Hyatt's Discover New Possibilities Promotion

If you frequent Hyatt hotels, don't forget to sign up for their current promotion, Discover New Possibilities.  You can earn a nice load of bonus points for every 5 nights stayed at a Hyatt hotel.

Hyatt has quickly become my favorite brand of hotel to stay at (Starwood is right up there too).  The hotels are clean, gorgeous, and comfortable.  The service is top quality; especially as a Diamond level elite with their loyalty program.

I'm currently in the midst of a Diamond Trial.  They give me all the benefits of their Diamond Elite status for 60 days and if I stay 12 nights in that priod, I get Diamond status through 2/15.  For the first time in a long time, I can say that I actually experience elite recognition when arriving at a new hotel.  I have experienced upgrades and received amazing customer service.

Hyatt for the WIN!!!

Free Rental Days from National

If you rent from National Car Rental, don't forget to sign up for their ONETWOFREE promotion that begins today.

Get a free day rental credit for every 2 rentals with them.  That easy!  Now through January 31, 2014.

If you don't rent from National Car Rental, you need help.  

Getting to pick your car is one of the greatest options in travel.  On my current trip, I used Hertz since I need just a few more points for a couple of free days.  I am disgusted at the type of car I got and the options from which I could choose to exchange.  Old models with 15K+ miles.  Every time I rent from National I drive away with a new model car with less than 10K miles.

National Car Rental for the WIN!!!!!

Hyatt and Mlife (MGM Resorts) Status Match Launched

Today, you can opt-in to match your Hyatt Gold Passport status to a status at MGM Resorts Mlife (or vice versa).

Hyatt Gold Passport status owners wanting a match to MGM Resorts Mlife click here!

MGM Resorts Mlife status owners wanting a match to Hyatt Gold Passport click here!

This is a great gig for all parties.  As a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond Elite, I received a match, instantly, to Mlife Platinum (Mlife's second highest level; there is no match to their highest level).  This will definitely enhance my Las Vegas experience at the 12 Las Vegas MGM Resorts.  See the Mlife tier benefits here.

The kicker is that you now get Hyatt points for stays in Las Vegas.  Woo Hoo!

All you need to know about the Hyatt/Mlife partnership can be found in the FAQs here.

Get on it!

SPG Promotion: SPG Take Two

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) has activated its fall promotion, SPG Take Two.

Enroll and you will get DOUBLE Starpoints from September 1, 2013 through December 15, 2013.

In addition, you will get 2,500 bonus Starpoints every 5 eligible nights (max 10,000 Starpoints, which is 20 nights).

Nothing wrong with signing up and getting some bonus!

Fast Track to AA Elite Status (UPDATE: Offer dead)

American Airlines just released a promotion for Fast Track elite status for NON-ELITE people.  VERY lucrative.

If you qualify then from Sept 1 to December 31:
6000 miles = Gold
12,000 miles = Platinum
30,000 miles = Executive Platinum

Through 2/28/15.  See AA elite benefits here.

Again, you only qualify is you DO NOT have elite status with AA.

AA back to AwardWallet

In case you missed it, American Airlines is trackable (once again) on AwardWallet. *Happy Dance*

If you are not using AwardWallet to track your mileage accounts, you are a MUPPET!  Get on it!

Easy 10% discount coupon on a future AA ticket purchase

Just play this easy game at for an official 10% discount on a future ticket purchase on American Airlines (AA).

Enjoy!

SPG Platinum Status Challenge

With nothing "newsworthy" in the travel world today, I thought I'd provide information on an Elite Status game I recently completed.

Entering 2013 I ranked as just Gold Status at SPG Properties (thanks to my AMEX Platinum card). 

My goal in 2013 was to reach Platinum Status at SPG since I read/heard that they treat their top tier Elites better than Hilton does (Hilton was my focus last year).

SPG Platinum Status Challenge is a "shortcut" to SPG's top status requiring only 18 nights in 3 consecutive calendar months.

Just call SPG Customer Care and ask to take the challenge; it's FREE.

I completed the challenge in mid-June but have not had the opportunity to experience the fruits of my accomplishment.

For more detailed information on the challenge, just click here and you can pick and choose where you want to read more information about it over the internet (googling for you); however, what I wrote is really all you need to know.

Get on it if you think you can make 18 nights in 3 months!!!

New Name, New Attempt

And so it changes...

RIP "Up in the Air: Ed Style" and welcome "The unDaily Travel"

After personal deliberation a new title to this blog is born, The unDaily Travel.  I felt the old title had little to no personal purpose based on my current travel experiences.  While I do get out of town almost every other week, the domestic nature of the travel lends itself to a different type of blog.

Without going into more detailed reasons for the change, The unDaily Travel posts will:

1. Be shorter and more to the point.
2. More consistent (as in I'll try to post more often than in monthly spurts)
3. Contain information on accumulating miles and points.
4. Contain pictures and quick reviews of all the hotels I stay at.
5. Contain links to other useful blogger posts.
6. Keep you up-to-date with the latest relevant news in the travel world.
7. Contain tips & tricks that you can do too to experience better travel.
8. Contain other newsworthy information outside of the travel world.
9. Keep you entertained

My goal is to provide you with a quick morning, or evening, stop where you can feel you gained a small useful or enlightening nugget of information.

