Ryan Smith
@RyanSmithTravel
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I've visited every country! News Managing Editor @upgradedpoints Bylines at: AwardWallet, CNBC Select, Forbes Advisor, TPG, USA Today Blueprint & Tripadvisor
Joined April 2022
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Some personal news:
Today is my last day at The Points Guy.
I'm starting a new job on Monday and will share more details then. I'm excited for what's next.
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Bragging on Instagram that you paid $100 extra to fly on Delta instead of another airline because that means you could use your Amex Platinum to visit the SkyClub...
Isn't a flex. You lost money. Influencers are bananas. An airport sandwich would cost you $12. You lost $88.
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Personal news update:
First day on the job as Senior Editor at
@AwardWallet
. I freelanced here before taking a full-time position at TPG, so I know the team and most of the freelance writers already. I'm excited about what's in store for us.
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I always wondered when
@thepointsguy
would remove my name from an article that is still >90% content I wrote. I guess we have our answer.
"Welcome to the club," I guess.
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TSA agent: “we need to inspect your snowboard bag”
Me: “Really?”
Agent: “it’s a policy, mandatory inspection
Me: “never heard of that before”
Agent: “you must not travel much”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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A year ago today, I left a toxic work environment. Since then, my mental and physical health have improved, my relationship with my wife has improved, and my salary has improved!
Best decision of my life.
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Here comes the strangest business class of my life. Lie-flat seat with no free meals, pay for checked bags and water, and no free checked bags. Not even a free blanket.
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Straight outta countries
Enjoying the ferry to Bequia island
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Me: "Hi, why haven't I been paid yet for the article I wrote in May?"
Them: "We didn't get an invoice from you."
Me: "Here's the email of you saying you got it on May 31"
🤷
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@ScrapDaddyAP
Not always. This post is lacking the nuances of what's involved in the trade. It also lacks the fact this would teach you that you always get what you want even if you didn't plan ahead.
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How to do "great service":
Checking out of
@AlilaHotels
Jakarta and it's 4:30am. Staff says they didn't want us to miss breakfast, saw a note in my Hyatt profile we're vegan, and made us a "to go" breakfast of only vegan items.
This hotel shined in so many ways.
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We all agree on this, right?
There’s a special place in hell for people who have group FaceTime calls on speakerphone inside train cabins and airport lounges.
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I just realized what day it is. One month from now, I’ll have been to every country on earth.
Can’t believe it’s getting so close. So real.
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@thepointsguy
To be clear, I am far from the only former employee who has lost bylines on work, no longer receiving fair credit for our work.
And it's funny when they have the option to use shared bylines.
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Travel is crazy. I just walked into the only vegan restaurant in Casablanca and the waiter remembered my previous visit…3 years ago. He remembered that we talked about Brazilian football and asked how many countries I have left to visit/how much progress I’ve made in 3 years.
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6 months in, and this was the best career move of my life. I'm happier, I'm more productive, I see direct results from everything I do, and my wife doesn't have to suffer from me complaining about work.
Personal news update:
First day on the job as Senior Editor at
@AwardWallet
. I freelanced here before taking a full-time position at TPG, so I know the team and most of the freelance writers already. I'm excited about what's in store for us.
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As a white man from a Western country, I never thought I'd have to write a flight review about racist flight attendants. Being married to a brown-skinned Latinx woman has opened my eyes, like moments of discrimination against my wife by
@condor
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@SouthwestAir
These were awful. You had to share foot space and knee space with the person facing you. I was so happy when these went away.
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It might seem strange, but it's often cheaper to book your United flights in the U.S. using the website of an airline from Colombia.
Here's how you can pay just 6,500 LifeMiles for United flights.
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The Saks employee just told me I’m the 57th person he’s sold a gift card to today 😂
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Oh hell yeah! My wife put her name in a drawing at a Lakers game recently, and we won a free trip to Hawaii!
