Decision frameworks
Structured ways to think through travel, loyalty, and expat decisions. Models, principles, tradeoffs, and analytical decision tools.
IHG
+4
Jun 15, 2026
•
3 min read
An IHG Award as an Insurance Policy
Using IHG Points & Cash to solve a housing problem before an internship starts.
IHG
+6
Jun 8, 2026
•
6 min read
The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards
What happens when a card is worth keeping but not worth using?
IHG
+4
May 31, 2026
•
3 min read
IHG Free Night Certificate Mistake
A rebooking error changed the redemption decision months later
Hilton
+7
May 21, 2026
•
4 min read
Missing the Final FNC Swap by Hours
A Hilton Free Night Certificate had posted just hours before the Calala transfer, briefly keeping alive hopes of swapping out the remaining 240,000-point night.
Fiji
+7
May 19, 2026
•
3 min read
Singapore to Fiji: When Business Class Quietly Became the Rational Option
A Fiji Airways overnight flight that initially looked like a straightforward economy booking until flexibility, seat selection, and realistic pricing changed the math.
Hilton
+5
May 7, 2026
•
3 min read
Testing Amex’s Lifetime Rule After Six Years: A Clean Surpass Datapoint
A real-world Hilton Surpass datapoint on Amex’s “once per lifetime” rule.
IHG
+5
Apr 15, 2026
•
2 min read
When Amex Offers Beat Points
The real cost of switching from points to cash on Marriott and IHG stays
MGM
+5
Mar 1, 2026
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3 min read
Will MGM Still Comp Me?
A light stay, a small trim, and what the model did next
MGM
+7
Feb 23, 2026
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3 min read
Why Is MGM Comping Me?
How casino loyalty models price identity and captured spend.
Layovers
+6
Feb 13, 2026
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2 min read
One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene
A structured decision between COTE and MILA on a 20-hour layover
IHG
+4
Jan 24, 2026
•
3 min read
IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale
How often IHG runs 100% buy-points bonuses, quantified
