Something Good Comes Out Of NOT Being “Bumped”

Yesterday I flew to Portland, Oregon from Los Angeles.  The flight was not full so there was no need for volunteers to be “bumped.” I think my readers all know by now that I really like getting “bumped” off my flight in order to get free airfare in the future (See October 19, 2012 blog).  But not being bumped meant there were plenty of seats still available for purchase.  There were even seats still available in first class.  So guess where I got to sit?

I have Platinum status on American Airlines so I asked Alaska Airlines if they would do a status match and I got a nice email saying I was now MVP Gold.  When I went to my travel conference in October I learned that I should ask for the status match after November 1, 2012 as that would give me 14 months of status (the remainder of 2012 and all of 2013) versus the typical “through the end of the calendar year”.  Maria and I were flying with 2 checked bags and 1 carry-on each.  The checked baggage would have cost $160 round trip but with my MVP Gold it was FREE. The $160 savings is what makes things like a mileage run (See November 19, 2012 blog) to earn status worth it.

What I like about Alaska Airlines is MVP Gold gets you unlimited complimentary upgrades when booking certain fares (not the cheapie fares) or unlimited complimentary upgrades on the cheapie fares 72 hours prior to departure.  Even better, one companion can be upgraded for FREE when they are traveling with you.  So if you have two kids, pick your favorite to join you in first class.  

If I purchase the cheap tickets (which I always do) with American Airlines my platinum status only earns me four 500 mile upgrades for every 10,000 qualifying miles that I fly. It takes 5 upgrades to fly from the west coast to the east coast.  This is definitely not as good a deal as Alaska Airlines.

My flight was an early morning flight.  Another benefit of being in First Class…FREE food (insert picture).  First class included a breakfast consisting of: Eggs, corn beef hash, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, orange slice, pineapple slice and a strawberry to top it off.

I love when I land in Portland as I know my four bags will be delivered to baggage claim within 20 minutes.  If not, I get 2,000 airline miles or a $20 e-certificate towards my next flight.  I am not aware of any other airline that has a baggage guarantee like this.

Happy 2013...Make a New Year's Resolution To Travel More!

Free Los Angeles Travel Show Tickets

A few weeks ago Maria got an email offer for 2 for 1 tickets to the Los Angeles travel show. Tickets are $12 at the Long Beach Convention Center or $9 if purchased in advance.  While this sounded like a good deal I decided to try my luck and hold off making the purchase.  For the last couple of years I have received an email for FREE tickets and I decided to gamble that I would get FREE tickets again this year.  Well my bet paid off.  Today I received the below email.  If you live in the Los Angeles area why not go to the travel show and discover the wonderful world of travel? Try clicking here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Help Me Decide My Next Big Trip

Well Christmas is over and I am already working on my 2013 travel plans.  I am trying to decide where to travel in 2013.  Right now I am exploring two options: 1) Road trip across the United States or 2) Trip to Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet.   I need to decide before December 31st as I can save up to $1000 if I book the Nepal trip before the end of the year.  For sure I am going to Hawaii in March and Ireland in June.  Other than those two trips the rest of the year is pretty wide open.  So leave a comment and tell me which trip you would pick and why.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Travels in 2013!

Click here for a cute holiday video from American Airlines

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY 2013!

Marriott Hotel Pricing

My sister called me last night and told me to quickly turn on CNBC on the television.  She stated there was a good program on Marriott hotels.  An interesting part of the television show discussed how Marriott prices its rooms.  The show gave an example of how their New Orleans hotel sold rooms.  In the example, two people booked similar hotel rooms with one paying $109 for the night while the other person paid $319 for an identical type room on the very same night.  Marriott tries to figure out how much they can charge by fluctuating the price.  I want my readers to be that $109 person.  Take a look at a clip from the show by clicking here.

Hint: For the lowest price book a Sunday night stay, checking out Monday.

Remember if you are still doing any online holiday shopping, don't forget to start at Evreward (see the 7-2-12 blog).

Hate Standing in Long Lines?

I hate long lines.  When I come back from a great trip the thought of standing in a long line at customs and immigrations irks me.  So, I decided I would apply for Global Entry.  Global Entry is great for international travelers since it allows individuals to skip the long immigration lines for automated kiosks.  The cost is $100 for five years.  At $20 a year it is worth it to me to avoid the lines.

