Rapid Travel Chai

Sooooo…anyone want an Ink card? Despite being on the guilty list with my one post mentioning the increased sign-up bonuses for Chase’s Ink line of small business cards, I was going to try to think of something clever to say about all the innovative ways found to post, then Wandering Aramean posted his definitive compendium of the onslaught. And thank you, Seth, for adding Eva award inventory to your flight tools.

My critique about the pervasiveness of the credit card pushing is that it has become so intense and narrowly focused that a lot of good information that used to be regularly posted is neglected and I am a poorer traveler because of it. I have gingerly stepped in with a bit more miles and points coverage. I was surprised that Delta’s Caribbean and Latin America award sale was all but ignored by the blogosphere given how new it is for Delta and a rare good Delta award deal. Still a few hours left on June 23 to book. Don’t expect elaborate award booking posts, I am no expert there, however here is a string of easy-peasy contests:

• Hilton Ultimate Road Trip
• Hilton Great Giveaway
• Air France Mr. Miles
• Delta Where Will You Go With Queensland
• Radisson Blu Win Your Dream Trip Around the World (effort warning: essay required and will be judged)
• Quark Expeditions Greenland Trip via What’s Your Point
• IcelandAir 2 Tickets to Norway via Points and Travel

It seems we had gone months without contents and now have a bunch.

This will be the first week in several months that I am not on the road somewhere unless we take a last-minute weekend getaway. Good chance to catch up.

Delta:

• I have had to scrutinize some targeted pr0mos with mileage sometimes posting, sometimes not, even on the same tickets.
• I added a domestic ‘free one-way’ to my Saudia trip. Now trying to actually get a date at low award to not reprice everything is the inevitable challenge. Especially the first/business class ticket my wife has. Methinks she will need to be downgraded.

Club Carlson:

• I missed out on the Daily Getaways and all the flash sales this week. I have mixed feelings about buying points and anyway was not going to tell clients, “hold on a minute while I furiously click on this offer.”
• Business took me the Country Inn & Suites, Gurnee, IL for 2 nights, nice to collect the 10,000 point Faster Free Nights bonus, even better to find myself with Six Flags Great America as a neighbor. With the Business Double Gold Points Rate, Gold bonus, and the 10,000 bonus that stay netted 21,990 points, would have been even more if I were allowed to book myself. Half of the 44,000 typically required of top properties, which is good for 2 nights with the credit card. Best deal going.
• Snobs about Carlson properties need to check them out overseas.

Starwood:

• Met the Platinum Challenge with retroactive credit back to May. 6 days later status has not updated, reports online say it can take a week depending on timing of system sweep. No rush, no stays coming up.

Interesting reads:

• Scary Consequences of Lying on Your Credit Card Application (Point Me to the Plane).
• Etihad BusinessConnect 5,000 mile sign-up bonus more lucrative than I thought (One Mile at a Time).
• 5,000 miles or $100 is the question with Alaska Airlines Visa 30,000 Mile Sign Up Bonus (View from the Wing).
• Alaska Airlines has quite an impressive roster of partner airlines bookable online (FrequentFlier.com).
• Freezing of the alternate credit bureaus used by US Bank, Freezing ISA/ARS Bureaus for the Club Carlson Visa (Hack My Trip). Also see my post on freezing credit reports, critical in Experian-heavy states link CA, NJ, NY and more.
• Silver Airways Started a Frequent Flyer Program. Sort Of. (Heels First Travel).
• Chase Fairmont Visa Signature Card 2 Free Nights Waived Annual Fee (Roms Deals). I may apply for this and a few other cards this week.