A warthog in her enclosure at The Living Desert in Palm Desert, California
Monthly Archives: December 2024
Travel Tuesday Photo: A Warthog in The Living Desert, Palm Desert, California
Categories: California, North America, Picture of the Week, United States
Tags: California, Palm Desert, Picture of the Week, The Living Desert, Warthog, Zoo
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2024: The Year in Travel
As each year draws to a close I like to take a look back at my trips over the past twelve months. I did not have any work travel this year (and am not sure I ever will again thanks to Zoom & WebEx!) so my travel patterns were very normal for me.
Here’s how my travel looked on the map:
My 2024 Flights – made with gcmap.com
Categories: Award Travel, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Denmark, Europe, Norway, Park City, Sweden, Trip Report, Year in Review
Tags: Award Travel, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Denmark, Europe, Flight Review, Lodging Review, Norway, Park City, Sweden, Trip Report, Year In Review
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Travel Tuesday Photo: Steamer Wharf, Queenstown, New Zealand
Steamer Wharf in Queenstown, New Zealand with Ben Lomand (the mountain) in the background
Categories: New Zealand, Oceania, Picture of the Week
Tags: Ben Lomand, New Zealand, Oceania, Picture of the Week, Queenstown
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Travel Tuesday photo: Flowers outside First Emperor Qin Mausoleum
Flowers outside one of the pits where the Terra Cotta Warriors are location in Xian, China
Categories: Asia, China, Picture of the Week
Tags: Asia, China, Picture of the Week, Terra Cotta Warriors, Xian
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Activate 2025 1st Quarter Bonus Categories
It’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
US Bank Cash+
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before December 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. Effective November 2023 US Bank changed the way you select your categories. Now you’ll need to log into your account and go to the Rewards Center. I found it a little clunky but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. For more info, see this post from Travel with Grant. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will select to TV, Internet and Streaming as my second 5x category; since I dropped my Amex Platinum card this will be my best choice for streaming services. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x although I’ll use my Amex Gold for a better rate..
US Bank Categories for Q1 2024
Discover Card
Discover’s Q1 categories are:
Restaurants is a great category for me. Don’t forget that home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot sell all kinds of gift cards.
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click.
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex
Chase is offering some categories we’ve not seen elsewhere, so that’s always a good thing!
While grocery stores is a category typically offered every year, I don’t recall ever seeing NCL or hair/nails/spa services offered before. I’ve seen the fitness clubs/gyms offered on other cards (namely the US Bank Arrival+ shown above) but not for the Chase Freedom family of cards. While I won’t use the NCL option I can make use of all the others, so this is a great quarter for me.
Activate these changes by visiting the Chase registration site by March 14.
In the end
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
Categories: Cash Plus, Chase, Credit Card Promos, Credit Cards, Discover, Freedom, US Bank
Tags: Chase Freedom, Credit Card Promos, Discover Card, US Bank Cash Plus
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Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM
Introduction: Late Summer in Scandinavia
Flight Review: American Airlines B737-800 First Class, MEM-DFW
Flight Review: Finnair A350-900 Business Class, DFW-HEL
Flight Review: Finnair E190 Business Class, HEL-CPH
Lodging Review: Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn
Our Time in Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Best Western Hotel Hebron, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Next House, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Our Time in Malmö and Ystad, Sweden
Lodging Review: IKEA Hotell, Älmhult, Sweden
Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm
Lodging Review: Motel L Älvsjö, Stockholm
Our Time in Stockholm
Flight Review: SAS A320neo Economy Class, ARN-OSL
Lodging Review: Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Oslo
Our Time in Oslo
Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM
Why I Booked This Flight
When I look for award space for international flights, I basically just look for flights to any city which has a non-stop flight back to Memphis. I don’t even try to book all the way back to my home city because I typically book so far in advance that there are no saver-priced flights between an international hub and Memphis. This also gives me a lot more flexibility as to where I land within the US. This time I was fortunate that the flight I found got me back to Minneapolis and the connection there will get me home to Memphis earlier than any of the other connections.
