Looking Back On The Past 20 Years Of Deals And Travels, What Were Your Favorites?

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Thank YOU For The Best 20 Years I Could Have Ever Imagined!

It’s been a wild ride!

Today is DansDeals’ 20th birthday and my 40th!

This blog has always been a passion project, sharing 2 of my great thrills, traveling our awesome world on miles, and the thrill of the deal.

Before DansDeals, I didn’t travel outside of North America and never imagined that I’d be able to travel the globe in economy, let alone in business and first class. I have heard from many others over the years who have told me the same!

Over the years I’ve been able to open countless credit cards, earning tens of millions of miles to let me travel the world.

I feel beyond grateful to have traveled to 7 continents and gain an appreciation for the world we live in, and I hope you can learn how to do it as well to experience the same!

I touched on some of these travels and deals briefly in our first podcast, post a comment if you’d like to hear more in-depth stories about any of the travels and deals below!

What have your favorite deals and travels been from over the years?

Here are just some of my favorites from over the years:

2004:

Planning a trip to Japan, while in Brazil. But it wasn’t on miles. In 2004 I earned 8 AAĀ AVNYC free systemwide flight vouchers for flying twice between NYC and Florida or California during a price war with JetBlue:

 

 

2005:

Tokyo, January 2005:

 

 

 

2006:

Hiking on Oahu, March 2006:

 

 

2007:

Surviving a riot in Sao Paulo, May 2007:

 

JJ and me on our first trip to Israel (and Egypt). I hacked round-trip upgrades for us thanks to codes in the Continental Privilege Pack:

 

 

2008:

My best deal to date, marrying Mimi in Overland Park, Kansas, November 2008

Rabbi Kotlarsky being Mesader Kiddushin at my wedding, November 2008, in Overland Park, Kansas

 

2009:

A free Suite in the Encore Las Vegas, March 2009:

 

Hiking in Kauai, December 2009:

 

 

2010:

Our first time in international first class, on Swiss Air, May 2010.

Mimi had no idea where we were flying to, the trip included Zurich, Frankfurt, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Tel Aviv, and Venice!

 

Venice, May 2010:

 

Nothing quite like getting a ride in a Panamera from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal to the 747, May 2010:

 

View from our free Bellagio Suite in Las Vegas, November 2010:

 

 

2011:

We traveled on an American OneWorld First Class round-the-world award ticket (sadly, no longer around) for a full month, and it was the experience of a lifetime!

Cathay Pacific 747-400 First Class from San Francisco to Hong Kong, complete with Cathay PJs:

 

 

Chabad of Phuket:

 

Le Meridien Phuket/Khao Lak, Thailand:

 

Not a bad villa with private pool for 2,800 Starpoints…

 

Monkeying around in Chiang Mai, Thailand:

 

Eleff and the elephant:

 

Daniel in the Tiger’s den?

 

Qantas 747 First Class, Hong Kong to Melbourne:

 

Australia’s Great Ocean Road:

 

Hiking in Tasmania, January 2011:

 

Sydney, January 2011:

 

Whitsunday Islands, January 2011:

 

Macau, January 2011:

 

Hong Kong, January 2011:

 

 

2012:

A DansDeals Seminar in Crown Heights, NY, June 2012:

IMG_0111a

 

View from our free suite in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Vancouver, August 2012:

 

 

We flew with 10 month old Rafi in American 777 First Class to Buenos Aires, May 2012:

 

And enjoyed my first Big Mac, McNuggets, and fries with that:

 

 

 

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Boro Park, NY, June 2012:

dds

 

Rafi enjoying free Cathay 777 First Class to Vancouver on a glitch, August 2012:

 

Downgraded to Cathay business on the return, for shame:

 

When Singapore opened up A380 suites for saver award miles in December 2012, I ran to book our first couple suite for 57K miles each:

 

A free Aruba trip, thanks to JetBlue codes, October 2012:

 

City of lights, December 2012:

 

Flying home in USAirways A330 business class, Paris-Philadelphia, December 2012:Ā 

 

 

2013:

Home for the next 19 hours on the world’s longest flight, Newark-Singapore, after a glitch opened up award space using United miles, February 2013:

 

JJ and me kicking back at the W Maldives, February 2013:

 

Swimming on the edge in the Marina Bay Sands Singapore, February 2013:

 

