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Fly Cheap to Argentina

March 3, 2022 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

How can 2 fly cheap to Argentina for $500 Round-Trip from DC? American Express is how. This was my fourth trip to Buenos Aires – one of my favorite areas in the world. It can be very expensive getting from the Washington DC area to Argentina during peak season. January/February is summer and normally tickets run $1000 or more.

Fly Cheap to Argentina on AMEX Points

The trip was booked last-minute and in fact, tickets were in the $1200 range per person. I needed to book 2 tickets and looked at a couple of options, including Chase and AMEX. I went with AMEX where I had over 117,161 points from my American Express Business Gold Rewards Card.

Book Cheap Travel to Argentina with Amex Business Gold Rewards Card

How I Booked Cheap Travel to Argentina

It has great benefits…

AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card Benefits

Best of all you earn 70,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points after you spend $10,000 of eligible purchases with your card in the first three months.

What I really like about AMEX is that you don’t need the exact amount of points to book with them. I looked up the American Express Travel section on the American Express site to find what flights were available and for what cost. Being so close to travel, I didn’t have many options.

BOOK TRAVEL EASILY WITH AMEX

There was a roundtrip from DCA (Washington DC) to EZE (Buenos Aires) with a layover in MIA (Miami). I called the agent at AMEX travel and told her which flights I wanted and she booked the flights for me. They have a funny way of doing it – they charge you the full price but then credit you back the value of your points on your next statement. The cost was $1674.54 with my AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card. Then 117,161 points were deducted from my rewards account and a credit of $1171.61 was applied to my card account.

That’s how I paid $502.93 for 2 roundtrip tickets to Argentina during peak season! So how can 2 people fly cheap to Argentina for $500? – by following my posts – that’s how!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 0605D682-ECD6-4CCA-82C7-0CB79EF7F7C8-768x1024.jpeg
Tango in Argentina

If you have a small business – it can be anything from selling crafts on Etsy or tutoring math -the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card can be a great card for your wallet! Please use my personalized link to refer friends and family…

Apply for an American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you’re approved! http://refer.amex.us/LAURIDLRu5?xl=cp01

I’m a disabled vet and would greatly appreciate the referral points bonus!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Learn How to Fly Free and Stay Free Like Me!

September 19, 2018 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Want to learn how to stay free and fly free like me?  My 7-year old has been to 48 countries and I have been to almost 70 countries.  I don’t fly for business and I don’t get many points through actual flights.  Come hear all the secrets I have to share for a more rewarding and fulfilling travel experience!  Did you know that you can actually earn money while you are on vacation?  This is not a selling gimmick – come hear how I rent my house on Airbnb and made upwards of $8,000 on one trip alone!

I will be at the Green Turtle, 177 Jennifer Road, Annapolis, Maryland on Monday, September 24th 6pm for a 1-2 hour presentation on TRAVELING FREE!  The event is open to the public and in lieu of a fee I am accepting donations for charity.  You can order any food and drink off the menu if you like as well.

Hope to see you all on the 24th!

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

FREE American Airline Points with Kiwi Co

August 16, 2018 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Do you want free American Airline Points?  American Airlines (AAdvantage) Shopping is offering 12x points on their shopping portal with Kiwi Co.  I mention this because I love Kiwi Co and so does my daughter (7 years).  It’s a great site with hands-on learning activities for kids.

If you don’t know what a shopping portal is – you are missing out on free frequent flyer/loyalty points.  I have flown free for several years using many points I gained through shopping portals.  You don’t get hardly any points for actually flying.

Shopping portals are basically sites you “go through” to get points with Airlines, hotels, Amtrak etc.  Here is a step-by-step guide to getting this deal:

1.  Type “American Airlines Shopping” and it will take you to the AAdvantage Shopping page (portal).

2.  Then you put in your American Airlines (Aadvantage) frequent flier number.

3.  In the search box type whatever store you want to shop (Kiwi Co).

4.  The portal will take you directly to the Kiwi Co corporate website (or somewhere else if you need to shop elsewhere).  You can find almost every major store – Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, etc.  From there you can search for whatever you want to buy.

5.  The THING TO REMEMBER is that the amount of points you get changes regularly!  One day it could be 2x points per dollar – the next day it could be 10x points!  That really adds up especially if you are spending a large amount of money!

6.  By subscribimg to the (frequent flier) shopping site, you will receive regular emails informing you of the daily point specials.

7.  Even better, there are often point bonuses around certain times of year – back to school, Christmas etc.  I have gotten quite large bonuses for buying things I had to buy anyway!

