Welcome to the ErvTravels Newsletter
Thank you so much for signing up and reading my nonsense. This is my first official newsletter through Substack. I will use this platform to send out links to my articles, other blogs, and other news and notes about travel hacking and credit card rewards. I will also use this space to provide some quick thoughts and updates in the world of Erv (that’s me).
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Life and travel in the COVID-19 world
It’s sad that my first newsletter is about something so tragic and unfortunate but it’s unavoidable at this point. COVID-19 has put the world on high alert. With the wide-spread number of cases, many countries and cities have closed schools, canceled large events, instituted travel bans and advisories. It’s hard to say if these actions are more proactive or reactive. And we don’t know how much it is helping. It’s just too early to tell.
Here in Taiwan, life has continued on at it’s normal pace after a few weeks of school closings. The
government was very proactive
against the spread of the virus. The people here are also very cautious. Many people still remember the fear and panic that SARS created back in 2003.
Better resources, technology, and organization
has helped the situation this time around.
That’s not to say things aren’t different. All students are required to wear masks in school. Restaurants and public buildings have tempurature checks as people walk in. The government has limited the number of masks that can be bought at a single time. You’ll see lines of people waiting outside pharmacies to get their weekly supply. Many events have been canceled, including a small music festival that my friends and I were looking forward to. We’ve all felt the impacts and are doing our best to protect ourselves and loved ones.
I can’t say much about virus and its overall global impacts. Things are changing every day. There is a lot of information out there but it’s hard to know what to trust. When in doubt, listen to reliable medical professionals. The most consistent advice I’ve seen is to WASH YOUR HANDS! Thoroughly and often. Avoid large gatherings. And lastly STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK!
The last thing I will mention is to have a little compassion for everyone. This has affected every corner of the globe. People are scared. But we all have to remember we are in this together. I have family in China right now who are in pretty high spirits. My cousin is getting ready to go back to work this week in one of the hardest-hit cities in China. My mom is exercising every day, even playing badminton inside her home. Reach out to friends and family. Talk about what’s going on and learn as much as you can.
For an update on my own travel plans, my partner and I have decided to delay booking our flights to the US this Spring. We will wait and see over these next few weeks. I would love to hear from anyone in the US and willing to share their experiences so far.
Links and articles:
1. SoFiMoney triples bonus value
SoFi’s no account fee, no ATM fee, 1.1% interest-earning savings/debit account has increased their initial sign-up bonus when using a referral link. Plus, you can earn up to $10,000 by sharing your own referral link. Read more about how to sign-up.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve has brought back return protection benefits
The top-tier premium card from Chase recently increased the annual fee to $550. Bringing back the not insignificant return protection benefit can help alleviate some of the complaints from current card owners.
3. Southwest Companion Pass is even easier for small business owners
Chase and Southwest are offering up to 130,000 points with the Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card after meeting spending requirements. This is enough to get the best deal in travel for the rest of 2020 and 2021.
4. Delta and Amex revamp their line of credit cards
You can earn up to 100,000 Delta Skymiles with a limited time (until April 1st) bonus offer. These series of cards have upgraded benefits and, in some cases, higher annual fees.
If you enjoyed what you saw, please share with your friends. You can find more of me here:
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