Flying home in Korean A380 first class on miles, February 2013:

 

When first class glitches happen, hop on plane the same day, get the best gelato in the world at Ba Li, and have dinner at Asian, what was the best kosher restaurant in the world:

 

 

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Lakewood, NJ, May 2013:

 

Using 25K United miles to steal 2nd base in middle of an Indians game, May 2013:

 

 

Road-tripping with JJ and our incredible Grandfather to the NBA, NFL and MLB Halls of Fame, followed by watching the Indians beat the Rod Sox from on top of the Green Monstah, May 2013:

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Chicago, June 2013:

IMG_5453a

 

View from our free suite in the Fairmont Banff Springs, July 2013:

 

Lake Louise, July 2013:

Lake Louise

 

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Cleveland, November 2013:

DSC04218a

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Los Angeles, December 2013:

 

 

 

2014:

I booked out the entire 4 seats first class cabin on TAM from Miami-Sao Paulo using miles, October 2014:

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Probably the most impressive waterfalls on Earth, atĀ IguaƧu Falls. (2014)

 

Beautiful Rio de Janeiro, 2014:

The stunning view from Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain, October 2014

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Teaneck, NJ, January 2014:

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A DansDeals Seminar in Five Towns, NY, January 2014:

DansDeals Seminar 5 Towns, 1/8/14

 

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Miami, June 2014:

A DansDeals Seminar in Boro Park, NY, June 2014:

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Monsey, NY, June 2014:

DSC02521a

 

A DansDeals Seminar in Crown Heights, NY, November 2014:

DSC01808a


DSC01807a

 

 

 

 

2015:

View from our free villa at Fairmont Mayakoba, January 2015:

 

View from our free villa at Fairmont Mayakoba, this time with free scotch thanks to Fairmont lifetime Platinum status:

 

 

American’s availability glitch to Israel, but rebooked onto United after a delay:

 

DDF DO Jerusalem, March 2015:

 

Davening at the Western Wall, March 2015:

 

DansDeals Seminar in Jerusalem, March 2015

 

 

Finally tackling the United Island Hopper, April 2015:

 

 

 

Checking off Jellyfish Lake and Palau from my bucket list

 

Tokyo Skytree, May 2015:

 

ANA 777 First Class from Tokyo/NRT to JFK, May 2015:

 

2016:

SUP in Maui, January 2016:

 

Flying SAS A330-300 business class, Newark-Oslo, March 2016:

 

Snowmobiling in Svalbard polar bear country, March 2016:

 

Experiencing the Northern Lights in Lofoten, March 2016

 

 

A father and son 747 bonding trip, April 2016:

 

In Oakland to see Cleveland’s first championship in 4 decades, June 2016:

 

 

Using 10K Starpoints to play on the DDF softball team at Wrigley Field, August 2016:

 

Using a million Starpoints to throw out the first pitch before game 7 of the 2016 World Series and get 2nd row tickets to the game was one of the coolest experiences of my lifetime, November 2016:

 

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2017:

There’s nothing quite like Emirates A380 shower class on miles, DC to Dubai, March 2017:

 

 

My first shower at 35,000 feet in the sky:

 

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, March 2017:

 

Burj Al Arab, Dubai, March 2017:

S. Regis Maldives, March 2017:

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0004.JPG
S. Regis Maldives Sunset Overwater Villa, March 2017 Ā©DansDeals

 

Etihad A380 shower class on miles, March 2017:

 

Rome’s Great Synagogue, July 2017:

The Great Synagogue of Rome

 

 

Nothing like a free Private Jet!

 

 

 

Watching the 2017 eclipse in Boonville, MO was magical:

 

 

“Diamond ring” as the moon covers the sun in Boonville, MO, August 2017

 

The final United 747 flight, November 2017:

 

 

Google Express gone wild:

 

 

2018:

Praying at the Western Wall, May 2018:

 

Ushuaia, Argentina, December 2018:

 

Falkland Islands, December 2018:

 

Traveling toĀ Antarctica was a dream come true, December 2018:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019:

Trying out mock cabins on an A380 in Airbus Headquarters in Toulouse, January 2019

 

 

Bringing food to CLE when a United flight from Tel Aviv to Newark was directed here:

 

 

Taking Delta One suites from Detroit to Amsterdam for 49K miles, April 2019:

 

Keukenhof Gardens, Amsterdam, April 2019:

 

 

 

 

2020:

Cross-country RV trip, November 2020:

 

Bryce Canyon National Park, November 2020 Ā© DansDeals

 

Arches National Park, November 2020 Ā© DansDeals

 

Zion National Park, November 2020 Ā© DansDeals

 

Yosemite National Park, November 2020 Ā© DansDeals

 

2021:

MoŹ»oula Falls, Molokai, February 2021:

 

Papohaku Beach, Molokai:

 

Exploring the incredible Iceland, July 2021.

