Excuse the exclamation points!!! But finally TPOL is back to blogging. There’s so much to do and so many people to thank: first, the BA family for the help redesigning the site. Second my designer who made that iconic logo. And finally the readers who read my stuff.
Now that you’ve seen TPOL’s soft side, I need to show you that I can still write. The Tahiti Triumph Trip Report is on the way as is the Whose Land? Iceland Report.
In the mean time, feel free to comment on the functionality of the site. There still are plenty of glitches, bad links, and questionable content to deal with. Apart from the final, I would appreciate feedback. The best feature but biggest pain is the dropdown ‘megamenus’ which have a picture preview of posts.
That is all for now. Exclamation point!
Cheers,
TPOL
TPOL Is LIVE!
Sheraton JFK: An Expensive Convenience
- New York City
- Dubai, UAE
- Shanghai, China
- Papeete, Tahiti
- Bora Bora, Tahiti
- Moorea, Tahiti
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo, Japan
- Dallas, Texas
It was a long bumpy, hungover ride from Las Vegas, to Wichita, to St. Louis, to Newark on the way back from the Freddies. A minor oversight had led me to miss my single connection flight at 6 that morning. After that arduous journey, I took an Uber from EWR to JFK for $63. Along the way, I learned that Uber drivers are not allowed to pick up in the Southwest Terminal since it’s in a different county than the other terminals. An hour later, I arrived at the Sheraton JFK where I was ready to pass out but too excited for my morning flight on Emirates to Dubai than onto Shanghai. The hotel was nice but the price of $143 made it the most expensive of all the nights on this grand trip. My quick hits for the hotel:
- The bed was comfortable.
- The shower was hot.
- The airport transfer was prompt.
Keep Vs. Cancel: Citi No ThankYou
$95 is the going rate for Citi card annual fees. Today two of mine became due. The first was the Hilton Reserve which was promptly closed with no retention offer. That’s fine because I had opened another of which I am eligible for the bonus again. The other was the ThankYou card which serves no purpose since I ultimately decided to keep my Prestige card open. The good news is that there was the best retention offer given for doing next to nothing: six thousand points for spending $300. On top of that, the agent assured me that these TY points would remain transferable. All I had to do was downgrade to the no annual fee version. To the option, I said thank you kindly.
Simply The Best: May 2016
I tell you April and May were busy times for TPOL. April I was running around NYC and May I was running around the globe. I did not post as frequently as I usually do and need to get back to that. Nevertheless, the a-live posts (where I blog in real-time) received a solid number of views.
- Free Breakfast?! The InterContinental Bora Bora Says No: This received a record number of comments and hate mail. I still find it funny. And I still say the breakfast sucked, pay or no pay.
Do you know who I am! It almost slipped out when I checked into the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana and was told in no uncertain terms that there would be no upgrade, no free breakfast, and no additional perks. - Emirates A380 Silent Disco!: Great comedy at 30k feet.
- An American Douche in Tokyo Lounge
No, it isn’t me. I’m in transit from Auckland to Shanghai via Tokyo. (writing this at the time I didn’t realize the visa problems that were coming my way) - China 72-hour Visa-Free Transit Disaster (again): This really sucked and ducked up my trip a little.
Worst flight ever - Tahiti’s Diva Wide Receiver Problem
There’s a celebration at the Hilton Moorea going on right now. It is to mark the end of TPOL’s reign of terror on the resort. - TPOL Paid for Breakfast! And…
After the beef jerky got old, after my limbs went numb, I realized I was in need of sustenance so I caved and splurged for the $20 breakfast buffet. - Fat Guy in the Lounge: Tahiti Edition
Planters peanuts, shrimp cup noodles, Diet Coke, regular Coke, Bloody Mary’s, sandwiches, Jack n Diet, and anything else is a reason to write a sentence in the passive voice.
