Aug
05
2007
From the August issue of Inside Flyer, AAVacations is offering 250 American Airlines miles for filling out a survey and agreeing to receive their emails.
250 American Airlines Miles
About Gary Leff
250 Free United Miles
Aug
05
2007
Via Free Frequent Flyer Miles, United’s Mileage Plus Dining (the co-branded Rewards Network dining rewards program) is offering 250 United miles for creating an online profile by December 31st if you haven’t already done so.
250 Free Amtrak Points
Aug
05
2007
Via Free Frequent Flyer Miles, Amtrak’s Pick Your Partners Promotion offers 250 free Guest Rewards points for selecting preferred partners (very easy! Just log in and the offer is under Hot Deals) and then 500 bonus points for each of your first two transactions through September 30th.
1000 Free Air Canada Miles
Aug
05
2007
National Car Rental is offering 1000 free Air Canada Aeroplan miles for signing up for a free Emerald Club membership by November 30. There’s also an additional 2000 miles on offer for your first rental with National by November 30 — but the signup bonus doesn’t require renting a car.Looks like US and Canadian residents only.
$313 all-in – Los Angeles to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Los Angeles (LAX) to Phnom Penh (PNH) on China Airlines (CI). Change planes in Tapei. Bookable at Travelocity. Non-refundable, non-changeable. Usual fare is ~ $1000. Travel on the outbound transpacific sector must commence between 5 September and 4 November, so there’s just a two month window for travel. If you have Priority Club points you could pair this deal with a special at the Phnom Penh Intercontinental, which is showing up as a “Point Breaks” hotel at only 5000 points a night instead of the usual 40,000. Or you could travel a bit farther to Siem Reap and see Angkor Wat. Personally this is another one I’m not taking advantage of. I’d first have to buy airfare to Los Angeles. I don’t have any means to upgrade on China Airlines. CI travel earns 100% of…
I Kinda Wish I Lived in Texas
Aug
01
2007
Because Reliant Energy offers American Airlines miles for using their electricity. The ‘up to 7500 miles’ are broken up and awarded after the 2nd, 6th, and 12th invoices. And I don’t know what their pricing etc. is like. But miles are the second reason (no state income tax is the first) for me to consider moving to Texas.
TSA Director Interviewed and Asked Real Questions
Via Upgrade: Travel Better, Bruce Schneier has a multi-part interview with TSA Director Kip Hawley that makes for a fascinating (though not in my view confidence-inspiring) read. Start with Part One then continue with Two and Three. I’ll be checking back tomorrow and Thursday for parts Four and Five.
Securing Premium Class Awards with Star Alliance
For all the complaints about award travel, and this is something I’ve written about before (and by no means to brag), I really don’t have too much trouble finding award seats. That’s partly because I have a critical mass account balance with several different airlines and major alliances, so when I go to redeem if there isn’t availability with one I simply query another. But it’s also because I redeem nmostly for premium class international travel, and while those tickets aren’t always available on all routes by any means, I’ve often seen the biggest complaints – with a few notable exceptions – to be about the old fashioned 25,000 mile domestic awards. And those are hardly the best value anyway. I’d just assume pay my $250 – $400 for a flight between DC and California,…
What Transportation Used to Cost
Tyler Cowen points to what the cost of transportation used to be, from The Pursuit of Glory, Europe 1648-1815 In England it was calculated that one horse was needed for every mile of a journey on a well-maintained turnpike road. So, for the 185 miles from Manchester to London, 185 horses had to be kept stabled and fed to deal with the seventeen changes required by the stagecoaches which traveled the route. Those horses in turn required an army of coachmen, postillions, guards, grooms, ostlers and stable-boys to keep them running. …A journey from Augsburg to Innsbruck by stagecoach, although little more than 60 miles as the crow flies, would have cost an unskilled laborer more than a month’s wages just for the fare. Kinda puts gripes about airfare in perspective.
More Thai Culinary Blogging
This past weekend I cooked some more of the Thai food I learned to make in a cooking class earlier in the month in Khao Lak. This time, in addition to remaking the soup and chicken dishes previously mentioned, I made duck in red curry. Gaeng Phet Ped Yang (Roasted Duck in Red Curry) roast duck red curry paste veggie oil coconut milk light coconut milk baby eggplant cherry tomato kaffir lime leaf lychee diced pineapple sugar palm fish sauce Heat the oil, add chili paste, then add and saute thinly sliced duck. Add coconut milk, light coconut milk, tomato, eggplant, kaffir lime leaf, sugar palm, salt, and fish sauce. Serve with rice. Yum!
