Archive | ExpatVista

IHG

Three Free Night Certificates, One Weekend

Jan 8, 2026

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3 min read

Three Free Night Certificates, One Weekend

How uncapped FNCs unlocked rooms that pricing said shouldn’t exist

ExpatVista

Miles & Points

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

Jan 6, 2026

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4 min read

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

Pick the right certificate for the stay, not the stay for the certificate

ExpatVista

IHG

Jan 6, 2026

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3 min read

Why IHG Flex Certificates Quietly Work

A modest certificate often outperforms points when plans are fixed

ExpatVista

Marriott

Jan 6, 2026

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3 min read

Why My Marriott Elite Nights Show 41 in 2026 (And Why Lifetime Status Lags Behind)

Why annual status and lifetime progress don’t update together

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

Jan 4, 2026

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2 min read

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

A case study in redirecting an expiring retail credit abroad

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

Jan 1, 2026

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5 min read

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

What 100 lounge admissions taught us about a credit-card benefit we use very differently as a family

ExpatVista

Miles & Points

Not All Free Night Certificates Are the Same

Dec 31, 2025

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2 min read

Not All Free Night Certificates Are the Same

Why a 35K Marriott certificate and an uncapped Hilton certificate require completely different decisions

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

An Expat’s Sweet Spot: Virgin Points, Kenya, and a Closing Window

Dec 29, 2025

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3 min read

An Expat’s Sweet Spot: Virgin Points, Kenya, and a Closing Window

How Virgin points, safari seasonality, and expat geography briefly line up

ExpatVista

IHG

Prague in January: Allocating Three Hotel Programs on One Trip

Dec 28, 2025

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4 min read

Prague in January: Allocating Three Hotel Programs on One Trip

Certificates, expiry risk, FHR timing, and why sequencing mattered more than value

ExpatVista

Miles & Points

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

Dec 28, 2025

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3 min read

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

British Airways gave me six ways to pay. The hidden variable was the price of my Avios.

ExpatVista

Hilton

Dec 27, 2025

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3 min read

Hilton and Me

How I actually use statement credits, certificates, and Diamond status

ExpatVista

hotel strategy

Dec 26, 2025

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4 min read

Marriott and Me

A cross-border Bonvoy strategy that delivers

ExpatVista

Three Free Night Certificates, One Weekend

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

Why IHG Flex Certificates Quietly Work

Why My Marriott Elite Nights Show 41 in 2026 (And Why Lifetime Status Lags Behind)

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

Not All Free Night Certificates Are the Same

An Expat’s Sweet Spot: Virgin Points, Kenya, and a Closing Window

Prague in January: Allocating Three Hotel Programs on One Trip

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

Hilton and Me

Marriott and Me

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