TPOL’s NBA Finals Prediction
A $60,000 Trip to Tahiti, On Sale for $1999
This is the nerdy Excel and Great Circle Mapper for the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report which covers the following cities:
- New York City
- Dubai, UAE
- Shanghai, China
- Papeete, Tahiti
- Bora Bora, Tahiti
- Moorea, Tahiti
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo, Japan
- Dallas, Texas
Which part of the points hustle do you enjoy the most? Is it the MS and the feeling of shame and guilt as you buy one gift card after another? Is it the undeserved feeling of self-importance as you enter the first-class lounge? Or is it the thrill of executing a booking knowing you got in one more trip before the next devaluation? For me, it’s creating my bus schedule Excel and tallying up how much the trip would have cost had I actually decided to burn a hole in my wallet and pay for it myself. Second to that is reflecting on just how far I traveled by looking at the Great Circle Mapper. Analyzing the spreadsheet after the fact is a lot different from when I was piecing it together. Little did I know then that I would miss my flight from LAS to New York, that I would not be able to play golf in Dubai, and that I would be deported from China to Hong Kong. The last part was the worst experience because there was no Avios flight available to get me to HKG. Instead, I had to fly the worst airline in the world, Spring Airlines, for $325/pax. That put a black mark on the trip which is why I did not add it to the spreadsheet. Also, I kept the Vegas Freddies experience separate as that warrants its own trip report. Let’s start with the GCM for some perspective on what TPOL has done.
Which do you think is better, this trip or the $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World?
Tahiti Triumph Trip Report: Picture Preview
This is the picture preview of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report which covers the following cities:
- New York City
- Dubai, UAE
- Shanghai, China
- Papeete, Tahiti
- Bora Bora, Tahiti
- Moorea, Tahiti
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo, Japan
- Dallas, Texas
This trip was the ultimate curve ball. Some things went my way while many didn’t. Throughout the journey, I will detail some great Travel Advice so you don’t have to go through the same ordeals that I did. Tahiti is supposed to be a place of relaxation. Overall, it was but it could’ve been a lot more tranquil.
Simply the Best: April 2016
Before I get to May’s trip, I need to go back and list all the best posts from April. Here they are!
- The Lucky Windfall From China Visa Disaster: This post is really fun to read now because I fixed one problem but unknowingly created another.
AKL-NRT-PVG was fine but trying to rectify the Beijing problem, I overlooked that PVG back to NRT was not. - I Quit Churning!
Is it an April Fool’s Day joke or is it the new reality that TPOL is getting out of the churning business? - Vegas, Missed Flight Misery: Another funny story as someone stole/mistakenly took my jacket. I was able to get new ones made in Shanghai but due to the visa issue I almost was unable to pick them up.
TPOL did it again. Too much party in Vegas led to too much sleep the morning after. - No AC in Tahiti! The premonition of drama to come is uncanny. Not only was there no AC, there was no free breakfast! (see angry comments on that one) There was also cockroaches in the room.
I posed the question in this article, “How bad could it be with no AC when you’re in a bungalow?” The answer is bad. - Avoiding Taxi Scams Abroad: Apparently, TPOL is famous for his taxi articles. I met some great people at the Freddie Awards that really enjoy reading about my trouble with taxis!
Having lived in Shanghai, I know that taxi drivers have a propensity to be cunning. Here are the tips that will save you from being taken by your taxi driver whether you are in China or overseas. - Chase Recon: How to Get It Done: Interestingly, today Chase extended its 5/24 rule to more cards. Maybe this post will help.
Now, more than ever, it is critical to know everything that appears on your credit report and to make sure you have logical, honest reasons as to why you are applying for the card in the first place. - Disqus Is Dead: An Invite to Trolls The ‘don’t argue with fools’ line is so fitting but sometimes I can’t help but engage with those that misinterpret what I say. It’s probably a waste of time but it does provide for great entertainment when trolls and those of their ilk take what I say literally.
The choice is yours America! Anonymous angry Trump troll comments or the other not so great alternatives.
Trip Reports Time!
The fun has been had and now the work begins. I leave in a few weeks for Iceland but before I do I am going to attempt to write the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report piece by piece. Let’s relive all the moments of beef jerky at the IC, the deportation from China, and sleeping through the night in Tokyo instead of karaoke and sushi.
If you missed me while I was gone because I didn’t post enough, perhaps you will be sick of me in the coming weeks as I post and post and post. Hopefully the photos of the duck docked in Moorea and Bora Bora will make it all okay.
TPOL Is Back in America, a-live
TPOL is back in the US of A but it certainly was an adventure to get here. Realizing my celebrity status, the Chinese let me in the country. Dim sum for lunch in Hong Kong, party at M1NT in Shanghai, followed by street food galore was the best (unplanned) way to spend my birthday.
After a quick stop in Tokyo, I’m in Dallas en route to Detroit. Unsatisfied with the Admirals Club, I took the Skylink to the Centurion Lounge. Eavesdropping, I heard a group of people talking about first class flights and champagne. Intrigued, I approached the group and was happy to learn that they were points travelers. Some had even read the blog (shout out to those that do and my new Twitter followers).
Exhausted, I’m signing off. Regular posting begins tomorrow.
