A trip to Greece has been on my to do list for a long time, but, I must admit, I was a bit put off by pictures of crowded beaches and tourist overrun islands. But when I learned that Greece is one of the first European countries to open to U.S.

It seems like every few days now we're writing about updated product offers. What an exciting time in the world of points and miles.

Citi has updated the Citi Premier Card with a new welcome offer of 80,000 ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months. This is the best ever welcome bonus on this product that we’ve seen and a significant bump from the standard 60,000 ThankYou Points offer. 

Citi ThankYou Points are often overlooked in favor of Membership Rewards or Ultimate Rewards, but they shouldn’t be ignored.

Avianca’s frequent flyer program, LifeMiles, is a program many people love to hate. Yes, there is a somewhat quirky web interface, hard to reach customer service and often the program doesn’t show the same award space as other Star Alliance partners.

Anna’s note: Israel is still closed to tourists and only Israeli citizens are allowed to enter. Please check updated travel restrictions before making any plans.

Know the Entry Requirements for Each Country

As travel resumes, it’s paramount to know each country’s requirements, even if you are just transiting through and are there for a short layover. I like IATA’s Travel Regulations Map and Kayak also maintains a comprehensive list of travel restrictions by country. 

United has its own resource where you can check international travel requirements.

If you are new to the points and miles hobby and want to learn how you too can travel for free, you’ve come to the right place. To paraphrase the famous saying, the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single credit card. 

You might be wondering why the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best credit card for newbies.

On March 31, 2021, Alaska Airlines officially joined the Oneworld airline alliance. Oneworld now has 14 member airlines with a fantastic global reach and includes some of the top-rated airlines in the world such as Cathay Pacific and Qatar. 

So what exactly does this mean for travelers? So far we’ve only seen the good news.

Star Alliance is the biggest airline alliance in the world with 26 member airlines and includes some of the best airlines in the world, such as Austrian and Lufthansa. Thanks to Star Alliance’s reach within Europe, U.S.

My husband and I recently spent eight nights at Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. In short, the hotel is situated on a beautiful white sand beach, its architecture and the landscaping are simply stunning and its staff are almost all uniformly welcoming and are extremely good at showing hospitality. 

The food was hit or miss and, overall, not stellar but solid, and that’s my only criticism of the resort.

The Blue Business Plus card from American Express is an old favorite of ours. And shortly after coming out with a great welcome offer on the American Express ® Business Gold Card, American Express decided to surprise us again and came up with another incredible offer.

And don't forget, more people are often eligible for business cards than realize it.

I must admit, I’ve been to many countries throughout the world, but I’ve only been to Florida once in my life. So between the latest COVID-related travel restrictions that include testing before you can fly back to the U.S., and my need to escape the cold grey Midwest winter, I’ve decided that now is a good time to explore South Florida’s Gulf Coast. I was attracted by the wide, white sand beaches, mild February temperatures and opportunity to book some  very attractive properties with points.