Vacation hang-over is definitely at full strength here. We returned from Costa Rica on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning it was back to reality. I’ve found the best cure for the vacation hangover is to start planning the next free vacation! So that’s just what I’ve been working on this week. A full review of our Costa Rica trip and the Andaz Papagayo will be posted within the week.
Flying from Liberia, Costa Rica, to Houston, we got one last look at Culebra Bay and the Papagayo Peninsula.
New ValueTactics Blog Posts
– Costa Rica Field Report was my one and only post written on our recent vacation. More reports on this trip are coming soon!
– Review – Couples Negril Resort Activities is the final report and review of our Jamaican vacation from almost 2 years ago. It was the last major trip we actually paid for, before our points and miles accounts really got going.
IHG Accelerate Promotion
Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) is running one of their popular “Accelerate Promotions.” Each IHG Rewards member gets a customized list of bonuses they can earn during the promotional period. These are typically worth doing if you are planning some hotel stays in the near future anyway. IHG includes some less expensive chains like Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites. I’ve read reports of people booking a random night at a cheap hotel in order to earn points worth far more than the hotel stay cost them. To read more about this promotion check out recent blog posts by Frugal Travel Guy and One Mile at a Time.
My personalized offer this time around.
Credit Card News
There’s no block buster new cards or elevated sign-up bonuses to speak of at the moment. Chase’s 5/24 rule continues to limit many people’s possibilities as far as good sign-ups go. I plan on writing a beginner’s guide some time soon, which will address how Chase’s and other banks’ rules for sign-up bonuses should factor into your card strategy.
Nicoleen is still working on her Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-up bonus spending. I can wait to see that 100k UR points appear in her account!
Now you’re updated. Go employ some Value Tactics!