Hilton Honors award rates drop at select luxury hotels

The Hilton Honors program has used dynamic award pricing for many years. Without award charts, the unpublished standard room reward cap has increased many times over the years, including to 120,000 points in March 2022, 200,000 points in May 2025 and 250,000 points in September 2025. However, Thrifty Traveler recently found that standard room rewards…

Rakuten’s Big Deal Reveal: Earn more cash back or Amex points

It’s nearly November, which means it’s already time to think about holiday gifts and how to save on them (or at least maximize your rewards). Thankfully, shopping portal Rakuten has your back with its Holiday Big Deal Reveal, which can earn you up to 23% cash back at select brands — ranging from beauty and…

How much does an Alaska cruise cost? Not as much as you might think

Glaciers so immense and blue they don’t seem real. Snow-dome mountains. A never-ending parade of caribou, whales, bears and seals. All the spectacular things you’ll see on an Alaska cruise will take your breath away — but the price tag doesn’t have to. These voyages can be pricey, and costs can add up beyond the…

Maximizing the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s 5 lifestyle credits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) offers more than $1,000 in annual lifestyle credits — enough to easily offset its $795 annual fee. These perks span dining, entertainment, fitness and transportation, adding meaningful everyday value to an already top travel card. When the card was refreshed mid-year, only new cardholders (those who applied…

Frontier Airlines now takes miles for bags, seats and other perks

Frontier Airlines added a new option for members of its loyalty program on Tuesday, allowing frequent flyers to redeem miles for packages that bundle popular add-ons like seat selection and baggage. The three available bundles range in cost from 2,000 miles to 8,000 miles and are available to Frontier Miles loyalty program members. The bundles…