Huge card sign up bonus offer for American Express Platinum Card – 100,000 Points!

American Express has increased its sign up bonus for the American Express Platinum card to 100,000 points after spending $3000 in 3 months! This is the highest public offer seen to date on this card and represents an extraordinary value! It is unclear how long the offer will last, so I’d recommend applying for this card now if you’ve been waiting for an increased sign up bonus.

You can access this public offer, here.

Update: The increased sign up bonus offer is now closed.

As a reminder the American Express Platinum card earns MR points, which can be transferred to different AMEX partners including Singapore Airlines, British Airlines, Air France, ANA, and Cathay Pacific.

Here are some of the redemption possible with American Express MR points:

•ANA Business Class to Japan:  90,000 miles round trip

•Short haul flights for as low as 7,500 miles through British Avios

•Singapore Suites from US to Europe: 57,500 miles one-way

The American Express platinum card does features a slew of benefits, here are few of my favorite ones:

Complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership

Receive complimentary priority pass select membership as long as you have the AMEX platinum card. If you travel a lot, especially abroad, Priority Pass membership grants you free lounge access to over 600 airport lounges worldwide. This is a huge benefit, especially if you fly in coach quite often.

$200 Annual Airline Credit

Get up to $200 in annual airline fee credits. Theoretically, you are limited to airline fees such as baggage & flight change fees. However in reality, there are qualified gift cards with certain airlines, most notably American Airlines. This effectively brings the annual fee from $450 down to a more palatable $250.

Complimentary Boingo Gogo Internet Access

Get complimentary Wifi access at over 1 million Gogo hotspots worldwide. I personally use this benefit quite often while traveling abroad and it’s particularly a lifesaver when you’ve just landed in a new country and need to check your email or call an Uber.

Complimentary Hilton Gold Status

Receive complimentary Hilton HHonors gold elite status as long as you are a cardholder.

Complimentary Starwood Gold Status

Receive complimentary Starwood SPG gold elite status as long as you are a cardholder.

Global Entry Fee Credit

If you apply for Global Entry, AMEX will refund the $100 application cost. Global Entry allows you to significantly cut the amount of time waiting at immigration.

Romance under the Torii Gates

Good evening from Tokyo! I am wrapping up my newest trip traveling around Japan & Hong Kong. Full trip reports will be posted shortly, but I wanted to share with you guys an amazing story.

A couple days ago,  I posted a picture on my Instagram of a beautiful
couple dressed in traditional Japanese clothes taking a selfie under
the stunning torii gates in Kyoto. 

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A few hours after posting the photo,
the couple messaged me, and it turns out they’re a newlywed couple and
were on their honeymoon from Malaysia. They tried taking a few selfies
together but couldn’t manage to get a good picture and eventually gave
up. By pure coincidence, they were browsing through Instagram, stumbled upon my post, and sent me a
message asking for a copy. Not only that, they’ve read my previous articles about traveling with frequent flyer miles!

Encounters like these make me realize how small the world
is. What I thought to be just an innocuous snap of a local
couple, actually captured a significant moment for the newlyweds.
Congratulations!

Photos: Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2016 – South Stand

I had a blast at the Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong, with the
highlight meeting people from around the world dressed in crazy outfits and
soaking the atmosphere in the South Stands. Here are some of the photos I took:

To request a full sized photo please send a message via my
Facebook Page.

How to travel on a budget to the Maldives

With its pristine sandy beaches, coral reefs, and world famous
over water bungalows, it’s easy to see why many newlywed couples choose the
Maldives to spend their honeymoon.

If you are on a true budget, you could stay at a local guesthouse. However,
you still will need to get there via speedboat. In addition, you would have to
follow local Islamic laws, which includes no alcohol and remaining covered on
the beach.

On the other end you have the “super luxury” resorts that feature
its world famous over water villas that can easily cost four figures USD a
night.

Fortunately, if you are not part of the 1% there is still a way to
get the “true Maldivian experience” without breaking the bank. The key is leveraging credit card sign up bonuses to minimize out of
pocket costs. Why pay $1000 a night when you can get that same room for almost
nothing!

Among many points enthusiasts, the Park Hyatt Maldives is considered
one of the crown jewels for using their hotel points. It’s not hard to see why.

