember that certain credits on Amex Platinum Business and Amex Platinum personal cards get refreshed:
AMEX, Uber
Use your Amex Platinum Uber credit today!
The American Express Platinum comes with a $15 monthly Uber credit. Last month, Amex was willing to give me a
United
United extends no fee changes for purchases through April 30th
By Eric Lipkind United has extended its no fee change policy for tickets purchased through April 30th. This is an extension
Chase, United
Extension on time for Chase United Card sign-up bonus
By Eric Lipkind Many credit cards come with sign-up bonuses which require a certain amount of spend within a certain time
AMEX, Uber
AMEX giving refunds in lieu of Uber credit
By Eric Lipkind One of the benefits of the American Express Platinum card is the $200 annual Uber credit given in
AMEX, United
Coronavirus policies at United and AMEX
by Eric Lipkind Hope everyone is staying safe. Just a few notes regarding how United and AMEX are handling Coronvirus related
United
United caves to pressure
by Eric Lipkind United seems to have caved to public scrutiny regarding its Conavirus change policy and is now allowing changes
United
Does United care about you?
by Eric Lipkind United is allowing you to change your tickets for no fee if you purchased them since March 3rd.
AMEX, Uber
AMEX Uber Eats credit for tequila shots?
by Eric Lipkind The American Express Platinum Card comes with a $15 per month credit (plus an extra $20 in December)
AMEX, Shopping Portals
Huge cash-back on Samsung Galaxy S20 phone with Rakuten
by Eric Lipkind The new Samsung Galaxy S20 phone went on sale today. If you pre-registered with Samsung, you would have
AMEX
Another amazing AMEX retention offer
By Eric Lipkind My American Express Platinum annual fee was coming up. I called the retention number with the usual, ‘I’m
AMEX, Retention Bonus
AMEX Retention Bonus
by Eric Lipkind Given the fantastic sign-on bonuses AMEX has been offering which gave upwards of 75,000-100,000 points, many people signed
AMEX
I received a 1099 from Amex for a referral bonus
In 2019 someone got an Amex card by clicking through my referral link. I received 20,000 bonus points. Today, I
AMEX, Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Certificate Missing? Here’s How to Fix It
Over a year ago the Amex Starwood cards were revamped and became the Amex Bonvoy cards. Upon the annual renewal,
Caesars, Frontier, Travel for Free, Trip Review
My 5 day trip to CES in Las Vegas for under $240 total
Last week I attended CES in Vegas. The total expense for the trip was just under $240 including airfare, hotel,
AMEX, Frontier
Using Amex Platinum airline credits on Frontier Airlines
Short answer: no. You can no longer use the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit on Frontier Airlines. American Express
Cruise
Earn Bonus Points on a Cruise With This Casino Cash Trick
Manufactured spending creates mileage-earning opportunities by putting spend on a credit card and then paying that bill off — effectively
Caesars
Affordable dining option at Atlantis
While using the free 4-night stay in the Royal Tower at Atlantis in the Bahamas courtesy of Caesars Rewards Diamond
Shopping Portals
Cyber-Monday Ray-Ban Triple Stacking Deal
Today only, you can get a great deal on Ray-Ban’s. Here are the steps: 1. Login to each of your
American Airlines
Easy 2,000 American Aadvantage miles with The Economist
You can get an easy 2,000 American Aadvantage miles by signing up for a trial subscription to The Economist for
Shopping Portals
Lord and Taylor Black Friday Sale and Bonus AMEX points
Lord and Taylor is having a huge online sale. Many items are significantly marked down, but in addition, you can
Shopping Portals
Spa Finder Gift Certificates amazing deal
Spa Finder has a great Black Friday sale. Sometimes, cash back comes out to more value than points. This is
Shopping Portals
How to Earn Extra Points and Cash Back With Shopping Portals
There are many ways to earn frequent flier miles, American Express Membership Rewards, or Chase Ultimate Rewards points beyond just
Airfare
Airfare Price Drop After You Book? Here’s How to Get the Difference Back
Have you ever purchased a plane ticket only to find the airfare then drops? Several airlines will let you recapture