So off we go!!

AA: Miles toward Upgrades Reset

If you are an American Airlines (AA) Elite Gold or Platinum member, then you earn upgrades as you fly.  For every 10,000 miles you fly, straight "butt in seat", you get four 500 mile upgrades.  These upgrades can be used to upgrade into the next class of service from the ticket you purchased.  

Just for reference, Executive Platinum level members do not earn 500 mile upgrades as they are upgraded on a complimentary basis.

Back to Gold and Platinum.  The earning "year" for the 500 mile upgrades is March 1 to February 28/29.  So every year, on March 1 you go back to ZERO and start earning all over again.  Why this is important is that you may have been close to another 4 upgrades at February 28 this year; close to the next 10,000 increment.  However, AA will just reset your upgrade mileage balance to zero and many people do nothing about this (I am even guilty about this in past years).  However, last year I learned to call AAdvantage to get  some upgrades based on where I was when the reset happened.

As an example.  The Mrs had a balance of about 27,049 in her "miles towards upgrades" on February 28, 2013.  On March 1, that balance went to 0.  Had she reached 30,000, she would have gotten 4 upgrades.  She called the Platinum desk and kindly requested some upgrades for almost reaching 30,000 and the customer service agent told her she would credit her 2 upgrades.  The Mrs thanked the agent for the 2 and simply asked if it was possible to get 3 since she had gotten so close.  The CS agent agreed and said 3 upgrades would be credited in 48 or so hours.

So, I highly suggest calling AAdvantage to get credit for any upgrades you can.  A majority of people won't know their balance at February 28 since they don't keep track of this separately like I do.  In that case, still call and inquire what the balance was since the agents can look it up.  Be nice and you will receive.

Do it sooner than later!

"Quickies"

I haven't gotten around to posting lately, but I wanted to throw out some "quickies" that I came across recently; all quickies today are for KUDOS:

1)  The American Airlines iPhone App keeps you informed about where you are on the standby list.  This past Friday I attempted, successfully, to jump onto an earlier flight by going standby.  After checking in at the kiosk and putting my name on the standby list, I opened up the iPhone app, for something else actually, and noticed that the standby list information is right there on the app.  Very cool feature so you don't have to stay at the gate staring at the list to see where you stand.  I was able to enjoy a couple of beverages at the terminal bar and still see the standby list activity.  Kudos to AA!

2)  Changing award reservations can be tricky.  However, I find them very well explained by American Airlines.  I had redeemed quite a few miles for First Class tickets for my Dad later this year.  I've been keeping an eye out on better routing.  Last week I found a better option.  I was scared that there would be some change fees or other charges relating to the using of my miles.  However, one of the benefits of Executive Platinum (EXP) status, is that many fees and charges are waived.  After a brief call with the EXP desk, I was able to get my Dad's trip changed to some better flights that were fewer miles and cost less than what I had originally booked.  The miles and dollar difference were quickly returned with hardly an effort on my part.  Keep in mind, if you are NOT EXP, you will incur fees.  Kudos to AA, again, for a great Elite benefit!

3)  If you have SPG Gold status via the American Express Platinum Card (a benefit), you may want to check that your status wasn't downgraded on 3/1 (the annual day of status updates).  I noticed this weekend that my SPG status was downgraded from Gold to just "Preferred" Member.  While this year my focus IS SPG, last year I just stayed at a Sheraton 4 nights.  A quick call to Amex customer service and they got me back to Gold instantly.  I still need to see some Gold points credited for me since a Sheraton stay ended on 3/1, but all in all, everything is back to normal.  Kudos to Amex Platinum Customer Service!

4)  Unrelated to travel, kudos to Macy's for their return policy.  I won't get into details here, but Macy's "no time limit" return policy is AWESOME!

Passport Day in the USA - March 9, 2013

My purpose on this "hobby" blogging website is, in very basic terms, to just share travel-related (mainly) information that I 1) either directly experience, or 2) come across when reading more dedicated bloggers.  I pick and choose the information I want to share based on what I find extremely useful or what I think y'all may find useful or enlightening.  I love to travel; and even MORE I like to travel at the lowest cost in the best class.

I follow a multitude of "professional" bloggers that detail out every single event surrounding the points and miles world.  As one would expect, the amount of repetitive data is astounding.  What I've resigned myself to doing in those situations (where everyone is talking about the same thing) is trying to find the best detailed information and just link to it (after all, kudos goes to those people); if I think it's even useful.  I don't want to  be known as an information copier.

With that being said, I came across a nice piece from Traveling Well For Less.

It's about Passport Day in the USA.  I has no idea they did this and it sounds like a very good idea.  On March 9, 2013 (a Saturday), several passport agencies and facilities are open (check the hours for your desired facility) in order to apply and/or renew passports without making appointments (usually a requirement).  In addition, it is a SATURDAY where you most likely don't need to take a day off.  

