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A new year of travel and I am gleefully kicking it off with a last-minute business trip to China on the heels of Las Vegas next week. This is the big push to get things done ahead of Chinese New Year, which for companies means people that are staying in their jobs tune out, while the others resign as soon as they receive their annual bonus. Disruptive for business, fun for family and new beginnings.
I decline to make a 2014 travel resolution list because I love serendipity in my travels. I generally put my trips together very late, when circumstances fire me up for a new corner of the world.
Miles & Points is more work hobby than fun hobby for me, so I will try to be more disciplined.
- Finally redeem a US Airways 90k business class to North Asia award on Star Alliance for my wife before it is too late.
- Finally decide if I am going to do Aegean Mile&Bonus Star Alliance Gold.
- Learn and use Air France Promo Awards.
- Learn and use Korean Air SkyPass to get more value out of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points. I still find Amex Membership Rewards more valuable because of transfer bonuses on British Airways Avios, my most valuable points.
- Use my Citi AA credit card 10% award rebates. I did not redeem a single AAdvantage mile in 2013.
- Unload my HawaiianMiles balances, and hopefully not for the cop-out 1:2 Hilton transfer. Same for Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic. Being diversified is one thing, walking around with hangnails is another.
- Figure out if I should put any spend on my Chase Fairmont credit card. Beyond all the meal, space and upgrade vouchers that show up, I know nothing about Fairmont President’s Club.
- Consider a Citi ThankYou Premier, if a good offer comes along, for 1.25 cents per point on air redemptions to clear out my stash of ThankYou points.
- Resist the temptation, at least while in the NYC area, to do anything with money orders, PayPal, or that screams ‘run away,’ like Home Improvement Cards.
- Learn more about credit cards beyond the major banks.
- Learn more about the techie side of things, the kind of stuff people talk about in hushed tones where words like ‘scripts’ are overheard.
- Try to make twitter work for me but not let it take over my life.
- Focus on big scores. Not diddle around with time-consuming small peanuts like $5 Amex sync offers. My friend JB ,of Capital One car rental fame, rigorously costs his time and return. My inclination is to be a dilettante, I need to fight that. Try to limit to 1 hour per day.
- Keep making friends, keep having fun.
Readers, what are your miles & points resolutions?
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@Chris – the post office is kind of out of the way for me, unfortunately 🙁 and has long lines. Earning miles needs to be efficient 🙂
#13 ! A wise resolution, Chai Traveler. Pressure to post daily can distort values.
@Mike – now the pressure is to mimic the Ink cards and do 5x daily.
#8, you could probably hold out on the current 50k offer, which makes you earn it over 2 years and pay the $125, for a first year fee waived one, but I figured what’s the point. Better to start getting the 25% bonus now and use the points in lieu of cash especially if you have a big balance from the 5x Preferred.
Las Vegas next week? For CES? I’ll be there Thursday and Friday.
@Grant – I thought Thu and Fri was the adult entertainment show? 😉 Too bad I leave Wed.
One of the easiest and least expensive places to get money orders is a US Post Office
@Chris – and actually takes debit cards in NYC, which most convenience stores do not. I have not dipped my toe into this stuff, though.
Good luck trying to buy money orders in NYC 🙂 And, if you do find a place that sells them in midtown where we work, let me know!