Like a kid bringing in a new toy for show and tell, I am excited that I am weeks away from getting the coolest invention known to nomadic man. I previously wrote about the Kickstarter campaign for the World’s Best Travel Jacket and today they emailed me to confirm my size, style, and color.
Here’s what I chose:
Cathay Pacific HKG-SYD Business A330
The Cathay Pacific HKG-SYD Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
It’s all about the Dreamliner and the 777 vs. A380, if not the A350 these days. Back then TPOL was just happy to fly business and get free champagne and ice cream. The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney was aboard an A330 and looking back I couldn’t tell you what the difference was between it and my next Cathay 777 flight from HKG-JNB. This may be due to TPOL’s lack of aviation expertise at the time, or it may be a result of the quality of Cathay Pacific. In the five times I flew Cathay as part of this RTW itinerary, I was never disappointed. In fact, the business class was so good, it rivals my Cathay first class experience from HKG-ORD. During the good old days when RTW tickets were available, the type of plane was secondary compared to finding business class availability. Since the trip consisted of a dozen segments, slumming it on a 737 for a few hours wasn’t such a big deal since the next flight was on a 777. Now that 120,000 AA miles only gets you a RT ticket instead of halfway to a 50,000 Mile Explorer Award, making sure you fly the best business class product is just as important as availability. Look no further than Thai Airways 777-200 BKK-AKL for an example of when flying business isn’t as attractive even when it’s free. I’m lucky that I was able to redeem the Explorer Award and am even more lucky that so many of the flights were on Cathay, regardless of the type of plane.
![NRT-HKG](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG-20131209-00450-1024x768.jpg)
![HKG-SYD](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Islands-District-20131209-00455-1024x768.jpg)
![Business to myself](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG-20131209-00453-1024x768.jpg)
<==Back to Cathay Arrival Lounge – Onto Park Hyatt Melbourne==>
Cathay Pacific The Arrival Lounge Hong Kong
The Cathay Pacific The Arrival Lounge Hong Kong Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
After a smooth business class flight aboard Cathay from NRT, I had three hours in Hong Kong before my first lie-flat experience. Cathay has more lounge varieties than Chevy trucks. As a transit passenger, I was given access to The Arrival Lounge, a quiet sanctuary in the middle of the bustling HKG airport. With a few hours to relax, I setup my own mobile work station, asked for a glass of champagne, and feasted on wieners and onion rings.
![Seriously, baby wieners](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1501486_10103182119468971_666909457_o-765x1024.jpg)
![The Lounge](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Islands-District-20131209-00452-1024x768.jpg)
![The champagne](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/903547_10103182119703501_1032645861_o-765x1024.jpg)
![Cathay Pacific The Arrival Lounge Hong Kong Review](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/980034_10103182164638451_1707164339_o-1024x768.jpg)
<==Back to Tokyo Travel Guide – Onto Cathay Business HKG-SYD==>
The Office of the President Calls…for US Bank
A ceasefire has been declared. The Club Carlson drama is over. This morning I received a call from a restricted number. Some people are adamant about not taking calls from numbers they do not know but I get a rush out of answering such calls. This is mostly due to my curiosity of how the agent is going to botch my last name. Today that call came from none other than US Bank ‘in regards to your multiple emails and phone calls.’
The call was very tame. I was informed that my e-cert would be put into my account and that the sun would come out tomorrow. So for anyone who is waiting for correspondence from the Office of the President, be sure to pick up the phone when it rings.
Now, where to burn these two free nights?
Week 11: Marathon Update
Eleven weeks of training is done for the Athens marathon and in order to keep myself honest and motivated, here’s my weekly diary of all things marathon. Here’s what happened this week:
- Coming off a week of panic, I finally ran and ran and ran.
- Today was distance day and I hit 10.02 miles in 1:35:52 at a pace of 9:34/mi which gives me hope.
![300-poster](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/300-poster-1024x768.jpg)
Citi HHonors Won’t Honor Offer
Citi is usually very good about matching current credit card offers as is Chase. So when I saw that the 50k HHonors after 1k spend was increased to 75k after 2k spend I thought a quick call would yield 25k more points.
It did not. The friendly agent confirmed that Citi can adjust offers if there is a better one except when it involves Hilton. He is reviewing the call to see if any promises were made to match the offer and will get back to me this week.
Even though this card is churnable, it would be quite a shame to see 25k points go to waste because I prematurely applied for a card with a bonus that went from 40 to 50 to 75.
Anyone have the better HHonor offer honored?
Guns & Butter: Tokyo Travel Guide
The Tokyo Travel Guide is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
ようこそ to Japan!
Here is what to do in Tokyo using the Guns & Butter methodology:
- A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy
- Anything on the line (Production Possibilities Frontier for my fellow economists) is an efficient use of your time depending on your tastes and preferences.
