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2025 What I Spent (And Received) in Annual Fees

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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

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World Cup Day 5: No Games Depression
a city with tall buildings and trees 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

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Simply The Best: January 2026
  1. Tanks Aside, Skip South Tarawa, Kiribati
    a person standing on a cannon
    Minus the tanks, you should skip South Tarawa. TPOL sacrificed one day of his life to learn that for you.
  2. Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island: You Call This Luxury?
    a tent on a beach
    The hotel was built in 1991. It felt like 1991.
  3. Remman Cafe Doha: Late Night Eats
    a plate of food on a table
    Skip the tourist trap of Souq Wasif and head to Remman Cafe for excellent Lebanese food.
  4. Hawaii Business Approved! Hard Work Pays Off?
    a plane on the tarmac
    9 months later, with many calls to recon and many documents uploaded, I am happy to say I am finally approved.
  5. Airport Transport St. Lucia: Wasn’t Expecting That Bill
    a man sitting in a car with bottles of beer
    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.
  6. Iberia Business: Athens Back To Lisbon Via Madrid
  7. Read for Comedic Purposes: TPOL’s Out of the Office (For Carnival in Trinidad)
a group of people in clothing walking down a street
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.”

Airport Transport St. Lucia: Wasn’t Expecting That Bill

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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.

a map of a island with a route
Why they would build their largest airport on the opposite side of the island is a different question.

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.

the inside of a car two bottles of beer on a table a man sitting in a car with bottles of beer

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?

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Hawaii Business Approved! Hard Work Pays Off?
I have documented the struggle to get approved for the Barclays Hawaii Business card. 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)

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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.

a group of people in clothing walking down a street
2019 Trinidad Carnival

Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island: You Call This Luxury?

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Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island: You Call This Luxury?
I’m still waiting to be blown away by a Ritz-Carlton. My first RItz experience was in Kazakhstan (see This Is Kazakhstan?). My second was in Tenerife (see We’ll Make It Better, The Second Time Around). Both were good, but fell short of that epic luxury experience that one would expect from the luxurious name ‘Ritz-Carlton’. My most underwhelming experience at a Ritz was on Amelia Island, a barrier island off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. To be clear, I did not seek this place out myself. I was there for a work conference. What made it so bland? The Hotel Itself The hotel was built in 1991. It felt like 1991. a tall building with palm trees and grass a wooden bridge over a beach a walkway to the beach The Room The room was dated. There were no elements of luxury. I do not understand how a standard room goes for 1k a night. Even the $350 block rate was excessive. a room with a couch and tv a bed with a bench and a round mirror a room with a table and chairs and a table and a mirror a coffee machine and coffee cups on a table a paper towel dispenser and two glasses The Bathroom The shower was standard. The toilet was in this tiny space. a bathroom with a mirror and sink a shower with a hosea group of bottles of shampoo The View  I was upgraded to an ocean-view room. While the view was nice, I am spoiled by my daily ocean-view from my villa in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico. a table and chairs on a balcony overlooking the ocean a view of a beach from a balcony The Pool This was a standard pool that you would find at any Sheraton. a pool with palm trees and a building in the background The Beach People come to Amelia Island for the beach? Although it was pretty early in the morning, there are so many better places in the world without the outrageous price (including Puerto Rico). a tent on a beach a tent on a beach a sandy beach with blue sky and sun a beach with chairs and umbrellas Laws For such a hand-off state, they sure are sensitive about nature. a sign on a post a sign on a wood deck The Restaurants Once you’re on the Island of Dr. Moreau, it’s not easy to get off that island. This makes avoiding extortionist prices difficult. I had hoped to gorge on free breakfast as a Marriott Lifetime Elite, but free and Ritz-Carlton do not go together. Fortunately, food was included in my work conference. On one occasion, I foolishly joined lawyers richer than I for dinner at the hotel post open bar. I was traumatized by the amount the finger-food dinner cost. Luckily, I was spared having to pay. The Bracelet The hotel does not have room keys. Instead, guests have to wear a bracelet that opens their doors. I am not a fan of this, though I did like that I could boast my importance by waving my bracelet around those rich lawyers with inferior status. a green fabric label with black text The Coffee $4 for an espresso? I will stick with the pods in my room. shelves with cups and mugs on it Resort Fee When’s this bullshit going to stop? a white paper with black text on it And Now for the Good
  • The Gym
The best part of the hotel is the gym. Although I bring my own equipment, I can say that a typical gym-goer will be impressed by this gym.
  • Putting Green
I spent most of my time entertaining myself on the putting green.a group of golf balls on a racka golf course with palm trees and a building a group of balls on a green field
  • Service 
The hotel is not luxurious, but the service is excellent. Everyone was warm and inviting. Even the woman who said breakfast is not included went out of her way to sympathize with my desire not to spend money.
  • Mercedes
The day I checked out, I found out that there is a way to get off this cursed island. It is with a complimentary Mercedes provided by the hotel. a black car parked in a parking lot Overall Are people who can afford to stay at hotels like this unaware that there are much better ways to spend their money? a building with a clock tower and a tree

