Winner gets a flight to Puerto Rico to meet TPOL. No golf required. Enter here.
*Free flights only from the contiguous USA, Panama, or Colombia.
TPOL’s March Madness Contest: My Final Four
I will win my own tournament challenge. Even if I do, I will still meet and greet whoever comes in second. Typically, I don’t share my Final Four ahead of time. This year, I could not resist. Submit your picks for second place here:
Free Flight to Puerto Rico! TPOL’S March Madness Bracket Contest
It’s that time of year again. Time for disappointment for most, and glory for one- #Michigan. Winner gets a flight to Puerto Rico to meet TPOL. No golf required. Enter here.
*Free flights only from the contiguous USA, Panama, or Colombia.
#MasterOfWon: 1 Year Vlog Anniversary
One year ago, I premiered my first Vlog. One year later, I am still working on Episode 2.
I need to increase my efficiency lest my earlier prediction, that TPOL’s Way Out of Poverty Is Not Vlogging, written in 2018, will remain true.
2025 What I Spent (And Received) in Annual Fees
Here is what I have spent in annual fees historically:
New Cards
- $99 Barclays Hawaii 60k Atmos
- $95 Alaska 50k Atmos
- $249 Avianca: 100k LifeMiles
- $895: Amex Platinum Business 200k MR
Total: $1338
Renewed Cards
- $95 Chase Ink: 3X marketing
- $99 IHG Personal: 1 free night
- $99 IHG Business: 1 free night
- $95 Chase Hyatt: 1 free night
- $125 Amex Marriott Business: 1 free night
- $95 Amex Marriott: 1 free night
- $95 Chase Marriott: 1 free night
- $95 Citi Premier: 3X and chargeback protection
- $395: Capital One Venture X: $300 travel credit, 10k anniversary miles, 2X on everything
Total: $1197
TPOL Total: $2535
Ms. TPOL
- $395 Capital One Venture X
- $95 Citi TY
- $99 Chase IHG Business: Free Night
- $95 Chase Ink
- $595 Citi Exec: 100k Points
- $99 Chase IHG: Free Night
- $95 Chase Hyatt: Free Night
Total: $1473
Grand Total: $4008
I have more points than ever, but nowhere to go. It might be a waste of money, but I will continue to pay the annual fee for new cards, believing that hoarding is better than letting sign-up bonuses pass me by.
World Cup Day 5: No Games Depression
What is there to do in Doha after 4 games of World Cup madness? The answer is not much. And that’s not because there aren’t things to see in this small nation (see Guns & Butter: Doha Travel Guide). The emptiness is a result of the circus leaving town. Without hunting down tickets (see The Guide to Buying Tickets for the World Cup And Other Big Events), going to watch parties (see World Cup Day 4: Portugal vs. Switzerland), or foolishly cheering for Team USA (see USA vs. Netherlands), I found myself lonely and depressed.
I went from the chaos of getting to Doha (see Epic Failure: Denied Boarding for the World Cup) to waking up with nothing to do. It ended in an instant. I spent the rest of my day at the Sheraton pool (see The Grand Dream), anxiously wanting the time to go by and for the knockout stage to begin.
Simply The Best: January 2026
- Tanks Aside, Skip South Tarawa, Kiribati
Minus the tanks, you should skip South Tarawa. TPOL sacrificed one day of his life to learn that for you. - Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island: You Call This Luxury?
The hotel was built in 1991. It felt like 1991. - Remman Cafe Doha: Late Night Eats
Skip the tourist trap of Souq Wasif and head to Remman Cafe for excellent Lebanese food. - Hawaii Business Approved! Hard Work Pays Off?
9 months later, with many calls to recon and many documents uploaded, I am happy to say I am finally approved. - Airport Transport St. Lucia: Wasn’t Expecting That Bill
In theory, I would return to St. Lucia. In reality, the airport is too inconvenient to justify going back. And that has nothing to do with the taxi’s price. - Iberia Business: Athens Back To Lisbon Via Madrid
- Read for Comedic Purposes: TPOL’s Out of the Office (For Carnival in Trinidad)
Airport Transport St. Lucia: Wasn’t Expecting That Bill
We all know about TPOL’s trepidation for airport taxis (see “Taxi my friend?” The Worst Places to Hail a Cab). Imagine my surprise when I landed in St. Lucia and was told that a taxi to my hotel, the Hilton Harbor Club St. Lucia, was $120.
Looking at the map, the price is not that crazy. It can take 1-2 hours to get there as the driver has to navigate through one-way roads, the rainforest, and abysmal traffic.
On the way to the hotel, I had my driver stop at a gas station. I bought two beers for the road. The beer was so bad that I could only finish one of them, despite the arduous journey.
Returning
Returning to the airport, I only paid $90. The reason for the discount is that I randomly found a taxi on the second day of Carnival, who rescued me from the arduous march (see Day 2: Enough Is Enough) and took me back to the Hilton. He promised to pick me up on my day of departure and to do so at a discounted fare. Not only was he on time, but he also took the back roads to get me to the airport. Otherwise, the journey would’ve taken twice the time.
TPOL’s TIP: If you’re flying inter-Caribbean, use the local airport, which is far closer to the city center and hotels than the international UVF airport.
Overall
In theory, I would return to St. Lucia. In reality, the airport is too inconvenient to justify going back. And that has nothing to do with the taxi’s price.
Hawaii Business Approved! Hard Work Pays Off?
I have documented the struggle to get approved for the Barclays Hawaii Business card.
- Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Approved! Business Next?
- Barclays Hawaiian Business App: Send in Your DL, SS Card by Mail
- Barclays Hawaiian Business App Approved: Sort Of
- Barclays Hawaii Business Card App: More Information Required
- Timed-Out: Barclays Hawaii Business Application
9 months later, with many calls to recon and many documents uploaded, I am happy to say I am finally approved. I do not understand why they make the process next to impossible. I do not understand why repeat customers need to verify who they are (see JetBlue Business Approved! Yes, Alexander Bachuwa Owns Bachuwa Law). But it’s over, and I will have even more Alaska Atmos points as a result of my efforts. Getting approved became a personal mission beyond points. Now, I set my sights on being approved for the Atmos Business card.
The real question is, what will I do with all these points? Availability on Fiji to Australia is non-existent, interfering with my return flight for my 2026 residency.
Read for Comedic Purposes: TPOL’s Out of the Office (For Carnival in Trinidad)
Typically, TPOL’s Out of the Office post consists of the following: “I’m out of the office. Good day.” I never thought people actually read the content in the office autoresponders. I learned that is not true my second year at the University of Michigan. As a joke, I put, “I’m out of the office in the Cayman Islands. Should you need further assistance, please contact my secretary.” I neglected to turn off the responder.
Sleeping in the back of my economics statistics class, I heard the professor say, “Someone requested an overhead projector for their project, but when I responded, the email said to contact the secretary as the individual was in the Cayman Islands.”
I raised my hand to acknowledge that I wrote the message.
Which brings me to today’s out-of-the-office message. I am out of the office in Trinidad for Carnival. I don’t know if I’ll discover the same bliss as I did in 2019 (see Last Minute Trinidad Carnival Guide! Everything You Need to Know And Stuff You Will Figure Out On Your Own!), but I will find out. In the interim, you can contact my secretary should you need further assistance.
For those curious, I received a B+ in that course. The theme of my project was “Is Disney in Decline?” Fast forward decades later, and the answer is still TBD.