Once I was conditionally approved, I was given access to the calendar to schedule an appointment at an enrollment center. I chose Los Angeles Airport.  The first open date was April 2012.  Yikes.  Well, I decided to check back to see if there were any cancellations and guess what I was able to get in today.

I brought my letter saying I was conditionally approved, along with my passport and driver's license to verify my address.   I was asked three questions.     

2.            Do you travel for business or pleasure?

3.            What do you do before you retired?

4.            Have you been to Canada or Mexico?

My photograph and fingerprints were taken and a CBP (Custom Border Protection) sticker was placed on my passport's back cover. Within 10 minutes, I was done! 

While some of you may not be doing a lot of international traveling it also gives me access to TSA Pre-check.  I currently have TSA Pre-check with American Airlines and will now have it with Delta and United.  TSA Pre-check means I can keep my coat and shoes on and my laptop in its case when passing through security. 

In the movie, "Up in the Air," starring George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, Clooney travels a lot for business. Clooney teaches a new employee, Natalie Keener, the ropes on how to get through security lines quickly. Don't worry mom, Clooney is not referring to you in this movie when he states:

Ryan Bingham: [on getting through airport security] Never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love 'em.

Natalie Keener: That's racist. 

Ryan Bingham: I'm like my mother, I stereotype. It's faster. 

I bet Clooney wishes he had TSA Pre-check and Global Entry.

Have a great weekend!

Knott's Berry Farm

Yesterday I went to Knott's Berry Farm.  For my non-California readers, Knott's Berry Farm is an amusement park.  For my California readers Knott's Berry Farm has several promotions going on right now.  Military (active and retired) and active Police and Fire personnel can get in for free and even bring a guest. Even if you are not part of the military or public safety family, if you have AAA, don't forget to ask for a discount....and go have FUN!

Always check online for discounts when you travel and don't be afraid to ask!

Marriott Lifetime Status In My Future?

Fellow blogger, View from the Wing, posted yesterday that Marriott is changing the rules on lifetime status.  Last year was my first year earning platinum status and I managed to earn platinum again tis year but is lifetime platinum status in my future? The new requirements are: • Platinum Elite: 750 nights + 2 million points • Gold Elite: 500 nights + 1.6 million points • Silver Elite: 250 nights + 1.2 million points The website isn’t up yet, but they’ll be promoting lifetime status at MarriottRewards.com/Lifetime. I have 287 lifetime nights so I am on my way to silver status (not platinum), but there is only one problem.....I have no where near 1.2 million points. I think I currently have around 200,000 points.  Hmmmm, I think I better stick with earning my status from year to year and not plan on lifetime status just yet. There are no changes to the number of Marriott Rewards points earned during a lifetime to earn status. Instead, they’ve dropped the requirement for 12 years in the program before being eligible for lifetime status. And they’ve reduced the number of nights necessary for each tier level. Silver goes from 600 to 250. Gold goes from 800 to 500. Platinum goes from 1000 to 750. Thanks again to View from the Wing for this information.

HI

When you see the word HI notice that it is in all capital letters because I didn't mean hello. HI refers to Hosteling International.  A while ago I had Ashton over at my house checking if I could get solar for the roof.  We started talking about traveling and Ashton mentioned he had just vacationed at Yosemite.  That scared me because some people who had visited Yosemite and stayed in Curry Village died of Hantavirus.  

I asked Ashton if he was scared and he said that he vacationed with his wife and in-laws outside of Yosemtie in a place called Bug.  A placed called Bug didn't sound like my idea of a vacation.  Ashton explained Bug was part of Hostelling International (HI).  Ashton said he enjoys staying in "youth" hostels.  He explained the word "youth" was really a misnomer as people of all ages stay at these locations.  I stayed at youth hostels when I made my way through Europe back in my college days (don't ask how long ago that was).  

I  decided to look up bug and saw: "The Yosemite Bug Hostel, is just 20 miles from spectacular Yosemite National Park on several forested acres. 25 miles from Yosemite Valley itself. The area has great opportunities for mountain biking, skiing, rafting, and hiking. Yosemite Bug hostel is just three miles from the Merced River Scenic Area and hiking trails access." 

Ashton stated he has also used the Hostelling International website for a stay in Nicaragua at the Granada.  He stated that some of the hostels have really good meal deals.

I typically stay at hotels and sometimes B& Bs.  If any of the readers have used this or other hosteling websites please leave a comment.