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Iceland has been incredible. Will be very sad to leave tomorrow.
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After several former coworkers suggested it, I emailed my former boss’ boss saying it’s unfortunate they do this to ex-writers. I received this surprising reply.
Posting here because it’s important to be fair.
I always wondered when
@thepointsguy
would remove my name from an article that is still >90% content I wrote. I guess we have our answer.
"Welcome to the club," I guess.
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It's a good thing my wife married me before I got famous in the Caribbean...
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10 years ago, I used a dating app to message someone I thought was interesting. 8 years ago today, I married that awesome woman. Here's to many more adventures in the years to come.
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And there it is.
I've booked my flights for all countries I haven't been to yet. I'll finish by Christmas.
Feeling super stoked right now.
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I've now completed 3 weeks working at
@AwardWallet
full time. Compared to the 3 weeks prior, traffic is up 11%. Glad to be sinking my teeth into something that's showing results.
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Just had 4 amazing nights at the Hyatt Regency Lisbon. Put this place on your travel list. It was incredible, from service to room to fantastic breakfast.
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In case you thought travel would slow down once I'd visited every country 😅 2024 is filling up:
Jan - relatives visit from Brazil
Feb - Annapolis, NYC, Europe
Mar - return from Europe
Apr - San Antonio
May - TravelCon
Jul - China
Aug - Belize
Sep - CardCon
Oct - Oxaca
Dec - FL
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Off to my final 3 countries in Africa! Any guesses what they are?
And extra points for what type of aircraft I’m on.
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@wealthissimple
@Caidadelatorre
@Kellen_Browning
@nytimes
This is an unfair characterization. Many people working in food delivery roles lack other options, have schedule conflicts, have other jobs, etc. Pretending they could just quit and find something better is simplistic and unrealistic.
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The most interesting film of 2024 will be this one about
@onceuponasaga
leaving home 10yr ago to visit every country without flying, being stuck in Hong Kong's Covid lockdown for 2yrs, numerous roadblocks & taking (much) longer than expected. Trailer:
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Just did my Global Entry renewal interview during my layover in Montreal.
Actual quote: “I didn’t know some of these places existed, but I guess you wouldn’t make them up in the application…”
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Arrived in Madagascar—my final country to visit in Africa!
I now have 5 more countries to visit. Some are easy to spot. Others…not so much.
Hint: I’ve only completed 1 continent prior to Africa. So what are the 5 remaining countries?
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Just had my first ever driver in a suit waiting with my name on a sign at the airport. What a life…
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Today was a wild day that proved how much I love where I work.
PR people: you aren’t guaranteed positive coverage just because you think you have a cool idea. And attacking us for honest critique serves no one.
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Just realized I have 9 countries left to visit (until I've visited all of them) and there are 9 months left in this year.
That's SO doable.
Time to start booking tickets.
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Just flew Mint for the first time…also my first time on a JetBlue plane. TOTALLY merits the hype. Catering for vegans destroys other US airlines. Buckwheat pancakes with jam and a soy chorizo-potatoes mash mmmm. And an oat milk cappuccino. Well done
@JetBlue
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We do one snowboard trip and one scuba trip a year. Got that snowboard trip in early this year, eh?
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It's a huge compliment when other workers in the points & miles space tell me they love the content
@AwardWallet
is putting out, love that we don't spread unfounded gossip, and consider us one of few publications that hasn't tarnished its reputation.
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Canceling SiriusXM now that it's no longer covered by Amex Platinum. I hate services where you have to talk to someone to cancel. I get that you want a chance to change my mind, but I just want to click a button--not waste 15min hearing about how great your service is.
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Last night was the first I slept well since the fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15.
Happy to report that my friend who was stuck in Khartoum is safe and sound and was able to evacuate finally.
War is dumb.
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I’m not kidding:
My mom made matching shirts for my parents/wife/me to all wear on the flight to my final country.
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No joke, I've never been so anxious for a flight in my whole life.