This day is probably best for families since children under 16 years old need to have both parents, in person, to get a passport.  The agencies also have activities for the kids while the whole process takes place.  Nice!

Anyways, I had never heard of Passport Day and thought some people may get some benefit out of it.

Hotel Award Changes... Bad!

In the past few weeks, most major hotel chains have "updated" their loyalty programs for 2013.  For most, if not all, the changes were not in our (consumer) favor.

For a great write-up in this, please read this post by The Points Guy.

How does that effect my loyalty spending?  I'm not sure yet.  

Currently, all of our personal spend was going to our Hilton Citibank Reserve card.  I chose this card for our personal spending since it comes with Gold Status (which is enough status at Hilton) and 2 free night certificates when signing up.  In addition, if we spend $10K on it during our card membership year, we get a free night certificate.  These can come in handy during weekend trips.  On top of that, the category bonuses are useful and I wanted to stock up on Hilton points for their very aspirational properties (ie. Maldives, Bora Bora, Hong Kong, Thailand, Maui).  But now that those properties will probably require even MORE points to stay there, it may not be worth continuing  my current spending path.  I need to re-evaluate where our spending goes.

My work spending, and some personal spending, has been focused on meeting minimum spend requirements to receive sign-on bonuses.  This is almost complete and then my work spending can be dedicated somewhere.  

Without a full analysis, it looks like I may just focus everything on Starwood.  Their cash & points option still appears the best.  But only time will tell.  

AA and US Airways Merger a DONE DEAL!

As being reported from someone in the know, American Airlines and US Airways have reached a deal to become one.

Personally, I am excited as it may mean some better routes for me and better reaching in some distant countries.  I am not worried about my AA and US Airway miles since they will probably just combine so they'll all be in one basket.

Exciting times at AA!

Southwest LUV is in the Air Deal (BOOK TODAY!)

I should have posted this information sooner, but got crazy busy the last couple of days.

Today is the last day to purchase Southwest tickets under their LUV is in the Air deal.  This deal allows for some nice pricing on flights (some as low as $49 one way).

Keys to the tickets:

- 10 day advance purchase

- Must purchase by midnight TODAY

- Travel between 4/3/13 and 6/8/13

- Valid every day except Sunday

If you have some trips upcoming, I WOULD JUMP ON THIS NOW!  

While SW is based here in Dallas, it's tough to use for long trips since, by laws, all SW flights leaving Dallas have to stop in another Texas city or a neighboring state city (Wright Amendment).  This is all ends in 2014 which may bring SW into play as an airline option for me.

In addition, SW is offering DOUBLE points on all their flights through 5/15/13.

Some good stuff from SW right now.

2013 Mileage Run #1 - Segment #4

The Finale (BOS-DFW)!

Alas, here I am on the plane leading me back to square 1 (home).  The quick stop in BOS was uneventful, just a shower in the Admirals Club to freshen up after the redeye flight from LAX.

For the second straight flight I didn't get upgraded.  So I ended up going 2/4 for complimentary upgrades.  I knew this was a risk, but I am OK with it.  On this flight I am in the exit row and there is no one in the middle seat (better elbow room for me).  Like I mentioned earlier in the mileage run posts, Boston was/is having some mad deals with cheap fares between DFW and LAX.  So I'm not the only one jumping on these flight (this weekend).  Next weekend, when I do this all over again, looks much more open in First Class.

Overall, all flights were on time or early, I racked up a nice chunk of Elite Qualifying Miles (my goal after all), watched 3 movies, got plenty done on my laptop, and was comfortable for the most part.  Now I can focus on the main task at hand today....... Go 49ers!!!

Thank you American Airlines for a fun 27+ hour Mileage Run!

2013 Mileage Run #1 - Segment #3

The Red eye (LAX-BOS)!

I didn't have much time in Los Angeles; just a quick stop in the Admirals Club for some Internet connection.   After quickly blogging and checking a few other things, I was back at the gate.  Again, I had no confirmed upgrade here and things weren't looking good.  When I checked into the Admirals Club, they told me I wasn't even on the upgrade wait list.  The put me on, but I was second on the list.  Lesson learned: make sure I'm listed immediately all the way through on mileage runs.  I had the agent put me on the list for my last leg (BOS-DFW) and she did and told me I was at the top.

Well, the upgrade didn't work.  The name at the #1 position did get upgraded; I was one short.  Oh well, this was work anyways.  Upon boarding I was pleased to find out that I was in the Main Cabin Extra seats.   These are seats located in the first few rows of Economy and have a few more inches of legroom.  Given my 6'5" height, the extra legroom was appreciated.  

For some reason I was either unaware or forget this about the Main Cabin Extra.  I was worried before boarding because I hadn't even been able to secure an exit room.  In end, all was fine.  I could actually stretch my legs under the seat in front of me.

I did pull out my laptop and iPad for Internet stuff, but quickly realized that I was tired and sleep would be in the cards for this flight.  I slept the entire flight.  Of course it's not the best quality sleep (tossing and turning for comfort), but it was sleep nonetheless.  As we arrived in BOS, there was a thin layer of snow on the ground.

