Like a scene from Karate Kid II, I placed a paper lantern in the water and watched my REDBird float away, never to be used again. Our times were short but great. Now it’s time to fall in love with my next kindred spirit, the Amex Serve.
For those who have messaged me, where can I find a job in manufacturing, the only answer is returning to your scorned lover, Bluebird of trying your luck with Amex Serve, both of which can be reloaded at Walmart among other places. I haven’t done the research on which cards work which don’t but I’m sure we will all learn soon enough before this money train gets derailed as well.
“According to my sources,” a phrase that I’ve always wanted to say, REDBird is dead. Within the BoardingArea family, Miles to Memories broke the story, Frequent Miler confirmed the story. Then an actual Target employee emailed me to say that he had seen the memo first-hand putting an end to this speculation once and for all.
Never before have I seen people so up in arms about an announcement though I understand why. DEADbird was our lifeline to a world we otherwise could not afford.
Did Target do away with the Bird because of manufacturers, money launderers, or because it was simply unprofitable? Who knows, not even Deep Throat. All I know is that it is dead and I won’t be returning to Target ever again. They can keep their 5% off, Amazon is still cheaper.
Thanks for the memories but it’s time to move on.
Stay with TPOL for the latest breaking news. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. (Another line I’ve always wanted to say.)
Test your might! In this case, test your patience. Seconds after being shot down for my 4th night free credit, a benefit of the Citi Prestige card, the unhelpful Citi agent is telling me that my EgyptAir ticket for my post marathon (an endeavor that is on life support)trip does not qualify for the $250 air statement credit because it is coded as ‘EGYPTAIR’ not ‘airfare’.
I had a similar problem when I booked Allegiant to Phoenix as part of my Greatest Hyatt Diamond Challenge. There Allegiant showed up as ‘Travel Agency’. Citi’s terms say that it is not their responsibility if the transaction is not coded appropriately. Where does this leave the customer? Am I supposed to test each airline ahead of time to make sure that it shows up correctly?
Many complain about the hoops needed to get the $200 travel statement credit from Amex Platinum but at least there are many data points for that. Who knew a purchase on Amazon via United’s shopping app counts as a travel fee? The Doctor of Credit did.
Here, nobody knows, not even the manager who said in contrast to the first agent that I should see a credit on one of the next statements. Sure, just like my 4th night eh?
“I’m sorry I’m not seeing an eligible reservation. Please contact our rewards department.”
You may think because I went to law school that I am an argumentative person. You would be right. But why does everything have to be a fight? Why do we have to scrape, bite, and claw for rewards that were promised to us? As I wrote, I tried to be nice to Chase to get my Ink downgraded to a no annual fee card. That went nowhere.
It’s been a couple billing cycles since my 4 Night stay using the Citi Prestige 4th night free benefit and I haven’t received my credit. Now, Citi is telling me that I will get nothing. This injustice shall not stand. Next up will be the call that will start cordially, transition into argument, followed by speaking to a manager, ending in…
It takes a lot of work to make it in this business and I’ll be damned if someone tries to take what is mine citing the tired variation of the line that always starts with ‘my computer is telling me’.
Sorry but I don’t take orders from a computer.
Churners Unite!
Fight!
Really, how are you going to argue with this email?
The REDBird reloads, they’re all gone! What the bleep! Has the RED turned to DEAD? Only time will tell but my Twitter feed has been blowing up with nothing but eulogies for our fluttering friend.
Caught in the crossfire were MS’ers that had gone gift card happy believing that if their jobs were downsized they would at least get a notice. After all, we did receive a warning when Target banned credit card reloads. This time there was nothing to prepare us for the worst game of hot potato I’ve ever played. With the bad news, I found myself stuck with $3500 worth of gifts and no friends or family worthy of receiving them.
A sleepless night ensued. Not only did I foolishly put myself in the situation of not being able to unload but also, even if I could somehow dispense of these cards, what about the rest of min spends I had to meet? Irrational exuberance is to blame for how I got myself into this pickle and only Flint, Iraqi hustling would be able to get me out.
Scanning the forums, the blogs, and the Deep Web, I found no solution. This morning I went grocery shopping for money orders and was rebuffed by Mr. Albert and Mr. Safe. Humming along to The Marvelettes, as only a Michigan man could, I figured I’d give it a go.
And guess what? It worked!
Now I’ll patiently wait to see if the end of theBIRD is really here. If so it’s time to abruptly swerve until that gets shot out of the sky too.
Miles to Memories reported some disturbing news that has me on edge; RedBird isn’t loading at Target. In my frantic reading of all things RedBird, I have no news to share, bad or good. There is some hope that this is a glitch because ‘normal’ debit cards aren’t working either.
Faced with Insomnia from Minimum Spends, I have been hyper aware of the day that this would come. The anxiety stems from two issues: 1) Can I continue to purchase gift cards on credit? 2) Will Target’s computers accept them? As such, I do a test run to Target with one gift card then return with the maximum allowed as soon as it works. However, I live 100 miles from civilization so I can’t get to Target easily. This month, I didn’t go to Target on the first and second of the month to max out the deposits. I chose to wait. That is looking like a mistake.
