Erin's Latest Posts

Update: The Choice Privileges Mall was discontinued in 2022. We’ll update this page if a replacement is launched. If you’re shopping online, you should definitely be using a shopping portal. If you’re a Choice Hotels fan, you can use the…

There are several ways IHG One Rewards members can earn some extra points, including capitalizing on dining. If you’re already going out to eat or ordering takeout, this method is pretty darned simple! This article will walk you through everything…

Hey Alaska Airlines fans—did you know you can earn extra Mileage Plan miles simply by shopping online? With just a few extra clicks, you can earn bonus miles thanks to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan shopping portal. This article will…

Most JetBlue customers know there are a number of great ways to earn TrueBlue points, but did you know you can also earn them while shopping online? With just a few extra clicks, you can earn bonus points by using…

If you’re into online shopping, you should definitely be earning points or miles in the process! Like to shop and fly British Airways? You’re in luck — there’s a shopping portal just for you; a place where you can earn…

Rio to London Chris from FlyFamilyFly is a consultant by day with a serious knack for points earning! Though Chris and his family currently live in Brazil, they’re constantly traveling to see friends family in the U.S. and abroad. That’s…

Scoring Sydney on Points Like the majority of our readers, Deric is a real guy who has a standard 9-5 job: he’s a business banking services specialist. So the fact that Deric also runs Passenger Poldberg (a blog about balancing…

Adventures in Thailand Bryce from 10xTravel is sharing a real points redemption that involves an extremely sought after travel destination – Thailand! Bryce works full time in corporate banking but runs his blog 10xTravel with a LOT of enthusiasm. Like…

Athens & Thessaloniki Liza and Pepe are 2 self-proclaimed travel addicts based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They run the Tripsget blog, where Liza handles most of the content, and Pepe takes care of the behind the scenes work. This is where…

A Month in India >Matthew comes to the series with a great redemption that took him to Dublin, London, and India! As a travel writer, Matthew shares his knowledge and experience on his blog Mat(The)Writer. From Jerusalem to Amsterdam or…

Ever wondered which travel resources are worth your time? “Should I get the app? Visit the website? Maybe buy the book??” How about quirky resources that you never even knew existed? For example, an app that searches for free wifi…

Emirates First Class One of our first Real Redemptions contributions comes from Andrew of Life, Tailored, a travel blog dedicated to the notion that you certainly don’t need to be rich to live a luxurious life. Andrew is a full-time…

Alaska Airlines has one of the most clear-cut baggage policies we’ve seen. Depending on the route and cabin, 2 or 3 standard bags are either included or only $30 for your first bag, with additional bags coming in below the…

Hello fellow travelers! We’re back with the fourth post in our Upgraded Points series on travel resources. This time we’re pretty much piggybacking on our last post (Organization) to bring you information related to tracking flights, plus resources that can…

Virgin Atlantic’s baggage policies and fees are some of the clearest we’ve seen, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to determine your total luggage costs than with most other airlines! Virgin Atlantic Carry-on Allowance 1 personal item:…

Etihad Airways has a very straightforward baggage policy in terms of included allowance. The cost of additional pieces and overweight/oversized luggage is more complex, with a more in-depth table. Etihad Carry-on Allowance 1 personal item: FREE (only available for business…

Southwest Airlines has the single most clear-cut (and cheapest!) baggage policy of any airline. Thank You, Southwest! Your first 2 checked bags are FREE with any fare, and the extra/excess fees are a simple $75 each. Southwest is one budget airline…

JetBlue has one of the most clear-cut baggage policies of all the airlines, with fees sitting at the average comparatively. It also has a fairly generous free baggage policy for active duty U.S. military personnel and their dependents. JetBlue Carry-On…

Hawaiian Airlines has a fairly standard baggage policy with fees that are pretty average for checked bags ($25 to $30) when compared to other major airlines. However, Hawaiian’s overweight fees seem to come in a bit cheaper than the average. Fun…

Japan Airlines’ (JAL) baggage policies are pretty generous when it comes to your allowance, with 2 checked bags included for all economy/premium economy passengers and 3 checked bags included for business and first. That’s why, when looking at additional baggage…

While Iberia’s carry-on baggage policy is fairly standard, its checked baggage fees are a bit more complicated than the average carrier. These fees vary by fare purchased/cabin class, route, season of travel, and time of purchase, as you can see…