Again, it was off to the Admirals Club, this time for a shower and some water.  Just one flight left, and here's to hoping it's in First Class!

2013 Mileage Run #1 - Segment #2

My four hour layover in Boston consisted of blogging, grabbing a slice of pizza, and watching a movie (Premium Rush).  I found the Boston Admiral Club to be very comfortable to kill a few hours.  

As the time to board grew closer, I kept checking the seat availability in First Class for my BOS-LAX flight to check my chances of being upgraded.  They slowly decreased from 3 (when I landed) to 1 when I made my way to the boarding gate.  The plane started boarding and I was still just #1 on the upgrade list.  Then BAM, Mr Pouey you are upgraded.  NICE!

Upon boarding the plane I recognized Detective Fusco from the hit TV show Person of Interest sitting a few seats away.  I also quickly realized that a flight attendant (who I would later find out is called Lesley) was going to make this flight fun.  Man, did she throw out some funny one liners.  I think everyone in First loved this lady.  I will definitely write a letter to AA about how great she was.

Shortly after take-off it was a nice dinner of Prosciutto, salad and Chateaubriand.  I complimented the meal with a couple delightful glasses of Malbec and finished it off with a great ice cream sundae.  

On this flight I enjoyed 2 movies (The Cold Light of Day and Here Comes the Boom).  Both were watched on the entertainment tablet (Samsung Galaxy) provided by AA.

                                                                                                                                                               The flight was mainly in the dark, but I was able to snap a photo early in the flight that had some nice colors.

I don't usually talk to me seat mate(s), but the guy next to me, on his way to Sydney, started up a few conversations.  Somewhere in there he managed to pry out of me what I was doing.  He was curious and sorta understood.

All in all, the flight went quick.  No wifi, just movies and a little shut eye.

Upon arrival I made my way to the Admirals Club in LA and checked to see what my status was for my next flight (return to BOS) as far as upgrade.  Doesn't look good.  Cattle Class here I come.

The next flight will have wifi so I may play around on my laptop for a while.

I expect the return flight to Boston to be quick since there are strong winds heading east.  Should be around 5 hours of flight time.

See y'all on the next!

2013 Mileage Run #1 - Segment #1

I figured it may be fun to take y'all along for a mileage run (MR) so you can read, and possible see, what it's like.  Plus, it adds something more for me to do during all my free time in the skies and on the ground.

If you are up-to-date, you know that I am on a Dallas-Boston-Los Angeles-Boston-Dallas mileage run.  A trip SOLELY for the purpose of accumulating miles (in this case mainly for Elite Status).  The reason I am doing this MR is that I received a special offer from AA for DOUBLE qualifying miles for any flight(s) I take between 1/22 and 2/22.  Based on cost, time and benefit, this is a worthwhile trip.  Regularly, I would get 8,345 qualifying miles for this trip (the actual miles flown); however, thanks to my offer, I will get 16,690 (a nice chunk for my requirement of 100,000 by 12/31).  

So segment #1 was DFW-BOS (yep, I work in airport codes).  Departure time was a reasonable 8:15am (although the Mrs will argue "reasonable" since I had to get her out of bed to take me to the airport around 7:15..  bless her heart; I love her!).  The actual flight time was just under 3 hours and we arrived into BOS early around 12:30 local time.

I had received a confirmed complimentary upgrade days before the flight so I was already aware of my First Class comfort on this flight.  Upon arrival to the airport I flew threw security (seriously, like 20 seconds total time).  There was no line and I received Pre-Check where I didn't have to take off any clothing or remove anything from my carryon.

After a stop at Starbucks for a mocha frap (yep, I'm addicted), it was onto AA flight 1106.  My seat this trip was 5A (window).  The boarding process was fast and everyone looked to be on board by 8am.  It seemed that this gave time to the captain to come out from his seat and come shake all our hands (in First) and just thank us for flying with him.  It was very cool (never seen that before).  He even struck up conversations with a few passengers.  I just thanked him for flying us safely.

After take-off a watched Dallas fizzle out behind me, but not before seeing my apartment complex, work office building and other familiar landmarks.  Once we got the OK, I pulled out the old Macbook Pro and got going on electronic errands (I pay monthly for GoGo wifi connection).  I had several things to do (i.e. book flights and hotel rooms for the Mrs and I for upcoming trips, research things, chat a bit with the Mrs over iMessage, keep an eye on the Chelsea match, etc).  

I did pause from my computer activities for breakfast; a very nice Egg and Cheese Quesadilla, with potatoes and sausage.

So this flight I was kept entertained and busy by my computer.  The flight went by QUICK and was SUPER smooth; I don't think I felt ONE bump the entire flight.  This bodes well for smooth flying all day.  I had a chance to snap a couple of shots that I thought were cool visuals from high above.  They don't come out as nice with the camera, but whatever.