To make matters worse, I foolishly MS’d on cards with lower min spend requirements to get them out-of-the-way instead of taking out the big boys first. That is a bigger mistake. Who cares about a lousy $100 statement credit when 75,000 MR points are on the line? In my defense, I like to methodically finish one card and then move onto the next instead of having balances all over.
Going forward, if RedBird does come back online, I will always reload the entire amount on the 1st and 2nd of the month and will prioritize which cards get dealt with based on their value.
Will I get that chance is the pressing question? I remain anxious.
SPG released its 2015 SPG Member Favorite Hotels and Resorts List. It’s a fun way to check for new hotels that I did not consider visiting and a way of counting how many I’ve visited. Everyone enjoys saying, “I’ve been there!”
Here is an interesting one on the list:
Aloft Ahmedabad SG Road, India: No idea where this is.
Here are ones I am now inspired to visit:
The Sheraton Hong Kong
St. Regis Florence, Italy
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons, Slovenia
Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Sebastian, Spain
Here are ones I plan on visiting in the near future:
Four Points by Sheraton Puntacana Village, Dominican Republic (great value)
Americans have mixed feelings about Columbus Day. Is it a day to celebrate the great Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, discovering America? Is it a day to commemorate the many indigenous lives that were lost as a result of Columbus’s conquest? Or, is it just another holiday that gives Americans a day off of work? Regardless of your viewpoint, the adventurers we learned about in grades school provide inspiration to keep exploring the world.
Today, our travelers aren’t as risky as they were when Vasco da Gama went from Europe to India by sea. Our trepidation is whether Etihad Apartments will be available on that route and if it will qualify for the Saver Award. Similarly, our desire to circumnavigate the globe like Magellan is contingent on the availability of the American Airlines Explorer Award returning not on our desire to see all the great oceans.
Still, our accomplishments are not to be trivialized. We do risk our lives when riding in shady taxis across the globe. We do accept standard rooms when our platinum status isn’t recognized. And we do, if only for a second, consider crossing the globe in coach. Spoiled or not, we have the globe trotter’s curiosity to explore.
I’d like to think that if it was 1492 and I was at the Port of Spain that I would have jumped on board the Santa Maria, the 747 of its time as there would be no way I’d sail the 767 and 737, better known, as the Nina and Pinta, to the new land.
Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.
I consider myself the king of phở because I have been all around the world in search of the best bowl and have the tee shirt to prove it.
Cheers to the Pho King
The list of the Top Ten Places to get pho puts Vietnam deservedly at #1. However, the pho in Vietnam varies from city to city, region to region. Indeed, the pho in the north is much different than the pho in the south. This last trip to Vietnam, I stayed in Saigon for three days which was plenty of time to get my fill of pho and come up with the list of the best pho spots in one of my favorite cities.
But first, I start with the worst place to get pho, Pho 2000. I reviewed President Clinton’s Bad Dining Advice already but here’s a quick recap: Bland broth and uninspired meat. It might as well just be a bowl of soup.
Pho 2000: You’ll Go Cuz Bill Went But You Won’t Enjoy ItBoring brothPho King Not PleasedThanks a lot Bill
Now for the list of great pho in Ho Chi Minh:
5. Pho 24
What’s better than a extra large bowl of pho? An extra large bowl of pho that is delivered. Pho 24 is a fast food pho restaurant but it is still uncomplicated quality.
Pho 24 Fast Food Pho
4. Pho Hung
The bellman at the Sheraton Saigon recommended Pho Hung and I was quite pleased with his recommendation. I advise against the bowl of pho served with blood but the pho tai was so good, I had to get a second helping.
Pho HungBowl 1Bowl 2 Waiting
3. Pho Park Hyatt
I usually advise against eating in the overpriced restaurants at the hotel because street food is a much better alternative both for price and for authenticity. However, if you find yourself in the Prison of Posh at 4 in the morning with no street vendors nearby, ordering room service pho is a great option if you’re staying at the Park Hyatt Saigon. The broth came in a tea kettle and it was of great quality. The best part of eating pho besides a hangover cure is the ability to pass out right after. Even better than that is being able to pass out in the comforts of the Park Hyatt.
The beef cooked perfectly.The broth never ending
2. Pho Street
Nothing beats plastic chairs, plastic tables, a cold beer and a hot bowl of pho. The kitchen is a mobile workstation with vats of broth and the patrons are locals from all walks of life. The pho is delicious and the price is perfect. The location of this restaurant is anywhere on the street serving pho.
1. Pho Pasteur
Ask anyone in Saigon the name of the best restaurant for pho and they will undoubtedly say Pho Pasteur. Located in District 2 outside of the city center, Pho Pasteur is a must for any pho enthusiast looking for the perfect bowl. Come early or come late, Pho Pasteur is open, ready to satisfy your pho appetite.
Pho PasteurThe MenuThe Spring Rolls (worth skipping)The LimesThe Cafe Su DahThe Bowl
Next time I’m in Saigon, I will try out more restaurants but these should give you a good start. Feel free to list any others you recommend.
![You’ve Been [Amex] Served](https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/murtaugh.jpg "You’ve Been [Amex] Served")