8.  DON”T leave FREE TRAVEL on the table.  It’s yours for the taking.

TRAVEL FREE like me! 🌎

 

 

Filed Under: free travel, frequent flier miles and points, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

LAX Alaska Airlines Lounge – Great for the Whole Family

March 14, 2017 by Laurie Deppa 1 Comment

Alaska Airlines Reception at LAX

I am sitting in the LAX Alaska Airlines Lounge and I have to say that it is great for the whole family.  We are returning from a 6-week trip through Asia and both of the other lounges we visited were not at all kid friendly.  I have a Priority Pass through my American Express Platinum and there are only 3 lounges available at LAX this early.  With the pass this was the only one airside for departure on Terminal 4 (American Airlines).  If you are coming from Terminal 4 it is a bit of a hike but there are carts that can give you a lift if you need.

breakfast Buffet at Alaska Airlines Lounge

Breakfast Buffet at Alaska Airlines Lounge

SEating at Alaska Airlines Lounge

Comfortable Seating at Alaska Airlines Lounge

ALaska Airlines Lounge

Pancake Maker at Alaska Airlines Lounge

I love this Alaska Airlines Lounge – it’s bright and sunny, has a nice little kids room with movies, a cute bar and a decent selection of breakfast foods.  My daughter sat at the little table in the kids room and went crazy for the homemade pancakes.  There is a great little machine where you can watch your pancakes being made – then top them with chocolate sauce and bananas as we did.  She picked a movie and I did some blogging while she really enjoyed herself.

The Alaska Airlines Lounge has excellent customer service with a smile and they open at 5am!  If you are coming through LAX and will be on terminals 4-6, make the trek over to the Alaska Airlines Lounge – your kids will love it and so will you!

ELlie in kids room at the Alaska Lounge

Ellie in the kids room at the Alaska Airlines Lounge

Filed Under: Uncategorized

6-Week Trip through Asia – Kyoto

March 11, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

My 5-year old and I are on a 6-week trip through Asia and this post is about our stay in Kyoto, Japan.

Laurie Riding the Rails in Japan

Laurie Riding the Rails in Japan

Japanese Trains are Very Clean and Safe

Japanese Trains are Very Clean and Safe

We arrived in Kyoto on the Shinkansen from Nagano.  I thought that we could just go south to Kyoto from Nagano but the Shinkansen goes back east through Tokyo.  It’s backtracking a bit but the Shinkansen is really a nice train and it’s covered by the JR Pass.

I had booked an Airbnb in Kyoto but I really wasn’t sure where to stay in the city.  I really lucked out with a place in the beautiful area of Gion.  I found a private room at the Flat Koudaiji – a kind of hostel with 5 separate rooms and 2 shared baths.  The flat had a bunch of combo locks out front – each with its own combo and a key inside. It took me a bit to figure it out in the dark but once we got settled we enjoyed our nice house.

AIrbnb in Kyoto

AIrbnb Flat Koudaiji in Kyoto

Airbnb in Kyoto

Airbnb in Kyoto

We got settled in our decent sized room with 2 beds. There was only one other room booked for a couple of nights so it was very quiet and easy to use the bath, etc.  The only frustrating thing is a common complaint about places I stayed in Japan – they are all very cold.  Every place I stayed only heated each room as you used it.

Hotel Ryozen in Gion

Hotel Ryozen in Gion

ELlie with Geishas in Kyoto

Ellie with Geishas in Kyoto

We ventured out for a little walk – it was very cold but beautiful.  Meandering through the hilly streets of Gion, we were mesmerized by all the ladies in Geisha costume.  I noticed many stores were renting beautiful outfits for the day and even doing the full hair and makeup.  We never got around to doing it – one of my only regrets.  Ellie would be an amazing Geisha!

sweet Shops of Kyoto

Ellie perusing the sweet shops of Kyoto

The shops were all beginning to close – they close early by 5 or 6pm.  The streets were very windy and not well planned – I got lost looking for a grocery store.  Most shops were filled with souvenirs and many of them Japanese sweets.  I think the locals and visitors must have a love for sweets because boxes of treats were flying off the shelves.

Otabe Store in Kyoto

Ellie and I raided the Otabe store 😄

My favorite local treat was Otabe – an unbaked sweet made of rice flour and delicious fillings famous in Kyoto.  If you step into the stores specializing in Otabe you can sample all the flavors, YUM! I found the banana-chocolate to be amazingly delicious for such a simple treat!  We stocked up a few boxes for home.

We went to the local grocery and stocked up as I thought we might need food if my daughter was feeling any worse. I love shopping like that and seeing what the locals buy.  I couldn’t read most of the labels and bought a couple of things that were different than I imagined.  Oh well, it was part of the experience!  You have to pay for grocery bags – so remember to bring some plastic bags or reusable ones if you go shopping.   We also stopped by the pharmacy to get some meds for Ellie.  The pharmacist understood what we needed for her pain (she gave us some children’s pain tablets – almost like baby aspirin).  I asked for ibuprofen for her fever but they don’t sell ibuprofen for children in Japan.

My daughter was getting quite ill in the meantime so we headed back to the Airbnb.  We stayed there until the next night when my daughter had a fever of 104F.  My host was so helpful in telling me where to take her for medical care.  She sent a taxi for us and we were taken directly to the hospital at about 9pm.  We had good Blue Cross Federal Insurance and I verified that we were covered before we left the U.S. We waited less than an hour in the ER, which is much better than most places back home.  The doctors didn’t speak much English but we managed with hand gestures and a simple intake form.  We were given two prescriptions – powders that you mix into liquids.  I had to pay about $200 with a credit card and they gave me a receipt to get reimbursed.  For not speaking the local language I think we did rather well.  Don’t be intimidated about seeking medical attention, this wasn’t our first time and won’t be our last!

