Among the four most popular hotel loyalty programs with TPG readers (World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and IHG One Rewards), the elite perks within the Hilton Honors program are the weakest. Part of this is surely because you can maintain top-tier Hilton Diamond status just by holding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire…

United Club Card overview The United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) is the ideal card for United Club lounge access — bar none. This card makes a lot of sense for avid United fans, but those who don’t fly the airline at least a few times a year will struggle to get positive value…

The security screening company Clear is expanding its premium airport concierge service for its members, which could help travelers move through the airport even faster. The service has expanded to several new airports, including those in San Diego, Atlanta and Sacramento, among others. Clear Plus is a secure identity membership program currently available at 59…

I recently applied for an exciting welcome offer on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) and was thrilled when I was approved. But when Citi only gave me a small credit limit that would make it difficult to meet the minimum spending requirement on time, I was able to…

Autumn starts early in Alaska’s interior. After watching the season’s first snow dust the peaks of Denali National Park from my window seat in a motorcoach last August, I disembarked and took a deep breath of brisk mountain air before entering the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge’s great room. A grand stone fireplace drew my gaze…

I’m not a fan of paying hotel resort fees. After paying what can already be a substantial room rate online in advance, it’s an unpleasant part of the check-in process to be handed a sheet of paper advising me that by paying an additional (mandatory) fee, I have access to certain amenities and small savings,…