Well, last Oct. I realized I should be getting points for all my personal spend including mortgage, car payment and student loan payment. I started searching and found this forum (among others). Wow! Have to say it changed my travel life!

When I started all this, I was Delta gold medallion with base level membership in all rewards program.

Today, I am Delta Platinum, Ritz Platinum, Hilton Diamond (among others) and am enjoying status and free rooms out the ying yang. BOOM!

I always go a bit hog-wild with things and have done that over the last 9 mos., but have been reaping the benefits (I would recommend that one only does a portion of what I have done).

While I have a lot of CCs, because I am a Delta flyer, seem to have alot of Ritz/Hilton options in the cities I frequent around the world, my goto cards have been:

1) Amex Delta Reserve card because of the ability to get 30k MQMs with 60k spend...BOOM!
2) Amex Hilton Surpass which gives 12x points for Hilton stays and I stay at Hiltons for work at least 2 weeks out of the year...40k spend gets you Diamond level status...BOOM!
3) Ritz Carlton Chase Visa Signature. 3 club level upgrades per year (i have been staying at Ritz properties that have comparable rates to others for work, accept with the RC CC, i'm at club level). 75k gets Platinum elite status...BOOM!
4) Amex business platinum for Lounge access and companion first class upgrade, as well as things like free GOGO and SPG gold status, among other perks...the priority pass select that comes with this has never let me down and is great...BOOM!

All I can say is that the combination of the things I have been doing have changed the way I travel and while you can't always predict what things like "status" will provide you, when it is great, it is great!

The highlight of all this so far was booking a club level upgrade at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba and ending up in a Club Level Executive Suite there. Also, staying at the RC New Orleans for a week in the Club Level was really good. Met (and partied with) so many interesting people including #KellyPrice who was performing for 4 nights at the Superdome there...she was totally cool...BOOM!

Huge benefits: we have scored, many upon many, single or double night rooms with points that are a result of my initial inquiry.

Future fun this calendar year:

1) Maui (Grand Wailea and RC Kapalua, Diamond and Platinum, respectively...will post a competition review when done entitled, "who rules the Maui Elite experience"...LOL)..potential BOOM!

2) In business in Vienna, staying at Intercontinental (will report how Platinum status works). From that point forth - all is free.
a) Heading to Prague at the Hilton Oldtown as Diamond elite.
b)Then down to Munich and staying with SPG points at Le Meridian for
Oktoberfest (we will be there last week of Sept)...Of course we
rented the requisite BMW for a Bavarian tour!!! BOOM!
3) Might be in Cuba in late Dec - will report SPG experience if so.

Well just a report - tings have certainly changed for the better and you only live once, so when traveling, best to do it in style (for free or at a greatly reduced cost)!

Pharmawalk out.