Q3 and Q4 2017:

Nov 16, 2017: My trip to Grand Cayman! Ali and I decided (yesterday) that we are going to spend a week exploring the Cayman Islands…in 3 weeks! We head out 12/9 and return 12/16. Cayman Islands in December, last minute booking, round-trip airfare, 7-night stay, rental car = FREE. Look for my full trip report a few days after we return.

Nov 2017: Award Booking: Nov 7, 2017: Big Win! Used 34,000 SPG points + $467 to get client from Dubai to Washington DC on Emirates Business class…you know…the one with Jennifer Aniston on tv? The Airbus A380-800 which costs roughly $439 million each. Non-stop exit row, lay-flat, with the full-service bar merely steps away. Cheers!

Nov 2017: Award Booking: Used 85,000 Chase points + $45 to get client from IAD to GOI (Virginia to India) on Lufthansa business class. This comes with Lufthansa Business class lounge access as well. This was a $4,500 ticket.

Nov 2017: Creativity: My client’s daughter wanted to fly domestic over Christmas with specific dates/times and the tickets were roughly $600 each. We got creative, and used 45,000 of my client’s Southwest points (she rarely flies Southwest) to get her daughter and husband, non-stop flights exactly when they wanted. Merry Christmas! Saved them $1,200ish.

Oct 2017: Taking initial action to improve credit score: reviewing and cleaning up credit report, searching for errors. Applied for and approved for first unsecured credit card in years. Increased overall credit line by 15x. Set up automatic payments. Actively reviewing FICO credit scorecard. Look forward to seeing the improved credit score results over next few months.

Oct 2017: Successful last-minute flight change from India to Washington DC: A client needed to return home 3 days earlier than originally planned. We used Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transferred them at a 1:1 ratio to United Miles and booked a non-stop 16-hr flight from Mumbai to NYC using United miles, then another short flight from NYC to DCA using United miles. She made it home safe and sound!

Sept 2017: Award Booking: Used 300,000 British Airways miles and $117 to cover the $8,500 retail cost for two round-trip tickets in Business Class (lay-flat seats) on American Airlines. This is a direct/non-stop flight from New York to Brazil. The Value per point is close to 3 cents. This is very good! Woo-Hoo!

Aug 2017: Improved credit: up 80 points in 100 days. Cleaned up credit report, increased credit line, decreased debt to credit line ratio, made some on-time payments, and boom, Experian FICO score raised 80-points.

Summer 2017: Attained Southwest Companion Passes for 6 different families: six families are now traveling anywhere Southwest flies with a free companion on every flight through the end of 2018!