Americans are gearing up for a record-breaking Labor Day holiday weekend with nearly 23 million seats booked, and some days and airports will be more crowded than others.
27.08.2024 - 20:41 / thepointsguy.com
Hotel credit cards are often overlooked when compared to their airline card counterparts.
Mid-tier hotel cards, with annual fees of up to $100, can be an incredibly valuable addition to any wallet, whether you're an infrequent traveler, a road warrior or a nonstop jet-setter.
These cards tend to have relatively low annual fees yet can provide outsize value in the form of award nights, elite status, increased earning potential and other perks.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is Marriott's mid-market personal card option, issued by Chase.
It comes with a sign-up bonus of three free night awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first three months of account opening — note that certain hotels have resort fees.
Here are three other reasons to consider applying for the Bonvoy Boundless card.
By far, one of the card's best perks — and what makes the $95 fee seem fairly insignificant — is the perk of an annual award night. Here's how it works (and why it's so valuable).
Each year, upon account renewal, cardholders receive an award night certificate valid at Marriott hotels valued up to 35,000 Bonvoy points a night.
While you certainly can't redeem this certificate everywhere, there are thousands of options at 35,000 points a night or less. TPG's August 2024 valuations peg the value of 35,000 Marriott points at $298, which is more than three times the $95 annual fee.
With Marriott's switch to dynamic pricing in 2022, you may find it harder to use these certificates, especially during high-demand periods. However, you can combine a certificate with up to 15,000 points from your account to "upgrade" to a higher-priced award room, which should allow for some added flexibility.
Related: 6 great uses of Marriott 35,000-point free night certificates
Similar to other mid-tier hotel cards from Hilton and Hyatt, Marriott offers automatic elite status with the Bonvoy Boundless.
The Bonvoy Boundless card comes with automatic Bonvoy Silver status. While that is Marriott's lowest tier and won't earn you lavish perks such as suite upgrades, it will still get you a 10% points bonus, late checkout and free Wi-Fi.
In addition, to help cardholders jump-start their way to higher tiers of status (such as Gold and Platinum), this card automatically rewards them with 15 elite night credits per calendar year. You can also earn an additional credit toward elite status for every $5,000 you spend on the card — a perk that launched in 2022.
Even better, you can get one set of elite night credits from a Marriott personal card and one more set of elite night credits from a Marriott business card, like the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Combining the
Americans are gearing up for a record-breaking Labor Day holiday weekend with nearly 23 million seats booked, and some days and airports will be more crowded than others.
Aug 30, 2024 • 9 min read
A residential cruise ship that was supposed to travel around the world has been stuck in Northern Ireland for the past three months.
Despite 481 orders from airlines around the world, Boeing can't sell US carriers on its new widebody jetliner.
Nine hours before my flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) was due to depart, I got an email from the airline that my flight was delayed. I was annoyed since the weather was clear both in Seattle and at my destination but didn’t really think too much about it—until I checked the news and saw that the airport was under a cyberattack.
Hostels are my preferred option when I'm traveling alone.
Thoughts of fall travel might conjure up images of cozy cabins and hiking through fiery red foliage. This autumn, however, a wave of new airline routes from the US is shaking up the usual pumpkin-spice-laced doldrums and offering easy new ways to access exciting destinations. Think city escapes in Northern Africa, beaches on tiny Caribbean islands, and lush nature in Oceania.
With rising temperatures in southern Europe, more and more tourists are flocking to cooler destinations in the north.
2018 was a turning point for Angela Theriac.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Helene Sula , a travel blogger and author of "Two O'Clock on a Tuesday at Trevi Fountain: A Search for an Unconventional Life Abroad."
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Matthew Boutte, a graduate of Georgetown Law, who gave up his legal career to travel and tutor. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his education history and income.
Part glee and part terror, roller coasters provide an impossible-to-match feeling and the ultimate dopamine hit. You're strapped and secured, and then within seconds, you're catapulted at speeds that can surpass 100 mph.