In fact, I recently finished staying at the Park Hyatt Maldives in
January using credit card sign up bonuses. All in all, my out of pocket
expenses was around $540 for the four day stay, including domestic air tickets.

The guide below teaches you step by step on how to book an award for
the Park Hyatt Maldives

 How to book the Park Hyatt Maldives

First you must apply for the Chase Hyatt Card, which gives two free
nights at any Hyatt hotel in the world after spending $1000. This card also
gives complimentary Hyatt Platinum status.

If you are traveling with a significant other, he/she can also apply
for the Hyatt card, meaning you can receive up to four free nights at the
Maldives.

After completing your minimum spend, you should receive your free
night certificates within 1-2 weeks.

To check to see if your free nights have been posted, simply log in
to your Hyatt account, and click the account detail.

Click the My Awards page, your free night awards should appear in
your account.

Once you have your free night certificates, you simply need to
search for award space.

Go to Hyatt.com and enter where you want to go and the dates you
want to travel

Note: You must search each free night award separately. So if you
are trying to book a award stay with multiple nights, you will need to search
and book each night separately, and then email the hotel to combine your award.

Then check Show Hyatt Gold
Passport Points & Awards

If there is a free night available, you should see something like
the following.

Book the award.

To top off your award, you may use 25,000 additional Hyatt points
for each additional night.

After you book your award, simply email Park
Hyatt Maldives to combine your separate reservations.

Save up for your transfer flight

Unfortunately, the domestic plane transport is not included and
typically costs around $520 per person for a round trip ticket. This is very
typical among almost all luxury resorts in the Maldives. You’ll pay for your
flights upon check out.

Leaving the Park Hyatt Maldives & Touring Male

Time flew by quite quickly, and before long it was time to
check out from this lovely resort. Since I was planning on staying overnight in
Male for one day, I asked the hotel to put me on the last flight out, which
meant I could check out at 5 PM!

While waiting, I decided to chill at the pool with some new
friends from New York, who discovered that the cushions outside could actually
float. 

At around 5:00 pm, the hotel staff picked up my luggage was drove
me to the hotel lobby to check out and settle my bill. My total bill was $540,
a mandatory $520 domestic flight fee and $22 small pizza I ordered on my first
night.

I graciously thanked my host, Charles, and knowing that I
probably was the thriftiest guest he’s ever had, gave a bit extra. Plus, he
helped me take some wonderful photos of this resort.

As the sun set into the Indian Ocean, we sailed off on our
speedboat as the staff waved us goodbye.

My night domestic flight was mostly uneventful and I landed
in Male on time. I stored my luggage at the baggage hold in the airport and I took
a speedboat going to the city.

One of the perks of being a travel writer is that you meet
the most amazing people online. A reader put me in touch with a local friend
who gave me a tour of the city the next morning on the back of his bike..

Male is actually one of the densest cities in the world, and
driving along the crowded capital makes it quite clear that this is not the
sleepy island country capital that some people may imagine.

The highlight was the fish market where you can see various
kinds of seafood being sold and prepared, including some pretty big tuna.

I’d suggest wearing some plain shoes, as they could get
stained with fish blood on the floor.

We also got to see the artificial beach in Male and grabbed
the local non-alcoholic version of the mojito – a drink mixed with red bull and
artificial sweetener.

My new friend soon had to go to work, so I ended up grabbing
buffet lunch at the Sea House restaurant with my Airbnb hosts. The food was
delicious, filling, and significantly cheaper than the places at the airport.

I then went back to my apartment to relax for a bit before
heading to the airport.

Park Hyatt Maldives Breakfast

Since the Park Hyatt Maldives is located on a remote island,
food and drinks are going to cost you an immense amount of money. Dinners can
easily run into the hundreds of dollars, which is a bit beyond my budget.  

Instead of spending a small fortune on food, I would have a huge
breakfast, and the rest of the day I would snack on protein and granola bars.

A nice side benefit of having a late breakfast is the
restaurant is less crowded, which means you can usually score a table right
next to gorgeous infinity pool.

The breakfast at the Park Hyatt Maldives is definitely not
your typical hotel continental breakfast. You get to choose two entrees from a
vast selection of items on an a la carte menu, and on top of that is a relatively
large buffet spread of cold cuts, pastries, and fresh fruit.

