View From the Wing: Gary Leff's Credit Churning Strategy!

Want to know how to maximize rewards for credit cards to save money? Interested in getting upgrades when you travel? Then Gary Leff's View from the Wing could be the travel blog for you.

People start new travel websites every day. Everyone wants to live the dream life of traveling as much as they want, right? Sure, it sounds easy enough. Just write about places you visit around the world and your travel experiences. 

But there are already a lot of popular travel bloggers out there. They include The Blonde Abroad, World of Wanderlust, and The Savvy Backpacker. Some of these blogs focus on solo travel, others on budget travel. Some look at getting the most from credit cards and travel hacking. But which blogs are really worth your time?

Today, I'm looking at View from the Wing, one site that focuses on credit cards and how to use them to help you travel better. We'll review who is behind the site and what kinds of posts you'll find there. 

Who's Behind View from the Wing?

Blogs with a person's name in the title tend to be written by one person, like Nomadic Matt. But sites with no specific name can be confusing at first since you never know how many people are behind the site. That makes it hard to tell if you're getting many people's opinions or just one. 

Despite his name not being in the site's title, View from the Wing is run by one person – Gary Leff. On the website, he lists credit card offers, ways to use points and miles, and how to maximize the value you get from your credit cards. 

If you're new to using credit cards to earning points and miles, the site is one of the many resources you can use, along with similar sites like The Points Guy. If you can pay off your cards monthly and earn rewards, you can use them to earn free travel. 

Who Is Gary Leff?

Now that you know who runs the website… who is Gary Leff? What makes him qualified to write about credit cards?

Gary has been writing this blog for over 20 years, with his very first post dating back to May 2002. One of the ways to win in travel writing is to get there first, which Gary did. There are thousands of travel blogs on the internet today, so it takes a lot of work for new ones to gain traction. 

As an avid credit card user himself with over two decades of travel writing experience, Gary is qualified to write on credit cards and how to maximize their benefits. He knows how to utilize those perks! You'll find great tips on which are better than others for different types of spending. 

When he's not writing, Gary Leff is a CFO for a university research center. He's also the founder of Inside Flyer, another travel website that highlights frequent flier programs.

If Gary sounds familiar, you might have seen him on TV or read about him online. Among others, he's appeared on the following shows:

• The Colbert Report
• The Today Show
• ABC World News Tonight
• Good Morning America
• CNN Business Traveler

Finally, he has spoken about credit cards at conferences within the industry, which has helped him gain credibility over the years.

What’s Featured on View from the Wing?

You might think that View from the Wing is a helpful resource… and that is true! Clearly, Gary is qualified to write about credit cards, points, and how they can translate to free flights and hotel nights for you. 

But what exactly will you find on View from the Wing?

Advice

First, there's plenty of advice on the best ways to start saving money with credit cards if you are new to the concept. 

You can find advice for beginners, how to choose a program or credit card, and information on specific programs. With decades of posts in the advice section, you will surely become a savvier traveler after digging in! 

View from the Wing’s Best Credit Card Deals

You'll also find the best credit card deals and top offers that Gary thinks are worth your attention. He makes it clear that he only lists some of the available offers, but only the ones he thinks are worth looking at. 

He puts credit cards into three categories:

• Airlines
• Hotels
• Bank programs

This breakdown helps if you are looking for a specific type of card or are looking to maximize your rewards on certain types of purchases. Or, if you want something to maximize a particular brand you use or shop often, you can find credit card options for them. The bank programs are great if you want broader perk potential. 

The list is regularly updated with offers and cards as they change or when new ones enter the market. Gary also clarifies that he may earn a commission if you apply for a credit card using one of the View from the Wing links. These commissions are one of the ways he makes money from the site, along with ads.

Trip Reports

Finally, there are trip reports. These are Gary's reviews of specific airlines, hotels, lounges, food, and other related travel purchases. He also gives a detailed account of his experiences. If you trust Gary as a traveler, this is an excellent section to check out before you travel. 

In these reports, he gives an honest take on his experiences, whether good or bad. You'll find plenty of pictures too. If you're curious about a certain lounge, hotel, airline, or route, this section is a good place to go for the opinion of someone who travels a lot. While you could have a completely different experience, it's always helpful to know the opinion of a seasoned traveler! 

Is View from the Wing Worth a Look?

View from the Wing is definitely a useful resource if you want to learn how to get the most out of your credit cards. There's loads of information for beginners, whether you're just starting out with traveling, credit cards, or both.

This blog is also great for getting a seasoned traveler's view on many different aspects of travel. And because he's been in the game for so long, you know you can trust his opinions. Overall, View from the Wing gets a bit thumbs-up from me.

Want to Travel More Like Gary?

Using credit cards in the right way can be a huge factor in saving you money while traveling and even helping you get upgrades on flights. Just like Gary, we want you to get the most out of your travel experience at Pilot.