Archive for the ‘Southwest Airlines’ Category

We hit the resort on the 13th and stayed through the 17th of December. Occupancy was about 30%. I love Hawaii before Christmas rush. No crowds.

The advertised rate was at $159 per night plus resort fee or 10,000 points per night. I paid the $$$ rate as I value my points considerably higher than 1.6 cents each. Valet parking was $6 per night plus the resort fee. As a Gold member of the Starwood program, high speed Internet was free (although NOT very high speed).

The views from the common areas were nice, the rooms were clean and spacious. We were upgraded to a partial ocean-view room (Gold Status and low occupancy) with a balcony. The room was a good size but nothing special.

Overall the hotel layout was the most confusing I have ever seen. I never got my bearings with our room on the third floor, lobby on second, and pool and restaurants on the first. Seems simple to say but wasn’t in practicality.

There were two large pools and slides and ample places to sit, sun, or enjoy the shade. I love the contrast of the blue water with the black volcanic rocky shoreline. There was no place for ocean swimming on site. In the evening several boats would pull up in front of the resort to view the manta rays feeding on plankton. The resort has two lights directed into the water until 11 p.m., which attracts the plankton and, behind them, the huge manta rays. There were kayaking and snorkeling with the rays excursions as well. The rays on the Big Island are much larger than the stingrays in the Caymans.

The food was resort expensive but good. The morning breakfast buffet was $23 and the lunch menu had sufficient choices at $17 each plus drinks. You are some distances from other eateries so a car is a must if you want to eat offsite. We laid by the pool day one (too cold for me), went to the Greenlawn Coffee Plantation tour, (10 minutes south) on the second day, and went deep sea fishing on day three for marlin, tuna, or whatever. NO fish. It was about $600 for the boat ride including tip for four of us, which included lunch, bait, and tackle for a three-quarter-day trip.

My overall impression of the resort was a B-, but at $159 per night, a good value, I think, and the weather was fantastic. I wonder what I could have gotten it for by using Priceline?

Citi Thank You Premier Card, 50,000 Thank You Points!

Frontier, meanwhile, has 10% off + double EQMs!

You can register for Marriott’s Megabonus promotion, which begins on Feb. 1

You can play LAN’s 12 Days of Christmas to enter to win a trip for two to Ecuador!

50,000 Bonus Points!

Eco Beach, Western Australia, photo by Andrew Ingersoll

The Road to Eco Beach Resort
by Andrew Ingersoll

A quick refresher, I saved nearly $1200 by redeeming American Airlines miles for a Qantas trip to Broome, Western Australia. A few weeks ago I wrote about finding a cool isolated beach on Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. Well, I’ve found a new replacement.

While in Broome I chose to stay at the Pearle at Cable Beach Resort. Having saved so much money on the flights, I opted to splurge for a self-contained villa complete with private pool, massive bathroom, BBQ area, and my favorite touch, the Nespresso coffee machine. A helpful woman greeted me and my travel companion with a smile at reception and provided some good options for exploring the area. Broome is renowned for its pearling industry as well as its pristine beaches and the spectacular blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

I’m on the second to the last camel

Cable Beach flanks the city to the west with 22kms of white sand beaches. At sunset I hopped on a camel for a leisurely one-hour sunset walk along the beach. Interestingly, back in the “pioneer” days camels were brought to Australia as a means of transport across the arid landscape. Currently it is estimated that over one million feral camels roam the Australian outback.

Roebuck Bay provides the eastern side of the town with its own waterfront views. Heading northeast out of town, with Roebuck Bay to the south, the red clay bush land mesmerized us as the vastness of the outback became a visual reality. After turning south on to the Great Northern Highway, the emptiness turned from mesmerizing to daunting. Our host suggested we make the 1 to 1.5 hour drive to Eco Beach Resort. With an adventurous mind, we drove past massive termite mounts, countless eucalyptus trees, bush fires, and one other car.

The road to Eco Beach Resort, photo by Andrew Ingersoll

Turning off the pavement and onto the red clay, we traversed the last portion of the trip to Eco Beach through the bush. Temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees (39 Celsius). Thankful for our air conditioning, we drove on until we were finally greeted by the resort gates. The resort encourages day visitors in addition to paying guests. Standing atop a bluff in the open air reception area, we were treated with a visual feast that dreams and postcards are made of: a sheltered bay, blue waters, red rock cliffs, white sand dunes, and not a single person in sight. Heading down to the water, we were warned of jellyfish and decided to keep the swim to a mere toe touch. Behind us storm clouds rose effortlessly over the bush land as the obligatory wet season afternoon storm formed.

