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Best of Million Mile Secrets – September 2016

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. 

    1.   I alerted you to the highest sign-up bonus ever on the Barclaycard Arrival Plus!

    The Improved 50,000 Point Sign-Up Bonus on the Barclaycard Arrival Plus Is Worth $525 Towards Travel Purchases

    2.   I updated you on the Marriott Starwood merger, and showed you how to get the most value from your Marriott and Starwood points, and even get an instant status match!

    You Can Now Use Marriott Points for Stays at Starwood Hotels, and Starwood Points for Stays at Marriott Hotels!

    3.   I broke the news to you that the Chase Sapphire Reserve falls under Chase’s strict 5/24 application rules. 🙁

    The Chase Sapphire Reserve Will Be Difficult to Get for Many of Us in the Miles & Points Community

    4.   I let you know about the increased sign-up bonus for the Chase Ink Cash!

    The Chase Ink Cash Comes With 10,000 More Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Than the Standard Offer!

    5.   I explained 10 easy ways to meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-up bonus.

    Spending $4,000 in 3 Months Isn’t as Difficult as You Might Think!

    6.   I showed you how to get increased sign-up bonuses (including statement credits) for the the Delta AMEX personal and business cards!

    You’ll Get a Better Deal on the Personal AMEX Delta Gold Card by Making a Test Booking With Delta

    7.   Do you know this trick to turning your Starwood points into United Airlines miles at a better conversion rate?

    Use United Airlines Miles to Book Award Seats on Any Star Alliance Airline, Like Lufthansa

    8.   I told you the good news about the increased sign-up bonus on The Business Gold Rewards card from American Express.  Emily just applied for the card, because the new offer can give you $500 in travel with no blackout dates!

    You Can Apply for AMEX Small Business Cards Without Hurting Your Chances of Being Approved for Chase Cards Later!

    9.   I let you know about an improved offer of 2 free nights and a $50 statement credit with the Chase Hyatt card.

    Make the Most of Your 2 Free Nights by Staying at Expensive Hotels Like the Park Hyatt New York

    10.   You learned about a new sign-up bonus for the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express.  And we told you why it’s usually NOT as good of a deal as the normal sign-up bonus.

    You’ll Earn 2 Free Nights at a Category 1 to 5 Starwood Hotel With the AMEX Starwood Card’s New Bonus. But It’s a Better Idea for Most Folks to Go for the Regular Bonus of 25,000 Starwood Points!
    Bonus:   There were lots of great travel deals this month!  I let you know about cheap flights to destinations like Denmark and Norway, Puerto Rico, and Havana.  These deals are now gone, but you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook, so you never miss another cheap fare!

    Remember, we’re improving the blog, and would love your input!  Please let Emily and me know what changes would make Million Mile Secrets more useful for you!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)