TPOL has a huge announcement to make tomorrow. Here’s a hint: it has to do with his Delta flight that is leaving in 6 hours. Here’s another hint: I’m checking bags, something that I never do. Final hint: I’m flying Delta, something that I barely do.
Having said that, my last two experiences dealing with customer service have been great. (see no change fee and first class to Athens experience.) This evening, I was surprised again when I went to prepay for two checked bags. The website says it is $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. To offset this, I was going to use my Wells Fargo card, which gives a $100 statement credit per anniversary year towards airline fees. Curiously, when I went to pay, the website said my first bag was free and my second was $35.
When I originally booked, I was thrilled to see that the flight would only cost 12,500 SkyMiles (the pesos connotation isn’t ringing as true anymore). Now I wonder if the free bag is the result of the award booking. I am also happy that I was able to select window seats online without an additional charge.
I have absolutely no status on Delta or any other airline for that matter so maybe someone could tell TPOL, a Delta novice, why he’s getting special treatment. And no I don’t have the Delta Amex card.
Am I lucky, stupid, or letting out a hidden secret? Or all of the above.
All of this is possible thanks to points which make it affordable to see and participate in sporting events throughout the world.
In 2011, I used my Delta Amex companion pass to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans for cheap. In 2013 Trey Burke led Michigan to the Final Four in Atlanta which was the first time the Wolverines had been there since the Fab Five era. Obviously, as a devout Michigan alum, I had to go to the game. Airline tickets were obscenely expensive. As a points pro, I found a great deal using Avios. This year, I’ve used points to go golfing in California and Phoenix and to get me to Athens for the marathon.
Cue Michigan football 2015. After a terrible game against Utah, the worst disaster in the modern age of sports against MSU, and what was a pathetic showing against the Buckeyes, the Wolverines are back in the Lloyd Carr bowl in Orlando, Florida. Once again, I have to go but the cost of air and hotel is quite steep given that it’s New Year’s. I quickly turned to trusty Southwest and booked a ticket for myself and Ms TPOL from LGA-MCO for 10,000 points using the companion pass. As far as hotel points options in Orlando go, the choices are infinite.
Points make pursuing your hobbies possible. Whether this is trying to visit stadiums throughout the world (a work in progress) or participating in a furry convention, points will get you there.
#goblue
Orlando is not New Orleans but it still will be fun.
The most overlooked benefit of the Citi Prestige card is the 3 free rounds of golf that is offered per calendar year. I made a mistake during my Hyatt Diamond Challenge by not booking TPC Stadium Course in Scottsdale three days in advance so I thought that I would forfeit two free rounds of golf. I did book the Legends Course in Carlsbad, California which goes for $150, money better spent somewhere else.
I won’t be anywhere warm until 2016 but was happy to find that rounds of golf can be booked six months in advance.
This is great news because I will be in Orlando in January to see Michigan take on the Gators in the Citrus Bowl and may make use of one of my rounds then.
The Stonegate course is tempting
From there, I may be off to Phoenix to take care of unfinished business at TPC.
The benefit of booking rounds in advance also helps in the event I choose to cancel this card. This may be hard to do with all its benefits but it’s good to know nonetheless.
I love golf. I hate the cold.
Note: You can only book one round of golf at a time.
The hilarity of my taxi adventures continue as I take on the taxi drivers from Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
After being told that the price would be $18 for a ten minute ride, I had to sit and wait for all the happy Egyptian vacation goers to be treated fairly before the taxi mafia would acknowledge me.
Then the same song and dance of official price was performed as nobody in the group looked as if they would break rank. One driver who looked like Snoop Dogg only Egyptian rapped, “If you want that price, you wait, I bring you camel, tomorrow.”
Again the pressure was on, who would cave first?
I started doubting myself. I quickly forgot all the posts that said taxis should cost no more than 50 but could be as little as 20 and started to squirm. Again, the taxi driver broke before I did. He said 60 and after some bickering landed on 50.
The fun doesn’t stop in Egypt.
Note: This was intended to be published as an a-live post but somehow it didn’t post.
A few things can’t be missed when you are in Cairo. The first is undoubtedly the Pyramids. The second is molokhia. Molokhia is a traditional Egyptian soup which in Arabic means ‘kingly’ or related to kings. According to my Uber driver, in ancient times, molokhia leaves were very expensive which is why the dish was reserved for the pharaohs.
I asked the concierge at Le Meridien where I could try molokhia and they recommended the restaurant Abou El Sid. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I noticed that the the clientele was mostly ex-pats leading me to believe that there is a more authentic place and probably a more affordable place to try Egyptian cuisine. Though this may be true, the atmosphere of Abou El Sid did not disappoint.
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Since there was only two of us, I thought it proper to order enough food for four.
The mezzah (traditional Arabic appetizer platter) was spot on. Everything tasted homemade.
Mezzah
The bamieh ooh murga (okra with soup) was just like grandma makes. Given the quality of the other dishes, I was confident that the molokhia which I ordered with a side of rabbit would be top-notch.
