Review: The St. Regis Qingdao
Overall, the hardware at this St. Regis is perfectly fine, but the stay experience was pretty average and didn’t really feel like St. Regis-level service. The location is good, clo...
Alaska Airlines Mileage and Membership Guide: Slight Devaluation, Award Chart Changes for Its Own Flights
Alaska has changed the award chart for its own flights within North America (all segments operated by Alaska). Awards are now based purely on distance, with no more sub-regions. A...
Review: Starlux Airlines A359 Business Class from San Francisco to Taipei Taoyuan
This trip was in Starlux Airlines A350-900 business class on the route San Francisco SFO – Taipei Taoyuan TPE – Macau MFM....
Amazon Young Adult Membership Guide: 10% Back During Prime Day on October 7-8
As we mentioned recently, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days will run on October 7-8. During this period, the standard 5% Amazon cashback benefit that comes with Young Prime membership w...
2025 Credit Card Quarterly 5x Categories Summary: Time to Switch Cards for Q4!
Q4 is here, and spending usually goes up during the holiday shopping season. Make sure you’re using these 5x categories in the right places. Plus, new Discover cardholders can stil...
U.S. Visa EVUS Registration Guide: $30 Fee Starts September 30 — Register Soon
Starting September 30, 2025, EVUS will begin charging a $30 registration fee. If you need to register, it’s worth doing soon. We recommend that anyone with a 10-year B1/B2 visa com...
2025 Guide for New International Students in the U.S. (Join the New Student Group)
This article brings together useful information for new international students coming to the U.S. in 2025! It curates beginner-friendly posts from more than a decade of this blog,...
At the End of the World, Waiting to Set Sail
Article In my days in Ushuaia, I did one thing only: wait. I waited to board the ship heading south. Since I arrived in Argentina, I had been waiting for the fabled last-minute boa...
Capital One Points Guide: New JAL, Qatar Airways, and Hotel Partners
Capital One has suddenly added Japan Airlines (JL), Qatar (which uses Avios), and I Prefer Hotels as transfer partners. JL is still a very useful option, though the transfer ratio...
Guide to Using AMEX Offers: Platinum Card Exclusive Offers
AMEX now provides Platinum cardholders with exclusive offers. On the offers page, click "view all" and you should see a dedicated section at the top. They mostly look like offers f...
White House Spokesperson Update: H-1B Visa Holders Must Pay $100,000 to Enter the U.S.
The White House spokesperson gave further details on X.com. Here are the key points:...