Best of August: My $9,144.92 trip, 16 extra hours in Rome for FREE, my latest signup, and the top 10 miles and points tools!

Another month has flown by!  The kids are back in school, and I’ve got 2 big trips coming up soon! Here were the top posts from Points With a Crew for August!As always, if you’ve enjoyed some of these posts, you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or sign up for our our once-daily email

Featured Stories

We recently got back from a trip through the western United States where we stayed 9 different nights in 8 different hotels across 5 different chains.  Here’s my ranking the 8 hotels we stayed at on our vacation and Why I didn’t spend $9,144.92 on my vacation

Sometimes for a newcomer, it can be hard to find out about all the awesome tools there are in the miles and points world.  Never fear!  I’ve solved that with my Ranking of the Top 10 miles and points tools and Ranking the top miles and points tools: the honorable mentions

August also meant that it was time for some more credit card signups!  First we took a look at the current credit card signup rules and best practices, then it was time to plan my next credit card signup and finally, take a look at my August 2015 credit card signup results

• My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe next month.  See How I got us 16 extra hours in Rome… for FREE! (though I then did have to fight to make American Airlines give me my $200 back!)
• Besides using Autoslash to save on rental car prices, one of my favorite tips is NEVER to rent a “standard” car
• Probably the question I get the most in miles and points is how to get started or what credit cards to apply for.  I always say that first, you must begin with the end in mind: a beginner’s primer to miles and points

Family Travel

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  Uhhhh yes that is a giant walleye on the side of the road

  Don’t let what happened to me happen to you too!  Find out the HUGE mistake I made by not booking my hotel early (luckily it seems to have worked itself out okay now!)

• “Help me get back from London!”
• Rome2Rio – it’s Google Maps Transit on steroids!
• Booking a Point Breaks vacation – it’s harder than it looks!
• With the Every Kid in a Park program, any family with a 4th grader will get FREE access to EVERY National Park for a year: Every Kid in a Park – FREE national park access for families
• When hotel day rooms make sense and how to find them
• Planning a #Cincinnati / Southwest Ohio miles and points meetup
• Trying to plan a European airport lounge strategy
• Planning a Minnesota / Wisconsin / Manitoba / North Dakota / Ontario county trip
• Roadtrip Rule #1: If you see a giant living creature, you…
• Is this trip worth 1,000,000 miles?
• Child Travel consent form: What is it and why do you need it?

Miles, Points and Credit Cards

• 500 United miles for opting in to emails
• I’m always looking for ways to manufacture spending.  I tried some forays into trying to resell gift cards – SPOILER: They did NOT end well!
• Bank of America reconsideration phone number and website and Citi reconsideration phone number and website
• SPG Amex 30K offers for personal and business cards
• Starwood / SPG adding Korean Air as a new transfer partner, and earn 2000 SPG points
• Club Carlson free night e-certs are here!
• How to get Southwest points, FAST!
• My problems trying to apply for multiple Alaska Airlines cards
• If you’re applying for a new credit card, you need to make sure you are getting the best credit card offer.  That’s why I tell people – “Please don’t apply for an Alaska credit card with my link“
• Earn up to 2000 Southwest Rapid Rewards by referring friends
• MAJOR terms change on Top Cashback Amex gift card orders
• Can I transfer Delta miles? How much does it cost?
• Reader question: Redbird debit card loads over?
• Here’s my IHG Accelerate promotion offers – what’s yours?
• How to use the American Express Priority Pass Platinum card benefit
• New sweepstakes from SPG – SPG Open the World: Win up to 25,000 SPG Starpoints – you can play twice per day through all of September.  I haven’t won anything yet, but I’m hopeful!

Hotels and Airlines

• IHG / Priority Club multi-date calendar search
• Did you know that you can get an Alaska Airlines status match: MVP Gold 75K status without ever flying a mile?
• Recent Choice Hotel Rewards stay? Better check for a “System Issue Correction”
• Simple trick to find hotels along a route
• People always like to spend their “free night” certificates at the most luxurious places out there – find out where I “wasted” my 2 IHG free night certificates (HINT: It wasn’t Bora Bora!)

This is NOT where I used my free nights!

Amtrak

Amtrak was in the news quite a bit this month!  Here’s the skinny on everything Amtrak

• Amtrak Guest Rewards 2.0 details leaked – it’s bad news
• Sleuthing out the new bank issuer for the Amtrak credit card
• The comprehensive guide to Amtrak: everything you need to know
• When do Amtrak points expire?
• Chase partnership with Amtrak ending on September 30th

News and Notes

• 2 #giveaways, a Singapore award sweet spot, #ChildFreeFlights, tax ripoffs, back to school shopping and more
• Well how long would it take YOU to hike 58 mountains?
• Do all miles go to heaven? Plus wi-fi blocking, lost Amazon shipments, and is Chase worth it?
• The award redemption going away on Tuesday, plus hilarious 1-star National park reviews, undervalued awards and more!

Thanks for reading and following along!

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