Since we were in the Maldives, I decided to go with the
local entrees each day, the Maldivian tuna curry and the spicy tuna mashuni.
Both were remarkable, especially the mashuni which was made from freshly caught
tuna.

If you’re still feeling hungry, there is a rotating buffet
of hot entrées ranging from waffles to bagels.

Beverages are complimentary, and I especially loved the
chocolate mocha and great tea selection.

Breakfast is free for Hyatt diamond members and cost around
$30 per person for non-members. I would say it is well worth spending for, as
you could easily skip lunch and just have a small dinner.  

Things to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives

Since the Maldives is known for being a huge destination for
couples, I was worried about the lack of things to do, as I was travelling by
myself. Fortunately, the Park Hyatt Maldives offers numerous free activities
for guests who don’t want to spend all day lounging on the beach or their villa.

Snorkeling

One of the major draws of the Park Hyatt Maldives is its
house coral reef which surrounds the entire private island. Since the sun can
get a bit intense during mid-day, I would usually time my snorkeling sessions
right after sunrise and in the late afternoon.

The hotel provides complimentary snorkeling gear including
fins. However, they do charge extra for rentals of wet suits and life jackets.
The snorkeling gear provided was decent enough, so there’s no need to bring your
own set from back home.

My snorkeling experience was incredible and I found the
house reef as good as advertised. I saw plenty of fish, and even the occasional
shark lurking around.

My favorite place to snorkel though was the water underneath
the sunset jetty, as there’s usually a huge school of sardines swimming in the
vicinity.

I’d also recommend swimming to the area outside of the
middle part of the water villas, as the reef there is particularly picturesque.

Sundowner Cocktails

Every day between 5-7 PM, Hyatt diamond members receive one
standard cocktail on the menu and a few light canapés (appetizers).

However, if you want something a bit more filling, the bar
has generous complimentary servings of salted peanuts.

You also get to meet and mingle with quite a few fellow
mileage enthusiasts, most of whom are on their honeymoon or celebrating their anniversary.

Managers Cocktail
Reception

If you happen to stay over on a Saturday night, then you are
in luck as the general manager throws a cocktail reception for all hotel guests,
with complimentary drinks and canapés.

As the sun sets over the Horizon, a Maldivian cultural show
is put on complete with drummers and dancers.

If you’re a Hyatt Diamond member, you can double dip and
have your sundowner cocktails / canapés beforehand.

Back of the House
Tour

If you’re curious to see the inner workings of the Park
Hyatt Maldives, the hotel offers a free back of the house tour a couple of times
a week. You’ll be able to see how a remotely located hotel is able to run day
to day operations.

As an added bonus, you’ll get to meet other hotel guests who
are looking to mingle. During my stay, I actually met a lovely couple from New
York and we hung out a few times. On top of that, I picked up a few pointers on
night photography from the gentleman.

Kayaking

If you are into kayaking, you can rent a kayak for free up
to an hour each day. I personally don’t kayak much, so I didn’t use this
benefit.

Gym

If snorkeling doesn’t cut it for you and instead you feel
like working out, Hyatt has a decent sized gym.

Stargazing

At night when all the lights are dimmed, the skyline is lit
up by thousands upon thousands of stars. Coming from a big city where stars are
usually drowned out by light pollution, it was breathtaking to see so many
stars in the sky.

These activities were more than enough to keep me busy
during my stay, but the highlight among my free Hyatt Diamond benefits was the
sumptuous Park Hyatt Maldives breakfast. 

Major Alaska Airlines Devaluation

Alaska MileagePlan miles have historically been among the
most valuable and versatile miles programs. One of their best redemption for
Alaska airlines has been for first class seats on board the Emirates A380.

Unfortunately, Alaska Airlines overnight increased the
amount of miles needed for an Emirates First Class seat quite drastically to
say the least.

The following is a chart of the new amount of miles needed:

As you can see these are significant increases across the
board, with first class seats being hit the hardest. For first class tickets to
Africa, the amount of miles needed has doubled from 100,000 to 200,000 one way!

Usually when airlines announce a major increase in the miles
needed for an award, they add a grace period of a couple months, so members can
redeem their miles.

American airlines gave its members a few months to redeem
their miles at the old rate, before their recent devaluation.

