Second Order Travel

The Lab

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Mar 7, 2026

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6 min read

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Trying to trigger a £75 Amex rebate without booking a stay

Expat Vista

MGM

Mar 1, 2026

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5 min read

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

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

Expat Vista

IHG

Feb 25, 2026

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7 min read

IHG and Me

A quiet but essential part of the hotel portfolio

Expat Vista

MGM

Feb 23, 2026

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6 min read

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

How casino loyalty models price identity and captured spend.

Expat Vista

Hilton

Feb 19, 2026

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7 min read

Calala Island: Committing to the Rebate

Free Night Certificates, 480,000 points, and the execution risk behind a $2,510 post-stay wire.

Expat Vista

Points Experiences

How the Prague Marriott Moments Auction Actually Closed

Feb 18, 2026

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6 min read

How the Prague Marriott Moments Auction Actually Closed

Private Prague access, identical inventory, and two different clearing prices

Expat Vista

Program Mechanics

Feb 16, 2026

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5 min read

Barclays Arrival Plus

A Fixed-Value Travel Currency With Optional Airline Upside

Expat Vista

Program Mechanics

Feb 15, 2026

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5 min read

How Loyalty Programs Slow Status Inflation Without Announcing It

From double nights to brand-based caps in Marriott’s 2026 Q1 promotion

Expat Vista

Layovers

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

Feb 13, 2026

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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

Hilton

Feb 11, 2026

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6 min read

When Loyalty Becomes Wholesale

Hilton reimbursement mechanics, SLH economics, and why Calala’s $2,510 rebate exposes the tension

Expat Vista

Program Mechanics

Marriott Points Regularly Return to the Same Sale Price Range

Feb 8, 2026

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7 min read

Marriott Points Regularly Return to the Same Sale Price Range

What the Buy-Points History Actually Shows

Expat Vista

Points Experiences

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

Feb 6, 2026

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9 min read

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

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

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Feb 5, 2026

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6 min read

Siem Reap: Using FHR as a Capped Rebate

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

Expat Vista

Hilton

Feb 2, 2026

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7 min read

Hilton Points Are Almost Always on Sale

How Often Hilton Runs Buy-Points Bonuses, Quantified

Expat Vista

Program Mechanics

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

Jan 29, 2026

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6 min read

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

The border-proof perk hiding in plain sight

Expat Vista

Program Mechanics

Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

Jan 27, 2026

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7 min read

Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

How Marriott’s post-2020 mechanics turned an elite status into a default outcome

Expat Vista

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

Expat Vista

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

Expat Vista

Capital One

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

Expat Vista

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)

Expat Vista

Miles & Points

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

Jan 20, 2026

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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

hotel strategy

Jan 19, 2026

•

6 min read

Buying Wyndham Points Too Early

And why it still worked anyway

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

Second Order Travel

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

IHG and Me

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

Calala Island: Committing to the Rebate

How the Prague Marriott Moments Auction Actually Closed

Barclays Arrival Plus

How Loyalty Programs Slow Status Inflation Without Announcing It

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

When Loyalty Becomes Wholesale

Marriott Points Regularly Return to the Same Sale Price Range

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

Siem Reap: Using FHR as a Capped Rebate

Hilton Points Are Almost Always on Sale

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

When Points Pricing Ignores Room Hierarchies

IHG Points Are Almost Always on Sale

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

Buying Wyndham Points Too Early

Designing a Family Priority Pass System After the Rule Changes

Becoming the Miles Bank

When FHR Stops Being the Right Tool

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