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TPOL Opens M-F at 9:07AM EST

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TPOL Opens M-F at 9:07AM EST

Many have said they don’t see my posts on Boarding Area’s homepage. I’m still on there, but that homepage moves quickly and I may get pushed to the bottom faster than expected. For those that access the site from BA, I’ll let you in on a secret: I post M-F at 9:07AM EST. Previously it was at 10:07AM EST, but no daylight savings time in Puerto Rico forced me to make this permanent change (see No Daylight Savings in Puerto Rico! Literally, When Will the US Catch Up?).

If I post again, it will be three hours after that. If I am really ambitious, it will be three hours after that. At the minimum, I want to post once a day M-F. Saturday and Sunday are for golf. If you don’t see me on there and it’s 9:07AM EST, send money or help. I’m either traveling and shirking my duties and need more money to keep the binge going (see Hangover = Blogger Malpractice?), or I’ve been kidnapped by an angry Flyertalk member (see Flyertalk Readers Don’t Get My Humor).

You can also subscribe to my email newsletter which is sent once a day in the evening if I post something new that day (use your mouse to hit this link). And of course you can follow me on Twitter @thepointsoflife, or Instagram, and now, TikTok. The Vlog is a different animal that will have its own post time and life cycle (see Coming to LinkedIn, TPOL’s Vlog!).

Thank you for your continued support,

TPOL

Option #3 if I’m MIA: I’m in Doha for the World Cup and am trying to find the metro.

a man standing next to a large football ball
Metro? This way!

Hyatt Regency Malta: Back to Beautiful

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Hyatt Regency Malta: Back to Beautiful

Hyatt Regency Malta Hotel Review is part of the Punxsutawney TPOL Trip Report.

Getting There: Take an Uber through the pristine roads of this beautiful island.

If there were any remaining doubts about whether I should buy a villa in Sicily, they were erased when I arrived at the Hyatt Regency Malta (see Did TPOL Buy a 1 Euro Italian Villa?). Back in luxury, I was quickly reminded that I prefer the finer things in life. Here’s the review:

Location 

The hotel is in St. Julian’s, the party district of Malta. While the nightlife scene is a bit amateur, think Cyprus (see Guns & Butter: Ayia Napa, Cyprus Travel Guide), after my time in Castiglione, Sicily, I was happy to see the typical debauchery.a stairs leading up to a building

Beach 

The tradeoff of staying in the entertainment district is a lack of a proper beach.a group of people on a beach a beach with chairs and umbrellas and buildings in the background a body of water with buildings and a beach

Hotel Itself 

Although this is a Hyatt Regency, it felt more upscale.a sign on a wall a building with a stone wall and a stone wall a balcony with a glass wall and a buildinga room with chairs and a table

Room 

After endeavoring to earn Globalist (see Hyatt Centric Milan: Cert Worthy?), I was expecting a bit more from the room. a room with a bed and a table a room with a bed and a television

Bathrooma bathroom with a sink and a mirror a bathroom with a round mirror and sink

a group of bottles on a shelf
This is one of my favorite hotel soaps.

Breakfast

I enjoy it when the hotel has an a la carte breakfast option.a plate of food on a table a plate of food with a white plate and a white plate with a white plate with food on it

Rooftop Pool

After exploring Malta all day, it was nice to return and lounge at the pool (see Guns & Butter: Malta Travel Guide).a city with trees and buildings a pool with a city in the background a pool with a view of a city

Overall

The problem with staying at a nice hotel in a new destination is that I am rarely at the hotel. I would like to return to the Hyatt Regency Malta and do nothing more than lounge.

Singapore Nightlife Guide: Hip Hip Hop-a You Don’t Stop

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Singapore Nightlife Guide: Hip Hip Hop-a You Don’t Stop

Singapore Nightlife Guide is part of the Reunion Tour Trip Report.