Seljalandsfoss:

 

Gljufrabui:

 

Puffins on Vestmannaeyjar Island:

 

Skaftafell Glacier:

 

JƶkulsĆ”rlĆ³n:

 

Snorkeling between 2 continents:

 

And an epic volcanic eruption:

 

An epicĀ Southern Africa trip, empty of tourists due to COVID, October 2021:

Cable Car going up Table Mountain, Cape Town, October 2021 Ā©DansDeals

 

Haut Bay, Cape Town, October 2021 Ā©DansDeals

 

Kruger National Park, South Africa, October 2021 Ā©DansDeals

 

Chobe National Park, Botswana, October 2021 Ā©DansDeals

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022:

Nothing quite like watching planes take off and land from the rooftop of TLV’s ATC tower:

 

 

Flying over an erupting Mauna Loa, Hawaii, December 2022:

 

Sunset in Maui, December 2022:

 

Polihua Beach, Lanai, December 2022:

 

 

2023:

ANA’s new First Class is incredible. It’s even better when you book it for 55K Virgin miles. It’s even better when Virgin forgets to charge you the miles. šŸ˜€

 

You haven’t watched a baseball game until you’ve done so in Japan. Kyocera Dome Osaka, April 2023:

 

 

Kyoto, Japan:

 

 

 

Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima, Japan, May 2023:

 

Miyajima, Japan:

 

Yellowstone is truly a national treasure, August 2023:

Yellowstone National Park, August 2023 Ā© DansDeals

 

Yellowstone National Park, August 2023 Ā© DansDeals

 

Grand Teton National Park, August 2023 Ā© DansDeals

 

March for Israel on the National Mall, November 2023:

 

Flying JetBlue Mint to Paris with Qatar Avios, December 2023:

 

View from the Eiffel tower, December 2023:

 

Musee d’Orsay, December 2023:

 

Chabad shul in the Pletzel, where the Rebbe would daven from 1933-1940:

 

Tower Bridge, London:

 

Did you even visit London without Fish and Chips? Soyo, December 2023:

 

Helping a friend check off watching an Arsenal Game from his bucket list for his 40th:

 

View from the Park Hyatt Vienna, December 2023:

 

The Hofburg, Vienna:

 

There’s nothing like the nose of the Lufthansa 747-8 on miles, December 2023:

 

 

2024:

It took a whole lot of luck to fly a round-trip on United this year. Even better was flying it on a business saver award!

 

 

https://twitter.com/THEREALJEW613/status/1773088410380403097

 

Sometimes the best trips you can take are the ones from your backyard, watching the eclipse in Cleveland, April 2024:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally made it to Alaska, August 2024:

 

 

Thank you!

I’ve been on a plane for 42 consecutive months since COVID ended, where should I go to next?

Looking back at all of the incredible deals and travels, it certainly helps me take a step back and appreciate all that I’ve got to do and experience in the past 2 decades.

None of it would have been possible if not for my amazing readers, I’ve said it before, but I don’t say it enough. You guys are amazing, and when you read my blog, use our links, and support our advertisers, it means the world to me and makes all of this possible.

Thank you and here’s to the next 20!

-Dan

What are your favorite deals that you took advantage of? Which deals do you regret missing? And what other deals did I forget to include in the roundup above?

Where were the favorite places you were able to travel to because of DansDeals?

Don’t want to miss a deal? See this post to set up deal alerts on your phone!

Leave a Reply

75 Comments On "Looking Back On The Past 20 Years Of Deals And Travels, What Were Your Favorites?"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions arenā€™t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Malibumiler

What a Phenomenal 20 Years! Fantastic post Dan!
Ill never forget the days of redbird, bluebird, and vanilla reloads. Your posts were how it all started for me.

Yitz

How many weeks ago did you start writing this post:) This must of taken a ton of effort to compile. Really enjoyed!

