The Lab

Real-world testing for travel, loyalty, and decision-making. Credit cards abroad. Lounge access edge cases. Booking mechanics. Loyalty systems under live conditions.

Rideshare

Jul 9, 2026

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2 min read

Can a Blacklane Promo Beat Uber?

Testing whether a targeted voucher can finally unlock full value from Citi’s Blacklane credit.

Expat Vista

MGM

Did More Gambling Improve My MGM Offers?

Jul 8, 2026

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4 min read

Did More Gambling Improve My MGM Offers?

A stronger ARIA gambling session improved some MGM Rewards offers, but not in the way I expected.

Expat Vista

MGM

Do You Need to Gamble to Receive MGM Hotel Offers?

Jul 3, 2026

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4 min read

Do You Need to Gamble to Receive MGM Hotel Offers?

Building a control account to separate acquisition marketing from gambling history.

Expat Vista

Fiji

Jun 30, 2026

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3 min read

The Fiji Aspire Experiment

One day after the Las Vegas test, a new data point suggests Hilton Aspire resort credits can still work without a stay outside the United States.

Expat Vista

Hilton

Jun 29, 2026

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5 min read

Hilton Aspire Resort Credits: A Vegas Test

I spent almost $600 at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas without booking a room. Here’s what happened to the Hilton points, the Aspire resort credits, and the experiment.

Expat Vista

IHG

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

Jun 8, 2026

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6 min read

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

What happens when a card is worth keeping but not worth using?

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Oslo Airport Lounge Access: Which Priority Pass Cards Still Work?

Jun 2, 2026

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3 min read

Oslo Airport Lounge Access: Which Priority Pass Cards Still Work?

Testing direct Amex access and Priority Pass at Oslo Airport.

Expat Vista

Hilton

May 21, 2026

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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.

Expat Vista

Portfolio Management

How the Maida Vale Pub-Substitution Trade Played Out

May 11, 2026

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4 min read

How the Maida Vale Pub-Substitution Trade Played Out

The math worked on paper. A week later, where we stand on all the rebates, points, and the stay experience itself.

Expat Vista

Hilton

Testing Amex’s Lifetime Rule After Six Years: A Clean Surpass Datapoint

May 7, 2026

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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.

Expat Vista

Expat Logistics

Marriott UK Debit Card: What It Really Costs to Run

May 5, 2026

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2 min read

Marriott UK Debit Card: What It Really Costs to Run

An early look at the real costs. The FX isn’t as simple as it appears, and most of the value depends on what you do next.

Expat Vista

Loyalty Programs

Turning a £70 Thursday Pub Habit Into Two Marriott Elite Night Credits

May 1, 2026

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2 min read

Turning a £70 Thursday Pub Habit Into Two Marriott Elite Night Credits

How a £249 cash rate (no points, no certificates) became a net-positive stay after stacking Amex offers, Marriott promos, and our existing routine.

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Apr 30, 2026

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2 min read

The Cost of Untested Constraints

Why small assumptions quietly change how you spend

Expat Vista

Expat Logistics

Apr 27, 2026

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2 min read

The FX Spread You Don’t See

A real $11,100 transfer and how retail banks actually price currency

Expat Vista

Hilton

Trying to Do It Again: Manufacturing Another FNC

Apr 22, 2026

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5 min read

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

Expat Vista

Netherlands

Apr 12, 2026

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2 min read

Testing Hilton Credits Abroad: Netherlands

Same test as London, with different outcomes across Hilton-operated and SLH properties

Expat Vista

Amex Platinum

Mar 30, 2026

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3 min read

Hilton Credits in London: What Triggers

Testing how payments are processed across hotel bars and restaurants

Expat Vista

MGM

Does Cancelling a Comp Stay Affect MGM Offers?

Mar 21, 2026

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2 min read

Does Cancelling a Comp Stay Affect MGM Offers?

A small test of booking intent vs. actual behavior

Expat Vista

Expat Logistics

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

Mar 19, 2026

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2 min read

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

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

Expat Vista

Expat Logistics

Mar 10, 2026

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3 min read

The Cost of Collecting

The final stage of a Capital One Offers experiment from abroad

Expat Vista

The Lab

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Mar 7, 2026

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3 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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3 min read

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

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

Expat Vista

MGM

Feb 23, 2026

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4 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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4 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

Expat Logistics

Feb 10, 2026

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3 min read

What Came After

Capital One Offers, tested from abroad

Expat Vista

The Lab

Can a Blacklane Promo Beat Uber?

Did More Gambling Improve My MGM Offers?

Do You Need to Gamble to Receive MGM Hotel Offers?

The Fiji Aspire Experiment

Hilton Aspire Resort Credits: A Vegas Test

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

Oslo Airport Lounge Access: Which Priority Pass Cards Still Work?

Missing the Final FNC Swap by Hours

How the Maida Vale Pub-Substitution Trade Played Out

Testing Amex’s Lifetime Rule After Six Years: A Clean Surpass Datapoint

Marriott UK Debit Card: What It Really Costs to Run

Turning a £70 Thursday Pub Habit Into Two Marriott Elite Night Credits

The Cost of Untested Constraints

The FX Spread You Don’t See

Trying to Do It Again: Manufacturing Another FNC

Testing Hilton Credits Abroad: Netherlands

Hilton Credits in London: What Triggers

Does Cancelling a Comp Stay Affect MGM Offers?

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

The Cost of Collecting

Marriott Gift Cards at Hotels: A London Field Test

Will MGM Still Comp Me?

Why Is MGM Comping Me?

Calala Island: Committing to the Rebate

What Came After

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