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- š³ Woah... Earn 20 points per dollar at Hyatt
š³ Woah... Earn 20 points per dollar at Hyatt
Plus, how you enter the EU is going to change come November, and I'm in a country that doesn't exist.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes and 56 seconds
š“š² Oman Air is replacing its first-class cabin with a more affordable "Business Studio" on routes to London and Bangkok, with lie-flat seats and privacy walls in response to decreased demand for traditional first class ā a win for Middle Eastern airlines! Read more here.
Good morning from a country that doesnāt existā¦ Keep reading to find out more. š
But before you try to solve that riddle, weāve got some points and miles stuff:
šØ Earn 3x Hyatt points on these properties
Okay, this might just be the best earning potential weāve EVER seen for Hyatt.
Right now, you can earn 3x points when booking stays at Hyatt Homes & Hideaways properties.
A couple of other details:
The 3x applies to the base rate (5 points per dollar), not the elite bonus.
You must book and complete your stays between now and November 3rd.
No registration required. Nice and simple.
If you have never heard of this before, itās essentially Hyattās fore into the vacation rental space.
Think Airbnb, butā¦ you earn Hyatt points and elite nights.
Hyatt members get the same points and elite nights as when they book normal Hyatt hotels. š
With this promotion, however, that 5 points per dollar turns into 15 points per dollar.
If you have Globalist status, itās 16.5 points per dollar.
ā¦and if you have a good travel credit card or a co-branded card like this one, it can be 19.5 or 20.5 points per dollar, respectively. š¤Æ
Letās be clear here, kids - thatās a LOT of Hyatt points.
For example, letās say you want to book a cozy getaway in the woods in Colorado. You could book this vacation rental for $220 a night.
It also sleeps up to six people, so booking stays like this is perfect for larger groups.
Assuming you have a good credit card like this one and Hyatt Globalist status, youād earn a total of:
5x points base rate: 1,100 points
1.5x elite bonus: 330 points
10x promotion bonus: 2,200 points
3x credit card points: 660 points
In total, this $220 stay would yield 4,290 points.
Thatās enough to book a free night at a hotel like this one in Baku, where I just recently stayed:
Since this hotel costs $142 per night, youād get a 65% return on your spendā¦ and youād still have some points left over.
So hereās the bottom line:
It could certainly be worth moving some stays around and opting for Hyatt Homes & Hideaways to rack up points to put toward even more nights for your next trip.
Again, no need to register. Just book and complete your stays before November 3rd.
šŖšŗ Entering the EU will look WAY different come November
For all you passport stamp collectors out thereā¦ Iām sorry, but starting November 10, 2024, physical stamps will be no more when entering or exiting the European Union.
And thatās because the EU is going digital.
The Commissioner for Home Affairs just announced that they will soon āswitch on the most modern digital border management system in the world.ā
ā¦assuming this actually goes into effect as anticipated š„“
And doesnāt get pushed back to 2025 and now 2026 (*cough, ETIASāwhich is completely separate from this, btw).
All EU entry and exit pointsāno matter if you arrive by plane, train, car, boat, or probably even your own feetāwill soon welcome passengers via facial recognition and fingerprints.
So the first time you enter the EU after November 10th may look a little different, as youāll need to get your picture taken for facial recognition and scan your fingerprints.
But hopefully, the next time you come through, itāll be a quick and easy process. Smooth sailing, as they say.
Hopefully. Please š¤
And I feel like some areas already have this digital process in place (or something similar), like when landing at London Heathrow, for example.
Either way, physical passport stamps will be no more, and hopefully so will waiting in line as a border police officer looks for an empty spot in your passport š
Oh, and speaking of entering countriesā¦ orā¦ non-countries šš
š¤ Where am I right now?
š Where am I right now?Hint: It's not recognized as a country |
The correct answer isā¦ Transnistria.
Thatās right, folks - Iām currently in Tiraspol, the largest city in Transnistria, a country that doesnāt officially exist. š¤·š¼āāļø
Never heard of it?
Well, itās about five miles from the Ukraine border near Odesa and has its own government, police force, military, and postal system, but it is not recognized as a country by the vast majority of the world (which considers it a part of Moldova).
It even has its own currency in the form of cute little board game-esque plastic chips. š
Money in Transnistria
It is one of the few places on earth designated as a post-soviet āfrozen conflict zone,ā given that its political status is completely unresolved but has remained in a long-term cease-fire with its neighbors.
Sadly, Transnistria has had a tumultuous and bloody history, having changed hands about a million times.
I could talk about this de facto country all day, but I encourage you to check out this short YouTube video which explains its history:
Itās certainly one of the more interesting places in the world, so I hope you want to learn about it!
Buckle up for this Lounge wināitās a little long but worth the read š
We love reading our community membersā travel wins, and if youād like to join in on the fun (aka ask travel questions, help others, and just vibe with other like-minded peeps), head over to our Facebook group, the Lounge!
Thatās all for today, folks! I hope you enjoyed the travel tips and learning about one of the least-visited places in the entire world.
For now, Iāll bid you adieu and will see you bright and early tomorrow. š