RYozen Hill in the Snow

Walking Up Ryozen Hill, Kyoto in the Snow

Ryozen Hill

Beautiful Kyoto by Snowfall

We only had one “problem” staying at our location.  It was actually snowing while we were there and our taxi couldn’t get up the hill to take us to the Airbnb.  Ellie was in pajamas but at least I brought her boots, coat, etc.  I wrapped her up and we slowly walked up the hill.  It was an amazingly beautiful site with the snow falling on Kyoto though.

RYozen Hill Kyoto

Just Outside our Flat on Ryozen Hill Kyoto

RUb ANimal for healing

You Rub the Animal for Healing on Your Body

Laurie & Ellie in KYoto

Laurie & Ellie in Kyoto

PRay in Kyoto

One of the Many Places to Pray in Kyoto

Ellie and I stayed inside for a couple of days and rested.  It did “eat up” most of our time in Kyoto but that’s ok.  We managed one full day after she was feeling better.  We walked through the streets of Gion, stopping along the way at the various temples and tourist attractions.

HEllo Kitty Kyoto

Hello Kitty Tea House in Kyoto

HEllo Kitty on my food

Hello Kitty on My Food

Ellie loves Hello Kitty and we jumped at the chance to eat at the Hello Kitty Restaurant.  They have huge stuffed kitties seated at tables for photo ops, as well as, Hello Kitty throughout the meal.  Even our food was either shaped in her likeness or “stamped” with her face.  It was a cute experience for Ellie and the food wasn’t bad.

We didn’t get outside of the Gion area but that’s ok because there were enough temples and tourist attractions to fill our day.  Ellie wasn’t 100 percent and I didn’t want to push her.  We had a great day and even though I have nothing to campare it with, I would say that Gion is a beautiful area in which to stay (or visit).  Kyoto has been on my bucket list a long time and I wasn’t disappointed, I don’t think you will be either.

VIew of Kyoto

View of Kyoto

Filed Under: Uncategorized

New Zealand is Offering 100 Free Trips

March 1, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

New Zealand is offering 100 free trips to the their country through a special promotion.  According to Condé Nast Travel + Leisure, you just have to get an interview.  The country is looking for good talent in the technology arena and they are really reaching around the world.

I'm Ready for a New Job in New Zealand

I’m Ready for a New Job in New Zealand

So if you are tired of your boring old job in tech – why not interview in one of the most beautiful countries in the world?   You’ll at least get free airfare and accommodations for a week.  What’s stopping you?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Using Cash and Points Could Get You the Best Hotel Deal

January 6, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Did you know that using cash and points could get you the best hotel deal?

Most people know that you can use loyalty points to pay for hotel stays but that may not always be such a good deal.  Hotels like Hilton, Starwood & Marriott (now partners) – and others, let you use  a combination of both cash and points.

Using Cash and Points

Use Cash & Points at Hotels like the W New York City

Starwood has a program, for example, where you can pay as little as $30 & 1500 points for a night.  Some benefits of the Starwood cash and points are:

  1.  You can upgrade rooms and suites when available.
  2.  You can redeem points for any category hotel.
  3. Cash and points stays count toward elite status
  4. Earn points for incidentals during your stay
  5. All in hotel benefits are honored during cash and points stays

So next time you re in need of a hotel stay, think about using cash and points to get the best deal.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Jet Blue Big Winter Sale

January 4, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Jet Blue is having a big winter sale with fares starting at $49 one-way.  You must act quickly and book by 1/5/17 for travel 1/17- 3/8/17.

We had a great experience traveling Jet Blue to Cuba and highly recommend trying the airline.  The weather is getting a bit frightful, check out the great fares to warmer climates.  Happy travels!

Jet Blue

Jet Blue Flight from Santa Clara, Cuba

Filed Under: Uncategorized

50% Off your First LYFT Ride from Jet Blue

December 11, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Jet Blue is offering 12 days of specials in it’s “Adventure to December”.  Today’s special is 50% off your first ride with LYFT.  The offer must be redeemed today by opening a new account.  You have 180 days to get the discounted ride up to $15 off.

IMG_1546

I have had great experiences using Uber – never tried LYFT.  This is a good opportunity to try it out!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Jet Blue’s “December to Adventure” Sale for Today

December 8, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

I did manage to get onto Jet Blue’s site today to check their  “December to Adventure Sale” today – Florida, Vegas and California from $20 one-way.  I found a couple good deals from Baltimore – $30 one-way to Florida.   If you haven’t booked a flight to see family yet – or just a much needed vacation – hurry, there are a limited number of seats and the deals end at midnight.

 

IMG_4191

Ellie boarding Jet BLUE in Santa Clara, Cuba

 

We had a good experience with a flight to Cuba!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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