Flying for Fitness

As part of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program's 21st birthday, they announced an interesting offer where you can earn 500 KrisFlyer miles for each individual you refer to their KrisFlyer program.  You're capped at 10k miles (20 referrals), though there is the potential to earn another 21k miles for a total of 31k miles if you're one of the top 3 referrers under the promo. The promo is good through February 29, 2020, and the individual you refer must have at least one qualifying activity with their KrisFlyer account by May 31, 2020 in order for you as the referrer to earn the 500 bonus miles.  The individual referred will also earn 500 bonus miles regardless of any account activity.  The qualifying activity is quite simple as it includes any of the following: 1. Miles accrued or redeemed on flown flights on Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot 2. Miles accrual from partners. 3. Transfer of points from partner programmes to KrisFlyer 4. Submission of retrospec...

Expedia is currently offering a good $20 off $60+ activities promo , which means that you can net up to 1/3 off on any activity.  The activity must be booked by February 3rd, 2020, but is valid for all activities through August 31, 2020. To redeem the offer, go to the promo page and enter the code JAN20US at checkout and it should automatically apply to any activities booking $60+ through August 31, 2020.  Go here for the full terms and conditions of the promo. You can also stack a booking portal cashback with this offer like Rakuten (formerly Ebates) , which is currently offering 3.5% or 3.5x Amex Membership Rewards on Expedia activities bookings.  If you don't already have a Rakuten account, you can sign-up for one using my referral link and you'll also get $10 after your first purchase. Book a tour of New Zealand's Milford Sound with Expedia Activities Quick thoughts This is a good promo with Expedia that is only available for a few more d...

ANA has just opened the booking window for their new SFO-HND (Tokyo Haneda) route , and as anticipated, the award seat floodgates have officially opened up!  On many dates, including for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic games, you can find 2 seats open in both business and first class!  During the entire peak season summer months, premium seat award availability is literally off the charts everyday: To search for award availability, you can use United's calendar award search .  United charges 80,000 miles each way for business class and 110,000 miles each way for first class.  However, the following programs will net far better redemption rates for business class: 1.  ANA Mileage Club: 75k-90k miles (depending on the season) + ~$267 fees (roundtrip only) 2.  Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 90k miles + ~$267 fees (roundtrip nonstop only) 3.  Avianca Lifemiles: 75k miles one-way And if you want to fly in ANA's excellent first class product ,...

Amazon is currently offering a good promo where you can get $10 off $50  on select Grocery and Household items. Promo Page There are a good number of foods for the health conscious, such as Kind bars, pistachios, stevia, Zevia stevia soda, and Paleo pancake mix.  And if you were one of the many who were targeted for the existing Amazon and Amex Membership Rewards promo , you can stack for an additional 20% off! Terms and Conditions Offer only applies to products sold by Amazon.com or Amazon Digital Services LLC (look for “sold by Amazon.com” or “sold by Amazon Digital Services LLC” on the product detail page). Offer does not apply to digital content. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping charges and taxes may apply to the full value of discounted and free promotional items. Items must be purchased in a single order and shipped at the same speed to a single address. Unless an Amazon Gift Card is the stated benefit of the promotion, promotional codes (in...

As I had covered a few months ago, both JAL and ANA are shifting many of their existing Narita-U.S. routes to Haneda, which is the far more convenient option for those disembarking in Japan.  The shifts will all be occur on March 29, 2020, and both carriers opened their booking window for the Haneda flights in late November 2019.  However, ANA's SFO-HND flight has been the only route that has not yet been open for booking.  But ANA has now confirmed the SFO-HND flight schedule and will open booking on January 27th.  The new flight will operate on the following schedule starting on March 29th on a four cabin 777-300ER: NH108 Haneda to San Francisco departing 10:55PM arriving 4:25PM [Tue, Fri, Sun] NH107 San Francisco to Haneda departing 1:45AM arriving 5:00AM (+1 day) [Mon, Wed, Sat] It's interesting how ANA is going only 3x weekly for their SFO-HND route while keeping their daily SFO-NRT route.  ANA was granted 6 daily Haneda-U.S. slots, so they're appa...

United Airlines has just launched a new business credit card through Chase with a 100,000-mile sign-up bonus after spending $10,000 within the first 3 months of card membership.  The new card has a reasonable $99 annual fee, and earns 2x MileagePlus miles on the following categories: United Airlines purchases Local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls, and ride sharing services Gas stations Office supply stores Restaurants Redeem United miles for travel on Eva Airlines business class You'll also earn 1x on all other purchases.  The 2x categories aren't especially industry leading as cards like the Sapphire Reserve earn 3x on all travel (including transit) and restaurants, but it's still good to see the new United Business card include multiple 2x categories including gas stations and office supply stores.  The card comes with the following notable benefits: Receive 5,000 bonus miles on your anniversary every year when you ha...