NYC

Snowy over PA

We landed about 10 minutes early and now the mystery starts.  I have no further upgrades confirmed ahead of time.  Seems like Boston (lately) is a mecca for cheap flights so I'm sure there are others doing what I'm doing in and out of BOS.  Using Expertflyer, I am able to keep an eye out on seat availability. There is hope on all flights.  Upon leaving the plane I headed to the Admirals Club where they were able to tell me that I am top of the upgrade list with 3 seats (which I knew from Expertflyer) available for the flight to LAX.  They told me to check back later to hopefully be able to confirm the upgrade.  FINGERS CROSSED.  

I have just over 2 1/2 hours until I board.  I'll spend the time on my laptop in the Admirals Club and probably get a bite to eat here shortly.

See you after the next flight (which I don't think has wifi).

(Targeted) 15,000 from US Airways

I just received an email, regarding my US Airways Mastercard, letting me know that if I spend $750 on my card each month of February, March and April, I will be credited with 15,000 bonus US Airways Dividend miles.  

I need to pull out my US Airways Mastercard from the safe and start using it again.  You read correctly, the card is safely tucked away in my personal safe; I have other preferred cards to earn miles on.  

I applied for this card during my Nov 2012 App-o-rama and was immediately approved.  I received 40,000 miles after just making a single purchase on the card.  The annual fee of $89 is waved the first year and I get 10,000 bonus miles annually just for owning the card (which I think is worth the $89 annual fee).  There is rumor out there that I can cancel this card and re-apply and get the original bonuses again; however, I'm not yet sold on doing that (personal decision).  

I can easily allocate $750 of my monthly expenses (which are high due to work travel) to this card.  To me it's a free 15,000.  The main reason I don't carry this card is because US Airways miles are of minimal value to me.  I live at a AA hub.  My elite status and mileage accumulation is on AA.  But I'm building this little side of US Airways miles for a rainy day emergency.  At the right time, domestic round-trip award tickets on US Airways can be 20,000 (when you own the US Airways Mastercard).  So I already have 2 round-trip domestics for nothing and this 15,000 gets me closer to a third.  

Why do I post about "targeted" offers?  Just to let you know that anyone can get them too.  I get some, I don't get many more.  But by owning several different loyalty programs and credit cards, I have a better chance of earning more free stuff.  You may want to think about that too.  Also, check you email and spam folder in case you may have gotten the same offer. 

Thanks US Airways and Barclays for this easy offer!

Let the Mileage Run Insanity Begin

As I wrote a couple days ago, I was one of a lucky few, it seems, to have received a targeted offer from American Airlines (AA) to enjoy DOUBLE Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) from 1/22/13 to 2/22/13.  I, and the frequent traveler forums, have no idea what triggered selection.  Regardless, I need to take advantage of this to ensure my re-qualification of Executive Platinum (EXP) on AA for 2014, which requires 100,000 EQMs in 2013 (you can also qualify via segments (100) and points (100,000), but I always qualify on miles).

After some crazy searching using the various online tools (ITA matrix, expertflyer), given personal and work constraints, I was able to find 2 "day" trips that will net me a cool 33,000+ EQMs.  These trips are what we call Mileage Runs (MR).  An MR is solely for the purpose of flying to get miles.  I won't even be leaving the airports.

On 2 weekends coming up (2/2 and 2/9) I will be flying Dallas to Boston to Los Angeles to Boston to Dallas.  In both cases I leave on Saturday morning and return Sunday morning (I will sleep on the overnight flight from LA to Boston).  Given my status as EXP for 2013 and the times of these flights, I should receive complimentary upgrades on all the flights in order to make it a comfortable trip.

Yes, if I didn't have constraints, I could have flown overseas and got even more, but I don't think I need that much.  These should be the only 2 MRs I need to do this year.  Hopefully with work and my personal trip requirements, the remaining 68K will be made over the course of the year.

I paid a very reasonable price per mile on this.  It would take too long to explain, but the price I am paying per mile for what I am earning is low enough to make this worth it to me.

This is the Insanity of my hobby.  See you in the skies!

(Targeted) Double Qualifying Miles and Point on AA

I just received the following email from AA:

To thank you for being our loyal customer, we have an exclusive offer designed with you in mind. Earn double elite‑qualifying miles and points when you travel on American Airlines, American Eagle® or American Connection® and oneworld® airline flights on British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Qantas Airways between January 22 and February 22, 2013.

We've pre‑registered you for this offer, so all you need to do is start flying to reap the rewards.

Enjoy! We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.



Suzanne L. Rubin
President
AAdvantage® Loyalty Program 


Terms & Conditions:
Offer valid only for select AAdvantage members who receive this email directly from American Airlines.
AAdvantage promotion is valid for all travel on purchased, published fare tickets for flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, American Eagle, American Connection, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Qantas from January 22, 2013, through February 22, 2013.
This offer does not require travel to be booked during a specific time frame; travel booked prior to the start date of this promotion is eligible.
Offer applies to all eligible segments flown, regardless of the type of trip, i.e. one‑way, round‑trip, circle trip or trips including open jaws.
No registration is required.
This offer does not increment the member's prize eligible mileage balance or Million Miler status.
Double elite‑qualifying miles and points will be calculated at 100% of the base miles or points earned, respectively.
Double elite‑qualifying miles and points will be posted to the account of the traveling AAdvantage member within 3 to 4 weeks after qualifying activity posts to your account.
Promotion does not apply to travel on mileage award tickets or fares that are ineligible for AAdvantage mileage accrual.
Customers qualifying for an elite status level as a result of this promotion will receive their new credentials within 4 to 6 weeks. The benefits associated with your new elite status level will, however, take effect immediately on the date the additional elite‑status qualifying miles or points were posted to your account and will apply to all eligible flight activity occurring on or after that date.


