Miles for tickets….no, not those tickets

2014-08-21 UA MP Score Big

 

We often think about going through online malls to earn bonus points or miles when we buy things online. And while you may be able to earn cash back at Ticketmaster via a mall, you can’t earn points or miles. United’s hoping to change that via their relationship with Score Big. Now you can earn a minimum of 500 United miles for each pair of tickets you buy to ball games, concerts and other events and you’ll also get 1000 bonus miles on your first purchase. You may earn even more miles depending on the event ticket you select.

There are a lot of footnotes to this promotion so be sure to read them before forking over your hard-earned dollars! Go to scorebig.com/united to get started.

Categories: Shopping, United | Leave a comment

To Check or Not To Check?

I read lots of travel blogs and articles. It’s incredible how much I’ve learned from bloggers and columnists over the last few years. And while some, especially family travel blogs, don’t mention this, it’s something I see often in blogs/articles typically written by folks who travel solo or in pairs. It was almost a throwaway sentence but it was something to the effect of “of course, never check a bag”. And that’s just a statement I find so unrealistic.

I do occasionally go on weekend trips and it’s true that on those trips I can usually get away without checking a bag. But on my longer trips? You betcha I’m checking.

I love to ski. And no matter how economically I pack, there’s no way my skis are going to fit in the overhead bin. My ski trips are typically a week long, Saturday-Saturday. While sometimes we have washers & dryers in our condo, sometimes we don’t. And I don’t want to waste time & money washing clothes if it’s not free and in my condo. I’m typically on the slopes from 9 AM to 3 PM (sometimes later) each day, often followed by a hot tub session. Then it’s time to get ready for dinner and our entire group (sometimes more than 60 people) usually eats together. That means it’s often 8 PM or later before we get back to the condo and frankly, I have no interest in doing laundry then. By 10 PM I’m wiped out and ready for bed.

So if I don’t have laundry facilities in my condo, I’m just not going to be bothered with it. That means I need to bring at least six of all my skiing underlayers: turtlenecks, long johns (tops & bottoms), athletic bras and socks. Of course, more underwear than that as well as a couple of regular bras. (I don’t mind wearing those more than one day since I only wear them for a few hours at night.)

I bring two ski outfits, one for each bag, for two reasons:
1) I’ve been on trips where one of my bags was delayed overnight. This way I have something to ski in even if that happens. This is also how I learned the hard way to pack half the underwear in each bag so you’ll have some if one bag doesn’t make it on time!
2) I want to alternate the outfits I ski in. I’m not the most efficient skier on the planet and as a result sometimes I work hard out there and, as a result, I sweat. I don’t glisten or shine, I sweat. So I like to let each outfit air out for a day before I wear it again. Otherwise I don’t even want to be around me and I can’t imagine anyone else would either!

I’ve also read where people discuss only bringing the pair of shoes they wear on the plane. A nice idea but what if something happens to those shoes? What if you accidentally step on some ice and it breaks through to a puddle? Or a passing vehicle splashes filthy slush on your shoes? Any number of things could happen to make your shoes temporarily or even permanently unwearable and often at ski resorts the shops close around dinner time. What if it happens on the final night before returning home? Are you going to wear your slippers or ski boots on the plane? Even if you’re not on a trip somewhere that the stores close early, do you really want to have to buy another pair of (perhaps overpriced) shoes when you have a closet full of them at home? I find the whole notion silly.

But even on my non-skiing trips, I’m usually only somewhere for 7-10 days or so. I’m typically somewhere I haven’t been before so I want to get out and see everything, not spend time in the room or condo doing laundry. Yes, I’m one of those who typically needs a vacation when I get back just to recover from my vacation but I’d rather be very active while I’m traveling than sit around. I am able to go to the beach and relax for a few days but after one full day of that I can usually only stand it for a couple of hours on other days. If I want to just sit out in the sun, I’m sure I can find somewhere here in town to do that without having to travel halfway around the world!

What’s your stance on the whole “no checked luggage” traveling style? For me, it’s nice in theory but unrealistic. But it all depends on where you’re traveling, how long you’re gone and what you’ll be doing during your travels.

