Rapid Travel Chai

I have not been on a plane in two weeks. It is strange to have no jetlag daze. Maybe I should do this more often? It was a brutal, wonderful October of travel.

I dutifully bookmarked the miles and points developments that caught my eye. If I don’t share them now, I’ll never crawl out from underneath the pile, here we roll.

American Airlines:

• AA.com Now Supports British Airways Avios PNRs (Travel Codex). Still need to use Finnair or Royal Jordanian to change the BA account number to AA.
• American Reduces Mileage Earning on British Airways and Iberia After All (View from the Wing). Isn’t there a market for a program that has good earning among partners?
• Cool features of AAdvantage Award Maps (Loyalty Traveler). I will take a second look, I hate all interactive route maps I have seen.
• Here’s Why American’s AAdvantage Changes Are Terrible (One Mile at a Time). I can’t remember which changes.
• Win 500K Miles and a Free Cruise from American Airlines (Travel Codex). Enter by January 31, 2016.
• American AAdvantage Addresses Revenue-Based Changes, May Introduce Elite Upgrades on Qantas (View from the Wing). Upgrades with Qantas might be interesting if priced competitively, which I cannot image they will be.

Delta:

• Alaska Miles Still Cannot Book Delta One Ways – But Only On Delta (Running with Miles). Saving my Alaska miles for a whenever I can schedule a Pacific trip on Fiji Airways. Delta is anti-Alaska.
• Delta to depart A4A; ATC policy differences cited (ATWOnline). Delta is anti-lobbyist.
• Wall St analyst report: Delta may create overseas subsidiary (ATWOnline). Delta is anti-American.
• Delta Imposes New Restrictions on Elites Booking Extra Legroom Seats (Really…) (View from the Wing). Delta is anti-family.

United:

• Did Kuwait Kick Out United Airlines In Retaliation Against US Government Non-Discrimination Rules? (View from the Wing). My lone KWI airport experience was confrontational over the matter of print at home boarding pass versus airport-printed.
• United is testing a new boarding group process (MileCards). I do not like the cattle chutes.
• Guam Demands United Airlines Improve Service (Live and Let’s Fly). I fly the Micronesia Island Hopper where it was Continental and will now as United on the way to the Wake Island 74th Anniversary Charter.

Other Airlines:

• Booking ANA Awards with Stopover and Open Jaw (The Lazy Traveler’s Handbook). ANA still on my list to study.
• Why Can’t I Use My Alaska Airlines Miles for That Award? (Travel Codex). It has to be on the chart.
• British Airways’ Parent Wants Another Airline and Finnair Is the Best Target (Skift). Please don’t let BA ruin my favorite OneWorld European carrier.
• Hawaiian Airlines Will Offer Flat Beds to Hawaii. Here’s How to Book Them. (MileValue). Will be harder to convince my wife on her business trips to connect on Delta. The allure for her of Korean Air redemptions is the only thread to which I cling. And yet, Korean Air Greatly Limiting Partner Award Availability (One Mile at a Time).
• Avianca LifeMiles Makes Award Chart Changes Without Notice (For The Better) (One Mile at a Time). Whenever I have looked at redemptions on Avianca itself the prices are nutty, still go values for partners.
• How I Found The RTW Discount Airlines Tickets (Travel is Free). Skyscanner is a bookmark that I forget to use.
• Virgin Atlantic to phase out Dream Suite (Business Traveller). The fun airline that doesn’t let you rest.
• Skiplagged Isn’t Nearly As Good As They Think They Are…Here’s A Better Way To Save Money On Hidden-City Flights (Dan’s Deals). Dan’s method with ITA is great.
• SkyTeam Opens Exclusive Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport (SkyTeam Press Release). I will be in HKG next week, though flying OneWorld.
• 1,500 Virgin America Elevate Points for Renting or 20K for Hosting on Airbnb (The Frequent Miler). 20k won’t convince my wife to be an Airbnb host.

Hotels:

• Hyatt Cash + Points on HotelHustle.com (Wandering Aramean). Great tool, new feature. Seven Things to Know about Hyatt Cash & Points Redemptions Now That They Are Online (MileValue).
• Using Points For All-Inclusive Resorts – Hilton Edition (Running with Miles). I have never stayed at an all-inclusive.
• Starwood Preferred Guest Announces W Las Vegas & A Partnership (Miles to Memories). I hope it will be better than the Westin.
• I Finally Earned SPG Ambassador Status! (One Mile at a Time). What will a Marriott Ambassador be like?

Car Rental:

• National Discover Cert: National enforcing 1 per rental limit (The Frequent Miler). 3 down to 1.

Credit Cards:

• Doubling the Citi Dividend 5% 4th Quarter Bonus Categories (The Frequent Miler). Statement date year versus calendar year.
• Citi Smart Savings Are Here! (Out and Out). Must be better than BofA’s deals.
• Public 87.5k Marriott CC offer! (‘dem flyers). 87.5k with annual fee, 77.5k with first-year annual fee waived.
• Banana Republic Visa Card 5X Promotion: Is it Worth It? (Miles to Memories). Always an angle to play.
• UBS Preferred Visa Signature credit card (Personal Finance Digest). Premium price card, low value.
• Discover Deals claw back: Discover takes back portal rewards (The Frequent Miler). Stick to a Discover card with their portal.
• New Lufthansa credit card earns status miles and has lounge passes (MileCards). Credit card cannot go on strike.
• Amex Offers Page Redesigned For The Better (One Mile at a Time). After it was re-designed for the worse.
• 1,300+ Free FlexPerks Points (Doctor Of Credit). Promo points always take a long time to post.
• Red Roof Inn Visa Credit Card Review (Personal Finance Digest). Hidden value not yet uncovered.

MS:

• Ignoring terms and flying cheap via 3 stacked promos: BA sale, AARP discount, and Avios promo (The Frequent Miler). Good lessons for deal-seeking.
• A glimmer of hope for REDbird? No, not really. (The Frequent Miler). Drat.
• Kivalens resurfaces, better than before. (The Frequent Miler). Kiva still viable.
• Discover Honors ApplePay Gift Card Purchases as “One-Time Courtesy” through 9/17/2015 (Travel with Grant) and I Think Discover is Just Guessing – Brilliant but Bad Customer Service (Oren’s Money Saver). I played wait and see on this.
• First look at Revolut: Send and spend money globally with zero fees (The Frequent Miler). ‘Half-baked.’
• 1,200,000 miles for Necker Island: Not easy. Not free. (The Frequent Miler). Fun stunt.

Chicago Seminars:

• Chicago Seminars 2015 Recap (Frugal Travel Guy).
• Highlights From the 2015 Chicago Seminars (Point Chaser).
• The Chicago Seminars (Air, Land & Sea).
• Slides from 2015 Chicago Seminars Presentation on BIG and RTW Trips (MileValue).
• Sweet Spot Award Redemptions + Chicago Seminars Recap (Angelina Travels).
• My International Travel Bootcamp.

Canada:

• Canadian Points University is a new event coming to Vancouver on January 16, 2016.

New York:

• Come in Houston, er, Dallas: Buying a House and a Move Toward FIRE (Out and Out). The friendliest man in New York is shipping out.

Blogging:

• When bloggers get the story wrong as in Club Carlson double elite nights (Loyalty Traveler). Ambiguous terms and jumps to conclusions.
• Travel Will Not Fix You (Andy’s Travel Blog) and Travel Will Not Fix You…But It Can Improve You (The Gate).
• Meet the Instamom, a Stage Mother for Social Media (NYT). Kids bring clicks.