Check your emails.... while I go book some flights!

The New American Airlines

At 9am CST today, American Airlines unveiled their new livery:

There is a real nice short video unveiling the livery and then some cool information about the changes AA is going through (note: the video may take a while to load up).

Personally, I like all the changes that AA is going through.  Being based out of DFW for the past 5 years, I am pretty much forced onto AA if I want a direct flight anywhere.  Having said that, I have had some ups and downs.  But I would say the ups have far outnumbered the downs.  I am very happy with AA.  While we passengers have endured some old planes and aged everything at AA, I knew it would soon come to an end, and they would improve to be one of the best domestic airlines.  Well, with the changes now officially announced, this may just be the case.  I, for one, will enjoy it all.

Well done AA

$200 Amex Credit for AA Gift Cards

This is a sort of follow-up to my recent post on a deal for the American Express Platinum card.

One of the great benefits of the American Express Platinum card is receiving up to $200 in statement credits for incidental fees incurred on an airline of your choice.  I take this to be a "refund" of $200 that I would ordinarily incur with my airline (for me it is American Airlines).  To me, this results in a $200 discount on the $450 annual fee of this Amex card; ESPECIALLY if you are able to take advantage of a small loophole in the statement credit.

Based on the statement credit terms and condition, "airline tickets, upgrades, point transfer fees, duty free items, gift cards, award tickets, and fees not charged by the enrolled airline (e.g., wireless internet or Alliance Partner fees) are not eligible for credit".  I specifically highlighted gift cards because the point community has noted that many people have been successful in buying gift cards and earning the statement credits.  The only reason for this is that the purchase is identified by the Amex computer based on coding by AA and a credit is given; slipping through the cracks.  While this seems to have been happening for some time now, who knows when it will be completely fixed.  

After receiving my new Amex Plat and selecting AA as my airline of choice, I purchased four $50 gift cards (virtual) at aa.com (on 1/11/13 to be specific).  On 1/14/13 I received four $50 credits from Amex for those purchases.  Suffice it to say, I just earned a free $200 in AA gift cards.  OK, they aren't technically "free", but $200 of that hefty $450 annual fee to own the card can now be applied to a future AA ticket.

I also had the Mrs buy $200 in gift cards with her Platinum card on 1/12/13.  On 1/14/13 she also received her credits.

So this year we "got lucky" in a sense.  We tried late last year once I found out about the possible loophole, but we were unsuccessful with our $100 attempt.  Buying an AA gift card for us is no risk since we buy many flights on AA during the year (it ends up just being a form of pre-payment).  We did end up using the entire $200 credit last year on legitimate incidental charges (change fee, food, drink).  So all was not lost.

Does this assure you of a credit if you try the same?  Not at all.  But the boards are lit with success stories on the purchasing of gift card and getting statement credits (haven't heard of any people not getting the credits yet).  I'd say there is no harm in trying ASAP in case Amex figures out a way to close this loophole.

2013 Elite Goal

Having already documented my 2012 elite results, it is only fitting that I provide a quick note on what I plan to chase (and hopefully accomplish) in 2013.

Airlines

Given my work, home base of DFW, and travel ability, I will solely focus on American Airlines in 2013. I will chase Executive Platinum (100,000 miles flown) again.  Work travel should assist me with just short of 50,000 miles, so I'll be responsible for the rest.  This will require mileage runs again this year.  The only difference from 2012 is that I'm hoping my mileage runs will be to international destinations in order to accumulate large blocks of miles at a time.  Last year all of my mileage runs were to the west coast which required several trips.  While cheap due to some great sales, it was a lot of time at airports.  A long international trip, properly planned in order to use my free upgrades, can provide the same amount of miles, or more, in a shorter span.  We shall see.  In short, Executive Platinum is again the mission.

Hotels

In 2013 I am completely changing courses in hotels.  Last year's goal (and accomplishment) was Hilton Diamond.  However, their lack of providing exceptional treatment towards elites has me questioning whether they deserve my dedication and money.   So based on the extensive research I've done, I am switching to Starwood properties as my Primary hotel chain.  

Starwood's top elite status is Platinum, which requires 25 stays or 50 nights, is very attainable for me.  I already get 2 stays and 5 nights credited for just having the Starwood Amex credit card.  So I really only have 45 nights to complete.   I actually plan on completing a Platinum Challenge offered by Starwood which would require just 18 stays in 3 months to get the status.  i just need to figure out the optimal timing of that challenge.