I had been to Singapore twice. The first time as with my parents in 2010 (see Touring the Culinary Scene of Asia) and the second was that year when I was moving to Shanghai as an ‘expat.’ Back then, I could not afford the expensive drinks. Today, I still cannot rationalize the price of those drinks. Nevertheless, with one night in Singapore, and a Saturday night at that, thanks to my Vietnamese visa debacle (see Vietnam E-Visa Not Processed: Another TPOL Duck Up?), I had to make the most of it. Here’s what I did:

Stop 1: Cherry

The place is located in China Town and advertised old school hip-hop. I was sold until I got out of the Grab taxi (see Grab: The Rideshare App in Singapore And Thailand) and saw children waiting in the line. Perhaps I was too old for this place.

Stop 2: Clark Quay

I had good memories of Clark Quay. From drinking the most expensive round of Tiger beers with my dad at Hooters to buying a bottle of wine and sitting by the water, Clark Quay was a good time. This time, I was not impressed. It was rammed with people who were happy to finally be free of lockdown. After one drink, I moved on.

a receipt with coins and a few coins on it
Still have a copy of the Hooters receipt

Stop 3: Marina Bay Sands

This trip was scheduled for 24 days with stops in economical destinations like Hanoi. Instead, I found myself at Ce La Vie, paying for entrance and $17 a drink. Contrary to what I said above, it was worth it. This is a bar that any nightlife lover should visit. The view is spectacular and the structure is as impressive as it is on TV. The music was also on point. For the first time in a long time, life felt normal.

a pool with palm trees and buildings at night a cityscape at night with lights and a body of water

I can only imagine how much fun it would be to drink and swim at the infinity pool on a summer day. Perhaps I will return to Singapore and find out. I must be getting old because I never thought I would say I want to go to Singapore.

Iberia Residency Booked: Adios Puerto Rico, Hola España

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Iberia Residency Booked: Adios Puerto Rico, Hola España

Oh no, another Trip Report is on the way. This one is called Adios Puerto Rico, Hola Espana. For those who don’t read and reread TPOL faithfully like a Seinfeld enthusiast, here’s why this is exciting. Last year, I decided that in addition to my crazy jaunts around the globe, I would also take up residency in a pre-selected, first-world big city for four months out of the year (see Vote for Where TPOL Will Move Next And…). The initial destination was supposed to be Dubai where I could commute to the World Cup. Although I went to Doha (see Coupe du Monde Trip Report), the fly-in/fly-out model was unfeasible due to plane ticket/hotel prices (see Housing World Cup Qatar: Adventurous or Fyre Fest?).

The next opportunity for residency was Melbourne in May 2023. I found a 55k business class flight using Alaska points with a stopover in Fiji (see 55K Alaskan to Fiji And My New Melbourne Residence). However, when I checked return availability from Melbourne, I was shocked by the outlandish points prices. I would also like to knock out the surrounding islands near Fiji like New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea to enhance my Country Count which currently stands at 131 (see Where I’ve Been), making this a vintage TPOL trip (see ThePointsOfLife Travel Philosophy) rather than a residency retreat. Finally, I also have been in Puerto Rico too long since the start of the pandemic (see The Lost & Found Year(s): COVID Trip Report) and didn’t want to wait until May to implement the residency ritual.

Checking availability in February with a return in March, I found a round-trip ticket in business on Iberia direct from San Juan to Madrid for 34k points each way. That is a stupendous deal, especially since I don’t have to connect in JFK. With no fear of being kicked off the plane for not wearing a mask (see Iberia Business ORD-MAD: Mask Jokes Literally Don’t Fly), I immediately booked. The next step is to find an apartment.

a large arena with a bull in the middle
See you soon, Eduardo Corrochio.

 

Approved! Citi Premier

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Approved! Citi Premier

Say what you want about credit card pushers, but I am fine seeing the constant stream of credit card offers in my Twitter feed. It inspires me to continue to churn, no matter how many times I have been rejected. Whether you purposefully don’t affiliate links to deny them money is up to you. I am not that spiteful.

Reading that the 80k Citi Premier offer was going away inspired me to apply again (see Citi Premier Rejection for Being Too Good at Life). While I would make good use of the 80k, I am equally as interested in having the ability to transfer my current balance of Thank You points to transfer partners, something that I cannot do with Citi Rewards+ card.