Iberia Business: Athens Back To Lisbon Via Madrid

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Iberia Business: Athens Back To Lisbon Via Madrid
It was very difficult to find a flight from Lisbon to Athens (see SWISS Business: Why Am I Leaving Lisbon for Geneva?). It was even more difficult to find a flight back. To make it work, I had to book a business-class flight on Iberia, then a coach flight on TAP. I departed at 3:50 PM and arrived in Madrid at 6:45 PM. From there, I was stuck in the airport until 11 PM. a white airplane with red writing on it a white object on the plane a plate of food and glasses on a table Residency Lesson: On residency, only direct flights are allowed. The point is to get in, get out, and do as little as possible to disrupt my schedule.  

Remman Cafe Doha: Late Night Eats

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Remman Cafe Doha: Late Night Eats
All those futbol games build up an appetite. Skip the tourist trap of Souq Wasif (see World Cup Day 2: England vs. Senegal) and head to Remman Cafe for excellent Lebanese food. It’s so good, I went twice. Stick to the basics: hummus, shawarma, lahem ajeen, and tubbuleh. You can’t go wrong. a white bean soup in a bowl a burrito on a plate a plate of food on a table a pizza with a lemon wedge on top TPOL’s Tip: Remman Cafe is located at Ezdan Tower 1, Doha, Qatar

Simply The Best: January 2026

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Simply The Best: January 2026
The months roll along. I’m back to daily blogging. Here’s the best from January:
  1. World Cup Day 4: Portugal vs. Switzerland
    a man sitting on the ground
    4 World Cup games in 4 days. Where else in the world is that possible? #saudi2030
  2. Jamaica Carnival Review: My Fault Or Miserable Party?
    a man in a garment
    Those few hours of fun gave me hope that I might not be that miserable.
  3. BlackBerry Reboot? TPOL Pre-Orders The Communicator
    a cell phone with a screen
    The tagline for the phone is ‘Designed for doing, not doomscrooling’.
  4. Guns & Butter: Philadelphia Travel Guide (Political Edition)
    a man standing in front of a statue
    America is a country of immigrants. If it were not, you would not have TPOL.
  5. Recap! Jamaica Carnival  
  6. Missed Flight? How Much Time for Checked Bags?
    a suitcase on a conveyor belt
    The AA agent said that I could not check in my clubs and recommended that I put them back in my car if I wanted to make my flight.
  7. Admirals Club Philadelphia: Under Construction Safehouse
    a sign next to a table
    When I was finally given my boarding pass after being denied boarding for the World Cup, I rushed to the AA Flagship Lounge in Miami searching for a bottle. I did the same thing in Philadelphia after I was initially told I had arrived too late to check my bag.
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