Citi AA Business: After a similar effort to Barclays, I was rejected because my address did not match my EIN address. I’m going to have to reapply and figure out a way to prove that I am who I say I am (see About That Citi AA Business Application…).
Hilton Amex Personal: After receiving the warning prompt that I was not eligible for the sign-up bonus for the business card (see Amex No Bonus Alert: Am I Responsible for This?), I attempted to apply for the personal card. I was immediately rejected. This is now normal with Amex. When I call they say that there’s negative information in my credit report. I pull my reports and see nothing. I tell them the same. They continue to say that they won’t approve me. The next step may be to file a demand for arbitration (see Amex Shutdown? Remedy & Going Forward) in order to have someone tell me what’s going on with my account. The only personal Amex I have is the Marriott card which was my first Amex.
While it’s not like the old days, the points game carries on.
I am applying for new cards, not because I have a trip in mind, but because I have nothing better to do. I saw the 150k Amex Business Hilton offer and thought I would give it a shot. After filling out the usual, I clicked submit and received this:
I vaguely recall having a Hilton business account. I had to search my blog to see when I had applied (see Keep Vs. Cancel: Amex Hilton Honors Business Card). Apparently, it was in 2018. Disappointed that I was not eligible, my next reaction was pride. Amex is finally being transparent about who is eligible for their bonuses. This is in contrast with many of my law clients who thought they were eligible, met the spend, and then were denied the bonus (see Amex Shutdown? Remedy & Going Forward). Maybe all those arbitrations made Amex take action. Now, if someone does complain Amex can point to this clear warning as a defense.
These days everyone seems to talk about how they are waiting for life to return to normal so they can travel again. I nod in affirmation but smugly think to myself, “Travel again? Where did you go before the pandemic? Playa del Carmen (see Where I’ve Been to see how you measure up)? And when you went on your international escapade to a tourist trap Amalfi Coast, did you come back bragging about how much you love Italy? Did it change your life forever like your high school senior trip? Or, worse still, are you a naive traveler that loves to tip every child who tugs at your shirt when visiting temples in SE Asia believing you’re a philanthropist?”
If any of those revolting attributes belong to you, I have one thing to say: Who cares what I think? Travel and enjoy yourself. However, while doing so, please take note of this PSA and stop traveling under the social influence.
I’m guilty of the arms raised posed from a scenic vista. Here’s a good example from Bruny Island, Tasmania:
I don’t know why the Christ the Redeemer pose is one of my go-to moves, I know I do it too much.
My best move is the one I stole from Usain Bolt, pictured here on top of Victoria’s Peak in Hong Kong.
This was in 2009, I was bad as duck before social media bullshit.
And my most beautiful was at the aforementioned Amalfi Coast.
The other move noted in the PSA I will never do and you shouldn’t either, though calling it hot dog legs is hilarious. But if you do find yourself recycling overused poses, do it for yourself, don’t do it for the ‘Gram, lest you end up like Roxanne, who I’m sure is not sheltering in place these days.
Roxanne Roxanne All she wanna do is party all night Goddamn, Roxanne
TPOL’s TIP: You want to see the real world of travel blogging? Check out the one they don’t show you on TPG or OMAAT – Follow TPOL on Instagram.
I’ve been searching the Internet for a credit offer to quench my churn thirst. I tried with the Citi AA Business. I was rejected (see About That Citi AA Business Application…). I am still in labor with the Barclays card (see Barclays JetBlue App: Please FAX Your Business Lease). Then I saw Lucky peddling a card called Brex with a 110k sign-up bonus. 100k+anything sounds good right now so I decided to take a look. Lucky gets paid for referring you to Brex so you can read the full details on his site. Personally, I’m not a fan of the brand name, reminds me of the ultimate backfire movement- Brexit.
From what I gathered by skimming my way down to the sign-up link, Brex is a business checking account for people with actual businesses, not an imaginary dog named SHRED sole proprietor (supra Citi AA Business Application). By spending 4k and linking payroll, something that I actually have along with applying via OMAAT’s link, 110k points will be mine.
I submitted the required documents and was instantly approved. Then I received an email saying they needed my Articles of Incorporation and that my approval was conditional. I submitted that document and now I wait. Since there is no credit check and no bullshit 5/24, I expect to be approved, something that I never say aloud in fear of angering the churn gods.
The reason I am excited for this card is because of the great opportunities for transferring points to airlines at a 1:1 ratio should any of these airlines be in business in 2025:
There’s a reason this trip report is called Quest Around the Globe. It all began in Vegas with an unexpected interview with Richard Quest for CNN’s Business Traveller. The point of the interview was to discuss how I traveled around the world flying first for free. Ironically, my flight from Montana, paid for by CNN, was aboard the incomparable Allegiant Air.