12-12-12 resulted in a $12 Airfare

I am flying to Portland at the end of this month and plan to be there for two weeks.  There is a possibility I may have to come back early.  I wanted to hedge my bet on the off chance this was the case.  So I needed to get a one way ticket back to the Los Angeles area without too much out of pocket.  Yesterday was my lucky day.  Since the date was 12-12-12, Jet Blue decided to celebrate the opening of its newly renovated $45 million terminal by offering $12 fares from Portland to Long Beach.

For that price, even if I didn't need the ticket, it was worth the purchase.  I used my Citibank premier credit card to purchase the ticket.  This credit card earns me one point for every airline mile traveled so I will earn 848 points.  Through the Citibank Thank You points program, generally, 848 points equals $8.48.  The ticket cost me $11.80 so the most I have to lose is $3.32.

But wait it gets better. Before purchasing the ticket I went to MrRebates and got $2.00 back on my purchase. Don't forget to start your internet shopping at Evreward (see July 2, 2012 blog). Evreward showed me that MrRebates paid out 2.00 whereas Ebates paid out only $1.50. It may not seem like a lot but trust me it ads up.

So I may be out $1.32 but not bad if I have to make a last minute change to my reservation.  If I do have to make a change I can at least check out the new Long Beach airport, which even has a fire pit.

My New York Trip

I am flying home from New York today.  This is not my first trip to New York so I wanted to make sure I saw some sites I had not seen before.  Being the holiday season I wanted to see the store front windows decorated.   I also got a chance to see the play "The Nutcracker" performed by the New York City Ballet as well as the Rockettes (found a 2 for 1 coupon on EBay) at Radio City Music Hall.

What I really wanted to see was the 9/11 Memorial site.  I linked on the attractions button on the right side of the blog and signed up for the Heroes of the World Trade Center tour.  I saw some sites I was previously unaware of.  For example,  American Express had a separate memorial for its employees called the eleven tears memorial for the 11 employees they lost.

I went to the 9/11 Memorial site.  Seeing the large cascading waterfalls you can’t help becoming emotional. Looking at all the names inscribed brought tears to my eyes.  Our tour guide on the Heroes Tour told us that her friend was working in Tower 2 on 9/11 but she convinced her to play hookey and leave work in order to go shopping.

I had never been ice skating in New York so we went to Bryant Park, which is sponsored by Citibank.  For showing my Citibank credit card we got 10% off our ice skate rentals.  The best part is I didn't even fall.

The entire trip was wonderful including staying in the corner room of the Intercontinental Hotel on the 29^th floor.  I was lucky enough to be upgraded for FREE and in addition I had two FREE nights on my three-night stay.  I must admit the view was pretty spectacular. 

Maria and I, along with our friends Russ and Alma, ended our trip last night with a visit to John’s Pizza, which is written up in the tourist books.  We all had to do the touristy thing.

If you are new to an area don’t be afraid to do the touristy things but also don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path and try something new.  We found a great Thai restaurant right by the hotel.

Skyguide Changes The Rules...And Not For The Better

On the way to New York we had a three hour layover in San Francisco, which meant plenty of time to hit the airport lounge.  Russ had just signed up for the Skyguide club (see July 23, 2012 blog) so this would be his first time visiting an airline lounge.  We were on a United flight so we went to the United Airlines lounge.  That was our mistake.  There was a sign at the entrance that said,"No outside food."  I wasn't too worried as I figured we would grab something from inside the lounge.  Once we got inside we were told the United lounge stopped serving food 18 months ago.  They had snacks such as cookies, fruit, and crackers.   No outside food and no meals served inside the lounge, what's with that?

Skyguide allows you to go to any lounge, it doesn't have to be the airline lounge for the airline you are traveling on.  I definitely won't be visiting the United lounge again. I will visit a different lounge on my layover in San Francisco on the way back.

Unfortunately, Skyguide has changed the rules for 2013.  Skyguide members can now only be reimbursed for one lounge pass per month.  Starting in 2013 I have to decide if I want to use the lounge pass on the outgoing or incoming flight.

The membership is still a good deal for the $19.99 annual price but definitely not as valuable a plan as it was prior to 2013. Maybe I need to start my outgoing flight in one month and the return flight in another to take advantage of the 2013 Skyguide rules.  But if you want to pay only $19.99 instead of up to $600 for airport lounge passes, just click here.