Positioning to Miami tonight to visit my 2nd-to-last country tomorrow. The fear my flight will be delayed/canceled/mess up my plan for final 2 countries is intense.
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@ethanklapper
@AmericanAir
Do they know you have United status? Or did I just spill the beans?
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@missesmysteries
@alourdai
This isn’t about cards. They’re discussing a fee for paying from a bank account.
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The news won't stop!
There's a new Amex transfer partner: Qatar Airways.
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Here's how learning about (and then using) credit card points helped me visit every country in the world.
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The amount of “we don’t accept Amex cards” in Portugal is incredible.
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This is wild to say:
I just worked my last day from my home office before completing my goal of visiting every country.
Leaving Sunday for my final 2 countries. Next time I'm at this desk, I'll have visited every country in the world.
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50k business class from California to Northern Africa is 🔥🔥
Oh wow! You can now book business class awards from any U.S. city to any European city for as few as 50,000 miles each way!
Even better, stack with a current 25% transfer bonus to drop that to 40k Chase points 🤯
Reporting by
@RyanSmithTravel
and me:
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The amount of people who asked if my New Year's Resolution is to stay home more this year, now that I've been to every country 😂
We're leaving Thursday on our first trip of the year, so...nope!
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Congratulations to my wife who just quit her toxic job.
Don't stay at an employer who brings you down.
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Haha 2 weeks ago I said I wasn’t doing much traveling in the short term. Just booked Singapore & Bali with my wife in Oct, her family visiting from Brazil in Jan, then Spain & Portugal for us in Feb. Plus my final 2 countries in Dec!
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Just realized this hotel stay is going to give me
@MarriottBonvoy
lifetime gold. That plus $3 is enough for a coffee 😂
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I've got a Hyatt club access award expiring on Feb. 29. Got a use for it and want this award for free? Let me know!
(you must check out by Feb. 29 to use it, must be staying on points/cash but not free night awards, property must have a club lounge)
No strings attached.
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Photos for my Av Geek friends after I just spent 48 hours in Libya. Saw some airlines I’d never heard of.
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Well, I've arrived in 2024. I finally upgraded my iPhone to a model that doesn't have the thumb button.
A moment of silence...
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The Renaissance Porto Lapa (from
Marriott Bonvoy) in Portugal’s 2nd largest city opened less than a year ago, and it does many things well. If it would get decent wifi, this hotel would be even better. Sad to check out today. We loved Porto.
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When you wind up in a timeshare presentation without realizing it and then show them how little cash you spend on travel…
She did the right thing and gave us the trip voucher without enduring the 90min presentation 🤙
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@ByEdMcKinley
Odd that he won't discuss "politics" when his job is...*checks notes*...politician.
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A delayed flight is an “inconvenience.” Racist discrimination is something more than just an inconvenience. And I’m guessing you didn’t even glance at the post to see we did send feedback. No one replied.
@RyanSmithTravel
@RyanSmithTravel
We apologize for any inconvenience. Please get in contact with our Customer Service Department regarding your request.
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Altitude effects are rough for those of us who live at sea level and decide to take on a hike that starts at 7200 ft. But it’s totally worth it. I wish I could stay in Bhutan (especially my current hotel) forever.
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I’m on this week’s podcast at
@milestomemories
talking about visiting every country in the world and how visiting places you think you won’t like is something everyone should do
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Just arrived in Equatorial Guinea and it’s a unique spot: a Spanish-speaking country in Africa 🤯
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Apparently "my millionaire husband" is a trend online? I'd never heard of this until someone suggested my wife make a "my points millionaire husband" account as a spoof and talk about us traveling/being points rich (but not $ rich).
I'm so not hip to social media trends.
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I made sure to wear my “tattoos are stupid” shirt during my talk about using points and miles to get off the beaten path.
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If you're like me and got all excited that the Citi Strata Premier FAQ section mentioned upgrades to the Citi Prestige, get ready for a letdown.
