Mar 08 2016

American Express hasn’t even lost Costco charges yet, and it’s reeling. Here’s the inside story on how Amex lost the Costco deal. Delta is their second largest co-brand, but with Marriott buying Starwood they presumably lose the ability to issue Starwood co-brands at some point when the programs are expected to merge. Although American Express wants to find a way to keep the Starwood card post-merger.

American Express lost the JetBlue co-brand to Barclays though it’s small. Their network is no longer used for Fidelity card transactions.

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Mar 07 2016

I ran into four different couples who came up and introduced themselves to me last month at the Park Hyatt Maldives. I got another email from a reader who saw me there but didn’t say hello. That’s at a resort with only 50 rooms. We’ve taken over.

The Park Hyatt Maldives is a great aspirational property. As a category 6 (not 7!) hotel in the Gold Passport program, it’s a great value for 25,000 points a night when room rates often exceed $1000. And it’s a great use of the 2 free nights that come with the Hyatt Visa.

One of the folks I met there, Steve S., shared the rest of their trip with me by email:

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Mar 07 2016

I love the American Express Centurion lounge in Dallas. I transit DFW more than any other airport. Depending on the day of week American has 14 or 15 flights a day between my home airport in Austin and their hub at Dallas Fort-Worth.

When the lounge first opened it was a marvel: good quality chef-inspired hot food, good cocktails, a complimentary spa and showers not to mention stylish furnishings. The problem is that it’s gotten more and more crowded.

I like taking matters into my own hands and I’ll share with you what I do, fully realizing that readers may wind up taking the option away from me…

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Mar 07 2016

I had read about the reduced seat pitch in British Airways intra-European business class, “Club Europe.” I knew it was 30 inches. But surely it had to be a spacious 30 inches. Like Donald Trump’s hands, it wasn’t.

Now there’s no more legroom in business class than there is in coach, and it’s an inch less legroom than the major US airlines offer in coach. Instead, British Airways “Club Europe” is coach with a blocked middle seat and a cold meal tray.

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Mar 07 2016

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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Mar 07 2016

American was, for many years, a bankruptcy waiting to happen. They pushed it off and pushed it off while they lost money and their competitors drove down costs through what Donald Trump refers to as “the Chapters.”

They lost control of the process though and wound up being taken over by US Airways rather than emerging independent. Time and again American management expressed a desire to emerge independent and then consider any merger. For all the time American spent waiting to enter Chapter 11, they still had plenty of cash on hand and an ability to meet their creditor obligations — though not a long run likelihood of returning to profitability.

One irony is that if they had waited longer they probably could have emerged independent. A year or so longer and the would have been in bankruptcy while fuel prices were dropping, they would have turned profitable and legacy management might have remained in place. However, three things happened:

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Mar 06 2016

Bali is one of my favorite relaxing places in the world. I go to the Maldives often, but it can be tough to get to and tough to get awards to. When folks come to me looking for French Polynesia and can’t find awards I’ll often suggest Bali.

It’s an interesting place with good food, cultural activities, and some of the world’s friendliest people. And there’s fantastic luxury accommodations available at reasonable prices for those spending US dollars.

Viceroy Bali is a family-owned resort with just 25 private pool villas. It’s in the artistic region of Ubud, so a nice departure from the more sterile Nusa Dua area of Westernized resorts. It’s a TripAdvisor 5-star and 2016 Travelers Choice award winner. I’ve seen very few properties with reviews this good. In fact, It’s TripAdvisor’s #11 of top 25 luxury hotels in the world.

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Mar 06 2016

This is a short trip report, British Airways first class enroute Paris and back in business class — a great opportunity to compare two very controversial products. Some say BA’s first class is really just a good business class. While not the over-the-top experiences offered by some Asian or Middle Eastern airlines, I found it to be solid. Business class, on the other hand, was… certainly better than coach.

Along with that another return to the Park Hyatt Vendome, which in many ways is an overrated hotel but that I also believe is one of the best award values going for a very nice hotel in a part of the city I much enjoy. Coupled with the benefits of a Hyatt Diamond, it’s still hard to beat in my opinion.

Upcoming installments will cover the Park Hyatt, Paris, and the return journey. This post covers planning and executing the flights and travel from Austin to London.

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Mar 06 2016

Delta’s incoming President doesn’t want you to redeem your miles for free tickets. Instead he wants you to use your miles at a penny apiece for Stella Artois beer in the airline’s SkyClubs. That’s a bad idea.

Don’t use your points for a new LCD toaster. Do consider using your points (when it won’t break the bank) for an up close performance, with just a few other folks, by a world-renowned artist if that’s the kind of thing that interests you. Or go to the Oscars, because without the contacts your bank has when in the world would you ever get to otherwise?

Both Starwood and Hilton have some great new opportunities.

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Mar 06 2016

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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