1. So what made you want to start the travel site Dovertime.com?

I've earned many air miles in my day and redeemed many free flights and nights at hotels! Friends and family began coming to me for advice on how to leverage their own free travel. Most of the free travel for infrequent fliers comes from credit card signup bonuses. After signing numerous friends up for credit cards, I figured that I should probably start providing my great information to the masses. Alas, Dovertime was born!

2. What is it about traveling that is so intriguing to you?

Wow...there are so many different answers to this question! The adventure, the unknown, the anticipation, the food, and the culture are all things that get me fired up to travel. I love visiting new places and experiencing all that a destination has to offer. But more than anything, I love traveling with my wife and friends. I love traveling to visit friends and to go to big events!

3. When did you find out that you could travel for free or discounted rates using credit card perks?

On my 18th birthday my dad took me down to Bank of America and signed me up for the Alaska Airlines Visa card. Dad instructed me that all purchases should go on this credit card to earn air miles. But he was VERY careful to point out that I should always pay the balance in full and never spend more on the credit card than what I had in the bank! After a few trips and a year of credit card charges, I had enough miles for a round-trip ticket. I never looked back!

4. Do you prefer having an all around general travel rewards card, or do you prefer having a travel rewards credit card that is specific to one airline or hotel brand?

This is a bit of a loaded question! I have numerous travel related credit cards. Being an infrequent flier, I don't need to stay loyal to any single airline or hotel chain. For most of my daily spending I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred. If I can get bonus points for certain spending (i.e. gas stations, office supplies, hotel chains, etc), then I'll use another credit card that will give me more points. For my travel needs and goals, I find that the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card allows me to earn the most free travel and has outstanding redemption options.

5. What would you consider the best value so far that you have used rewards points for in your traveling?

I used 15,000 Hyatt points for a free night at the Hyatt 48 Lex in Manhattan as part of our honeymoon. The regular rates were going for $499/night at the time we booked. So I felt like that was pretty great value. Using your points in big cities that have high nightly rates often times produces stellar value! Also using your points for big events in which hotel chains raise their rates provide great value.

6. Through using airlines in your traveling experiences, which would you consider the best one as far as value is concerned?

This has changed from year to year and depending upon my travel needs. During college, I found that Delta was easily the least expensive option. Then they merged with Northwest and their fares skyrocketed. Since college, I've flown a ton of miles on United as they seem to be the least expensive. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I often fly Alaska Airlines which has a great product. If I had to book a flight and all of the prices were the exact same amongst the varying airlines, I would absolutely choose Delta. I absolutely love the airline and they are my first choice every time! There is something special to me about flying into Atlanta (the world's busiest airport), and seeing those FLY DELTA LINES signs.

7. Same question with hotels?

This one is pretty easy for me. Although they're a bit tougher to find due to the low quantity of hotels they have, I find that the Hyatt brand is far and above the best. Their lower tier properties like Hyatt House and Hyatt Place are consistent and always provide a great stay. Hyatt's higher end brands like Park Hyatt and Andaz are absolutely stellar! My experiences at Hyatt always leave me wanting to come back for more. I think Hilton and Marriott are tied for second in my hotel rankings with SPG coming in third.

8. Most travel rewards cards require excellent credit to get approved for?

Do you have any advice for someone with less than excellent credit trying to get free or discounted travel? There are credit card issuing banks that allow you to pay them money upfront to be accepted for a credit card. You then use the credit card like a prepaid account. Although these cards usually don't give you rewards, they allow you to establish a great relationship with a bank. Establishing good banking relationships will allow you to eventually apply for the big rewards credit cards that we all want! No annual fee credit cards are also good options. The Chase Freedom card is a great example. When I first applied they gave me a credit limit of $500, which is nothing! For those of you with less than stellar credit, I'm guessing Chase would extend you a $500 credit line for this card.

9. When you are not flying to a destination what is the best way to save and still get a discounted trip?

I'm always trying to think of ways to get travel for less. Best rate guarantees with hotels are a great way to save some money. I always weigh the cost of renting a car versus taking my own car on road trips. Don't ever hesitate to ask questions. When I needed a hotel night near home, I called the resort and asked if they had any deals for locals. I buttered it up a bit saying that I had numerous friends that would be coming to town and if the resort gave me a great rate, I would definitely recommend their property to my friends. They ended up giving me a rate at 50% off, just for asking! The only bad question is the one you never ask!

10. And we had to ask. What is the best destination that you have used travel rewards to travel to that gave you the best experience?

I've redeemed air miles for a free round trip flight to Europe. That was pretty cool. But easily my best rewards experience involved funding two round-trip flights, four rental cars, and over 20 nights in hotels using points for my honeymoon! Keep in mind that we didn't stay at Super 8's or Motel 6's. We stayed at Park Hyatt's, nice SPG and Hilton properties and we drove Mercedes SUVs and Corvette convertibles! There is something for everyone in this wonderful world of points! It's all about spending time researching and learning about your options!