With low expectations, I hit submit and was surprised when I received the following:a screenshot of a credit card

I’m back in the game! I will have to call to transfer my abundance of credit from the + card so I can hit the minimum spend.

2022 What I Spent (And Received) in Annual Fees

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2022 What I Spent (And Received) in Annual Fees

In 2020, I spent $744 in annual fees. In 2021, I spent $1,571. Did I spend more in 2022? And what did I receive? See below:

Amex

  • $695 Business Platinum: 150k sign-up bonus 
  • $295 BRG: 90k sign-up bonus
  • $95 Hilton Business: 130k sign-up bonus
  • $125 Marriott Business: 35k e-cert
  • $95 Marriott Personal: 35k e-cert

Amex Total: $1305

Chase

  • $99 Aeroplan: 100k in certificates sign-up bonus
  • $199 Business Hyatt: 75k sign-up bonus
  • $95 Hyatt Personal: one free night category 4
  • $49 IHG: 40k e-cert
  • $95 Ink Preferred: no retention, use it for Google Ads
  • $95 Marriott: 35k e-cert

Chase Total: $632

Grand Total: $1937

I only signed up for five new cards in 2022. That’s insanely low, but the Amex bonuses alone are worth two RTW trips (see Booked! ANA RTW: 22,000 Miles in Glorious Business & 25,000 Mile RTW Trip Including Iraq Booked!). I plan on signing up for many more cards in 2023 and won’t mind spending more in fees.

a man holding a bottle
Where will my points take me this year?

I’m Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite!

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I’m Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite!

a white rectangular sign with black text

Your reaction will be somewhere between, “Who cares,” and “Congratulations!”. I am going with the latter. Here’s why: Chasing status year to year is exhausting. It dictates how I travel and sometimes where I travel. Chasing status gives me anxiety. What will I do if I don’t qualify? I can’t wait a year to have my perks restored.

By attaining Lifetime Platinum with Marriott, I no longer have to worry about such things. For the rest of my days, I will have free breakfast, and more importantly, 4PM checkout. I will also have an easier time of doing a status match with another chain, should the opportunity arise. To that end, I can shift my attention to achieving status with other brands.

Ironically, the result of achieving lifetime status will result in me staying less often at Marriotts. With their constant devaluations and inability to readily earn points, Marriott has provided little incentive to post the same number of stays like years past.

Now, my best use of Marriot will be to maximize the multiple stay certs I receive from credit cards (see 2022 What I Spent (And Received) in Annual Fees) for grand events like New Years in Hong Kong (see Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong: New Year’s Cert Rescue Story) or Carnival (see How to Book Trinidad’s Carnival Last Second for Free*). Beyond that, my hotel strategy is to bounce around from brand to brand, hoping that my mishmash of points covers the bill.

a white background with black text
Lifetime requires 600 nights and 10 years as platinum.

Michigan Loses on NYE: Suing ESPN for Emotional Distress

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Michigan Loses on NYE: Suing ESPN for Emotional Distress

It is a long, terrible flight from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles. I recently took it after my return from the World Cup (see Finalizing the ANA RTW Trip, World Cup & Luck Included). I won’t have to repeat this arduous journey thanks to Michigan squandering an opportunity on New Year’s Eve.

Instead of going on a wild adventure as I typically do for New Year’s (see Where to Party? New Year’s Eve), I stayed home and watched the Fiesta Bowl. Michigan made every mistake possible but fought back and had a chance to win the game. Michigan losing is not why I am upset. That happens all the time (see The Game: A Wolverine’s Guide For Surviving Columbus). Last year, when Michigan was blown out by Georgia, I was not mad. It did not affect my celebration (see Happy New Year! TPOL’s NYC NYE Party Guide). This year, it was not unreasonable to believe that we could advance. The reason I am distressed and the reason I am suing ESPN is because it had the audacity to schedule this game on New Year’s Eve.