Standing on an isolated beach, literally miles from the next town, I had another “I love my life” moment. This hobby has provided me with numerous moments like that, and for that I am grateful and thankful. For amazing scenery, interesting history, and a welcome escape from all things, literally, check out remote northwestern Australia

Increase Delta Skymiles Bonus Now 30,000 Miles for $500 Minimum Spend

The battle raged on last week between the practical and the absurd. Mommy Points and Darius defended the use of miles for domestic tickets and the other side insisted that International Premium Cabin provides the best return on investment. I’ll continue to take the middle road and, hopefully, the side of reason.

International First Class redemption is a waste of miles, in my mind. I am being held captive in an aluminum tube for eight to 14 hours and just want to get to my destination after sleeping as much as possible. A typical international flight for me consists of waiting too long for the pre-dinner drink (Diet Coke), waiting too long for the an airline meal, and then finally getting some sleep. A comfortable night’s sleep is what I’m after. I don’t know or care about meeting “Dom” or any of his fancy drinking buddies. Caviar taste like too fishy to me and the meal, no matter how you cut it, is still going to be just airline food.

Turning the ultimate left at the nose of the plane may make some people feel important, but the attendants certainly don’t think you are. They know you just spent a few extra miles, is all. An arrival airport first class lounge is a waste of time to me. I’m going to my hotel and get a shower. If I smell like I’ve been on a plane all night, yep, I have.

Business class international is good enough for me. With the new lay-flat seats, I need nothing more and just don’t see the sense in the extra miles expenditure to go first class.

Our last trip to China involved a redemption of 55K frequent flier miles for business over and 67.5K miles for first class on the return, as that was all that was available. That is the second time I booked a segment of international first class. The first time I did it was Sydney to Los Angeles and I did not see the added value. When we decided to come home early from China, we were thrilled that they found us seats back in business class. That was all we needed. We didn’t need to meet “Dom” and his buddies. Just get us home in comfort.

Let’s be honest here: Most of us can’t and won’t pay for first class seats with CASH. In all reality, most of us can’t and won’t pay CASH for business class international, either. It is just too expensive and makes no sense. But if you can get business class for miles (which is way out of our price range anyway), why pay the extra miles for first class?

As for using miles for domestic itineraries, Hell Yes I Do. I am accumulating miles on credit card sign-ups for under .2 cents each. That is less than one quarter of one cent each. If I can use 25K miles and fly from Savannah to Sioux Falls and save $600+ Hell Yes, count me in for redeeming for domestic coach. I’m not trying to impress anybody. Just get me from point A to point B. I didn’t buy a new car until I was 60 and the suntan I got on my used sailboat felt just a good as the guy’s with the new boat. I just didn’t have a boat payment. 

I love my wife, the Katybug. She has set some pretty reasonable guidelines for our travel. If the trip is over three hours, try for domestic first class and if international long haul, get business class redemptions. My guidelines for domestic paid tickets is to get at least two cents per mile and always leave enough miles in each airline account for at least one international business class award.

Hotel redemptions: I redeem for regular rooms and mostly at three or four star hotels. No suites for me unless I receive them for free based on my status with a hotel program. If I find curly hairs behind the bathroom door or toothpaste spit on the sink drain, I’m outta there. If it’s clean, quiet, and safe, I’m a happy camper. The St. Regis and Conrads make me feel like I need to wear shoes. I’m a flip flop and Waffle House kinda guy.

Here’s my summary of travel suggestions for the extreme ends of the scale:

If you are forcing your partner to endure coach travel for extended hours of time on international itineraries, consider moving up to business class. You are just using miles anyway.

And if you’re flying first class, consider backing down to business class and donating those extra miles to the DreamFoundation.org.

