Post: #951

PointsBreak hotels, available for 5K points a night from IHG (around 35 USD) go live shortly. Hotels all over the world, including some Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental properties, along with many Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood hotels. This is the best possible use of IHG points, which can be purchased via a very simple trick for .6 cents each. Do not transfer them from your Chase card, however, as the alternatives from your Chase transfers are for points of a much higher value (BA, Singapore Airlines). Just google IHG points buying trick and follow the instructions. Book early and cancel as needed, as the prime properties become unavailable.

Post: #952

Nothing good this time around. Pretty bad list, points break has taken a dive from its prime years.

A few crowne plazas located far from the city centers and sadly no intercontinentals!

Post: #953

Nothing great, but still, there are hotels in there for a quarter of the points they normally require. I'll be booking in Thailand for an upcoming trip for 5K - normally that hotel, which is quite central, is 20K.

Post: #954

(01-25-2016 09:11 AM)Global Entry Wrote:  Nothing great, but still, there are hotels in there for a quarter of the points they normally require. I'll be booking in Thailand for an upcoming trip for 5K - normally that hotel, which is quite central, is 20K.

Cash prices in Thailand are quite cheap so not much "extra" value. Although the Holiday Inn looks like a decent deal with points. The CP's are around the $80 range, so better "value" per point. Unless you have a boatload of points laying around, I prefer to use my IHG points at around 1.0 value, which doesn't happen often that much.

Its a shame they really gutted the pointsbreak program.

Post: #955

Where do you see the hotel in Thailand for point break? I just checked the list, the only hotel in Asia available is in some Chinese city I've never heard of.

Post: #956

I rarely see great value from IHG points, but I get most of them for free via promotions and via staying at hotel for cash (and sometimes using the Citi Prestige for a fourth night free) so I don't need to get much out of it. I guess my norm is around .7, definitely not typically more than 1 penny a point (though some stays are higher, like my recent at Intercont. Seoul Coex). Thus, given that, Bangkok Sumk 11, which is normally around 70 (gotta add in hotel taxes), is a good deal at 5K points. I ran through their last two promotions with stays I otherwise was going to make (Jakarta choices for other chains is pretty lacking, as is Shenzhen on the lower end (except maybe for the Four Points SZ), so I didn't force it, and probably clear about 100K points all in for that.

Brodiaga, you're still looking at the previous list, I think. The new list hasn't gotten active as of 12PM EST, annoyingly, on IHG's site. Bangkok still showing at 20K per night for this hotel.

Here are the new hotels.

http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/...otel-list/

EDIT - OK its ACTIVE NOW. I just booked two nights at the HIE Bangkok for 10K points.

Post: #957

GE

Thanks for the link. I booked the holiday Inn Pluit Citygate in Jakarta for a few days in February for 5000 points per night since I'll be there at that time anyway. Can still cancel up until one day before check in.

The hotel is located in the north, in Emporium Pluit Mall. I'm not familiar with that area. I see pretty good reviews from business travelers, but is that area any good for game? I'd rather pay more for an airbnb around thamrin than get stuck in some dump where no girl will go.

Edit - if you feel this is off topic here, let's chat via pm.

Post: #958

I think I would not so much suggest you stay there. Its far from the mass of girls who live in South Jakarta, and a lot of traffic between you and the Plaza Indo area. Also, those hotels are only around 40 a night usually, so its not an amazing deal, just a decent one, at best (keep in mind that you don't earn points while staying on your award).

Post: #959

Got it thanks. I'll keep the reservation as a backup for now, then will either cancel or shorten it depending on other options.

Post: #960

(01-25-2016 01:39 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  GE

Thanks for the link. I booked the holiday Inn Pluit Citygate in Jakarta for a few days in February for 5000 points per night since I'll be there at that time anyway. Can still cancel up until one day before check in.

The hotel is located in the north, in Emporium Pluit Mall. I'm not familiar with that area. I see pretty good reviews from business travelers, but is that area any good for game? I'd rather pay more for an airbnb around thamrin than get stuck in some dump where no girl will go.

Edit - if you feel this is off topic here, let's chat via pm.

The last time I was in Jakarta was in 2014, so maybe those in the city more recently will have better info, but I only stayed in the north one night and I moved south to Thamrin the next day. The girls I was talking to all said my place in the north was far away, and the overwhelming impression I got was that being in the south was far better for meeting people. It was during Ramadan as well, so even quieter than usual.

On top of that, it took me 3 hours to travel about 10km in rush-hour traffic from north to south. If you're looking more for meeting women or just heading out, I'd go Thamrin or a bit further south. The only way I'd stay in the north is for one night if I get in on a late flight and I want to sleep as quickly as possible.

