ExpatVista

Global perspectives on travel, finance, and expat life.

Latest

Program Mechanics

Marriott Points Regularly Return to the Same Sale Price Range

What the Buy-Points History Actually Shows

Amex Platinum

Taking One for the (Expat) Team

Testing Amex’s New Q3 Resy Credit From Outside the U.S.

Points Experiences

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

Prague, David Černý, and How Identical Experiences Drift in Real Time

Amex Platinum

Siem Reap: Using FHR as a Capped Rebate

Three nights, two tools, and why stopping early was optimal

Points Experiences

Berlin: A Gourmet Odyssey

How a long lunch, well-structured, can outperform a big night out

Hilton

Hilton Points Are Almost Always on Sale

How Often Hilton Runs Buy-Points Bonuses, Quantified

IHG

Kimpton Fitzroy London: When Pricing Logic Meets Taste

A field report on pricing quirks, restraint, and why some hotels feel different

Expat Logistics

Capital One Offers: A Test From Abroad

A real-time experiment using Capital One Offers outside the US

Program Mechanics

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

The border-proof perk hiding in plain sight

Selected writing

IHG

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

Jan 26, 2026

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7 min read

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

How IHG’s “standard room” logic can quietly erase cash premiums

Second Order Travel

IHG

Jan 24, 2026

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6 min read

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

How Often IHG Runs 100% Buy-Points Bonuses, Quantified

Second Order Travel

hotel strategy

Jan 23, 2026

•

7 min read

Berlin, Planned Around One Fixed Date

East, centre, and west over three days

Second Order Travel

Event Travel

Jan 22, 2026

•

11 min read

Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore

Where rugby travellers should stay. Logistics first. Value second.

Second Order Travel

cash vs points

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

Jan 22, 2026

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7 min read

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

A business-class case study in sequencing, pricing anchors, and hindsight

Second Order Travel

Miles & Points

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Jan 20, 2026

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6 min read

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Upstream currencies, downstream rules (January 2026)

Second Order Travel

Miles & Points

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

Jan 20, 2026

•

7 min read

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

A reference guide to death clauses, breakage, and estate handling in loyalty programs (as of January 2026)

Second Order Travel

expat strategy

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

Jan 18, 2026

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7 min read

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

How we adapted, what still works, and how others can position themselves now

Second Order Travel

Expat Logistics

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

Jan 16, 2026

•

6 min read

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

How visitors and expats reduce UK train fares without learning the system

Second Order Travel

Amex Platinum

Jan 9, 2026

•

5 min read

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

Amsterdam, abundant luxury, and the limits of rebate logic

Second Order Travel

Miles & Points

Jan 10, 2026

•

7 min read

Becoming the Miles Bank

Liquidity, trust, and the hidden cost of ‘free’ miles

Second Order Travel

Amex Platinum

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

Jan 8, 2026

•

7 min read

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

Market structure, fixed rebates, and when the math stops helping

Second Order Travel

New to ExpatVista? Start Here ↓

Frameworks

The ExpatVista Manifesto

What this site is, and what it isn’t

Frameworks

The ExpatVista Redemption Framework

A practical model for deciding when points beat cash, and when they don’t

Frameworks

Ten Principles for Smarter Travel

Rules I actually use to decide when a deal is worth taking

ExpatVista

Global perspectives on travel, finance, and expat life.

Latest

Marriott Points Regularly Return to the Same Sale Price Range

Taking One for the (Expat) Team

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

Siem Reap: Using FHR as a Capped Rebate

Berlin: A Gourmet Odyssey

Hilton Points Are Almost Always on Sale

Kimpton Fitzroy London: When Pricing Logic Meets Taste

Capital One Offers: A Test From Abroad

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

Selected writing

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

Berlin, Planned Around One Fixed Date

Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore

A good redemption. A messy process. One real mistake.

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

What Happens to Airline Miles and Hotel Points When a Member Dies

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

UK Railcards: the simplest way to stop overpaying for British trains

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

Becoming the Miles Bank

When Fine Hotels + Resorts Works, and When It Doesn’t

New to ExpatVista? Start Here ↓

The ExpatVista Manifesto

The ExpatVista Redemption Framework

Ten Principles for Smarter Travel

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