The Chase IHG Premier credit card is currently offering its highest ever sign-up bonus offer of 140,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of card membership.  We have seen previous increased sign-up bonuses of 100k and 125k over the standard offer of 80k, but never 140k. The increased bonus is good through April 2nd, and the $89 annual fee is not waived for the first year.  This card may actually be worth it to hold onto for the long term as it comes with the following benefits: annual free night on your card's anniversary date automatic IHG Platinum elite status as long as you're a cardholder 4th night free on reward stays Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit once every 4 years no foreign exchange transaction fees Redeem IHG points for the InterContinental Ishigaki Resort in Okinawa, Japan As you can see, the annual free night, which is good for hotels costing up to 40k points, more than covers the $89 annual fee.  Although IHG Plat...

Delta is currently having some good deals in their Premium Select product from select U.S. West Coast cities to Shanghai starting from $748.  The cheapest flights are nonstop and originate from LAX-PVG and can be found on Google Flights .  What's great about Delta Premium Select is that no only is it a true premium economy product with extra legroom, wider seats, and better amenities, you'll also accrue 1.5x MQMs for a total of 19,456 MQM and 3,350 redeemable miles for a roundtrip LAX-PVG booking in Premium Select. Delta Airlines Premium Select Delta isn't the only carrier offering cheap premium economy fares as Air China has also joined in for their nonstop SFO-PVG route, which prices out as low as $836 roundtrip . Air China B747 premium economy Air China's premium economy on their B747s isn't necessary a standout product, though you'll still get the extra legroom and wider seats. Other U.S. West Coast cities like Seattle come out to as low...

American Airlines has long imposed a $75 award close-in ticketing fee for non-elite members booking an award flight within 21 days of departure.  United Airlines was the only other carrier that imposed such a fee, but United eliminated it last November when they went to dynamic award pricing.  Delta never charged the fee, which left AA as the only airline to charge such a fee.  Finally and effective immediately, AA has eliminated the fee for all award bookings.  So you can now book "last minute" awards without the pesky $75 fee. Quick thoughts To AA's credit, they are the only U.S. legacy carrier to still have an award chart .  Fingers crossed on how long that will stand as they haven't underwent any recent devaluations and are likely primed for one in the not-too-distant future.  Whereas the elimination of the $75 close-in award ticketing fee would come as good news for non-elite members, elite members may not be as happy since they were always exem...

It's back: Amazon is offering 20% off on purchases if you just use 1 Amex Membership Rewards point!  The total discount is capped at $50 and is good for multiple purchases, so you can spend up to $250 to max out the discount.  The promo ends on February 29, 2020, but it can get pulled at any time and is limited to the first 80,000 customers. Link to the offer To take advantage of this awesome deal, go to the offer page and click on Activate now.  This appears to be a targeted offer, but it's looking like nearly all Amex MR cardholders are eligible.  Even if you don't need to buy anything from Amazon right now, third party gift cards are eligible, but not Amazon gift cards.  Amazon sells a wide array of third party gift cards like Starbucks, Uber, iTunes, Safeway, etc., so this would definitely be a good way for you to max out the $50 total discount. Terms and Conditions This is a limited time offer. This is a limited time offer. The promotion wi...

I've written extensively about premium class travel awards, but not everyone  is addicted to business class, and are fine sitting in the back of the plane with the peasants in economy class.  Although flying in premium cabins typically results in the best value for your award miles, there can still be value found in economy class bookings, which carriers also tend to release more generously. ANA Mileage Club ANA is a Star Alliance member has one of the most underrated programs out there, especially when it comes to premium cabin awards to Asia for only 95k roundtrip .  For 60k miles, you can go roundtrip from North America to North Asia with a free stopover.  ANA does impose fuel surcharges, which can add up on some carriers such as Asiana.  However, ANA does not impose fuel surcharges period on partner awards with Air China and Singapore Airlines, and the surcharges are very reasonable with Eva, Thai Airways, and ANA. As you can see, you'll o...

Chase is currently running an increased 100k sign-up offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card through May 16, 2020.  This is a significant increase over the standard 75k sign-up bonus.  The 100k bonus requires a spending threshold of $5,000 within the first 3 months of card membership, and the $95 annual fee is not waived for the first year. The card’s earning structure and benefits are as follows: 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. 2X Marriott Bonvoy points on all other eligible purchases. 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Earn Gold status after spending $35,000 15 elite night credits (limited to once per member each year, not once per card) Free in-room premium Wi-Fi No Forei...

