Hey there, you're reading an outdated post! The updated series from April 2015 can be found here.

This is the ninth post in a monthlong series. Each post will take about two minutes to read and may include an action item that takes the reader another two minutes to complete.

Today only is a bit misleading, since similar one day offers happened in February and June if memory serves. American Express seems to have a pattern of offering this, so if you can't get it today, you may have another shot soon.

Get the link from your second favorite blogger.

This offer has expired. Click here for the current Starwood Preferred Guest American Express offer.

The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card temporarily increased its sign up bonus from 25,000 SPG points to 30,000 SPG points after $5,000 in spending within six months of getting the card. Here are the stats:

Issuing Bank: American Express

Absolute Value of the Sign Up Bonus: $732+

Rebate Percentage of the Sign Up Bonus: 14.6%+

This card's sign up bonus is denominated in SPG points (Starpoints), the proprietary points of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program.

Hey there, you're reading an outdated post! The updated series from April 2015 can be found here.

This is the eighth post in a monthlong series. Each post will take about two minutes to read and may include an action item that takes the reader another two minutes to complete.

Last month I wrote:
US Airways didn’t announce when its off peak

Hey there, you're reading an outdated post! The updated series from April 2015 can be found here.

Thankfully Mommy Points has a full post on the 50% off Southwest sale happening today only. What a time saver she is for a blogger trying to enjoy his Aloha Friday. Check her post out for the full details, but don't bother clicking if you can't fly these seven Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the sale only applies to them:

September 5
September 11
September 18
September 25
October 2
October 31
November 6

The briefest miles blogger, Mile Nerd, lets us know about Dividend Miles Daily Deals. It's like Groupon in that deals rotate and are discounted.

Tomorrow I'll be listing the top current sign up bonuses for rewards credit cards. But what does it mean for a card to have a top bonus?

There are two equally valid ways to value a credit-card sign up bonus. The method that is appropriate for you depends mainly on how much you spend per year on credit cards.

Absolute Value Method: Calculate the total value of the sign up bonus in dollars. Rank the sign up bonus offers by their value in dollars.

Rebate Percentage Method: Calculate the total value of the sign up bonus in dollars.

When I say that United awards can have one stopover and two open jaws, it elicits a lot of confusion. Some people don't know what an open jaw is while others can handle one conceptually, but not two open jaws. Hopefully I can clear it up.

A roundtrip United award is made up of two oneway segments.

An open jaw happens when the origin of one of those two oneways does not match up with the destination of the other.

For example, consider a roundtrip United award with the two oneway segments LAX -> JFK and JFK -> LAX.

Today I am flying from Honolulu to Los Angeles on a flight operated by American Airlines. I bought my ticket with 12,500 British Airways Avios and $11 as described in this Anatomy of an Award. I listed 12,500 Avios and $11 as one of the cheapest ways to get to Hawaii recently.

Yesterday at 2:50 PM, when I got the email to check in, I did so.