January 2020 – Cafes and Alleyways

Booking Our Return Trip from Dubai and The Maldives

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 31, 2020
Post category:General
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Points and miles can help ordinary people to explore extraordinary places. We recently used points and miles to book a trip to Dubai and the Maldives. We locked in the outbound trip on Emirates, and now we needed a way to get home. After exploring our options we decided on flying Etihad Business class. Etihad has a partnership with American Airlines, and so we booked our Etihad flight using AA miles. The cost per ticket was 70,000 American Airline, and $83.23 for taxes. Total for the two tickets came to 140,000 miles and $166.46. This is a great use of AA miles. The trip home consists of…

Booking Our Outbound Flight to Dubai and The Maldives

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 31, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles Travel
Post comments:2 Comments

We’re planning a two-week trip to Dubai and the Maldives. For the outbound flight we decided to fly Emirate. Emirate operates a non-stop flight from LAX to Dubai on their A380. We booked an award ticket that included a one week layover. We would fly from Los Angeles to Dubai, stay in Dubai for a week, and then continue on from Dubai to the Maldives. Both of these flights are allowed on a single award booking. When it comes to booking award flights on Emirates, there are several points and miles options. The most straightforward approach is to use Emirates Skyward miles to book the flight. This…

Money Tips for Traveling Internationally

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 28, 2020
Post category:General Travel
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We’re ramping up for a trip to Dubai. Part of any trip is figuring out how to best pay for expenses when traveling internationally. Here are some financial tips we put into practice when exploring the world. Tip #1 - Bring Some of The Local Currency We normally arrive at a destination with some of the local currency. At a minimum, we want enough to take a cab to the hotel, and for tipping. In preparation for Dubai, we ordered AED, the currency of the United Arab Emirates. We pay an exchange rate, but it’s worth having cash ahead of time. We don’t want to land…

Decide What Type of Reward Points You Want to Begin Earning

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 20, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles
Post comments:2 Comments

Welcome to the world of points and miles! We’re sharing how Ordinary People can travel to Extraordinary Places by using airline miles and hotel points. In this series we lay out steps to save money and travel more. Here are the topics we cover. Getting Started with Points and MilesLook and Learn Before You LeapDecide What Type of Reward Points You Want to Begin EarningSign-Up For a Frequent Flyer AccountEarn Your First PointsEarn Points Through Credit Card Sign Ups- Part 1- Count the CostEarn Points Through Credit Card Sign Ups- Part 2- Ten Steps to FollowEarn Points Through Credit Card SpendingEarn Points Through…

Use your Airline Fee Credits in 2020

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 9, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles
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On January 1st, the clock has reset for many credit cards which reimburse airline expenses. The reimbursement normally comes in the form of a statement credit on your credit card bill. With the start of the new year, it’s time to begin planning for 2020. I have four credit cards that offer airline reimbursements, all of these reset each year on January 1st. Collectively, these four cards offer $650 worth of airline incidentals. So using them is important. My breakdown is as follows: American Express Platinum Card - $200 of Airline creditsAmerican Express Gold Card - $100 of Airline creditsAmerican Express Hilton Aspire -…

Saying Goodbye to Christmas Time at the Disneyland Resort- Anaheim California

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 8, 2020
Post category:General
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Just a few more days left for all the Christmas magic at the Happiest Place on Earth to be gone! If you are in Southern California for the next few days, stop by the “Happiest Place on Earth” to see Christmas at its best! Christmas Time at Downtown Disneyland The magic starts as you walk through Downtown Disney to the entrance gates of Disneyland. The fluorescent green, blue and orange colored trees in the planters will grab your attention to display the magic that is still to follow. Even the window displays at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney will bring…

Square Marcel Bleustein Blanchet

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 5, 2020
Post category:General
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A popular spot in Paris is the steps of Sacré-Cœur. It’s the highest point in Paris and offers a great view of the city. Many tourists flood the steps, but fewer go to square behind the Basilica. If you’re in Paris, get off the beaten path and stop by Square Marcel Bleustein Blanchet. You’ll find a garden and nice escape from the crowds. ✈️🌎🧳

Why My Top Credit Card For Earning Hilton Points Is Not A Card That Earns Hilton Points

Post author:CafesandAlleyways
Post published:January 3, 2020
Post category:Points+Miles
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We want to help ordinary people travel extraordinary places by using points and miles. We especially enjoy sharing lesser-known approaches to earning reward points. Sometimes the most obvious way to earn points, isn’t the most effective, for example… Next month we’ll be staying in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives. This stay was booked using Hilton points. The most obvious way to earn Hilton points, is to sign up and use an American Express Hilton Card. Amex Hilton Cards earn Hilton points for each dollar spent. They are solid cards, in fact…I have one! But, my top credit card for earning Hilton points is…