As noted a few days ago , the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve will be increasing from $450 to $550 effective for all new applications starting tomorrow (1/12/2020).  So today is the last day to apply for the card while "only" forking over $450.  It remains unknown if applicants who apply by today will be eligible for the new Doordash and Lyft Pink benefits, but seeing how the benefits are getting added to all card holders, it appears more likely than not that today's applicants will be eligible. Here are the new benefits being added tomorrow when the annual fee goes up to $550: Cardholders will get a free DoorDash DashPass membership for one year and a $120 in DoorDash Credits over the next two years A year of Lyft Pink ( Lyft Referral Link  for new users only for $5.00 off next ride) 10x Points on Lyft Rides So if you've been thinking about getting the Chase Reserve card but have held back for the past 3+ years, today is probably your best b...

This is the age-old debate.  Which is better for you, weight training or cardio?  Bodybuilders and power lifters swear by the dumbbells and barbells, whereas runners are addicted to the treadmill.  As usual, the answer is it depends . . . on what your goals are. Cardio, especially high intensity interval training (HIIT), is a big burn against those excess calories that you've eaten.  It'll also improve your overall fitness, cardiovascular endurance, and can lower your resting heart rate.  There's no question that if you're looking to lose weight, cardio and a manageable diet are the keystones.  But what if you're looking to lose as much fat as possible without sacrificing lean muscle mass? Cardio will allow you to burn off some of that fat.  But when you're eating or exercising into a caloric deficit, your body will also go after your precious muscle mass to use as energy as you're slimming down.  In fact, the less body fat you have, the...

Southwest is currently offering increased sign-up offers of 75,000 points for their three consumer credit cards: the Plus, Premier, and Priority cards .  For all three version of their cards, you'll earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, plus an additional 35,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening.  The increased 75k offers all end on February 18, 2020. Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed directly for any revenue flight at the rate of around 1.4 cents, so the 75k sign-up offer is valued at over $1,000.  What's nice about these sign-up offers is that the qualify towards Southwest's coveted Companion Pass , which allows a companion to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees) on any Southwest paid or award flight.  Southwest recently increased the Companion Pass qualification threshold to 125k points, but you'll only be 50k away with the sign...

The major carriers are all running cheap fares from the U.S. West Coast to Hawaii starting from $127 each way.  Most of the lowest fares are available for last minute winter bookings, though you can find cheap availability even through the end of 2020.  Let's take a look at the routes, dates, and carriers. Airlines: Alaska, Hawaiian, American, Southwest, United, Delta Routes: SFO/SAN/OAK/LAX/PDX/LAS and more to HNL/OGG/KOA/LIH/ITO Cost: $253+ round trip Dates: January — December 2020 The best search engine to use to find the cheapest fares would be Google Flights . One of the downsides is that the cheapest fares are on Basic Economy, which means that you'll be the last to board without seat selection.  To fly in regular economy, you'll need to pay an additional ~$60 roundtrip, which still is pretty cheap coming out to just over $300.  But if you need to check a bag for free, Southwest will be your best bet with 2 free checked bags and no change fees...

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best premium credit cards on the market.  It comes with a $450 annual fee, but is easily offset by the annual $300 travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit, and Priority Pass Select membership.  As of January 12, 2020, the annual fee for new applicants will increase by $100 to $550.  For existing card members, the increased $550 annual fee will be charged for renewals after April 1, 2020.  Chase will be adding free DoorDash membership for 2 years and Lyft Pink status to all Chase Reserve card holders. DoorDash membership If you check your Chase Reserve account now, you should already see DoorDash membership as a free benefit for 2 years.  DoorDash normally costs $9.99 a month and comes with free food delivery on orders over $12.  DoorDash membership also has lower service fees, saving members on average $4-$5 per order.  This benefit is also going to be added to Chase Sapphire Preferred members.  Ch...

You're big on protein, and for good reasons.  Protein is the building block of lean muscle mass, and getting enough protein is absolutely essential for not only muscle building, but also for maintaining muscle when you're cutting.  But how much protein do you really need on a daily basis?  Like most questions, it depends on a variety of factors, including your weight, the intensity of your workouts, and the goal of your diet. Bulking (aka building muscle and size) If you're bulking to add muscle in the hopes of achieving Arnold's physique above, you'll need to be eating into a caloric surplus.  Unfortunately, not all of the excess calories will go into muscle synthesis as some will be inevitably stored as fat.  You'll need to consume 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.  This could really add up as a 200 lb body builder would need around 200 grams of protein per day, which is the equivalent of over 10 organic chicken breasts. C...