How I Booked This Flight
I booked this flight using Delta Air Lines SkyMiles. I originally booked a premium economy flight for 24,500 miles and $5.60 because I didn’t have enough miles for the domestic first class seat. I later realized I could have transferred some in from my American Express Membership Rewards account. As I logged into my Delta account to see about canceling my award ticket so I could rebook it in domestic first, I received an upgrade offer. So I transferred over enough points for the upgrade for $9. (Amex charges a fee when transferring miles to US-based airline programs) I then paid an additional 14,500 miles for the domestic first class seat. Whether I flew premium economy or business class, it wasn’t much of a bargain either way. But that was not the point for this flight. It’s the tail end of my international vacation and I wanted to fly in domestic first, so I did.
Delta Boeing 737-800 credit: delta.com
DL 2713 (MSP-MEM)
Boeing 737-800
Seat 4A (Domestic First Class)
Depart: 03:15 PM (actual 03:25 PM)
Arrive: 05:16 PM (actual 05:14 PM) Continue reading
Categories: Award Travel, Delta, Flight Review, SkyTeam, Trip Report
Tags: Award Travel, Delta, Flight Review, SkyTeam, Trip Report
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Travel Tuesday photo: Hadrian’s Arch and the Acropolis
The Parthenon sits on the Acropolis and overlooks Hadrian’s Arch. The Temple of Zeus is located behind the camera.
Hadrian’s Arch and the Acropolis
Categories: Europe, Greece, Picture of the Week
Tags: Acropolis, Athens, Europe, Greece, Hadrian's Arch, Parthenon, Picture of the Week
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Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Introduction: Late Summer in Scandinavia
Flight Review: American Airlines B737-800 First Class, MEM-DFW
Flight Review: Finnair A350-900 Business Class, DFW-HEL
Flight Review: Finnair E190 Business Class, HEL-CPH
Lodging Review: Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn
Our Time in Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Best Western Hotel Hebron, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Next House, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Our Time in Malmö and Ystad, Sweden
Lodging Review: IKEA Hotell, Älmhult, Sweden
Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm
Lodging Review: Motel L Älvsjö, Stockholm
Our Time in Stockholm
Flight Review: SAS A320neo Economy Class, ARN-OSL
Lodging Review: Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Oslo
Our Time in Oslo
Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM
Why I Booked This Flight
I booked this flight as I found reasonably-priced award space from Frankfurt to a US city with a non-stop flight back to Memphis. As I mentioned in the last post I was basically searching the whole eastern half of the US, looking for an award flight back. As it turned out, flying into MSP would allow me to catch a flight that would get me home earlier than from anywhere else, so that was a bonus.
How I Booked This Flight
I booked this ticket in January, before United’s most recent changes to MileagePlus. I was able to use 88,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles plus $100.40 for the segment from Oslo to Frankfurt and this connection from Frankfurt to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Those 88,000 miles are worth about $968 and the cash price for these two segments was $4022, so I definitely got the better deal. It’s entirely possible I could have used fewer miles with Avianca or Air Canada but I have never been comfortable using Avianca miles – only because I’ve heard of issues in case of irregular operations – and I did not realize the search engine I’d been using was having issues communicating with Air Canada at the time so it was not displaying that option.
Boeing 787 – photo from lufthansa.com
LH 482 (DFW-HEL)
Boeing 787-9
Seat 4K (Business Class)
Depart: 11:10 AM (actual 11:19 AM)
Arrive: 01:15 PM (actual 01:14 PM)
Pre-Boarding
I’d planned to write a review of the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge near the Z gates, but it was so crowded that I didn’t feel comfortable taking photos. It wasn’t over-crowded, I was able to find a seat, but I was glad I wasn’t traveling with anyone because finding two seats together felt impossible. I just had tea and a scone before making my way to gate Z15, which was only a 2-3 minute walk. Continue reading
Categories: Award Travel, Flight Review, Lufthansa, Star Alliance, Trip Report
Tags: Award Travel, Flight Review, Lufthansa, MSP Airport, Star Alliance, Trip Report
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Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Introduction: Late Summer in Scandinavia
Flight Review: American Airlines B737-800 First Class, MEM-DFW
Flight Review: Finnair A350-900 Business Class, DFW-HEL
Flight Review: Finnair E190 Business Class, HEL-CPH
Lodging Review: Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn
Our Time in Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Best Western Hotel Hebron, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Next House, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Our Time in Malmö and Ystad, Sweden
Lodging Review: IKEA Hotell, Älmhult, Sweden
Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm
Lodging Review: Motel L Älvsjö, Stockholm
Our Time in Stockholm
Flight Review: SAS A320neo Economy Class, ARN-OSL
Lodging Review: Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Oslo
Our Time in Oslo
Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM
Why I Booked This Flight
Now that our international trip for the year was complete, I had to get home! I searched for business class award space from Oslo to just about anywhere east of the Mississippi River – and even a few places west of it – that have non-stop flights to Memphis. I will say that I did not look for award space to the New York area. Frankly, I hate flying through there and since JFK has no non-stops to Memphis and Newark has exactly two non-stops (one that leaves very early afternoon and the other that gets me to Memphis at midnight), I don’t think it’s even worth my time to look for space there.