Photo attribution: By Duhhitsminerva (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Categories: Luggage | Leave a comment

Win points or miles

Loyalty programs often give away a few points or miles.  Usually it’s not enough to make a huge difference in your account but it could be enough to put your points balance over the top for that dream hotel room or flight.  Right now a couple of different programs have contests running.

United Mileage Plus

United is running a contest where the prize changes every day.  Today’s prize is a $300 gift card (for travel on United, I assume?).

Every day you play, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a daily prize. From hotel stays to theater tickets to electronics, we have something for everyone.

To enter the contest, click HERE and play the game.  You’re asked to “catch” the falling pieces and the number you catch determines your score.  I thought you had to click on the pieces to catch them but apparently you only need to mouse over them to consider the piece caught.

2014-08-14 Mileage Plus Contest

 

 

Club Carlson Gold Points

No free points here, but a chance at a free vacation.  Each week Club Carlson is presenting two choices.  Simply click on the one you like better and you’re entered to win.  One winner each week will win a trip to whichever destination receives the most votes.  The destinations change each week.  You can enter this contest by clicking HERE.

2014-08-14 Club Carlson Contest

Yes, the odds are slim, but it only takes a few minutes at most and who knows, you might come away with something great!

Categories: Contests | Leave a comment

Rhine Runaway – Munich to Charlotte to Memphis

This is the final post in this series.  Other posts include:

Rhine Runaway – Booking Process
Rhine Runaway – Houston to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – A Short Visit to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part I
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part II
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part I
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part II
Rhine Runaway – Zurich to Munich
Rhine Runaway – Park Hyatt Zurich

Business Class on a Lufthansa A330 is laid out in a 2x2x2 configuration with recliner seats. If you’d asked me before the trip I could have sworn I’d selected one of the middle seats since, as a solo traveler it meant I wouldn’t have to climb over anyone – or be climbed over. But I was assigned an aisle seat on the left side of the plane, 3C. My seatmate was already in place and I gathered he was a regular on the route as the flight attendants seemed to know him.

Lufthansa Business Class Amenity Kit

Lufthansa Business Class Amenity Kit

On the seat were a pillow and blanket and the amenity kit. I loved the little draw-string bag as it reminded me of a mini-beach duffel. Inside were the usual suspects: lip balm, skin creme, toothbrush & toothpaste, earplugs, eye mask and compression socks. Since this was a daytime flight I didn’t really use any of these but it was nice to have them.

As I learn to be a better blogger, one of my next steps will be to remind myself what I had to eat! As I look over the menu now I truly can’t remember what I had to eat. That tells me that it was good enough, if not memorable.  The menu read as follows:

LH 428 Menu 1

LH 428 Menu 2

LH 428 Menu 3

LH 428 Menu 4

LH 428 Menu 5

LH 428 Menu 6

Service was attentive, but not annoying. I’m one who prefers to be left alone most of the time but I often found that whenever the FAs came by my seat I truly was ready for another round of water or I did want a snack. They were very pleasant and we had no language issues at all.

The IFE had quite a good selection. Only very rarely do I go to movies in the theater at home and I can’t even remember the last time I did. I was able to catch up on a couple of movies, Saving Mr. Banks and Frozen, that I had not seen before as well as a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory, a show I enjoy on occasion but don’t watch regularly.

Before too long we were touching down in Charlotte. It was my first time to use Global Entry and, wow, was that sweet! Gave the kiosk my fingerprints, it gave me a piece of paper and boom, I was through immigration! Fantabulous.

Then I had to go through security again for my connecting flight to Memphis. That’s when I noticed that I didn’t have the TSA Pre-Check logo on my ticket. (Not suprising as it was issued by Lufthansa.) I tried to talk my way into the line, stating I’d just been through Global Entry, but it was a no-go. Lesson learned – next time check in on the mobile app for the domestic portions of my flight! I’ll give that a try on my trip next month to see how it works.

Next stop was the US Airways Club. I found out, to my chagrin, that since Lufthansa and US Airways were no longer part of the same alliance, I was not allowed to use the club, even though I’d booked my tickets with US Airways miles. Once I got home I realized I could have shown my American Airlines Executive World Mastercard and gotten in, but I didn’t even think about it while I was there.

