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JFK to Baku for 100,000 points + $700

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For only 100,000 ANA miles transferred from American Express and $668.21, I was able to fly 13 hours in comfort on Turkish Airlines' business class via Istanbul to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. For the first time on an international flight, I was able to check in entirely online and bypassed physical check-in entirely since I wasn't checking any bags. Having spent the night prior at the Hyatt Regency, we arrived at the airport too early to enter the Turkish Airlines lounge, but I was able to come back later and board directly from the lounge. In the meantime, we headed down to the primeclass lounge which I was able to access thanks to Priority Pass which is included with the newly re-vamped American Express Platinum Card  and Chase Sapphire Reserve  cards. As we were the first guests of the day, we had the lounge to ourselves for a while but it filled up by lunchtime.   Breakfast was delicious and as I was leaving to head to my gate, they were setting up lunch ...
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24 hours in Helsinki

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Despite having sworn to stay away from JFK, a deal like this was too good to pass up and a fun way to spend my birthday in the air while also revisiting a city I really enjoyed 11 years ago.   I booked with American Airlines AAdvantage program which cost 115,000 miles and $48.60 taxes/fees round trip for lie flat business class.   Unfortunately my outbound direct flight was cancelled due to pilot strikes at Finnair and I was originally re-booked in American Airlines economy with a layover in London, but after a quick call, customer service was able to get everything sorted. After spending an hour covering the last 18 miles of the Van Wyck Expressway, I breezed through priority check-in to American Airlines' Greenwich Lounge.  I went straight to "The Bridge" which overlooks the terminal. There is a full service bar and as a bonus, I was sitting right next to Dean Norris from Breaking Bad!  I tried the chicken and waffle along with some deviled eggs, both of which...
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Status Match Perks: Free Dinners, Hotels, and Cruises

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I just returned from a mostly free trip to Las Vegas and have a free 7 night Bahamas cruise planned later this year.  Below is how I did it...read on for more.   If you need additional help with a personalized points/miles earning and/or redemption strategy, drop me a line at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com.   It all starts with Wyndham Diamond status, which small business owners (whether a side hustle sole proprietor or a real estate LLC) can earn with a single Barclays credit card that comes with a $95 annual fee.   The initial fee is immediately offset by the sign-up bonus of up to 100,000 points outlined below whereas the ongoing annual fee is further offset by a 15,000 point anniversary bonus every year as well as by the first step in our status match journey. 50,000 after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days  50,000 after spending $15,000 in the first 12 months.   Status Match 1 (Online) : Wyndham Rewards to Caesar'...
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