Deposits, Balances, and Deadlines: How European River Cruise Payments Really Work

Booking a river cruise feels simple at the point of sale. You choose a sailing, choose a cabin, hand over a card number, and get a confirmation email. Then the paperwork arrives and the picture gets more complicated. There is a deposit that may or may not come

A few tips for longer Airbnb stays (A Carrie commentary)

In a recent “Ask Us Anything, Live“, someone asked the following question: I have a question for Stephen and Carrie. Now that I am retired my wife and I are interested in finding rentals for several weeks at a time. I am pretty good at finding g

Rakuten American Express Card With Extra Earnings On Rakuten Shopping & Dining + $200 Bonus

Update 8/23/26: $200 bonus is live through 8/25 Update 8/21/26: Upcoming $200 bonus on August 23 – 25. Also note, last month they increased the annual 4x category limit from $7k to $10k. (ht sullim4) Update 6/8/26: It’s back to $200, today only Upd

How the Chase Trifecta Stacks Up in 2026: Is It Still Worth It?

The Chase trifecta is a popular combination of rewards cards that can help you earn more points within the Ultimate Rewards program. It consists of 2 no-annual-fee cards and a premium Sapphire card. The core strategy hasn’t changed, but the...

Roame Now Searches EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands is now live in Roame search. Royal Laurel business class from the West Coast to Taipei runs 75,000 miles one way, EVA holds most of that space back from its Star Alliance partners, and only two US card programs feed the account. H

6 Reasons Why We Love the Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Check out the Top 6 Reasons why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® is our #1 personal card. Great signup bonus and transfer partners. It's the single best "starter card" for beginners. The post

Review: Air India First Class Boeing 777 (DEL-FRA)

For the next flight of my Four Seasons Yacht via Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia adventure, I flew Air India’s Boeing 777-300ER first class on the 9hr25min flight from Delhi (DEL) to Frankfurt (FRA).

Why I love the Amex Business Platinum’s 35% Pay with Points bonus

The Amex Business Platinum’s 35% Pay with Points bonus can make eligible flights a better deal. Here’s how it works and when to transfer points instead.

American Express Announces U.S. Open Benefits 2026 (Two Lounges & $10 Off $100+)

American Express has announced a number of benefits and experiences for cardholders during the U.S. Open 2026.

Flying Blue Award Tickets Are Splitting into Light, Standard, and Flex Fares

Flying Blue awards on Air France and KLM come in three fares, Light, Standard, and Flex, from September 8, 2026.

United Polaris Passenger Opens Freshly Packed Blanket, Finds “Feces” Inside — Then Spends 9 Hours In The Seat

A United Polaris passenger says he opened freshly packed bedding on a San Francisco–Tokyo flight and touched dried feces—then spent nine more hours in the same seat because the cabin was full.

Wells Fargo $500 Checking Bonus

Wells Fargo is offering a $400 bonus when you open a new Everyday Checking account and complete the following requirements

Virgin Atlantic Ups The Ante In India, As The World Dials In

This week, Virgin Atlantic celebrates 25 years of flying to India. In Virgin fashion, it’s doing so in style, with a joint announcement among partners Delta... The post

I Stayed At The Renovated Grand Hyatt DFW — Still The Gold Standard For U.S. Airport Hotels

The Grand Hyatt DFW remains one of the best airport hotels in the country: physically connected to Terminal D, recently renovated, well soundproofed, and still excellent for runway views. It is expensive in cash and points, but when the price is not outrageous

Compensation Clinic: Ibis Tbilisi Airport

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a rather interesting Compensation Clinic-case form a stay at the ibis Tbilisi Airport. Have a mishap, a loyalty story, or something else travel-related to share? Please send it to us at john@loyaltylobby.com for a possible feature

Coming Soon: Starter Kit, A New Podcast Series to Get Started in Points & Miles

Introducing “Starter Kit” – our upcoming podcast series of special bonus episodes dedicated to helping you get started in points and miles, becoinge a true award travel “sicko,” or just …

American Airlines 787-8 Main Cabin Extra Review: Miami to Los Angeles

American Airlines sometimes uses widebody aircraft on domestic routes. Miami to Los Angeles is one example. A few years ago, I flew the same route in the opposite direction on the American 777-300ER.

Royal Caribbean Ship Delayed Two Days for Urgent Maintenance

Last Chance Deals: Cathay Pacific transfer bonus & award rebate, United Mile Play offers, & more

Welcome to our weekly list of what’s ending this week, along with a collection of other deals due to end soon. There are a dozen deals ending this week, two of which are Cathay Pacific-related. One of those is a 10% transfer bonus, while the other gives a p

10 Questions with a Cruise Ship River Pilot

Ever wonder who’s really steering those massive cruise ships as they navigate narrow river channels? We sat down with Captain Bryson (since retired), a harbor pilot with decades of experience guiding vessels through Jacksonville’s St. John’s