Citi management says this is an error and that upgrades to Prestige aren't possible.
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Glad to be back home after a few days checking on Dad after a mild heart attack. Dr. says he's healthy and doing all the right things, so he can resume his normal life.
Someone turned off the heat in Orange County while I was gone, though.
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My favorite thing about working at
@AwardWallet
is that we don't write posts meant to expose ourselves as idiots on topics we don't know anything about.
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What's crazy is that former TPG writers I've never talked to in my whole life have sent me DMs ever since I tweeted about having my name removed from content that is still almost entirely my work.
People I've never talked to showed up to commiserate together. It's that rampant.
Page 7 (final)
This is essentially all mine.
So explain how a site with the ability to list multiple authors thinks I don't deserve credit as the one who created the format of this article, given that 90% of the words are still exactly mine.
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I had forgotten how atrocious AA's Wi-Fi pricing is.
Delta - making it free
United - $8 for anyone with a loyalty number
AA - Wi-Fi costs as much as a flight with Spirit or Frontier
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It was great meeting people at
#CardCon
this week who I've emailed thousands of times but never seen in person. Hearing people say they've noticed all our recent improvements at
@AwardWallet
was fantastically reaffirming.
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It always amazes me how disorganized the DEL airport can be (especially frustrating when you’re checking in at 3:30am), but today’s a special one. Flying Royal Air Bhutan to the small mountain kingdom.
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Well, shoot. We knew that Qatar's amazing pricing on JetBlue was too good to last, but we didn't expect it to disappear in less than a week. Alas, the airline caught on quickly and has since made huge changes
@caribirdie
via
@AwardWallet
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After playing tour guide in California and Vegas for 15 days, just dropped off 5 of my wife’s relatives at LAX to fly home to Brazil. “Exhausted” is a good description.
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Looking for a screaming deal? I hope you have some AA miles.
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A friend sent me this, and it really spoke to me. Everyone keeps asking what my goal is now that I've been to every country. After a big accomplishment, you can be left feeling like your next feats won't measure up.
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Everyone: STOP what you're doing.
Thor just got home to Denmark. He left home 10+ years ago with a mission to visit every country WITHOUT flying. His journey was crazy, a true first, and it's something unlikely to ever be repeated. Go check all his socials.
HOME!!! 😍🇩🇰😍🇩🇰😍🇩🇰😍🇩🇰😍🇩🇰
Thanks for your unwavering support, making me the 1st person to visit every country in the world completely without flying!
The project was a resounding SUCCESS when we reached the final country, the Maldives ❤️🇲🇻
Today marks its COMPLETION as I
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@UberFacts
People who work for tips only and don't get a standard wage.
Or just people who work full time but they don't make enough to pay rent in their city.
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Call me a cynic, but there's nothing in Delta's walk-back promising that those "things I hate about these changes" won't happen eventually.
When (not if) that happens, will the people sticking it out for another year remain placated or be angry again?
Delta just backtracked on MQD increases and Sky Club restrictions, plus rolled out a new MQD boost for Amex cardmembers, improvements to Million Miler elite status, MQM rollover improvements, and more.
Here are the details and my thoughts on these changes:
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Can someone please stay at the Sweet Hotel in Tokyo and write a review? It’s gotta be interesting.
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@thepointsguy
There are people who unpack their suitcases at a hotel?
I take out the bathroom amenities and that's it.
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Chicago Seminars 2024 dates and location just announced.
I've already booked my room. Hope to see you there!
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Hey, we are doing stuff at
@AwardWallet
!
We don’t just have the best way to track your rewards, we can teach you how to use them. And then how to earn more points again.
In just three days, the AwardWallet Blog has published 15 posts, including:
- 4 new transfer bonuses (from Amex, Chase, Bilt)
- how to stack offers to fly to Europe from 6k points
- broke news about a new 10x earning rate on the CSR
- reminded about a 100k bonus ending soon
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