Summary: I’m not bragging or anything, but airport lines are a thing of the past for me. And, so are the dreaded middle seats or waiting on hold when calling customer service. Instead, I enjoy complementary drinks and first name greetings whenever I travel. I’m not famous or anything, but I travel a lot, and that allows me to score hundreds of thousands of points and miles per year. Whenever I’m on a business trip or off to a conference in a different city across the country, I always take advantage of my airline and hotel loyalty programs. I have a company Amex credit card that I use to pay for business expenses. I then deduct all my travel costs from my taxes (I’ll talk more about this later.) That way, I’m able to earn free reward points without actually paying for anything. This strategy helped me achieve a loyalty status of Hilton Honors Diamond and American Airlines Platinum. As you can imagine, having an elite status comes with a lot of perks: front-of-the-line access, surprise treats, voyages to exotic destinations at the price of nothing, and complimentary upgrades, such as first-class or room upgrade. Website: ianbalina.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/diaryofamademan/ Twitter: twitter.com/diaryofamademan Snapchat: www.snapchat.com/add/diaryofamademan Facebook: www.facebook.com/diaryofamademan/