How to get a $349 hotel room for $49

Today let's talk about the Priority Club credit card.  I know you are probably thinking, "I don't want/need another credit card."  I know I talk a lot about credit cards and I have quite a few of them but I don't carry all of them with me all the time.  I do like the Priority Club card though.  

Right now I am flying to New York where I will be staying at an Intercontinental Hotel.  The room normally costs $349 a night.  I am spending the first two nights using a 2 for 1 coupon and the third night with a FREE night from my Priority Club credit card.

The Priority Club credit card has a $49 annual fee (the first year the fee is waived) but you get one FREE night at any Priority Club hotel, every year. So you don't want to use the certificate at a Holiday Inn when you can use it at an Intercontinental.  In addition to the FREE night you also get the following benefits:

• Platinum elite status (read the September 20, 2012 blog on why status matters)
• A 10% rebate of points when booking an award night
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Priority Club hotels
• Earn 2 points for $1 spent at gas, grocery stores and restaurants
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else

You can even earn 60,000 points by signing up for the credit card and the annual fee is waived the first year.  As we learned yesterday 60,000 points can equal 12 free nights with Point Breaks but more realistically it equals three free nights.

With the platinum status you can get complimentary room upgrades, (when available), plus you earn a 50% bonus on the points you earn on paid stays.

On the right side of my blog (click on the button labeled "Do you like to travel?") you can compare credit cards but this is one credit card I plan to keep.

Have a great weekend!

Nice Hotels for $35 a Night

You are probably thinking there must be some typo with the headline.  How can you get a nice hotel room for $35 a night?  The answer is Priority Club "point breaks".  I have mentioned this before (see the July 20, 2012 blog) but the new list just came out so if you have Priority Club points, (e.g., Holiday Inn, Intercontiental, Crowne Plaza, etc.) this is a great way to get a hotel room for 5,000 points which translates into a price of $35 a night.   Priority Club hotels normally start at 20,000 a night.  These hotels are an especially great deal when traveling internationally.  

Click here to see the entire list of hotels available for 5,000 points. This list expires January 31, 2013.  Last time I got a nice suite at the Holiday Inn when I was in South Carolina.  The best deal is when you can stay at an Intercontinental hotel for 5,000 points.  

Back in August I showed you how you could get 800 points for FREE.  Remember to always sign up for the FREE points when you see them.

Priority Club has a credit card 

which I really like.  Find out 

why tomorrow.

500 FREE American Airline Miles

All it takes is a few minutes and you can earn 500 FREE American Airline miles for sharing your opinions on loyalty programs. This offer is good through December 17th.  Just click here and like American Airlines on Facebook.

You will also be entered to win the grand prize of 50,000 miles....Since I tend to win a lot what do you think my chances are of winning the grand prize?

Make a Discovery

This year I got a Discover card.  I have always had an American Express, Mastercard and Visa and never really thought about getting a Discover card until I saw the benefits.  Before making any purchases online I always go to Evrewards (See the July 2, 2012 blog).  I kept seeing that the Discover card had the best returns so I decided to get one.  

Today I received a mailer from Discover that said I get a 5% cash back bonus when I purchase travel  (airline tickets, hotels, cruises and car rentals) online until December 31, 2012.  In addition to that 5% cash back I get an additional 5%-20% cash back at such sites as Marriott, Carnival Cruise line, Hotels.com and Dollar Rent a Car.

As you know I do a lot of international travel and the Discover card has no foreign transaction fees.

Gotta love getting cash back for traveling!

Evreward Rebate for Marriott

Using Miles

In my July 12, 2012 blog I talked about Award Wallet as a way to keep track of all your loyalty programs.  I also like people to have choices so now you can check out the website UsingMiles.  The best part is you can now get a FREE premier membership to Using Miles.

Using Miles lets you keep track of airline miles, rental car programs, hotel programs, credit card points and retail loyalty programs such as Starbucks and Groupon.  Using Miles keeps track of up to 237 different loyalty programs.

What I like about Using Miles versus Award Wallet is it also keeps track of "bonus offers" so you can see the latest offers, such as the Marriott 2 for 1 stay offer. Using Miles has a basic as well as premier membership.  The basic membership is always FREE where the premier membership usually costs $29.99 annually.  But by clicking on the following link you can now get the premier membership for FREE for life.  One account can keep track of all family members.

See below for the capabilities of the membership. So why not give it a try and click on the this link?