- Anything inside the line is inefficient as should be avoided.
- Anything outside is aspirational but may be impossible to do given the constraints of time and resources.
- The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa.
![Capture](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Capture12.jpg)
![Buy the postcard, skip the tour](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-532-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The Imperial Gardens](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-564-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Gaijin](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-585-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![View from above](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-508-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The Gardens](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-512-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Tokyo (85) (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-85-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![4AM Sushi](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-726-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![4AM sake](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-735-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![From the sea](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-136-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![To the cutting board](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-154-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![To the auction](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-141-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![To your table. Sushi, it's what's for breakfast](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-169-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Located in Tokyo Station](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-110-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![It's Clear](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-245-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Go!](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-246-ACTION-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Hachiko!](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-236-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The Karaoke building in Shibuya](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-617-Copy-Copy.jpg)
![Wine n Cheese](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-550-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Tokyo (37) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Tokyo-37-Copy.jpg)
<==Back to Conrad Tokyo – Onto Cathay The Arrival Lounge Hong Kong==>
Conrad Tokyo Review
This Conrad Tokyo Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
Hilton Gold is the best status abroad for those of us lucky enough to have it. Suite upgrades in Seychelles, the best buffet breakfast in Maldives, and lounge access in Istanbul make it well worth the cost of qualifying each year. I checked into the Conrad Tokyo and received stellar service from the moment I arrived. I was upgraded to an impressive room on a high floor and given access to the lounge. As I only had one night in Tokyo before my RTW adventure continued, I didn’t have the time to truly enjoy the hotel. The Conrad, located in the Tokyo Shiodome, is walking distance of the Tsukiji Fish Market which was my first stop after settling in. After a rowdy evening in Roppongi, I abruptly came to consciousness, scrambled for the lobby, and made my way to the airport. On the one hand, it’s a waste to stay at such hotels for an abrupt amount of time. On the other, with one night in Tokyo, I’d rather go eat, drink, and misremember it all than stay in my tidy room.
![conrad tokyo review](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00069-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00061 (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00061-Copy.jpg)
![DSC00062 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00062-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00063 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00063-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00064 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00064-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00065 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00065-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00067 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00067-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00068 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00068-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00072 (Copy) (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00072-Copy-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![DSC00073 (Copy)](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00073-Copy.jpg)
![One night with sushi](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00087-1024x768.jpg)
The Psychology of Points Transfers: MRs to Avios
I genuinely enjoy when multiple bloggers share their opinions on when faced with devaluation. It makes the decision of what to do less daunting. Cue in the Geico Final Countdown commercial because the devaluation of the transfer ratio from MRs to Avios is right around the corner. Like the Supreme Court on issues of controversy, the justices of points are split as to whether it is a good idea to move some MRs at the 1:1 rate to British Avios. There are many factors to consider:
- Did you just receive the 100k British Airways card? If so, that’s 50k points coming your way pretty quickly. The other 50k comes in increments of 25k after spending 10k and another 10k. I’m not going to factor in the additional bonus since I’m already up to my neck in min spends and I have a year to meet the additional spend.
- Will there be a last-minute transfer bonus? I’m in no hurry to transfer before the deadline but if there is a bonus then I certainly will.
- Do you believe there will be a transfer bonus post devaluation? Amex has had 40% transfer bonuses which would offset the 25% devaluation. If I knew this was coming or even if a 1:1 transfer bonus was coming then I would hold off. There’s nothing worse than having points leave the general account for a specific one given the chances of devaluation.
JAL 787 Dreamliner: An American Marvel: SAN-NRT
This is JAL 787 Dreamliner Review SAN-NRT which is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
Those who say that America doesn’t manufacture anything anymore have not had the privilege of flying aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Plagued by issues before its launch, the Dreamliner got off to a shaky start. When it did go into service and I had an opportunity to fly it, the tricksters at Ethiopian Airline stuck me in a 777 moments before the 17 hour flight.
![DSC00768](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00768-1024x576.jpg)
![The Dreamliner](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00038-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![787! Finally](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00047-Copy-Copy.jpg)
![The seating](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00042-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Business traveler](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00041-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![IFE](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00051-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![JAL 787 Dreamliner Review SAN-NRT](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00054-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The takeoff tradition](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00052-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![Drink Champagne, not dirty martinis](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00058-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The drinks](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00056-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![JAL 787 Dreamliner Review SAN-NRT](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00055-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![The menu](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00057-Copy-Copy.jpg)
![The dinner](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00059-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![JAL 787](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00060-Copy-Copy.jpg)
![Before dim](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00049-Copy-1024x768.jpg)
![JAL 787 Dreamliner Review SAN-NRT](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00053-Copy-Copy.jpg)
![View from the Wing](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00048-Copy-Copy.jpg)