Hair & Makeup
Upon arriving, my first stop after the Centurion Lounge was a last-minute run to the barbershop. This proved to be a mistake as the stylist took too much off the top.
TPOL’s TIP: When appearing on international TV, make sure you are groomed ahead of time.
After a good night’s rest at the Westin, I made my way to the Mandalay Bay for the interview. Originally, the interview was supposed to be filmed while walking down Fremont Street but the crowds made that logistically impossible (see Busted? Go to Fremont Street Vegas). At the Mandalay, I expected a makeup artist to prep me to look my best to go on international TV. That did not happen.
TPOL’s TIP: I don’t have one for makeup.
Cast & Crew
The crew consisted of the producer and the cameraman. The cast was Mr. Quest. He is exactly like what you would expect him to be: a happy, outgoing, and easy going guy.
Interview Prep
Before the interview started, we talked about travel in general and took some photos to document the occasion. We sat at the interview table, and Richard gave me an overview of the format. Moments later, the interview began.
The Interview
I didn’t have prepared notes for the interview, but I did have a rough idea about what I was going to speak about. It went on for about a half-hour. Obviously, most of it was cut, but it was casual and a great time.
The Highlight
By far the highlight of the interview was when Richard asked if he was an idiot for hoarding his points. My immediate answer was yes.
The best part of being on Global Business Traveller was being able to watch the clip over and over and over again when I was in Russia. It started with the first airing when I was staying at the Radisson with the Sauna and continued through Cyprus and Jordan.
The Blowback
A topic I did not want to get into was manufactured spending and made it a point not to bring it up because, quite frankly, it’s not my area of expertise (see I’m Done with Manufactured Spending & End of MS Means Get Your Life Together). To juice the interview, CNN put in a diagram in the video clip about how to MS. It was nothing that wasn’t already known, but the comments against me were swift and they were harsh, especially on FlyerTalk (see Flyertalk Readers Don’t Get My Humor). As a blogger hardened by a waterfall of angry comments, I am more prepared for the blowback of the angry mob and love responding to them in kind (see Happy Festivus! Airing of Blog). But back then, in real-time, I was actually surprised at the vitriol I received and even tried to explain my innocence to the angry mob. What a waste of time that was.
Grilled over MS.Intimidated, I had to share the million miles of secrets.
The Follow-Up Article
I was a bit shocked when CNN wrote a follow-up article on the clip, not because it wasn’t fantastic but because they made up this detail about me: “But as those minimum spends are far higher than the average person’s daily expenses, Bachuwa racks in the points through ‘manufactured spending.’” Damn media.
The Rerun
Months after my return, the clip was once again on CNN International. I had friends calling me saying, “Did I just see you on TV?” That was more in line with what I was expecting.
But Where’s the Clip?
For those who have not seen TPOL’s claim to fame, the highlight of my blog, and my 5 minutes of fame and infamy, here it is.
Overall
This was the best experience in my life as a blogger.
Want More of TPOL and Quest?
TPOL needs to be on TV more often. Contact your local TV provider and say you want more of TPOL and Quest. But if you want to read more about my experience here are all the links surrounding this momentous achievement:
I needed to complete my Barclays JetBlue Business application by sending a fax verifying my business info (see Barclays JetBlue App: Please FAX Your Business Lease). My fax machine, a Black Monday deal that I bought for $230 in 1986, was out of toner so I dialed into Prodigy. I heard the boom- boom-sheesh sound and surfed the World Wide Web to see if there was a way to send a fax without signing up for monthly service. I discovered WiseFax. For $2, I was able to send two pages to Barclays and complete the application process which began in October. I hope my card comes post-haste by horse and buggy courier.
On the way, I hope the Pony Express stops by Olive & Ivy and brings me a breakfast burrito and double espresso.
Meanwhile in Shanghai is part of the COVID Trip Report, a trip that will never end.
It’s snowing outside. I’m locked away in my basement. I haven’t traveled anywhere since January of 2020 (see NYC Twice: A Recap of My 2020 Travels). I am waiting for the vaccine to arrive. I go on Instagram (follow ThePointsOfLife) and see people partying in Miami like there is no pandemic. I dismiss their good times as irresponsible as I turn on the news and see the escalating deaths, the number of hospitalizations, and the reports of variants. Like a follower of the cuckoo Q movement, I have to believe that there is a plan for resolving this crisis and that we are finally “rounding the turn.” And then I went on WeChat and saw videos of people partying at my favorite bar in Shanghai at Revolution Cocktail (see TPOL’s Guide to Libations in Shanghai). There’s bottle service, blaring music, smoke machines, and crowds that would make you think it’s 2019. The presence of the four letter word, m-a-s-k, is nowhere to be found.