Okrah + MolokhiaLoved the rabbit
The rabbit was fantastic but sadly I wasn’t a fan of the molokhia. The consistency of this green soup was strange. It’s probably a dish that I would have to try a few times before I could appreciate it. My dislike of this traditional Egyptian dish is probably a tell-tale sign that I am not a descendant of royalty. Still, as far as presentation and flavor is concerned, everything I tried at Abou El Sid was delightful.
Getting There: There is Uber in Cairo which costs 95 EGP. If this is your first time in Cairo, I recommend haggling with the taxi drivers outside the arrival gate to get used to the hustle. TaxiFareFinder says the price should be 66 EGP. After much fuss, I got one to agree.
Note: Taxis in Egypt are the worst. I will have to amend my Worst Taxis in the World list to reflect this.
Introduction
Waking up at Le Meridien Pyramids is like waking up Christmas morning. The excitement of drawing the curtains open to see one of the Wonders of the Ancient World in my backyard is incomparable. The view is surreal.
Greatest Hotel View
The Location
Le Meridien is located in Giza, a neighborhood outside of Cairo. This is important to distinguish so you don’t end up in a situation where the taxi driver is trying to take you to the old Le Meridien which is now the Sofitel El Gezirah. Somehow my pronunciation of ‘Giza’ sounded like ‘El Gezirah.’ Besides the convenience of only being a five minute taxi ride to the pyramids, Le Meridien is near great restaurants and more importantly far from Cairo traffic.
Le Meridien Pyramids
The Hotel
Although the hotel is a bit dated, it still has charm.
The entranceThe lobbyFront deskWaiting areaThe bar areaThe lobbyGrand staircaseBreakfast restaurant and barTo the elevatorsHotel shopShoe shine stationJewelry store
The Service
Some of the nicest people I met in Cairo worked at this hotel. The night manager was kind enough to invite me for tea and argheli. I stayed up till 3AM smoking and relaxing by the pool.
The Security
Security is tight everywhere in Egypt but especially in Cairo. There is a checkpoint for cars coming along with bomb sniffing dogs and metal detectors in the entrance of the hotel.
Inspection point
The Breakfast
Breakfast is a big deal for points travelers when it’s free. After awhile, the continental breakfast gets repetitive. Like the King George in Athens, the breakfast at Le Meridien is not to be missed. In addition to the usual, the buffet had falafel, tahini, and other local goodies.
I used a Platinum Suite Upgrade to guarantee that I would have a room with a view of the pyramids. Even if you are not platinum, I highly recommend paying a little extra for the best view of your life. A room with a view of the pyramids is only $90. I used cash n points in the amount of 1500 + $30. It doesn’t get better than that.
The suiteThe deskThe bedroomGood morning Giza!
The Pool
I didn’t get a chance to go swimming because there is so much to do in Cairo. I did have a beer on the patio and, once again, was in awe at how close the pyramids are to the hotel.
Pool patioGiza pyramidSakara + Pyramids
Overall
I am not exaggerating when I say that Le Meridien Pyramids is the best hotel in terms of value in the world. This picture proves it:
TPOL has a few guidelines for deciding whether to fly economy or luxury.
Economy plus is stupid. I’m not falling for this gimmick. I don’t need the extra leg room and I’m not letting the airlines fleece the public by charging for premium seats that should be the standard for economy.
If the flight is less than seven hours, flying business is not worth the points. The exception was on this trip with the unique circumstances surrounding my favorite flight, Virgin Upper Class DTW-LHR.
If the flight is less than ten hours, flying economy is acceptable because contrary to popular belief, not every blogger has infinite points. Fortunately, I haven’t had to adhere to this guideline as I’ve managed to find great value award tickets without breaking the points bank.
If the points game does end, I’m mentally tough enough to endure a 17 hour flight in coach. I’ve been on enough hell buses in Asia and Central America that I can snap out of my points princess first class mentality and ride with common folk.
And with that, I thought I’d change it up and provide a review of EgyptAir’s economy flight from Athens to Cairo. I also flew EgyptAir from Cairo to Luxor and Cairo to Sharm. The details of this review are applicable to those flights as well.
EgyptAir
Full Service Flight
Flying within the US, I know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. On Allegiant, there’s no such thing as a free drink either. On EgyptAir refreshments are provided as well as coffee or tea. If that’s not enough, on my flight from Athens to Cairo, a proper lunch was given.
When the tray came, I had no intention of eating. “No caviar, no lobster, don’t you know who I am”, I told the flight attendant in Arabic. (This didn’t really happen.) When I got over myself, I was surprised at the spread: the chicken was tender, the pasta salad was fresh, and the side salad was nice and light. There was even a tasty piece of dolma in the mix. After eating the brownie with no fuss, I wondered why American carriers can’t have food this good.
The Service
The service on EgyptAir is strange. The flight attendants are not rude but are inattentive. If you’re not seated in the aisle, there is a good chance that you won’t be offered a newspaper or tea and coffee as they quickly roll through the cabin not making eye contact with anyone.
On one of the flights, I was seated in the middle and both the passenger in the window and I weren’t asked if we wanted anything to drink. The flight attendant asked the man seated in the aisle what he wanted, served him his drink, and carried on. On the next flight, I made a point to speak up and maintain eye contact until I was poured a cup of chai.