At this point I thought about trying to get on the earlier flight back to Memphis, though the agent in the club didn’t think I’d have much luck. But I hustled down to the gate only to be met with a crowd in the boarding area and a wait list. So I didn’t even approach the gate agents about trying to get on. Back to a restaurant where it was nice to see some of the hockey playoffs, even though my team (Go Predators!) wasn’t on the ice.

When it was finally time for my flight I headed to the gate and found I was in seat 1F. By this point I’d been awake about 20 hours, after a short night’s sleep, and I was grateful to have the window so I could doze off for the short flight.

But it was a fantastic trip all around and business class would not have been possible without the points. Can’t wait for my next big adventure in September!

Categories: Lufthansa, Star Alliance, US Airways | Leave a comment

First Friday Bonus Point on Dining with Chase Sapphire Preferred

I eat out a lot and that’s one of the reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is so valuable to me.  It earns 2 Ultimate Reward points per dollar spent on dining.  But on the first Friday of each month it earns 3 points per dollar.  And guess what today is!

CSP

Ultimate Rewards have a variety of airline and hotel partners, making them one of the most valuable and versatile points currencies.  So volunteer to pick up the check at lunch today and have everyone else reimburse you!

Categories: Chase, Credit Cards, Sapphire Preferred | Leave a comment

Rhine Runaway – Park Hyatt Zurich

Other parts of this series so far:

Rhine Runaway – Booking Process
Rhine Runaway – Houston to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – A Short Visit to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part I
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part II
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part I
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part II
Rhine Runaway – Zurich to Munich

I just realized that I failed to include a review of our hotel! So before I describe the last legs of my flight home, here’s the scoop on the Park Hyatt:

For our two nights in Zurich I transferred 44,000 Ultimate Reward points to the Hyatt Gold Passport program. The points have since devalued and it now costs 30,000 points per night for the Park Twin room we had.

We were greeted promptly and assisted immediately at the desk. The desk clerk then escorted us to our room and showed us how to work the lights and the thermostat. It sounded basic enough as she explained it but we did have to play around with it a bit to get the hang of things!

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin

The room was pretty spacious at 387 sq. ft. (36 sq. m.). In addition to our large twin beds we had a desk with chair, a small credenza with a flat panel TV on top, a small vanity with a lighted mirror as well as a small bar area with the safe.

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Desk

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Desk

As is typical in many hotel rooms, the bathroom was immediately accessible when coming in from the hallway. The toilet had a small room to itself with an opaque, textured, sliding glass door. The bathroom vanity was large and had a small TV embedded in the mirror over the sink. There was no door between the vanity area and the tub & shower area but the showerhead was far enough away from the door that water splashing into the vanity area wasn’t really an issue. The tub was quite large and the wall beside it was actually wooden, sliding panels that opened up into the bedroom. A little awkward if you’re staying with a friend and not a romantic partner! Fortunately the panels fit together snugly so there were no embarrassing moments between friends. The large showerhead was not over the tub but in the far corner of the room. It wasn’t directly overhead but on the wall. I know a lot of people love overhead rainforest showers but personally I prefer ones that pound down on me like a constant mini-massage. This shower didn’t do that but neither was it so soft that I had a hard time getting the shampoo out of my hair.

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathtub

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathtub

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathroom Vanity

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathroom Vanity

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathroom

Park Hyatt Zurich Park Twin Bathroom

The bath products were Laura Tonatto and the scents were made especially for the hotel. I really enjoyed the hair products and brought them home to finish off the bottles. I wasn’t crazy about the scents of either the hair or bath products. Just a bit too “perfumey” for my personal taste.

Park Hyatt Zurich Toiletries

Park Hyatt Zurich Toiletries

Two bathrobes were provided. I’m somewhat tall for a woman and these fit me fine. A larger person would have trouble with the robe but I’m told that larger sizes are available for the asking at the desk.

