Decision frameworks

MGM

Mar 1, 2026

•

5 min read

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

A light stay, a small trim, and what the model did next

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Feb 27, 2026

•

4 min read

Virgin Miles Purchase: Two Months In

And whether I reload for 2026

Expat Vista

MGM

Feb 23, 2026

•

6 min read

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

How casino loyalty models price identity and captured spend.

Expat Vista

Layovers

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

Feb 13, 2026

•

5 min read

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

A structured decision between COTE and MILA on a 20-hour layover

Expat Vista

IHG

Jan 24, 2026

•

6 min read

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

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

Expat Vista

hotel strategy

Jan 23, 2026

•

7 min read

Berlin, Planned Around One Fixed Date

East, centre, and west over three days

Expat Vista

Event Travel

Jan 22, 2026

•

11 min read

Springboks vs All Blacks in Baltimore

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

Expat Vista

Capital One

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

Jan 22, 2026

•

7 min read

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

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

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Jan 20, 2026

•

6 min read

Why Transferable Points Behave Differently When a Member Dies

Upstream currencies, downstream rules (January 2026)

Expat Vista

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)

Expat Vista

The Lab

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

Jan 18, 2026

•

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

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Jan 10, 2026

•

7 min read

Becoming the Miles Bank

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

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Jan 9, 2026

•

5 min read

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

Amsterdam, abundant luxury, and the limits of rebate logic

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

Jan 6, 2026

•

5 min read

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

How constraints and optionality determine which certificate to use

Expat Vista

expat strategy

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

Jan 1, 2026

•

7 min read

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

Why globally mobile families extract far more value than most US travelers ever will

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

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

Dec 29, 2025

•

6 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

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

Dec 28, 2025

•

6 min read

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

A British Airways booking and the pricing most people miss

Expat Vista

hotel strategy

Dec 26, 2025

•

7 min read

Marriott and Me

A cross-border Bonvoy strategy that delivers

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

Why I Bought Virgin Atlantic Miles Speculatively

Dec 22, 2025

•

5 min read

Why I Bought Virgin Atlantic Miles Speculatively

And how I evaluate large mileage purchases, transfer bonuses, and real redemption value

Expat Vista

Hyatt

Dec 20, 2025

•

6 min read

The Malta Hyatt Mattress Run I Almost Took

Why I passed, even though the math was excellent

Expat Vista

IHG

IHG Ambassador vs Diamond: My Take on Paid Status vs Upgrades

Dec 18, 2025

•

7 min read

IHG Ambassador vs Diamond: My Take on Paid Status vs Upgrades

Paid status versus promotional upgrades, and why the distinction matters

Expat Vista

Decision frameworks

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

Virgin Miles Purchase: Two Months In

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

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

Becoming the Miles Bank

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

The Free Night Certificate Decision Framework

Priority Pass as a Family Travel Operating System

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

Why I Didn’t Automatically Choose Maximum Points

Marriott and Me

Why I Bought Virgin Atlantic Miles Speculatively

The Malta Hyatt Mattress Run I Almost Took

IHG Ambassador vs Diamond: My Take on Paid Status vs Upgrades

Subscribe for new reads…

Quick Links

Subscription

Socials