Leave Your Lover Behind? What If She’s Bad at Recon

I just got approved for the Citi AAdvantage Gold and Citi Exec. Even with my Chase Sapphire Reserve rejection, my UR balance is strong enough to weather the storm and avoid riding peasant class. Ms TPOL on the other hand is hated by Citi and Chase alike. She also refuses to call recon and when she does so, she doesn’t follow TPOL’s script for a perfect recon call. Now her points balances are running on fumes and our 2017 plans are looking a little dicey. If I took this conundrum to King Solomon, I believe I would prevail. Her best argument (though she would never ask it of me) would be to split the baby i.e., we both ride in coach. My argument would be that I love points so much that I would rather redeem for a first class ticket than see them put to poor use. Unlike the biblical story, I would be the one who gets to keep the points. As a points professional, I have lent her points of my own so that she could experience the joys of the fake good life. I use the word lent because I keep a running tab of her indebtedness to me. She’s always been able to make good on repaying me by getting approved for cards (lest I bust her kneecaps). At the same time, it’s always been a joke (that only I find funny) that I’m actually expecting repayment. In all seriousness, during the good days with MS and endless churning, I never cared about running out of points so I gave freely. Now, the walls are closing in on all of us and I’m getting nervous about keeping up this points facade. What would you do? Share the points and go back to the back of the plane? Use low-cost carriers and your reserve of JetBlue & SWA to go to decent destinations while you wait for the economy to soften and the banks to overturn their silly rules? Show tough love like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and send her pics while sipping on champagne, in first?

Hustle harder or take the bus!
Hustle harder or take the bus!

Citi AAdvantage Gold Approved!

Okay, so it’s not the Chase Sapphire Reserve, yaddah yaddah yaddah. But I am sharing the news of my Gold approval for two reasons: 1)It marks the beginning of the end of the good days with Citi. I just got approved for the Citi Exec for 60k miles and the top off from this card will give me another 25k miles. With the SPG transfer bonus offer where I received 30k for transferring 20k, I am back in business with AA (at least for one more flight). Now I can’t apply for another Citi AA card or Hilton card for 2 years because of their new policy. 2) I didn’t even call recon. I’m in Colombia right now and couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. This is the first time for a Citi app that I’ve controlled my impulse and let it go. Did you get any last second cards from Citi? Are you also on vacation not calling recon?

Too cool in Cartagena to call Citi
Too hot in Cartagena to call Citi

What’s the Point of Your Travels

5

I’m off to Colombia for a few days because JetBlue had a Labor Day sale. The outbound flight was 2000 points which is why I couldn’t pass up a trip to Cartagena. I try to go to new countries to increase my country count (I think it has topped 80 ‘countries’) but I actually prefer going back to the same places so I don’t have to run around doing tourist activities the whole time.  At the Michigan alumni bar in Miami, I told an alum my itinerary which, for now, is as follows: 

  • Montana 
  • Las Vegas
  • Grand Cayman
  • Miami
  • Cartagena
  • Medellin 
  • Houston
  • Moscow
  • St. Petersburg
  • Cypress
  • Amman
  • Abu Dhabi
  • NYC
His immediate question was, “What’s the point of your travels?” I could’ve answered his question literally and gone on a points tirade about great redemptions etc. But what he was really asking was why I was going all over the place for no apparent reason. And honestly, I have no good answer besides why not.  It definitely would have been more peaceful to spend one week in Grand Cayman and avoid the headaches of going from airport to airport, hotel to hotel, and Uber to Lyft. It also would have been ridiculously boring. My fun is derived from the randomness of changing hotels daily, not sticking to a set itinerary, and all the complications in between.  Am I crazy or normal depends on who you ask.