In 2013 I will also try to obtain Hyatt's highest elite level too, Diamond.  While Hyatt hotels are a little out of my companies price range most of the time, there are occasional deals to be made if I am willing to drive further.  Similar to Starwood, I hope to complete a Diamond challenge (12 nights in 2 months).  If I can score these two challenges, things will be good in 2013 and 2014!

I am not dumping Hilton all together.  They do have some very nice aspirational properties.  Aspirational properties are properties one aspires to stay at.  As a family, we will always be Gold at Hilton (their second highest status) since the Mrs holds the Citi Hiton Reserve Card.  I also plan on getting a similar credit card to enable Gold status.  Via extensive research, Gold status benefits at Hilton is just as good as Diamond (except for the bonus points earned).  

So basically, I am chasing 2 top-level hotel status levels (Starwood and Hyatt), one mid-level (Hilton) and a top level airline elite level (American Airlines).

Hilton Savannah Desoto

Over the holiday, I took advantage of the amazing sale Hilton was offering by staying a few days at the Hilton Savannah Desoto.  The trip, with 2 nights in Savannah, was already planned since I was spending 2 weeks in Hilton Head, SC with my family.  Part of that trip required a couple of nights in Savannah prior to taking possession of the rental home on the island.  Originally, we had reserved rooms (6) at one of the Hampton Inns in the historic district of Savannah for about $120 per night (it was the best we could find).  I was actually going to use a free night on one of my nights.  Then Hilton threw out the home run pitch.  We quickly cancelled all previous reservations (this is why I like to preach to NEVER lock yourself into advance purchase hotel rooms) and re-booked at the full service Hilton in historic Savannah, for a whopping $54 per night.  

How was the hotel?  In the end, I would say just OK.  But for the price, I'm not going to complain much.  As a Diamond Hilton Honors Elite, I was not given any luxury suite or anything really special at check in (not even acknowledged); just a room on the higher floors with a balcony (don't get me started on the balcony yet!).  I was provided with 2 complimentary buffet coupons which were used on an "adequate" buffet in the morning.  

The room was clean and pretty much your standard room.  Wifi worked well. 

Some luxury amenities here... NOT!

The bathroom was tiny.  As a 6'5" person I was cramped; except in the shower which I thought was roomy for me.

CRAMPED!

Very roomy!

The view was beautiful; I can't complain about that.

Panorama

I didn't DARE get out on the balcony though.  These look scary.  If I had kids, I would decline a balcony.

Wow..  Safety first?  I don't think so!

The bar was great down in the lobby.  The bartenders were awesome and frequently joined in the conversation without feeling like they were intruding.

The service in the restaurant (for breakfast) could have been a bit better.  The waiters and hosts seemed overwhelmed a bit (it was busy).  Thankfully I was on vacation so it didn't bother me, but a more impatient person may have been irritated.

Overall, this stay just goes along with what I expect out of Hilton now in mainland US.  Just an average hotel stay in an average room with barely an appreciation for my Diamond status.  As a Diamond level elite, I would expect a bit more appreciation for all the money I've thrown Hilton's way.  After a whole year of this kind of attitude, it makes sense to me to try someone different; hence my new 2013 elite pursuits (discussion coming soon).

SPG Promotion: SPG Power Up

The SPG Promotion I discussed about a month ago is open for signing up.

Do it here!

Personally, I am signed up for it since SPG is my primary focus this year as far as hotel Elite Status.  Bring on the Starwood properties!

St Regis Bali

2012 Credit Card Signup Haul

By only jumping into the credit card points game late (educated in late 2012), I was only able to perform one "App-o-rama" (applying for multiple cards on the same day) in 2012.  To be specific, I performed my inaugural App-o-rama on November 15, 2012 (results somewhat discussed here).  In 2013 I plan on performing several more to haul in a lot more points/miles.  In fact, I already applied for the American Express Platinum card yesterday for 100,000 points due to a limited time offer that got pulled real quick (sometimes you just have to jump on offers).  That 100,000 haul will be included in 2013 numbers, but it's a darn good start to the year.

What I am doing below is summarizing the haul on my November App-o-rama (which is my entire 2012 haul).  The columns should all speak for themselves except maybe the "value" column.  This is a value, in terms of dollars, put on a single point/mile in the various loyalty program.  How do I come up with this per point value?  I don't; I leave it to the professionals (for now).  One day, I may calculate this value myself because it can be very subjective.  In the meantime, I found a good calculation explained by PlasticIQ.  A little searching on their website and it spits out their calculation for most any loyalty program.  Now, I think the values here are very conservative because with a lot of research, timing, planing etc, you can actually redeem the points for A LOT more value.

At the end of the day, I received 195,000 which is VERY conservatively estimated at $2,800 in value (I know I will get way more than that out of my redemption's) .  My cost is $100 for the 2 credit cards where the annual fee isn't waived in the first year.  So for $100, I basically got a mix of flights and hotels at my choosing for the Mrs and I. 

My only regret is not fighting for the correct Hawaiian Airline Cards.  I ended up with only the Platinum cards which only give you 10,000 Hawaiian airline points (which can be transferred to Hilton for 20,000 Hilton Honor points).  If I had fought for the Visa Signature versions, it would have been 35,000 miles (or 75,000 Hilton points).  Oh well.  These are churnable (meaning I can cancel the card before the next annual fee and re-apply and get points).  