A couple of things I almost always have trouble with in other countries are the bedding and the thermostat. At home I like a sheet, a light blanket and a comforter. I can sleep with that setup all year-round and throw covers on or off as needed during the night. Here (and on the river cruise as well) there was a fitted sheet and a duvet. It’s great that the duvet cover can be easily changed between guests but a top sheet would have been most welcome. Since we couldn’t turn the thermostat down as low as we wanted we were constantly throwing the duvet off and then pulling it back on. Really, hotel designers, let middle-aged women tell you how cool the room needs to be at night! Most people I know prefer to sleep in a cool room and then they don’t mind the heavier covers – but nobody likes to wake up in a pool of sweat in the middle of the night.

On our last night we walked back from our Italian dinner and felt we’d walked off enough calories to indulge in one last dessert for the trip. We went to the cafe area in the lobby and browsed the menu. Naturally we were hoping for chocolate melting cake again but did not see it on the menu. However our excellent waiter started describing a chocolate dish to us and soon we knew he was describing exactly what we wanted. One last round of cake and ice cream for the trip!

The staff was fantastic and the location made it easily accessible. It was in a very quiet neighborhood and inside was peaceful as well. I wouldn’t hesitate to return on my next trip to Zurich.

View from our Park Twin room at the Park Hyatt Zurich

View from our Park Twin room at the Park Hyatt Zurich

Categories: Lodging Review, Switzerland | Leave a comment

Rhine Runaway – Zurich to Munich

Other parts of this series so far:

Rhine Runaway – Booking Process
Rhine Runaway – Houston to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – A Short Visit to Amsterdam
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part I
Rhine Runaway – River Cruise Part II
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part I
Rhine Runaway – Zurich Part II

I had a 2-connection flight back to Memphis from Zurich, connecting in Munich and Charlotte. That meant an early start to the day since I had a 9 AM flight. My roomie, who lives in a much bigger city and was on a paid ticket, had a much later flight but decided she might as well come on to the airport with me rather than just sit around the hotel for a few more hours. With her single-connection flight she’d be back at her home airport – if not her house – before I would, even with my head start. Ah, the joys of living in a mid-size city!

We’d debated the best method of getting to the airport. We checked out the train/tram maps but part of me was concerned about missing connections and we’d be lugging our suitcases along. I just didn’t trust myself to read the maps correctly at 6 AM. I thought about a taxi but then checked Uber and noticed there was a driver fairly close. I contacted him just before we left the room. By the time we’d checked out he was just arriving. This was my first time using Uber and it was nice that the app showed a photo of the driver, so I could be sure we had the correct ride. I was also thinking about how nice it was that I had a credit on my Uber account so the ride wouldn’t cost as much as the estimate they’d given me. After I returned home and saw that the full amount had hit my credit card I contacted Uber to find out why. It turns out that for a credit to apply, the charge must be in the same currency. So my credit was in USD but the charge was in CHF (Swiss Francs) so no credit for me on this ride. That was disappointing, but lesson learned.

My flight to Munich was on Lufthansa in a regional jet with 2×2 seating. Since I was in “business class” that meant I had the two seats to myself. I recall selecting a seat on the website and it showed the seating as 3×3 with the middle seats blocked so I guess their had been an equipment change. We had some light refreshment – nothing too heavy as it’s only an hour-long flight to Munich – and soon enough we were touching down.

Lufthansa Logo

I made my way to the Lufthansa lounge. Unlike some of the bloggers who’ve been doing this awhile, I realized I don’t take nearly as many photos as they do so I don’t have any pictures. But I found a table and was able to relax in relative comfort for about a 30-45 minutes until it was time to head to the gate. I don’t recall hearing any boarding announcements in the lounge. There were light refreshments available but nothing to qualify as an early lunch. That was OK with me because I’d get plenty of food on the plane.

Our gate was all the way at one end of the terminal. They had the entire end blocked off with a podium manned by a Lufthansa employee who was checking tickets. There was a huge line of folks in coach but fortunately I saw that the other side of the podium was reserved for business & first class passengers and there was no line there. And, just as fortunately, by staying on that side of the building after passing the podium I avoided having to go through screening again. No PreCheck here to save me!