I was left with so many questions: Did the virus just up and leave China? Has the QR tracking system been that effective? (see Ready to Party in Shanghai? Bring Your Passport, Mask, and QR Code). Who orders bottles of Macallan at the club? Like a disillusioned Q supporter or a tourist in Spain, I thought to myself, “what the f*ck?”
In 2020, I mused about moving to Taiwan in advance of the second wave. I was naive enough to think that there would be a window in the late summer where such a move would be possible. Now it’s 2021 and the sequel to COVID-19 horror show features a bogeyman that’s even more lethal and even more contagious. And this time around, any m-a-s-k won’t do. Indeed, some cloth masks are now shown to be only 26% effective.
Still in my basement, I wonder if this nightmare will ever end. Since I’ve already gone all-in on the shelter in place plan, calling the pandemic a hoax and jumping on a plane to FunkyTown is not an option. Unlike a Q supporter, I believe in data and science. However, that broad statement does not mean blind trust. There are more questions now than ever before that have yet to be answered. The first being, how can life be normal in China?
Revolution Cocktail 2019 looks the same in 2021.
Disclaimer: TPOL lives in Puerto Rico where he golfs, goes to the playa, and works out on the beach every day. The snow and basement references are for dramatic effect.
I’m close to a final decision on my JetBlue Business application. It started with JetBlue 100k Business Card App: The Wait Begins. It went on to JetBlue Business Card App: More Info Required. It continued with About That Barclays JetBlue Business Application…. Not long after writing that last post, JetBlue called to verify information regarding my application. I was conditionally approved for 15k credit line, but Barclays wants a copy of my office utility bill or a bank statement showing my office address. In a world of working virtually, these documents do not exist (see About That Citi AA Business Application…). I offered to send them a copy of my office lease. After checking with her manager, the representative said that would be acceptable. Then she proceeded to give me Barclays’ fax number.
Will TPOL finally leave his basement? Let’s see how we got here by reviewing Bills Mafia: TPOL’s NFL Playoff Predictions. While some predictions were wrong, some were right including:
Browns vs. Steelers: Sure I hate everything about Ohio, but who isn’t rooting for the Browns? Baker squeaks out a win and annoying Roethlisberger retires from the NFL and goes on a much-needed diet.
Bills vs. Colts: The perennial loser Philip Rivers goes down in flames again but the Bills fail to cover the -6.5 spread.
This leads us to this weekend.
Buccaneers vs. Packers: I’ll change my original prediction of the Packers going to the Super Bowl because why not cheer for Brady one more time.
Bills vs. Chiefs: Mahomes better play. It would not be satisfying to go to the Super Bowl without beating the Chiefs the right way. Of course, if we win the Super Bowl, I don’t think I will care. Either way, I’ve come too far to change picks at this point.
And now for two questions. Can I get tickets? And will I finally travel? I have no idea how many tickets will go on sale or how much they will cost. I’m ignoring that for now. Assuming I secured tickets, I am willing to put my isolation on hold for this 5th time in a lifetime opportunity to see the Bills win the Super Bowl. Florida is one of the worst places affected by Covid thanks to their imbecile governor, but I’ll do my best to behave myself if I go and if we win.
Some of you may take liberties when applying for a business card. “Oh, I’m going to name my business after my dog, keep it as a sole proprietorship, and use my SS# on my application.” What’s the result? You are approved. I also have named my business after my dog but unlike some who stretch the rules about what is or isn’t a business, I actually have a real business. My reward? More questions and more requests for documents to prove that I’m actually who I say I am. First, it happened with Barclays (see About That Barclays JetBlue Business Application…). Now it is happening with Citi. Citi wants an address that matches the address on my articles of incorporation. My CPA incorporated my D.O.G. and listed his address on there. Consequently, I do not have the documents Citi is looking for, nor should they be required. Many corporations are organized by someone outside of the corporation. Many corporations start change addresses.
It gets more complicated. Citi doesn’t understand why my company is a dog, but my law firm is called Bachuwa Law. First, many corporations use a DBA. Do you know that Verizon goes by Cellco? I’m sure they don’t have a problem getting access to credit. Second, NY doesn’t allow the use of trade names for law practices.
Finally, there’s my Houston mailing address. There are questions as to why I work in NY but receive mail somewhere else. The answer is simple: the mail forwarding company, US Global Mail, is based on Houston and I am too cheap to pay for a NY mail forwarding address.
On paper or over the phone, I understand that my application sounds sketchy and why KYC rules require banks to ask for documents. But for sole props of made-up businesses for dogs that were also made up, the process is not that complicated. Perhaps I should reapply in my former cat’s name.
