Latest Posts

Trip Report: Madison, WI

I recently visited Madison Wisconsin and was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the Capitol city. This was not my first time in Madison, but it was the first time I had the opportunity to stay for an extended period of time and explore the city. Transportation Madison is home to Dane County Region…
Hotel Review: The Ritz-Carlton Chicago

Living in Chicago I rarely spend the night in hotels in the city, but recently I attended a wedding downtown and turned the event into a lovely staycation. The Ritz-Carlton Chicago is conveniently located in the Water Tower building attached to the Water Tower Place mall. The hotel is perfect for anyone visiting the city looking…
Co-Branded Airline Credit Cards

The question that I am asked repeatedly is “which credit card to sign up for?” The answer is often difficult because everyone’s goals differ, but for the average consumer co-branded airline credit cards simply do not make sense. Let me explain. A co-branded credit card is a credit card which is linked to a specific airlines…
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant

Door County, Wisconsin is a favorite weekend getaway for Wisconsin and northern Illinois residents. Door County is essentially the entire “thumb” of Wisconsin and has an abundance of offerings for everyone. The area features several golf courses, wineries, and restaurants which offer beautiful views of both Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Al Johnson’s is located very near…

This past week I was sent to Kansas City, MO and KS momentarily for work. I had never been to Kansas City before and really had no expectations, but I’m happy to say that Kansas City is near the top of the list of cities I have visited over the past two years. The entire…

Today marks another day of further changes to the AAdvantage program. Today’s change is yet another sign that the AAdvantage program is no longer the fantastic value that it once was to the average traveler. The changes to the AAdvantage program have all been similar; reward travelers who spend more money with the airline and forget the rest.…
American Airlines Platinum Pro

Starting January 1, 2017 the American Airlines AAdvantage program is switching to a revenue based structure. With the announcement of a revenue based AAdvantage program American Airlines also introduced several changes to status levels. The most notable change was the introduction of a new level, called Platinum Pro. Platinum Pro aims to fill the large gap…
American Airlines AAdvantage Revenue Based in 2017

A few days ago American Airlines announced the switch to a revenue based loyalty program in 2017. American Airlines’ new revenue based system is almost exactly the same as other domestic airline loyalty programs. The new revenue based program from American Airlines will require a combination of Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) and Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) to qualify…

A few months back my family and I visited One World Trade Center. It was the first time that I had been down to ground zero since the early 2000’s. One World Trade Center stands high above the New York City skyline and can be seen throughout the city. It is not until you are…
What is American Airlines Concierge Key?

Concierge Key from American Airlines is the invitation only status offered from the American Airlines AAdvantage program. Concierge Key does not have any published requirements, but the benefits are among the best of any airline elite status. How To Be Invited To The Concierge Key Program? If you do some research on the topic the general consensus is…