At the last minute my day job required me to be in Minneapolis the final week of 2016. Sine I was home for Christmas I had to book from St. Louis. Although Delta clearly has non-stop options from STL to MSP; I had already qualified for Delta Gold Medallion Status and had no reason to…
As many American Airlines travelers are well aware there are several major changes coming to the AAvantage program beginning on January 1, 2017. One of the lesser discussed changes is in regards to the earning period for 500-mile upgrade certificates or “stickers.” Oddly enough, the 500 mile upgrade earning period does not close until January 31,…
Update: Basically this whole post could be simplified to the following: If your state ID contains a gold circle with a star cutout similar to the one seen in the image above you can stop reading. If not, please continue. Apparently the logo will eventually be on all compliant state ID cards. In 2005, congress…
This has been on my mind for a while, but recently on a flight from DFW to MSP I realized how much it bothers me when passengers hold up the line of passengers trying to leave the airplane while they collect their baggage from the overhead bins, I think the process of deplaning can go…
While on the segment run I realized just how costly this hobby can be a why it is important to be mindful of incidental fees while trying to squeeze in those last few flights of the year to attain status. Transportation and/or Parking During The Mileage Run One of the most overlooked costs associated with…
A few weeks ago I received an email from American Airlines which promoted the ability to purchase either AAdvantage Gold or Platinum status directly for just $500 and $1,300 respectively. Then I completed some last-minute flights which put me even closer to qualifiying for AAdvantage Gold and a second email arrived which reduced the outright…
Just over a year ago Google Flights instituted an update which allowed users to book Lufthansa flights directly through the Google Flights interface. The update happened shortly after Lufthansa implemented a ~$15 fee for booking through an online travel agency and it has been noted that booking through Google Flights does not incur the added…
Several months ago when I switched jobs I was handed on of the worst laptops in existence (dramatic) to be used as a traveling work computer. The laptop was perfect terrible for work and even better worse for personal use, but that all changed when the latest software “enhancement” effectively blocked any remotely interesting website from…
One of the most fun aspects of this year was trying out several airlines to evaluate which airline I will choose as my primary carrier in 2017. I thought I had it all figured out until Alaska Airlines announced several exciting changes to its Mileage Plan program after the Virgin America merger closed this week,…
In July 2017 I lose Admirals Club access from the Citi Prestige card. I have since decided the best way to regain access is with the Citi AAdvantage Executive credit card. Although the $450 annual fee (without any travel credit) is quite high in today’s premium card market, the cost is still cheaper than paying the…