Unfortunately, Alaska
Airlines has increased the amount of miles effective immediately.

This is obviously not good news, and tremendously devalues
the value of Alaska miles. For those who are holding Alaskan miles, you can
still redeem your miles for Cathay Pacific or Qantas first class awards, which
are still quite the bargain compared to the new American Airlines award chart.

There is an
alternative way to use your points for Emirates First Class and that is through
Japan Airlines, which is a transfer partner of Starwood points.

Japan airlines uses a distance based formula, which means
the more you fly, the more miles you will have to use.

However there are some sweet spots. For example a round trip
flight between New York and Dubai would cost you only 135,000 JAL miles round
trip, which is LESS than a one way ticket on Alaska Airlines’ new award chart.

Stay tuned for a more detailed guide.

Review: Park Hyatt Maldives – Water Villa

Perhaps nothing in the
Maldives can symbolize the luxurious travel world more than the water villas.
These are rooms built completely over the water, providing direct access to the
water via the reef.

Normally, to upgrade to
a water villa, you’ll have to shell out at least $500+ on top of your award
reservation. However, I asked if I could briefly tour a vacant villa, and the
hotel gladly allocated an hour for me to take a tour.

The water villas at the
Park Hyatt all use one “pier” and are all located on the left side of the
boardwalk. This means the water villas are relatively spread out and not
crammed together.

Inside the villa, the
main bedroom is laid out pretty similarly to my pool villa room, with the
furniture merely re-arranged.

Unlike the pool villa, there is no outdoor
bathing area; instead you have a bath tub with an amazing view of the water
outside.

I’ve read in previous
reviews that the water villas were prone to overheating, but the temperature in
my room was quite comfortable.

The best part about the
villa of course is the water front access and the lounging outside.

The water is so crystal
clear that you can actually spot fish swimming in the nearby corals.

To access the water,
you simply just open the wooden gate and walk down the stairs. As simple as
that, you are already in the water.

However, the water is
extremely shallow, so I wouldn’t suggest diving, as you might injure yourself
and disturb the reef as well.

Overall whether the
water villa is worth the price of the upgrade is based on how much you value
the view and direct access to the water. For an avid snorkeler like myself, I
would definitely have paid the upgrade surcharge if I was with a significant
other, as the luxury of being able to go in and out of the water sure beat
walking across the island and snorkeling all the way out (since sadly the Park
Hyatt’s water villa dock doesn’t have a public use ladder).

Review: Park Hyatt Maldives – Pool Villa

Upon arriving at my
pool villa, I was completely blown away by how big my “room” was.

In the Park Hyatt
Maldives, there are no rooms, just private villas surrounded by various
greenery, which means you never see your neighbors and vice versa.

Inside the villa was
the bedroom, with a huge king sized bed and a small lounging area in front.

Lining one side of the
room is a long work desk equipped with an iPad that is preloaded with an
interactive guide & map to the resort.

As a Hyatt diamond
member, I was treated to a bottle of sparkling wine, a platter of fruit, and
some small nibbles and chocolates.

One of my favorite
parts of the land villa was the private outdoor shower & bath area, which
had an elegant design and featured a rain shower and a terrazzo bathtub.

Far from being a
gimmick, I found myself never using the indoor showers, as I preferred to soak
while surrounded by Mother Nature outside.

For those concerned
about peeking toms, you need not worry since the entire shower area is
surrounded by high walls.

The indoor bathroom was
enormous, with two separate sinks and benches / closets to store your
belongings in. The most unique feature of this bathroom was the huge glass
windows that offer a view of the outdoor shower area. Clearly, this was
designed for couples!

Outside the villa was a
small plunge pool, which was pumped with cool freshwater.

There was also a mini
lounge area with two lounge chairs set up.

What’s unique about
this villa is the positioning of the shrubbery, making it look almost like a
secluded grove with a small sliver of beach / ocean view.

Every villa is
different so while one villa may have a more private setting, another one may
have a better beach view. It definitely felt like a private resort, and were it
not for the fact that you’d occasionally see a guest or two on the beach, you
could almost pretend you were on your own private island.

Overall the Pool Villa
is probably the best hotel room I’ve ever stayed in. If you’re thinking about paying a bit extra to secure your upgrade ahead of time, I highly recommend you doing so.