• A good 2+ years credit history with no blemishes
• 720+ FICO score

Main Dish Preparation Steps:

Step1: Apply for: Chase Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card

• Get 25,000 miles + $50 credit statement after your first purchase.
• (Optional) Get 5,000 more after adding an authorized user.
• Either way it would be enough for a round trip to New York City, NY. Annual fee waived for the 1st year.

Step 2: Apply for: Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card

• 22,550 bonus points after first purchase—enough for 2 free nights at a category 2 hotel.
• Also receive 1 more free night upon account approval, valid at category1-4 hotel—together it’s 3 free nights!
• No Annual Fee for the 1st year.

Step 3: Make flight reservation with Continental Airlines Reward Flight Search

• Search for flights from you city to New York City.
• Choose Economy Class for available flights; it will cost you less than 25,000 miles for a round trip. 

Step 4: Make hotel reservation at Fairfield Inn Spring Valley Nanuet.

• This is a category 2 hotel; so 22,500 will suffice for 2 free nights+1 bonus free night=3 free nights!

Here’s a comparison table between paying for the vacation yourself and using this recipe for a sample trip:

• From August 5th to 7th (Friday-Sunday)
• Fly a roundtrip with Continental from Los Angeles to NewYork
• Stay at FairField Inn Spring Valley Nanuet for 3 nights

Side Dishes Preparation Steps:

Step 1: Customize your tour in New York City with Cititrek.

• The native New Yorkers from Cititrek will help you customize your own itinerary so you can explore the city at your own desired pace. Your guide can take you off the beaten path to lesser-known neighborhoods in the boroughs or on ethnic eating tours around the city.
• 20% off on all tours through July 31st, 2011.

Step 2: Purchase your ticket for Carolines on Broadway.

• This is America’s premier comedy nightclub on Broadway that have kept people entertained for years.
• 20% off on adult ticket through July 31st, 2011.

Step 3: Rent your car at Travelocity:

• Simply enter your pick-up and drop-off date and location, Travelocity will show you the best deals for all categories.

Step 4: There’s just so much you can do in NYC. Check out this great website for more
attractions and ideas. Be sure to check out the special offers section!

Dessert: Nutty Fruit Medley -- Here’s a short list of some must-see’s in New York City; of course there are much more to see in the city, but no one going to NYC should miss these attractions!

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The Empire State Building
• Times Square
• The Central Park
• Broadway (of course!)

Alternatives and Cautions:

• If you want to go to any other cities or countries, the Reward Flight Search will give you a good idea of how many miles you can redeem.
• Similarly, for other Mariott participating hotels, the conversion table between Mariott Rewards Points and redeemable hotel nights for hotels in different categories will show you how many nights you can redeem. Then you can book your hotels here.
  • Note that depending on the category of some hotels, the 22,500 points may not be enough for 3 nights.

Summary of steps:

1. Check your credit history and score.
2. Apply for Chase Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card (25,000 bonus miles).
3. Apply for Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card (22,500 bonus points).
4. Make a purchase with both cards on anything.
5. Book your plane ticket.
6. Book your hotel rooms.
7. Select certain (or all!) side dishes and dessert to make a plan for your trip to NYC and have a crazy vacation.
8. Cancel your cards or keep them to earn points to your convenience.

(Photo: Eva Abreu)