How I Booked This Flight
I booked this ticket in January 2024, before United’s most recent changes to MileagePlus. I was able to use 88,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles plus $100.40 for this segment to Frankfurt and the connection from Frankfurt to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Those 88,000 miles are worth about $968 and the cash price for these two segments was $4022, so I definitely got the better deal. It’s entirely possible I could have used fewer miles with Avianca or Air Canada but I have never been comfortable using Avianca miles – only because I’ve heard of issues in case of irregular operations – and I did not realize the search engine I’d been using was having issues communicating with Air Canada at the time so it was not displaying that option.
LH 865 (OSL-FRA)
Airbus 320-200
Seat 5A (Business Class)
Depart: 06:35 AM (actual 06:37 AM)
Arrive: 08:40 AM (actual 08:40 AM)
Pre-Flight
I left the SAS lounge above gate E2 about 45 minutes before my flight’s scheduled departure time because I did not know exactly where I was going. Naturally my gate, A20, was about as far away from the lounge as you can without transferring to a different concourse!
A Lufthansa A320-200. This image was originally posted to Flickr by tjdarmstadt at https://flickr.com/photos/152414129@N08/35564400803. It was reviewed on 6 August 2017 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.
Categories: Flight Review, Lufthansa, Star Alliance, Trip Report
Tags: Flight Review, Lufthansa, Star Alliance, Trip Report
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Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Introduction: Late Summer in Scandinavia
Flight Review: American Airlines B737-800 First Class, MEM-DFW
Flight Review: Finnair A350-900 Business Class, DFW-HEL
Flight Review: Finnair E190 Business Class, HEL-CPH
Lodging Review: Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn
Our Time in Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Best Western Hotel Hebron, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Next House, Copenhagen
Lodging Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmö
Our Time in Malmö and Ystad, Sweden
Lodging Review: IKEA Hotell, Älmhult, Sweden
Our Time in Älmhult, Sweden and High-Speed Train to Stockholm
Lodging Review: Motel L Älvsjö, Stockholm
Our Time in Stockholm
Flight Review: SAS A320neo Economy Class, ARN-OSL
Lodging Review: Comfort Hotel Grand Central, Oslo
Our Time in Oslo
Lounge Review: SAS Lounge, Oslo airport
Flight Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Business Class, OSL-FRA
Flight Review: Lufthansa 787-9 Business Class, FRA-MSP
Flight Review: Delta B737-800 First Class, MSP-MEM
Location and Hours
The lounge is located one level up from Gate E2. It opens one hour before the first SAS flight of the day and closes a half-hour before the last SAS flight of the day. Fortunately for me there were SAS flights leaving at 6 AM (and possibly earlier) and my flight didn’t leave until 6:30 AM, so it was open early enough for me. Still, I arrived before it opened at 5 AM and had to wait for a bit.
Entry Requirements
The following groups of people may access the lounge free of charge:
Those traveling on a SAS Plus or SAS Business ticket
Those holding SAS’s EuroBonus Diamond or Gold status
Star Alliance Gold members
SAS Gold (and above) members had their own section of the lounge. All that was needed for entry was a scan of a boarding pass.
Children under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Continue reading
Categories: Airline Clubs, Europe, Norway, SAS
Tags: Europe, Lounge Review, Norway, Oslo, SAS
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