Zika in Miami: My Mom Says Be Careful

En route to Miami, I received a text from my mother telling me that the first Zika mosquito has been found there. She then told me to be careful. ‎I couldn’t help but laugh at that advice. Maybe Zika could become a serious problem but I’m not sure what I can do to protect myself. Perhaps I should purchase extra strong Deet. When I went to Thailand for the first time my doctor prescribed anti Malaria medication. Malaria is no joke but I risked it because I couldn’t be bothered to take the pills. At least these pills were not the ones that produce hallucinations. From hurricane warnings to terrorist threats to killer bees, it’s a wonder that anyone would dare leave the basement.  For me, the opposite is true. I’ve been desensitized to the headlines that I go where I please, regardless of pesky mosquitos. ‎IMG_20160831_132703

On Holiday? Don’t Check the Weather

Greetings from the Caymans. I woke up a bit tardy today and it’s because I violated my own rule and checked the weather yesterday. Nothing is worse than arriving at a tropical paradise to encounter clouds, wind, and rain. The pictures come out terrible and the value of the trip takes a major hit. The wrong thing to do in reaction to a stormy day is to check the weather. Not once has the next day been sun with a 100% chance of tranquility. Instead, it usually shows scattered showers and partly cloudy. The rest of the day is spent checking the report again and telling yourself that the hint of a sun in the party cloudy graphic means mostly sunny.

This happened to me when I arrived in Bora Bora. It was rainy and the forecast said no sun until the day I left. Of course it did. This negative report has something to do with my negative experience at the hotel.

Yesterday, I made the same mistake and today I could not find the motivation to get out of the comfortable Marriott bed. I kept imagining the dark beach and tidal waves hitting the pool, so much so that I thought I was awake.

Of course when I finally woke up, I saw nothing but blue skies and clear water.(after I left the courtyard view room) Pina colada in hand and smuggled bottle of rum, I am now doing my best to catch up on my sun.

And now this picture of sun and fun: 20160831_114403

Money Or Status? I’ll Take the Latter

The question of the day is which would you rather have,  if you could choose one,  money or status?  The reason I pose this question is because I just checked into the Marriott Grand Cayman.  I had 80,000 points to burn and figured that the Cayman was as good a place as any to use them.  Like Vegas,  the Cayman impose a resort fee for no other reason but to be jerks. (They say it’s for water sports and wifi) As a devout member of SPG and lover of all things Hyatt,  I have grown accustom to the sweet words,  ‘we’ ve upgraded your room.’ With Marriott,  I have no status and deem myself to be more of a trespasser. That is why I wasn’t surprised when I walked into my room to find a view of the courtyard.  If I wanted to see the pristine 7 Mile Beach,  I would have to leave the comfort of my standard room. To be clear,  I am not complaining as the room is (mostly)  free and there aren’t many points options in this tax shelter paradise.  The point of this post (written on the beach via my ThinkPad BT Keyboard)  is to demonstrate how great status can be. I’m sure Marriott loyalists would be upgraded to an ocean facing suite much like I was at the St. Regis Mauritius.  The cost of coming out-of-pocket would be almost double.  Factor in free breakfast and it seems to make no sense to stay at hotels without status. Another issue from staying at resorts as a points mercenary is the fact that they take away from stay credits with your usual brands.  This year I have to stay 21 times at SPG properties and 25 at Hyatt to requalify for Platinum and Diamond respectively. If I want ten suite upgrades with SPG,  I have to stay 50 times.  That’s hard enough to do without detour stays at Marriotts,  Hiltons,  IHGs, and Club Carlsons. So while I am happy with my points redemption,  I am looking forward to checking out of here in a couple of days for the hospitality of my home away from home,  the SPG Westin. There,  I’ll get a view of more than the parking lot and at no extra cost. 20160830_142408

Amex LAS Centurion Lounge: The Full Day Freeloader Review

The Amex LAS Centurion Lounge Review is part of the Quest Around The Globe Trip Report which covers the following places:

Here is the Picture Preview, the Excel Spreadsheet of all the points redemptions, and my CNN International Business Traveller segment which was filmed in Vegas.
I previously wrote a review on the Amex Centurion Lounge LAS a few years ago. Since I spent all day here today, I figured a comprehensive review was in order. Breakfast I arrived in time for breakfast and have to say that I enjoyed that buffet more than the lunch/dinner offerings. The scrambled eggs were good, the poached egg in tomato basil was novel, and the potato mix was worth coming back for. Following a tour of pool parties the previous day, I took comfort in having a mimosa or two.
Great pancakes
Great pancakes
Breakfast
Breakfast
Seating  This isn’t the largest Centurion Lounge but there are plenty places for transients like myself to relax. I picked the snuggle chair and rested there for most of the day. After hours there, I switched to the lounge chair with a view.
The snugle chair
The snugle chair
Seating area
Seating area
The conference table
The conference table
The lounger
The lounger
Seating area
Seating area
The dining room
The dining room
Lunch and Dinner The lounge had the same food on Friday when I arrived in Las Vegas and today. The salad and the chicken is where I did my damage. If I was just passing through I’d be very pleased with the selection. But by the fifth plate, I more than had my fill of Amex chicken.  They did change up the cookies every few hours which was a sweet touch.
Flavored agua
Flavored agua
The salad bar
The salad bar
That damn chicken
That damn chicken
The chicken!
The chicken!
The Bar  The best feature of Centurion Lounges is the bar. LGA and LAS have great drink selections and bartenders. In contrast, DFW’s Tex/Mex themed drinks were not very good.
The best bar
The best bar
Top shelf
Top shelf
Dranks
Dranks
Hennessy
Hennessy
2016-08-26 19.17.17
Freeload 2016
Overall  Call me crazy but I love spending all day in the lounge. It’s a timeout from life that allows me to be lazy while simultaneously catching up on work.