I think both sides of the argument will end up getting a better night’s sleep.

the impromptu Beijing DO, photo by Andrew Ingersoll

I pulled the trigger on a mileage run to China. It is a four-day affair with two days in Beijing and upgraded to business class with my last two EVIPS on American. I’m taking the trip for the sole purpose of meeting the Executive Platinum Challenge offered to those on the OneWorld MegaDO. If I earn 20,000 EQM’s between October 9, 2011, and January 13, 2012, American will match my 1K status with United to their top tier and I earn eight system-wide upgrades good on any fare. Oh Yeah!

Dave (Bikeguy) gave me the final push on doing this trip. With our retired lifestyle and the flexibility it affords us, we can do four overseas trips in business class at coach prices on American. Remember, their upgrades are good on any fare class. Thanks, Dave.

I never obsessed so long and hard on a promo as I did on this one. I just got my ExpertFlyer membership, after all these years, and got a hands-on learning experience looking for “C” class upgrades. It took me forever to find something I wanted. I had a reader and friend offer me extra upgrades he had so I could do it in two trips instead of one. Remember, I gave the Points Guy two of my upgrades so he could do the same thing. I looked into Frankfort, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Tokyo, London, and Shanghai. I like international premium cabins for mileage running and over-nighting is the best way to earn EQMs. If I can sleep six to eight hours on a flight at 500 miles per hour, I’m racking them up while dreaming away.

My total fare was $1267, which is, indeed, a chunk. But it pales in comparison to the value Katy and I will receive with those upgrades. And I’m in lay-flat, or close to lay-flat seats, for most of my journey.

Any type of meat on a stick awaits in Beijing, photo by Andrew

My Chinese visa from my June trip this year is still valid until April 2012 and the visa expediter got me a multiple entry visa, so no issues there.

I think with the intermediate US stops up to and back from Chicago, where the flight originates, I’ll earn about 16,000 EQM’s. I can knock out the remaining 4K on a short mileage run in the US.

Anybody want to join me for a few days in China in December? It’s a great fare and there is more upgrade space available. Another OneWorld MegaDO participant? Anyone?

Increase Delta Skymiles Bonus Now 30,000 Miles for $500 Minimum Spend No First Year Fee Click Through to See the 30,000 Miles Offer. Copy and Print it

Dale Rausch suggested the Best Western Rewards card yesterday and won $200 in Marriott gift cards for entering our contest to list credit cards with a minimum spend requirement of $1000 or less. See the credit card tab above for the 31 we listed yesterday. (Dale, email me at rick@frugaltravelguy.com with your details for shipping your gift cards.)


Push Through It
by Howie

International travel can bring out the best in us and the worst in us.

As humans we have basic needs. I won’t go into what they are as I’m sure everyone has a different view. But for me, when I’m on the road, my basics are food and sleep. If I don’t get both on a regular basis I get cranky. And worse, I’m known to get sick when deprived.

Landing in London this past Sunday morning, I was again happy that I chose not to fly Sunday night and go right to meetings Monday morning. Even when flying business or first class, if you’re on an eight-hour overnight flight it’s tough to sleep. The flight isn’t long enough to get a full night’s rest, and let’s face it: We’re likely going to be flying in coach (I did this time).

The last overnight flight I took was with my wife to Copenhagen and we were in business class. We each got about four hours sleep that night and foolishly took a nap a few hours after we landed. The next three days were rough.

On the contrary, when I landed in London this past week, my co-worker and I grabbed a quick breakfast, dropped off our things at the hotel, and proceeded to walk six miles throughout downtown London.

From our hotel near Paddington Station, we walked through Hyde Park (and the half marathon that was going on) and Green Park to Buckingham Palace. We continued towards the Houses of Parliament, saw the London Eye, and followed the Thames to St. Paul’s. At that point we decided we’d had enough walking and it was time to take the underground to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

We stopped for a snack and some coffee (must stay awake!) and continued on our journey. We hung out at the Tower of London, the Royal Armouries, and surrounding structures until they closed. At that point we hopped back on the tube and made our way to the hotel. After a 45-minute stop to freshen up, we were out again to a local pub for dinner. Some tasty pie, and bangers & mash were had, along with several glasses of delicious cask ales — a proper meal after a proper day of being a tourist.

We got back to the hotel around 9 p.m. The next morning I found out we both fell asleep by 10 p.m. I not only had an excellent night’s sleep, but it was one of the best I’d ever had. Walking all day had brought exhaustion to another level, and waking up the next morning after proper sleep in a proper bed, I was completely refreshed. While we certainly can’t do this every time, the little bit of planning we did and pushing through the exhaustion that first day made the trip very enjoyable.