Other than that, I am happy with my haul and the fun the Mrs and I are going to have with these points.  Honey, where do you want to go?

Credit Card	Bonus	Spend Requirement	Value	Total Value	Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred	40000	$3,000	$0.013	$538	Waived 1st Yr
Starwood Amex	25000	$5,000	$0.023	$678	Waived 1st Yr
BofA Hawaiian	20000	$1	0.0043	$86	$50
BofH Hawaiian	20000	$1	0.0043	$86	$50
US Airways MC	40000	$1	$0.015	$600	Waived 1st Yr
AA Visa	50000	$10,000*	$0.014	$816	Waived 1st Yr
Total	195000	$18,003		$2,804

* The AA Visa is 40,000 points after spending $2K in 4 months and an additional 10,000 points for spending $10K in a year.  Regardless, through work and personal expenses $18K is accomplished quickly in this family.

(Offer Dead) 100K Amex Points

For all the details, see this post from The Points Guy.

In short, there is an amazing deal for 100K American Express points (after $3,000 spend in 3 months) if you apply and are approved for the Amex Platinum card.

The Points Guy goes into a lot of detail about the benefits of this card, given the hefty $450 price tag.

The Mrs and I have had this card (the Mrs as the primary user and I as an additional user) for a little under a year now.  While we paid $450 (primary fee) and $175 (additional user fee) for the card this year, we got the following:

$200 in credits toward spend on AA (food, change fees, etc).

Complete reimbursement for the Mrs's Global Entry membership ($100)

 - Global Entry gets you Pre-Check capabilities at airport security almost 100% of the time (speed through that security line!)

Access to lounges at almost every airport we traveled to.

Beyond that there are a ton of additional benefits this card has.

Now, many people have had success in buying $200 worth of gift cards on your airline of choice and getting the $200 credit (annual).  The Mrs and I will try this in the next couple of days for 2013. 

At the very least, if you get the card just for one year, you get, at a MINIMUM, $1,000 worth of spend on airline or hotel costs for $450.  How?  At it's most basic, you can pay airline tickets or hotel costs with Amex points which comes out to $1 = 1 point.  Better yet, Amex points can be transferred to many other loyalty programs, sometimes at bonus rates.

There really isn't anything to lose here.  The Mrs has said many times this year, that this card was the best investment we made with lounge access and speeding through airport security (thanks to global entry).

Since I was only an additional user, I applied for my own and got instantly approved for the 100K deal.  Take screen prints in case something messes up.  Most pro's in the travel blogging world say this offer may get pulled within minutes.  It was still working as of 10:20am CST.  Make sure you are qualified!

BTW: only get this card if you are financially responsible and pay off your debts every month!!!

2012 Airline and Hotel Summary

Happy New Year!!

So I took a couple of weeks vacation to spend with the family in Hilton Head, SC over Christmas and New Years.  During this time I decided against blogging and to focus solely on my loved ones.  Mission accomplished as I had a wonderful time.

Now......... I'm back!

My first post of 2013 will be a quick summary of my flying and lodging accomplishments for the year.  These two travel mediums are my most common and where I seek elite status to make them more comfortable.

In the Air in 2012

Total miles flown (Butt in Seat): 87,874

  Break down:

     - American Airlines (AA) Butt in Seat: 77,906 (living in Dallas, AA is my carrier of choice)

     - Other Airline Butt in Seat: 9,968 (miles redeemed on Delta for r/t to London)

AA Redeemable Miles EARNED: 223,382 (approximately 2 r/t business/first tix to Europe or Asia)

AA Redeemable Miles earned from Mileage Runs (for sake of getting miles only): 33,420 of the 223,382

AA Qualifying Miles earned from Mileage Runs (needed to ensure Elite Status): 22,280 of the 100K needed for desired elite status

Cost of Mileage Runs: $712.80 (or $.02 per mile flown).

Status Earned: AA Executive Platinum through 2/14 (Goal for 2012)

In the Room in 2012

71 nights at Hilton Properties

  Break down:

     - Paid Nights: 2

     - Free nights from points redemption: 6

     - All other nights through work

Status Earned: Diamond (Goal for 2012)

13 nights at Hyatt Properties

  Break down:

     - Paid Nights: 3

     - Free nights from points redemption: 1

     - All other nights through work

Status Earned: Platinum (Goal for 2012)

26 nights at all other hotels/resorts

  Break down:

     - Paid Nights: 7 (Sandals Vacation)

     - Free nights from points redemption: 5

     - All other nights through work

All in all, I accomplished my goals for 2012 as far as Elite Status is concerned.  I started the year off as a very amateur individual in the points/miles/status game.  It wasn't until late in the year that I researched and found the loopholes in the system.

My goals for 2013 will be a little more aggressive with regard to Elite Status; which I will post in days to come.  I will also summarize in a post the points earned from credit card applications.

So as far as I am concerned, I am happy with my 2012 ELITE success.