<==Back to Vdara Las VegasOnto Amex Centurion Lounge MIA==>

Points MeetUp: LAS Centurion Right Now

I arrived at the LAS Centurion lounge this morning to catch up on work. I’m here till 10PM if anyone wants to come heckle or join me at the bar for some great libations.

My spot all day
My spot all day
 

The Russian Visa: A Country’s Cover Charge

There are certain things I hate paying for. These include annual fees for credit cards, valet parking, and visas. Trying to avoid both the payment and the process of sending in my passport is why I have found myself in visa trouble. My latest visa adventure went very smoothly. This time I sent my passport into Visahq.com to handle my three-year multi-entry Russian visa. This morning, FedEx returned my passport to my Vegas hotel just in time for my trip to Grand Cayman and Colombia, countries that do not require a visa for tourists. The cost for all of this was $378. Here’s the breakdown:

  • $193 embassy fee for three-year multi-entry
  • $79 agency service fee
  • $50 invitation letter
  • $56 all shipping including expedited overnight shipping
I could have saved money on shipping if I was not in a rush and perhaps other agencies process visas for cheaper but I do not mind paying the extras for peace of mind. I plan on staying in Moscow and St. Petersburg for a week and will certainly return again to make the most of my visa inconvenience. The agency received my application on August 17th and returned it to me on August 29th. Would you skip a country because it requires a visa?    

Chutes & Ladders: Vegas Edition

Somehow I have gone to Vegas three times this year. I came in April for the Freddie Awards. I visited in July for NBA Summer League. And now I’m here again. The Vegas baby, Vegas party line gets old pretty quickly. It is hard to get hype for the party scene like I once did. My days of fading to blackout at the Hard Rock or getting a headache from the noise at Wet Republic are behind me. Still, sometimes it is fun to buy into the Vegas tourist slogan and act like non-contributing member of society. To that end, I came up with another drinking game to put that plan into gear. This one is not as good as the Award Balance Drinking Game and is not as clever as The 7-Eleven Hong Kong Drinking Game. My last night in Vegas I stayed at the Vdara hotel. The hotel is convenient because it is located within the CityCenter complex. I walked across to Aria and used my M Life Platinum status to get free cover to Liquid, a sad, small version of a Vegas pool party. Budget conscious, I stopped at the store and purchased two 25 oz beers which come with a complimentary shot of Jack. My partner in crime did the same. That’s when this great/terrible idea came to mind. To get to Liquid, guests have to take the escalator up to the second floor. In between the up and down escalator there was a staircase. The game went as follows: on the way up, no beer could be consumed. On the way down, it was time to chug. When the fifty ounces were completed, the person who made it up the stairs and took a shot of Jack would be declared the winner. Up and down we went, over and over. Dizziness from the routine and from Dos Equis took hold. What started off as a race became a test of endurance as nobody wanted to finish. A small crowd began to form and cheer us on as we continued the cycle. Finally, after a dozen or so times, it was time to sprint to the top. With shopkeepers and tourists imploring us to reach the summit, we made it to the finish line and broke open the celebratory Jack. Discombobulated and nauseated, we completed the challenge and went to the pool. Disclaimer: Post intended for immature adults only. Also, the part about the crowds was a figment of my imagination.

2 beers for $16
2 beers for $16
And a free shot
And a free shot
The gauntlet
The gauntlet
Liquid @ Aria
Liquid @ Aria