Juke

Prob took like 20 years

Sp

Thank you dan happy bday wishing you many more deals to be posted !! (For our sake lol)

Good Morning

Amazon: Free trampoline, I got 3 of them!
Macys: $60 Swiss luggage
American airlines to Isreal Ɨ2

Good Morning

Insane revel promo codes

Chaim

How do you do all that spending to rack up the miles to travel so much?

GAV

Very nostalgic post. Thank you!

Boruch

Dan, in the past, you hinted a few times that there was a connection between your Shlichus in Sao Paulo, and finding your wife. Iā€™d love to hear that story. (My wife is from S. Paulo).
Mazal Tov and canā€™t wait to finish this article!

LukshenKugel

Awesome post!! Moral of the story deals got shvacher and shvacher over the years lol!

Dave

Wow! Best post ever.
The old time deals were so much better!

Avi

Wow very cool!

I think my favorite ‘deal’ was the tefilin campaign last year where you raised all those pairs of tefilin and so many committed to put on daily
I didn’t see it included in the article, but it was definitely my favorite deal, and it was truly amazing to see the positive influence you have on all of us readers!!!

El

Wow amazing post. Best deals for me were trips to Israel for cheap. Chase points for more trips to Israel and other places!

Eli

This is really incredible!

R-anonym

Thanks for putting this together, trip down memory lane for sure. The wideroe leak was the start of my journey. 97 euros to Milan round-trip from New York = first time ever going to Europe. 2014 was good times, especially “teaching” WMT employees how to accept my bluebird shenanigans and money order purchases with a “debit card” (visa gc from staples).

Mike

Incredible Dan! Iā€™ve never heard you mention going to Capri / Amalfi Coast / Positano. I just went this past summer of course used 55k Alaska in Business and it was my favorite vacation

shlomo

My friend ordered 25 1 Cent bolt sweatshirts (I have no clue why). He then threw most of them out. In hindsight, it was wasteful for no reason.

But I still have the 1 I ordered.

Aron

Wow!

Eliyahu

Not much talk here about the cc bonuses but those are some of the best deals because I then have the points to redeem for these awesome deals. Just vacationed in Eilat for 80,000 Chase points which is just some of the 120,000 I just earned on my Chase ink signup bonus. Thanks to you.

Raphael

I must say, I have enjoyed reading many deals and the travels you have taken. As a UK resident, I can’t get most of the deals but I am happy for all the others that so manage to get them. If you are looking for somewhere to go next might I suggest doing Croatia and Montenegro. Some unbelievable scenery to be had and some excellent hotels.

DeerFeet

I feel like I am watching a time lapse of growing beards travelling around the world

tasvter

What an incredible journey!

Is it just me or the first 10 years were a lot ‘wilder’ in terms of price mistake & MS, than the last 10?

Steve

Unfortunately was unable to travel as much as I liked but did go to Israel with the 2019 summer deal. However, I did cash out so many points over the years I actually used the cash as my down payment for my first house. So still a great deal!

qsman

I didn’t know anything about Dan’s Deals until just about everyone without internet access managed to get the $346 r/t EL AL price mistake

I was sitting waiting for an oil change in 2015 when Dan posted this deal
https://www.dansdeals.com/airfare-deals/hot-delta-jfk-to-tel-aviv-nonstop-for-590-round-trip/
$590 SUMMER fares are unheard of! I was able to take my twin boys to Israel for a 3 week summer trip! There were several other postings, but the $650 Virgin Atlantic via Priceline just before COVID left me stranded in Israel with my other son….

There was the GoPro rebate/price mistake – I was looking for it in the list and didn’t see it. Per Dan, I fought with everyone else to make them honor the rebate and got a Hero (dont remember which one but it was the newest at the time) for around $100

Subscribe and Save – and then forgetting to cancel items after the first shipment, resulting in another mammoth delivery of toilet paper and tissues to my front door at regular price. Lots of good buys though!

Credit cards – I learned the hard way. Pay attention to Dan’s opening line about great credit card deals – if you cant afford to pay them off on time and in full, the entire value of the card essentially goes out the window. Back on my feet now b”h but not pursuing any of the card deals being posted.