My only beef with Thamrin is that you have to take a long-ass route to get in from some of the main roads. It's still a reasonable location though if you're not travelling during rush-hour.

Post: #961

Winter is the season for frequent travelers to rack up hotel points. SPG has a double points promotion going on, IHG has Accelerate 2016, with some really easy bonuses for some members, and the other chains are also chipping in.

Marriott's current promotion deserves mention as well. Now, I am a complete Marriott novice, I know next to nothing about their program (though I guess I'll learn since they're buying SPG). In any event, the current promotion for Marriott provides a free night at up to a category 5 hotel, as a bonus for staying two nights at a qualifying rate for any Marriott. Rates at a category 5 hotel can range up to several hundred dollars, and you can get this bonus for two stays at category 1 hotels, which can cost far less than that in the aggregate (plus you'll earn points for the paid stays). You'll need to register by April 15 and stay from Feb to May. If you complete the two stays you get a bonus offer, which is disclosed at that time. I'm not switching to Marriott, and maybe I am spreading myself too thin, but two cheap stays yielding a nice one is too good to pass up.

Here's the Flyertalk link discussing...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-...-15-a.html

Post: #962

(01-24-2016 04:59 PM)elcidcampeador Wrote:  

(01-24-2016 12:10 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  There is a targeted offer on the United Club visa card. First year free, then 450/year.

The card includes full United Club membership with benefits such as unlimited United and Star Alliance lounge access for you and companions, guaranteed seat availability for United flights miles redemption (United metal and standard redemption rates only) and 2 checked bags for free. No spend requirement, no introductory bonus.

You can check here if you qualify (need to enter your United Mileage Plus credentials) mpclubcard.com/rsvp . Word is they are casting a pretty wide net with this offer.

There is more information on Flyertalk and The Points Guy websites.

I'm going to get the card just for the free lounge access for a year and then cancel before the 450 fee kicks in. My understanding is that you don't need to fly United to be able to use Star Alliance lounges with this card, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

If you want to use the (participating) Star Alliance lounges, then this card requires a flight on a Star Alliance airline, not necessarily United. A nice option is the Lufthansa lounge at Dulles.

Still, if you have any kind of status, you can status match your way to Star Gold status easily. This card is not worth a credit pull and the first year free option has always been available with an easy workaround.

If you don't fly often and only fly United then this card is a decent choice.

I got the card and also researched the benefits a little bit more. From what I understand, you can use United Club lounges even if you don't fly United, but for Star Alliance lounges you do need to fly with Star Alliance.

I already got a free upgrade from Economy to Economy plus on an international flight with United and picked the best seat available just by making a quick phone call. Will also test lounge access benefits on both United and Star Alliance pretty soon.

I'm still interested in the option to upgrade to Star Alliance Gold having this status. Haven't found any information online about this option.

I agree, though, that those who are concerned about their credit score (e.g. planning to get a mortgage soon) should avoid too many hard pulls, so all these benefits may not be worth it. My score is high enough for what I'm using it for even with one or two more hard pulls, so it works for me.

BTW, speaking of free upgrades, for American Airlines, if you have a Citi/AA co-brand card, you are eligible for upgrades from Economy to Economy "More Space" seats with AA while the card is active. When you select seats on AA web site, just pick one of the seats in the first few rows of Economy. At least, it worked for me using a Barclaycard Aviator card, first year free, 50K AA miles bonus. You also get other benefits, such as priority boarding with AA and a 10% miles bonus for AA miles redemption.

Post: #963

@Brodiaga

You can always use any lounge that you pay for a club membership with, even when flying on another airline. Same applies for DL and AA and I guess AS.

This card DOES NOT give you access to economy plus seating on United. It gives you 'Premier Access' which does not entitle you to the seats you got. I would consider it to be a nice one-time gift from an agent. You can often get these seats on domestic flights by asking at the gate.

The same applies to AA - I'm surprised you could pick what is called a 'Main Cabin Extra' seat for free with only a credit card and no status. I would not count on it happening in the future, and certainly it is not a perk of any credit card you have.

This Flyertalk Thread has all the recent postings on members attempting to match their status. Currently you can get matches for free with Air Berlin and Alitalia with no effort and some various others with some proof of travel.

Post: #964

elcidcampeador,

Regarding the status matching. It may be a newbie question, but what do I get out of Air Berlin and Alitalia status matching if I never fly with these airlines? Does it even make sense to get this status? Is this how I can get Star Alliance Gold?

Post: #965

So this year I'm officially Marriott platinum which will be nice as I have a lot of trips coming up pre June. In addition to having platinum status for American, I'll also have premier silver on United due to being a Marriott platinum member. Which is good because I'll be switching over to United now since most of my work trips are to Frankfurt/Mexico/East Asia.