The Luggage
The workhorse
Everyone hates airlines that charge for bags, an injustice almost as bad as charging for premium economy. I do my best to sneak on my bags which adhere to size regulation but due to my electronics, the backpack is always overweight.
What’s almost as annoying as paying for checked bags is when a carrier doesn’t charge but forces me to check in my bag because it is too heavy. This varies by airline and agent which is why I recommend carrying your backpack on one arm, creating the illusion that it is light.
I had a strange incident on EgyptAir. The attendant made me weigh both bags. The backpack was over the 7 kilo requirement and the roller was under. As a result, he made me check one bag. Obviously, I wasn’t going to check my electronics so I volunteered the lighter one. He agreed.
Cairo Airport Buses
I flew into Cairo three times, from Athens, from Luxor, and on the way back from Sharm. Even when I was flying from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, I had to take the bus to the plane. Rain or shine, the bus is inconvenient. In Cairo, the bus ride is especially irksome because the route to the plane consists of never-ending winding roads. Passengers are falling on top of one another as the crazy bus driver makes his way through a terribly planned airport. This isn’t an exaggeration, go to Cairo, you will be laughing to yourself when it happens to you.
The Baggage Claim
If you thought room service in Vegas took a long time, you haven’t been to Cairo Airport. I waited nearly an hour for my underweight roller to show up in Cairo and remarkably it was significantly delayed in Sharm. I’m assuming this is the norm in Egypt since, unlike the US, the passengers don’t head straight to the conveyor belt, they head for the seats to wait. Indeed, I was the only clown standing waiting for my bag to show up.
The wait isn’t even this long at Space
Overall
EgyptAir is part of Star Alliance so the service is on par with international carriers. There were some quirks at the airport and during the flight that made me scratch my head but overall I was satisfied with the experience, despite being in economy.
Last year I made the case that Condoleezza Rice should not be trusted. She and the committee proved me right as Baylor and TCU were left out of the CFB playoffs. Sure, Ohio State proved to be the best team as they knocked off ‘Bama and steamrolled over the Ducks, but they never should’ve been there in the first place.
This year my prayers were answered as Ohio State most assuredly will not get a chance at a repeat, no thanks to my Wolverines’ sorry performance against the Buckeyes last week. Nevertheless, there still may be FIFA-esque corruption scandal brewing in ranking the participants of the 2015 CFB playoffs.
The rankings should be as follows:
Clemson
Alabama
Oklahoma
Michigan State
There should be no debate because Clemson is the only undefeated team and MSU was #5 and just beat #4. Alabama and Oklahoma should maintain their current positions. This presents a problem to the money-grubbing lobbyists who would rather have a ‘Bama vs. Oklahoma final instead of a semifinal. Hopefully, their influence won’t infiltrate the committee which is composed of biased buffoons.
To be clear, Clemson is the Cincinnati Bengals of college football which is why I could see the committee rationalizing moving them to #2 and Alabama to #1. Even with their win tonight, I’m guessing that Vegas won’t be picking them as the prohibitive favorite to win it all. In a way, if my rankings hold true, Sparty is lucky that he gets to face the Tigers because that gives MSU the best chance to advance to the national championship game. If MSU beats Clemson, then who’s to say they couldn’t beat Alabama or Oklahoma? Sparty has proven that he can find a way to win.
Imagine the salt in my Michigan wounds if Michigan State wins the national championship largely due to the stupidity, ignorance, and incompetence of our Australian rules football punter.
Go Tigers!
Go Blue!
As unfair as it may sound, new coach same results: Losses to MSU & OSU
Priority Pass Lounges are hit or miss: Mexico City’s was terrible but the one in London Gatwick was very nice. The Athens Priority Pass Lounge in Terminal A is called the Aristotle Onassis Lounge, a very fancy name for a lounge.
The name isn’t the attribute that makes this lounge worth visiting. I was surprised by the variety of fresh food, soup, beer, and wine that were provided.
I took a seat right next to the buffet and proceeded to become the token Fat Guy. With only an hour to kill, I made sure I got my fill.
Gulf Air members welcomeCoffee pleaseAmstel 14% more!Sweets & moreKretikos vinoEmirates isn’t Gulf Air
Are you mad you clicked on this post because it is not what you expected? I know I’m always upset when I get an email from SPG, IHG, or anyone else for that matter that says ‘free Uber ride’. It doesn’t take but two seconds to realize that the promotion only applies to new Uber passengers.
Are there any new Uber passengers left? I just got my dad to sign up but besides him who doesn’t have Uber at this point? If you are one of the few please use my promo code so I can get Uber credit. (I’m not even providing it here because everyone has Uber!)
What really grinds my gears is that these promotions are in conjunction with hotel chains which have my email address because I am part of their loyalty program. It is highly unlikely that someone who is part of a loyalty program is such an infrequent traveler that he has never heard of Uber.
So if you work in the marketing department, please come up with a better promotion as these Uber emails are just as bad as spam.
