Trying to Do It Again: Manufacturing Another FNC

Removing the final 240,000 Hilton points from a Calala booking by creating another Free Night Certificate, and the portfolio decisions required to do it

What Happens When Marriott Moves a Certificate Ceiling

The hidden pricing shift and new card restrictions behind the 25K top-up

Closing the Loop: Selling at 240k, Buying Back at 95k

An Arbitrage in Hilton Aspire Free Night Certificates

What Q1 Readers Opened, and What the Web Found on ExpatVista

Newsletter and site weren’t quite the same.

Hilton Credits in London: What Triggers

Testing how payments are processed across hotel bars and restaurants

A $100 Blacklane Credit Isn’t Worth $100

The 240k Hilton Point / FNC Swap Actually Worked

What was required, and what Hilton’s system allows

Why I Tried to Trade a Hilton Free Night Certificate for 240,000 Points

Liquidity, optionality, and the portfolio logic behind a Calala booking

Does Cancelling a Comp Stay Affect MGM Offers?

A small test of booking intent vs. actual behavior

You Can Use Amex Abroad. We Didn’t Even Need to Try.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant dining credit in London, tracked over 41 months

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

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

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

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

IHG and Me

A quiet but essential part of the hotel portfolio

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

How casino loyalty models price identity and captured spend.

Calala Island: Committing to the Rebate

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

How the Prague Marriott Moments Auction Actually Closed

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

Barclays Arrival Plus

A Fixed-Value Travel Currency With Optional Airline Upside

How Loyalty Programs Slow Status Inflation Without Announcing It

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

One Night in Miami: Choosing Certainty Over Scene

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

When Loyalty Becomes Wholesale

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

Marriott Points Sales: The Price Keeps Returning to the Same Range

What the Buy-Points History Shows

A Live Look at a Marriott Moments Auction

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

Siem Reap: Using FHR as a Capped Rebate

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

Hilton Points Are Almost Always on Sale

How Often Hilton Runs Buy-Points Bonuses, Quantified

Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable for Expats?

The border-proof perk hiding in plain sight