If you want a recommendation for a great place to stay at a reasonable price, give the Shaftesbury Hyde Park a look. I’ve stayed there twice now, and while the rooms are small, they have all the amenities a road warrior would look for. For those who are wondering, yes, I did sign up for their loyalty program. While I certainly won’t be a big participant in it, every little bit helps!

This week I’m back in the U.S. in San Francisco. Anyone got an off-the-beat recommendation for a place for a “foodie” to eat?

Travel Tip: Check-in and scope out

If you haven’t already scoped out local businesses and shops near your destination hotel before your travel started, make sure you do it right away once you get there. Take that 10 or 15 minute walk around a block or two of the hotel to see what shops are handy. Perhaps you’ll find a local breakfast hotspot,  a grocery store/market, or a CVS/pharmacy. Got a headache and forgot medication? Want a bottle of water or Gatorade and are not sure where to get one? Out late and forgot to get rations for the evening or first thing in the morning? Those few minutes of getting yourself acclimated with your surroundings can be a big saver when you really need it.

Packing Tip: Check your suitcase

No, I don’t mean go to the gate agent and have them take your bag from you. As a road warrior this is a last resort at all costs! Losing control of your possessions and adding another variable to your trip is a no-no. I mean take a good look at your suitcase and make sure all parts are working as expected. You don’t want to arrive at your destination and find out that a zipper probably isn’t going to make it home, or a small rip just got a lot worse in transit. Check the pockets, zippers (does your suitcase expand? check that too), handle, and, most importantly, wheels. Walking a mile through the streets of a busy city with a busted wheel on a rollerboard that you’ve got your laptop on top of is no way to travel. It didn’t happen to me this time, but I did hear a little squeaking and it got me thinking.

50,000 Marriott Points, Annual Fee Waived First Year and No Minimum Spend!

Helping ‘Hands’ photo by Andrew Ingersoll

Latest Churn Results: I called yesterday after my application on the pended United Explorer personal and business applications. I was approved for the personal card by dropping my Continental One Pass card to a $5000 limit from $15K. They gave me $10K on the Explorer card. The original offer was to cut my Priority Club limit, but I’ve got big expenses end of the month on that card at the Chicago Seminars. 


The Explorer Business card took more time as the original rep told me they denied it because I had applied for a card within the last six months. That’s BS and I got it approved on the phone for $15K.
My churn was perfect with all approvals. Now we wait for the Katybug and her pending approvals.


Wanderlust

A couple of striking yet simple examples of the value of this community have happened to me in the last couple weeks. It’s time they get a mention in hopes that others will follow the lead.



I’m new to this US Airways Grand Slam deal and, quite frankly, it seemed a big project for me at first with somewhat minimal return. But with the help of my friends, the larger bonuses are coming my way.


About 10 days ago I sent a comment into the Mommy Points blog about the hotel stays requirements. I questioned her understanding of the rules. I was flat out wrong and she graciously pointed me back on the right track. My gain: another four “hits.” She took the time to straighten out the old guy, and I appreciate it.


A reader also showed me I was interpreting the car rental rules incorrectly. I thought I was stuck at two when, in actuality, six were within easy reach. Add four more “hits” to my game total.


Another reader actually offered to get me the E-miles “hit” if I gave him my Dividend miles number. Now I couldn’t do that for security reasons, but I believe he honestly would have.


And Gary from the View From The Wing blog posted a week ago about the Sharebuilder “hit,” I had actually attempted to score this hit but when the screen posted that I already had an account, I gave up without continuing on to complete the process. Gary’s direction and encouragement led me to try again and hopefully my free “hit” will post.


This is a great group of caring, sharing people, readers and fellow bloggers alike. On behalf of Mommy Points, Gary, and all my helpful readers, I’m donating another $100 to Kiva.org today to help someone in a developing nation less fortunate than all of us. So I received 10 extra “hits” with your help and somebody may get the “leg up” they need to improve their life and that of their family with my Kiva donation.


Thank you all. Keep Sharing and Keeping Caring!

First Year Fee Waived: 50,000 Points Transferable to Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Continental and British Airways

Chase Ink Bold Card  50,000 Ultimate Reward Points , 1st Year Fee Waived!