Post: #966

(01-30-2016 11:54 AM)Brodiaga Wrote:  elcidcampeador,

Regarding the status matching. It may be a newbie question, but what do I get out of Air Berlin and Alitalia status matching if I never fly with these airlines? Does it even make sense to get this status? Is this how I can get Star Alliance Gold?

There are 3 major airline alliances, Star Alliance, OneWorld, and SkyTeam. If you hold 'mid-tier' status with each of these airlines (SkyTeam Elite Plus, Star Alliance Gold, OneWorld Sapphire) you can enjoy the benefits when flying internationally on any partner airline.

An example would be if you had Alitalia Elite Plus status given through a status match, you could use the elite check-in lines, premium immigration, and lounge when flying Garuda from Jakarta to Singapore.

OneWorld and Star Alliance Gold are even more valuable in that you can use US domestic lounges if you have the status with a non-US airline. So if you match to AirBerlin to get OneWorld Sapphire status, you can use the AA Admirals Clubs for free when flying AA.

You can still credit your AA flight to your AA account and accrue AA miles. Just flash your AirBerlin card when visiting an Admirals club and you will not need to pay the silly $400 for lounge access.

How can you get the status to begin with? You need to meet the qualification requirements with one airline somewhere in the world. United, for example, requires 50,000 qualifying flown miles to earn their Gold status, which is equivalent to Star Alliance Gold. Having this status will allow you to match to Alitalia and to Air Berlin. I have matched to Turkish Airlines in the past using my AA status and have Star Alliance Gold this way. I'm not sure if they are still matching, but I recently matched to Copa (Panama) and Avianca Brazil. I have 'mid-tier' status when every alliance thanks to matching and don't need to be blindly loyal to any airline simply for a free bag.

Remember, you can use your Alitalia card to receive the benefits of SkyTeam Elite Plus when flying Delta, but still can credit the flight to your Delta account.

This is a bit confusing, so let me know if it makes sense.

Post: #967

One other thing I'd add to Cid's post. It may make sense to time when you do your matching - don't blindly match. If you know most of your upcoming travel is in a single alliance, say Star Alliance, don't match your OW (e.g.) status into SkyTeam - there's no reason to do so at the same time, and since some status matches are once in a lifetime, and there's not an endless group of airlines doing matches, you don't necessarily want to use up the available matches until you expect some benefit out of them. In addition, different airlines have different policies for matchers - many will give you a status match only until the end of the year if you match in the first or second quarter of the year. On the other hand, if you get your match processed after the mid-point of the year, your status match, depending on the policy of the airline (or hotel chain, as they match too) may last through the end of the following year. If you plan to travel/fly/stay enough after the match that you'll retain the status, then when you match isn't particularly important, but if the benefits your seeking just have to do with a few trips unlikely to result in mid-level status, its better to wait a bit later in the year to match.

You can see posted results from people on their matches at statusmatcher.com.

Post: #968

http://beta.alitalia.com/en_en/millemigl...match.html

This is the link for the Alitalia Status Match. I have heard that many have matched this into Air Berlin status.

FYI this ends tomorrow, so if you're planning on using it go ahead and do it ASAP. Who knows if it will be extended.

You can get status quite easily, although as GE mentioned, some programs only allow you to status match limited numbers of times. AA offers status challenges, which can be easily completed (and googled for more details). This status can be matched to other programs and can offer you an easier life up in the air.

Post: #969

Just a bit of a reminder for guys, one I often forget myself. Applying for cards for the sign-up bonuses is solid planning. Spend the minimum and then consider which cards you're going to keep. Make sure you know when the annual fees are coming up, so you can make an informed decision to jettison those cards whose usefulness has passed. For example, the BOA Alaska card is basically useless after the sign-up bonus. I just cancelled mine, having gotten the 25K signup bonus. It also means I can apply again (I believe). I also just cancelled my parents Barclays' Aviator card - they don't have another AA card, but its not worth the annual fee on the card for the mileage rebates (we've already used their mileage) and the seat preferences. They just don't fly AA enough except on awards booked from other accounts.

If you've inadvertently let a card renew and a new fee post, within that billing period you can typically still (1) cancel the card and get them to drop the fee, or (2) credit the fee back or offer some kind of retention bonus that zero's it out for another year. This is easier to get with small fees below $100 than the big fee cards like AMEX Plat and CitiPrestige, but there's no harm in calling and seeing what they're willing to offer. Sometimes you may have them credit the fee as the retention bonus. Just cal back a month later and cancel afterwards if that cards no long in your plans.

