Travel Hack

A couple of weeks ago, writing about cruise drink packages, I admitted something out loud: I like all-inclusives because they let me stop thinking, and I’d never once actually checked whether that convenience was costing me money. I just assumed … Read More

I would never have made it to the Maldives. It was never on a list. I’m not sure it had ever crossed my mind as a real place I might actually go — it lived in that mental folder of … Read More

I’ll be honest about where this started. I saw one of those tidy little charts going around — how many drinks to break even on the cruise drink package — and I nodded along for about four seconds before the … Read More

I’ll admit the obvious contradiction up front: I just canceled a card because I was tired of the hoops, and here I am writing a guide about working the hoops on the next one. That was the Chase Sapphire. Good … Read More

I didn’t set out to pick a side in the hotel loyalty wars. But somewhere along the way, one program earned my loyalty by being honest, and another lost it by showing me rooms it had no intention of giving … Read More

One of the small stresses of international travel that people don’t talk about enough is connectivity. You land in a new country.You’re tired.Maybe a little disoriented. And the first question becomes: How do I get internet? For years, that meant … Read More

Why IHG Points Changed How I Travel in Asia How one credit card turned into months of five-star mornings Most people think hotel points are about free nights. I think they’re about buying freedom. After you’ve been through enough life … Read More

Travel Tip of the Week… learned the hard way.Like, the very hard way. So picture this: I’m breezing through security in China, feeling good, hydrated, passport ready, doing my usual “seasoned traveler” strut — when suddenly the agent pulls both … Read More