ESPN knows that one side is going to rejoice and one side is going to be crushed. Having to deal with such disappointment, such hopelessness while simultaneously trying to be optimistic for the New Year is incongruent. I am not one for New Year’s resolutions but the coming of a new year marks an opportunity to start anew. This opportunity, even if it is only symbolic, was taken from me by ESPN. And it was taken from millions of Michigan fans around the world.

In addition to money for emotional distress, I am seeking an injunction against the College Football Playoffs being played on NYE. Have them on December 30th; have them on January 1st. Having them on December 31st is downright cruel.

Note: I am willing to take on Ohio State clients as well as they literally had to go through this agony when the clock struck midnight.

a man standing on a beach holding a bottle
A happier time was when Michigan beat Ohio State.

Simply The Best: TPOL in 2022

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Simply The Best: TPOL in 2022

Happy New Year from your former favorite travel blogger and, once again, world explorer. Here are the top posts from the year and one selected post per month:

Simply The Best: January 2022

Simply The Best: February 2022

Simply The Best: March 2022

  • Guns & Butter: Copenhagen Travel Guide

    boats on the water next to a dock with buildings in the background
    I have been all over northern Europe including Iceland, Sweden, and Finland. While I have not been to Norway, I can predict that it will not be as great as Denmark.

Simply The Best: April 2022

Simply The Best: May 2022

Simply The Best: June 2022

  • Iraqi Homecoming Trip Report: An Introduction

    a large white airplane on a runway
    A big part of my life is travel. It is cliche to say that travel is important, but that statement doesn’t mean the same to the masses as it does to me. For me, travel is oxygen. Without it, I cannot live. Without it, I lose part of my identity. I become another face among the masses, surviving the monotony of the daily routine only to do it over again.

Simply The Best: July 2022

Simply The Best: August 2022

  • Did TPOL Buy a 1 Euro Italian Villa?

    a plant with a city in the background
    Lawrence Sawyer August 24, 2022 at 4:18 pm said, “Best travel blogger post I’ve ever read…and I’ve been reading blogs and travel hacking since the Frugal Travel Guy was blazing trails. Long live Rick! And keep writing!!

Simply The Best: September 2022

a man standing on a rocky beach with a body of water and mountains in the background
The bests posts from September are nonexistent because I was too busy traveling. But now, I’m back, to let you know, I can really shake ’em down.

Simply The Best: October 2022

a red carpeted walkway in a tunnel
The TWA hotel is run down. The furniture was worn, and the white decor was covered with the expected filth that took over the World Trade Oculus.

Simply The Best: November 2022

 

Simply The Best: December 2022

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Simply The Best: December 2022

The year is over! TPOL is still the best. Here’s why:

  1. Happy Festivus! Airing of Points Grievances 2022

    a man sitting on the ground
    Holistically not giving a shit about angry comments while at the World Cup.
  2. Epic Failure: Denied Boarding for the World Cup

    a man taking a selfie
    My Doha dreams were almost in the shitter where my Hayya visa picture was taken. I had to show this picture each time I went on the metro or into a stadium.
  3. Flight Review MIA-DOH: Qsuites to the World Cup!

    a black bag and a glass of orange juice next to a bag
    Despite the bad service and flu-like symptoms, this is still one of the best business-class experiences.
  4. The Guide to Buying Tickets for the World Cup And Other Big Events

    a large stadium filled with people
    I will follow this procedure: Gamble and buy tickets in advance at retail. I can always sell them if I don’t go. Wait until the day of the event when I am there to minimize the price gouging.
  5. MDE-MIA: My First Business Class Flight on AA, Worth It*?

    a plastic cup of orange juice
    Instead of paying $1,305 to fly from Medellin to Miami, I spent $82.78 and 22,000 Avios.
  6. Medellin: Wrong Airport, Bad Uber Location, What’s Next?

    a sign on a building
    We both said ducking Uber and were on our way.
  7. AA Flagship Lounge MIA: Drink Your Stress Away

    a bottle of liquid and a glass of liquid on a counter
    I was happy I had the chance to decompress with some drinks at the Flagship lounge.
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