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- đ¨ How to get a "soft landing" in 2024
đ¨ How to get a "soft landing" in 2024
Nobody likes rough landings, right? Plus, IHG is back with something lucrative, and we'll finish off the day with some world trivia learnings.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes and 54 seconds
đ¤ Trivia Tuesday: There are certain areas around the world that are known to host the healthiest people. And, these folks consistently live past 100 years of age. Do you know the name of these areas? Keep reading to find out.
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Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop, the pecan brownie of newsletters. Weâre a little nuts, but mostly? Weâre just sweet.
And weâve got some sweet updates for you today, so letâs jump in:
đ¨ Marriott offers a âsoft landingâ policy for 2024
đł IHG: Earn up to 4,000 points per 2 nights
đ¤ Travel Trivia Tuesday
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đ¨ Marriott offers a âsoft landingâ policy for 2024
Hard landings are scary. I donât know about you, but Iâm never a fan of planes plopping onto the runway like the wheels are about to collapse.
And apparently, Marriott feels the same about hard landings. Because theyâve announced another year of âsoft landingâ for current elite members.
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Allow me to explainâŚ
A âsoft landingâ is when a loyalty program allows you to downgrade your previous elite status rather than lose it altogether.
For example, if you currently have Marriott Platinum status but arenât on track to re-qualify for Platinum this year, you wonât just lose all of your statusârather, youâll be downgraded by one status level to Gold Elite status.
This is actually great news for anybody who hasnât racked up enough hotel nights this year to maintain status and is worried about going into 2024 with no status.
I understand⌠itâs terrifying to think about⌠đą
So, if youâve been looking for ways to rack up a few extra nights this year, take another look at your optionsâyou may not need to do anything to come out of the year with some meaningful benefits for another year.
Of course, if youâre only a few nights away from renewing your status, Marriott does have a decent promo going on right now that could get you some extra points if you want to mattress run your way there.
Having more options is never a bad thing in my opinion!
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đł IHG: Earn up to 4,000 points per two nights
That last piece of news is great and all, but it doesnât really accomplish what I know you all love the mostâracking up boatloads of points.
Thankfully, thatâs where IHG comes in.
Right now, you can earn up to 4,000 bonus points per two nights with their latest promotion, which is awesome.
Hereâs the deal:
Earn 2,000 points per two nights stayed at IHG hotels
Earn an additional 2,000 points per two nights if you have an IHG cobranded card
Valid for cash stays only between October 12th and December 31st
You must register for the offer
When you register, youâll notice that the offer only discusses 2,000 points per two nights and not the credit card element.
Donât worry, if you have the cobranded credit card, youâll receive an email like this:
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Sorry to ruin the âsurpriseâ for you⌠đ
Anyway, this is definitely a good deal and a solid bonus.
You may remember earlier this year when I raved about how much I loved [[ ihg-rewards-premier-credit-card.name ]], and offers like this only make it more valuable than it already is on its own.
4,000 points per two nights is great since properties around the world cost as few as 5,000 points per night.
Keep in mind, that this is in addition to the points youâre already earning as a member. If you have the [[ ihg-rewards-premier-credit-card.casual-card-name ]], you also earn even more points.
So letâs look at a very quick example:
Letâs say youâre craving some schnitzel and hop over to the lovely Geman town of Nuremberg, and stay at this hotel for close to a week:
It costs $78 per night, for a total cost of $468 for a six-night stay.
Iâve actually stayed at this property before, and $78 per night is ridiculous. Itâs a LOVELY propertyâŚ
Anyway, hereâs how many points youâd earn with this promo:
10x points for being a member: 4,680
10x points for credit card spend: 4,680
6x for being Platinum Elite (which comes with the card): 2,880
4,000 points per two nights: 12,000
Total points: 24,240
If we conservatively value IHG points at about ½ of a cent each, youâre getting a return of $121 in value, or about a 26% return on your spend.
Thatâs VERY GOOD.
So, hereâs my recommendation:
If you have any trips coming up, Iâd sign up for the [[ ihg-rewards-premier-credit-card.casual-card-name ]] before October 12th, register for the promo, and max out this promo as much as you can.
You might find that you rack up some free stays for 2024 if you play your cards right. đ
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đ¤ Travel Trivia Tuesday
Correct answer: Blue Zones
The five Blue Zones are Okinawa, Japan, Ikaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Nicoya, Costa Rica, and Loma Linda, California.
People in Blue Zones have the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world, meaning people there live to be over 100 â which is crazy.
They are also known to experience lower rates of age-related diseases.
Researchers have found that these people tend to eat more plant-based foods and fewer processed foods. But, this âBlue Zoneâ concept is not just about diet.
Other common factors that may contribute to their overall health are less time spent on devices and more body movement. Plus, theyâre also known to value family, faith, and community.
Want to learn more? Or possibly visit one of these spots? You can read more about Blue Zones here.
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Did you know that Daily Drop has a YouTube channel? Check out our latest video where Kara and Nate walk through how they saved $6,000 on a luxurious overwater villa in Bora Bora đ
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Thatâs all for today, friends! Iâm about to embark on a ridiculous, three-day journey back home to Toronto now, with almost 30 hours of flying between today and ThursdayâŚ
Thank goodness for points and business class!
Whatâs the longest flight youâve ever taken? Was it in economy, premium, business, or first class? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.
See you tomorrow,