However, getting to the gate area the way I did left me as far from the front of the plane as could be, naturally. I bobbed and weaved through the crowd until I was near the correct doorway. There was a bit of a delay with the boarding and when they finally started allowing people through there was no one checking that only first & business class passengers were using that doorway. I realize we’re all getting on the same plane and it’s not going anywhere without us, it was just annoying. And frankly, after all the German effiency I’d witnessed all week (and loved!) it seemed odd that it would disappear at this point. Fortunately, as we approached the plane first and business passengers were allowed to board through door 1L while the folks in coach went to 2L. My vacation was truly starting to feel like it was over. But there was an ocean to cross first.

Categories: Lufthansa, Star Alliance, Uber | Leave a comment

Win 140,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles!

2014-07-22 Hawaiian Airline Promo

If you don’t have plans for a trip to Hawaii you might wonder why you’d care about Hawaiian Airlines miles. But you may be surprised at where they can be used!

Not only do they offer intra-Hawaiian islands flights and flights to the US mainland but they also fly to other South Pacific islands (Pago Pago, Samoa, Papeete, Tahiti), to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. Intra Hawaiian island flights start at only 7500 miles in economy and only 20,000 miles to the US Mainland. I’ve read that Hawaiian has some of the nicest coach seats available from the mainland to the islands with seatback entertainment for everyone as well as an actual meal. That can be hard to find on mainline US carriers!

Their international destinations start at 27,500 miles between Hawaii and the other South Pacific islands and 40,000 miles between Hawaii and Asia or Australia/New Zealand. First class seats, while not lie-flat start at 15,000 miles intra-island, 40,000 miles to the US Mainland, 47,500 to other South Pacific islands and 65,000 to other regions.

But what if the object is to just get to Hawaii and Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t fly to your city? The good news is they have a number of partners so you can redeem flights on those airlines. Their partner airlines are: All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air, JetBlue, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and select Virgin Australia flights. That opens up a world of possibilities to get to Hawaii.

And now Hawaiian Airlines is giving away 140,000 miles on their Facebook page. To enter, you must first like their Facebook page and then fill in your name and email address. Pretty simple! Good luck – though I hope I win!

Categories: Hawaiian Airlines | Leave a comment

Hilton HHonors Triple Your Trip promo

Hilton Hotels and their related brands like DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Conrad, Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites are usually very easy to find wherever you’re traveling. Their rooms can often cost what seem to be a lot of points, but Hilton points are easy to come by, especially if you have one of their co-branded credit cards.

2014-07-21 HHonors Triple

Right now they’re running a promotion on paid stays where you can earn double or triple points per night. Double points are awarded for stays on Monday-Thursday nights and triple points for weekend nights, Friday-Sunday.

You must first register for this promotion at HERE and then your paid stays between August 1 and October 31, 2014 will be included.

I really enjoy Hiltons as the lower-tier properties like Hamptons usually include breakfast with the room and even though it may cost more points, we can use those points to get larger rooms that have a sofa bed whereas a lot of hotel chains only allow standard rooms when using points.

Even if you don’t think you’ll be staying at a Hilton during this time period, go ahead and sign up for the promotion. That way if your plans should change you’ll be covered!

Categories: Hilton, Hotel, Hotel Promos | Leave a comment

Chase Sapphire Preferred changes

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of my favorites. It earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to a number of frequent flyer and hotel programs. The points can also be used as cash to reimburse flights or hotel rooms at certain locations. It earns double points on travel-related items (airfare, hotels, taxis, parking, tolls, etc.) and dining (which is where I really rack up the points).

CSP

One of the great benefits of the card has been that each February you receive a bonus of 7% of the points you earned the previous calendar year, even if you’ve spent some of them. So for non-bonus spends you actually earn 1.07 points and for bonus categories it’s actually 2.14 points per dollar. Sadly, this benefit is going away. That’s a shame and I hate to see it go.

But the card is getting a new benefit – one that’s actually worth something and not just a new spin on an old benefit. When renting cars with the CSP the card now offers PRIMARY rental insurance. This is a great addition! It’s especially helpful overseas where it could be much harder to fight an insurance claim, simply due to distance.

At least Chase has given us plenty of notice for this change. While new cardholders will not get the 7% bonus, those who already have the card will get the bonuses in February 2015 and 2016 before it goes away.

Categories: Chase, Credit Cards, Sapphire Preferred | Leave a comment

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