Expert: Stephen Tanenbaum - 4/2/2009

Question
Hello Stephen.  Okay, this sounds like the best kept secret ever.  To answer your points of query:

1) traveling alone
2) Louisville (KY) to New Orleans and Austin, then back to Louisville -- four day trip
3) Not a student.  Looking into schools in both cities.
4) Vacation/leisure trip and single income (about $45,000)

I am a US citizen.  Please let me in on this secret!  Thanks for your expertise.

Regards,
Chris

Answer
Hi Chris:

REALLY REALLY REALLY>......

We leave shortly for one month in Barcelona, one month in Paris and a stop in NYC before flying home to California. ALL OUR FLIGHTS ARE FREE.

It is common that I receive queries about imminent travel plans and that is problematic. Usually one needs a lead time of 2-4 months so that you could have all three of your flights free or you could just as easily go to any two cities in Europe plus stop at any US hub like NYC, LA, SF, Miami, Dallas or Chicago TOTALLY FREE.

Let me invite you to our world of FREE global travel. As we always say
FREE is better than CHEAP.

Lots of info will follow. Some, of necessity, from a stock answer
since so many  are naturally interested in FREE travel.

Keep in mind as you read below that you need only 25,000 miles for a U.S. FREE travel award. AND as explained in my free travel article you may ask for a second free flight anywhere in the U.S. So your itinerary to 2 cities and then returning home would be all FREE.

Next, before I get to specifics here are some personal LINKS that may be helpful.  

First is the LINK to our FREE YouTube promo video for our FREE (don't you love that word FREE) travel newsletter.  Be sure to check out the the text in the column to the right of the video (click ‘more). The text has LINKS to our FIVE latest newsletters and an article I wrote on FREE global travel.

LINK to our YouTube newsletter Promo video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VZ0zl1jVhPI

If you wish to skip the video here are the LINKS to our recent newsletters:

Current late Winter '09 newsletter: http://ctnwinter09.blogspot.com

Fall '08 CTN: http://ctnfall2008.blog.com/

Summer 2008 CTN:
http://ctnsummer08.blog.com

Spring '08 CTN Newsletter: http://CTNspring08.blog.com

Winter '08 CTN: http://ctnwinter08.blog.com

FREE TRAVEL ARTICLE:
http://CTNsummer2007ed.blogspot.com

Let me know if you have any LINK problems.

The far and away best Free travel promo has been run for at least the past two years by Citibank.  By obtaining just two of their available credit cards (cards are Free of annual fee the first year) you can obtain 50,000 American Airline Bonus miles 100% FREE. Those miles are instantly good for RT Europe (low season) RT Hawaii, Mexico and Central America. As I suspected, likely due to the current economic crisis, Citibank seems to be cutting back. Its promotion offers less cards and may be close to ending BUT good news: It seems the promotion is ongoing at least through the end of August 2009.

HERE IS THE LONG LINK:
http://www.aa.com/aa/viewPromotionDetails.do?itemDescriptor=PromotionContent&fil...      

I just checked this long LINK and it worked. If for any reason it does not then Google Citibank 25,000 bonus miles.

This offer is awesome for those who have not yet used it.

Citi Platinum Mastercard     Citi Select American Express AAdantage     
Citi Business Aavantage Mastercard

Since these are three DIFFERENT cards, meaning regular Mastercard, American Express  and Business Mastercards one can likely apply for all three at once.

At the very least you can apply for one personal card and one small business card right now. Probably OK to apply for another personal card in 30 or 60 days. You can call Citibank and ask about their waiting time for multiple cards. Do not have a small business....no problem. Read my newsletters and Free travel article which explain how ANYONE can instantly qualify for SMALL BUSINESS CARDS even those who do not currently have a small business.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND CHECK OUT THE MATERIAL. MAYBE THE FREE TRAVEL ARTICLE FIRST AND THEN MOST CURRENT AND PAST NEWSLETTERS. OF COURSE GET STARTED WITH CITIBANK AND AMERICAN AIRLINES.

Good luck and HAPPY and SAFE travels.

PS: Aside from your school hunting trip if you obtain 50,000 free miles you will still have 25,000 in reserve. Use the cards and reach or get close to 35,000 miles for a FREE RT ticket to any Hawaiian island, Mexico or Central America. Ex. you have 32,000 miles...AMerican SELLS needed extra miles. So maybe $100-$200 to top off such an account to reach 35,000 miles. AND from Maui for example you again can ASK and AMerican will grant you a SECOND flight to any continental U.S. city. Ex. Fly to Maui then Maui to San Francisco and then home.

Again....good luck.