Reader Barry asks, Any thoughts on the pros and cons on timeshare ownership, namely Marriott? Even if you could maneuver a 20 to 25% discount off the purchase price? I am not an expert in timeshares, but I’ve certainly been around plenty of horror stories about them. So let me share a general framework for thinking about them. There are certainly good deals to be had with timeshares, but these are serious investments and you need to be educated. The people selling them to you certainly are. You don’t want to make a big purchase with a big information asymmetry so if you aren’t educated you’re probably getting killed. While there are some benefits that may only accrue when buying a timeshare as the original owner directly from the chain, in general the timeshare resale…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for December 2014.
Should You Earn Miles in a Single Program, or Diversity With Lots of Programs?
Michelle asked about… strategy for choosing credit cards for sign up bonuses. Should I stick with one or two programs at first or diversify widely? In general I think it’s a great idea to be strategic about where you acquire points. What award(s) are you most likely to want? Pick programs that will help you get those awards. Make sure you have enough points in the right accounts to get those awards. Then once you have enough points for the award you want in one program, move onto another program and start building points there. That way you wind up with enough points in more than one program for the awards you want — increasing your chances of getting the availability you need when it comes time to travel. Here’s where one-way awards really come…
When Kids Scream on a Plane, the Best Approach is Not to Slam Someone’s Head on an Overhead Bin
So you know things have gone too far when a pilot threatens an emergency landing over your behavior. Of course, it’s always the other person’s fault, right? A brawl involving three women erupted on a Chinese flight from to Chongqing to Hong Kong yesterday when two of them complained to a mum that her baby was making too much noise. The women, all believed to be Chinese, were warned that the pilot would be forced to turn back and make an emergency landing if they didn’t stop fighting. Naturally, “[T]he two women reclined their seats fully backwards, which aggravated things further. A scuffle ensued, with one of the women hitting on her head on the overhead locker..” There’s a video. When there are screaming kids on a plane, don’t do this. A year ago I…
Enter in This Post to Win Lounge Access Thanks to the LoungeBuddy App!
Read the post to see how to enter to win one of two $150 credits towards lounge access! Lounge Buddy is a useful app that – if you have an iPhone or other device in the Apple ecosystem – just got more useful. They will now sell day passes to lounges, sometimes at regular price and sometimes at a discount. Now, I don’t generally buy lounge access at regular price on a per-use basis. I have ongoing access to American, Delta, Alaska, American Express and other lounges via credit cards. And I was a little confused at first by the marketing claim that by buying access in advance you would be guaranteed lounge space and not turned away for crowding (I’ve only ever heard of such things happening to United elites trying to enter Star…
Etihad’s A380s and 787s Revealed, Visiting Cuba While It’s Illegal, and Free Geek Squad Help at Airport
News and notes from around the interweb: There’s a new app that tells you when you can take a very short walk to avoid Uber’s surge pricing. That seems to me very much in the spirit of surge pricing itself, getting both consumers and drivers to react, to shift both supply and demand. One blogger who drives for Uber REALLY doesn’t like the idea, though! How to visit Cuba while it’s still illegal, of course these are tips we likely won’t need very soon. Free Geek Squad help at Chicago O’Hare until December 23 5000 bonus points and extra baggage allowance for using Etihad’s ‘Moonlight Check-in’ Etihad unveils its A380, 787, and new cabin crew uniforms A guy who ticketed a mistake fare in his ex’s name has found someone else with the same name…
What is a Minimum Connection Time? And What’s a Legal Connection?
This question is prompted by Anthony M.. There’s noting illegal about a ‘legal’ connection. A legal connection is a term of art that really means a permissible connection. Each airport has a set amount of connecting time that’s considered necessary to transfer from one flight to another. That time varies based on: Whether you are connecting domestic-to-domestic, domestic-to-international, international-to-international, or international-to-domestic. That’s because you may or may not have to go through immigration formalities. Whether there’s a change of terminals involved. That may be baked into ‘domestic-to-international’ (where domestic and international flights are in separate terminals) or by exception (because certain airlines mean you’re flying in and out of different terminals. The airline and flight you’re connecting to and from. Again, some connections are more arduous than others. Assuming your flights are on time these…
Inside the New Oneworld Lounge at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal
Must-read Earlier Installments: Singapore, Cathay, and Qantas First Class.. Some of the Best Meals of My Life, and a Tour of Hyatts in Bangkok, Singapore, and Sydney This was my first visit to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX since it was renovated, and boy what a difference. You notice it from the moment you step up curbside. It’s no longer entirely an entirely an embarassment (well, it’s still part of LAX). It’s modern and bright and far better organized. Ok, it’s still part of LAX. But it’s a huge improvement. I checked in and proceeded through security. Unfortunately there’s no PreCheck, but the nude-o-scope was backed up with passengers and so they allowed me to proceed through the metal detector only — no opt-out required. I was confronted by the array of shops…
American Express’ New Lounge Opening, United’s Unpublished “Award Sale” and Losing Your Job Over Travel Deals
News and notes from around the interweb: It’s amazing how long United’s ‘unofficial award sale’ seems to last.. Doubletree’s new bath amenities. Things like amenities — and cookies — provide consistency, which is especially important for Doubletree which is Hilton’s conversion brand. There’s little across Doubletree that is otherwise the same and makes a ‘brand’. New American Express lounge that Platinum carhdolders can use opens in Sydney Travel hacker banned from UK finance industry for gaming train fares. Alaska will open a Boardroom in United’s old club space in the North Satellite terminal at SeaTac in mid-2015. I’d guess that it, like the Boardroom in the main terminal, will become accessible to Priority Pass and Lounge Club cardholders as well as partner lounge members. You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and…
How Can You Get More Vacation Time From Work?
Chris asked, Can you tell me how I can convince my boss to give me more time off so I can travel more? For most people this question may not be meaningful, since on average Americans take only half the vacation time they’re already ‘given’. But if you use yours and what more, the simple answer is to tell you to become your own boss. But many entrepreneurs find that they’re able to take even less time off, rather than more — there’s huge responsibilities, and there are consequences if things go wrong. They don’t have, and maybe can’t pay for, someone they can trust to manage things in their absence. A knowledge economy business may be able to work better from the road, but if you need to be on the phone with clients…
Marriott’s MegaBonus is Dead, But the Name Lives On. Here are the Offers.
As mentioned, Marriott is back with their MegaBonus offer — although it seems to be MegaBonus in ‘name only’. MegaBonus, archetypically, means “stay twice and earn a free night” (generally capped at category 4 redemptions). It’s been a perennial offering. This new iteration, set for February 1 – April 30 earning, offers points only. Like recent versions of their promotions continuing to use the MegaBonus name, there’s no free night offer. Log into your account and visit the promotions page to see your targeted offer. Deals We Like has a list of different offers that Marriott seems to be deploying for different members. (In the past, folks – especially elites – could call and request to switch to a different offer.) 20 nights = 25,000 points; each additional night earns 2,000 points per night, up…