For those that only have a few cards, be careful with cancelling if it reduces too drastically your available credit (the amount of limit you have on all your cards combined). Low available credit is a negative indicator on your credit score, and so it may be worthwhile to keep a card and bear the fee (as reduced by a retention bonus that may be available) rather than dinging your credit. Better yet, if possible, apply for a different card(s) to replace the credit availability you'll have lost through cancelling.

finally, I'm recommending to my friends to apply for the SPG cards (please get a referral code from me or someone else when you do tho). Marriott is going to buy SPG unless the merger falls through and these cards will likely be discontinued fairly soon. They're good values and makes sense to grab the 25K bonus for 99 dollars while they are still in existence, even if you're not someone who stays in their hotels. SPG points are the most valuable in the game, and transfer to 31 transfer partners at 1.25 airline miles : 1 SPG point in blocks of 20K.

Post: #970

For those who may not be aware, AA has devalued their frequent flyer program, in multiple ways. One way is that they've made awards more expensive. These changes take effect on the 23rd (check your time zone), and hit first class tickets the hardest. I am not going to describe the devaluation other than to say they made earning redeemable miles harder for low cost tickets, and made redemptions more expensive, especially for first class tickets.

If you've had a stash of AA miles you want to use for a first class flight (in particular), especially one to HK or SE Asia from the US, you're best served trying to book a ticket with them in the next five days or so. Since the devaluation was announced I've booked QR, BA and CX (again, but I love it) in F, in addition two BA in F and QR in J for my gal. I've few AA miles left in the account (around 27K), which was my intention.

Google AA Devaluation for details on the terms of the new program terms.

Post: #971

Been eyeing this as well. Just booked business class and first class to Asia on CX. Only thing is you have to book so far in advance.

Good looking out.

Post: #972

Actually Armogan, CX often releases space in F a week out (and depending on the route, I see a lot of J availability in general) Very often you'll see nothing until a week or so before the flight, and then one or two seats in F may become available. I assume you're using BA to search for the space (AA doesn't chose CX award space (or QR, RJ, UL, and some others) - check a week out.

Also keep in mind that if you want to fly CX or another F route on a partner, pick some less obvious routes (not just SFO/JFK to HKG. I need to go to Cannes and come back, but Paris to HKG is not an easy route. However, Zurich to HKG was easy to find space, and positioning myself from Nice to Zurich is no more difficult than positioning from Nice to Paris (plus Ive never been to Switzerland and I'll hang out a day or two). Might be my last CX F flight for a while, so happy to find that avail.

Post: #973

An underrated but core part of travel experience (the actual traveling part, as well as, to a lesser degree, your location experience) comes from the luggage you've chosen. Movement ease, as well as being well-equipped are are to a significant extent determined by your luggage. I don't scrimp on luggage, though I do make sure to look for a good deal.

Tumi has a deal right now that if you contribute 15 dollars to a water charity they've chosen, you get 25 percent off of your purchase. The 25 percent discount applies to any full price purchase. i've bought my tumi luggage on ebags, which offers a substantial points bonus if you access the site through a loyalty program's shopping site (AA was giving, typically, 8 points per dollar spent for ebags - check evreward.com to find the best loyalty program bonus - even Tumi is now giving points for using a portal, 4 points for Alaska and 5 for American airlines appear to be the best deals link ). And Tumi does go on sale, but not for its newest, most desired products. So, if you're looking top of the line, this deal, which ends in two days, could be the one for you. A top Astor bag can be 1500 dollars - I am not saying I'd pay that, but at 25 percent off (375USD), and adding back the 15 dollars donated to the water charity, that begins to be a reasonable deal, and for a bag you can't get on sale.

A little general advice on luggage - for your checked bag, its probably best to get something that doesn't look too flashy. If you want flash, save it for the bags you handle yourself for the most part - carryons, hand luggage and your briefcase/backpack.

I do believe that airport luggage handlers are often extra rough with clearly very expensive checked luggage, and no doubt, if someone is going to try to open luggage and steal something, they'll start with your Rimowa. There are high quality, plain looking bags from Briggs and Riley, with a lifetime repair warranty. Those would be my suggestion for a good checked luggage you can have for years. My B and R already has a few hundred K miles on it, and aside from being a bit dirty, is no less the worse for wear.

Post: #974

anyone ever use Justfly to book?

Looks sketch as fuck like most of these types of sites but im hearing that as long as you dont need to change your trip it can work and fuck the price is right.


thoughts?

Post: #975

I've used JustFly many times for tickets that involved the removal of a fuel surcharge. However, if it's a regular old ticket it should price out the same (or lower) on that airlines own website.