Oh yeah, the online passport renewal annoncements

ross

I’m a spectator. Not a big spender (or big earner), no social media, ‘Business class’ is an abstract concept in a parallel universe, ‘Miles’ is a different language (as in, English, Spanish, Italian, Miles, French…etc ) and we take our kids to the same run down playground every chol hamoed. We’re not lacking anything.

But I like seeing how the other half (or sixteenth) lives…there’s something extraordinary about being able to see so much of this beautiful world, and sharing the experiences with others. I enjoyed the post very much, and I’m in the middle of sharing with my kids (who would never want to pet a tiger.)
Much continued strength to you!

Ariella

My favorite one was the wideroe “mistake” Got really cheap tickets to israel for myself and some other family members– on 3 different itineraries from different locations!

Qsman

Oooooh, good one! I remember hammering away trying to get that deal, but IIRC Force DD crashed the site?

florida resident

taking your advice and staying in Grand Hyatt Kauai for points was a great trip
thanks

Yonah

The $336 El Al flight was still by far the best deal that I’ve gotten on Dans Deals, it was also my first. I ran into JJ earlier this year at LGA, he was with another DDFer. The other guy asked me how much I’ve saved due to Dan’s Deals over the years – I answered in the $1000s. Mazel Tov on 20 years, and bracha and hatzlacha for the next 20.

Sam Finkelstein

I still use my $94 mirrorless camera!

Smack Dabb

20 years! So much goodness, so much greatness, and so much positivity! Best of health, wealth and continued excellence in the next 20+ years!

Nathan

My most memorable moment here was when I found out THROUGH DAN’S DEALS that Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin was being released from prison.
When one asks me “Where were you when you heard that Rubashkin was freed?”, I say “On my computer browsing Dan’s Deals website!”
Thank you Dan the Reporter, Dan the Investigator, etc., for being so much more than a deal-finding site! Mazal Tov!

DXD

Thank you for helping us give our kids the gift of the world! Even though our travel philosophy is a little different (some international, but a little more stateside); my kids have a goal to do all 50 states before they graduate HS (at 45-47 each!). Here is to another 20!

Cl

Wow, I never had an urge to travel, I never thought it was for regular ppl, but I see now that it is truly gorgeous and it can be done!
Thanks!

Favorite Moment

Favorite moment was when Dan got married and deals started including diapers, wipes and Dreft detergent.

CHAIM

@ DAN
Mazal Tov lodes of Hatslacha and Branch till 120
thanks for all your credit card deals miles knowledge and all your great deals b”h made lots of good use with all your miles knowledge example my hole family came to Israel this past summer direct Elal for 37800 Qantas points one way Hashem should give you lots of strength to keep up your great work best wishes

chaim

wow!

did you ever make a rough calculation how much money youd have had you sold your points instead of traveling the world for 20 years

Shulem92

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Fantastic! Probably your best TRā€™s yet šŸ˜‰

chaya

Flew to Eretz Yisroel with my family for most of Tishrei.
TEN times in the last 13 years ! All for FREE !!
Followed your lead on how to accumulate points and miles.
Thank you

Ray

Can you please do a seminar in lakewood?

Ilan

Insane post . how in the world did you manage to put this together ?
More than the deals , I appreciate the advice and hacks over the yearsā€¦
– how to negotiate for a new car
-how to add you mileage plus benefits to a foreign carrier
-how to get status at rental car agencies
– common sense when meeting shluchim Just to name a fewā€¦( oh yeah and why you should move to Cleveland )
I also loved the news roundups . Dans interests and commentary are right up my alley

AAA

Thanks for this post and for all the deals and points I got from Dansdeals?
Can you just give tips on how to open so many cards, I have an 800+ credit score and I’m trying to open cards but most of them get denied even after calling with HUCA?
Mazel Tov!!!

ben ish chai

Dan! your name may be Ellef (אלף in Hebrew, a thousand) but you’re worth a MILLION !!

youG

Wow Amazing read and like many mentioned a trip down memory lane… I loved the Delta first to La for $50. Loved and miss the good Old CtownBochur days when you were accessible directly for help with bookings:) great times! keep it up!!

ad120

Favorite Deals:
JetBlue 90% off deal from NYC when it hit 90 degrees in Central Park. This was my first big trip. I flew to Puerto Rico with two friends and stayed at the Ritz Carlton.
Widero deal was my first international trip. I flew to Italy.
Delta Glitch: Flew to los Angeles twice and Miami once.

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