Mar 26 2016

On Monday Marriott increased their offer substantially to take the lead in the acquisition of Starwood. Marriott’s offer is 0.8 Marriott shares and $21 in cash for each Starwood share. A shareholder vote scheduled for April 8.

SEC filings that reveal the previous offers that Chinese insurer Anbang made for Starwood along the way to the most recent offers of $78 cash and Marriott’s offer which is valued at $75.91 as of Friday’s market close (Marriott’s shares fell on the announcement of their new offer for Starwood, again on the Brussels airport attacks, and have continued to slide.)

Anbang apparently made higher offers late last year, and Starwood’s board’s insistence on a lower breakup fee than Marriott wanted in their counter-offer suggest a window for the Chinese insurer to make a new bid.

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Mar 26 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 26 2016

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile has their Ambassadors Suites for sale at just $142 a night plus tax. Availability is reportedly August 2 through December 30.

All room types appear to be coming up at the same rate. Note that in addition to lounge access, the rate itself while prepaid and non-refundable also includes breakfast.

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Mar 26 2016

JetBlue flight 29, an Embraer ERJ-190 (registration N273JB) from Washington National to Nassau, failed to show nose gear down and locked so the pilot decided to go around and make a low approach to allow visual inspection.

They determined that the gear was not extended. It was nearly completely inside the wheel well. And since they weren’t able to rectify the situation, preparations were made to land with the gear up.

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Mar 25 2016

I visited three of the four lounges in Houston’s terminal D. There’s the airport’s own Executive Lounge which I will cover in this post and is used by Emirates and also Lufthansa among others. There’s also a KLM lounge and an Air France lounge separately (odd, since they’re jointly owned and mere gates apart). And there’s a British Airways lounge that I didn’t have access to on this trip.

In a few months the terminal will be getting an American Express Centurion lounge. And the terminal itself is slated for replacement so lounge options will change entirely in a few years. Of course the terminal is connected airside to the other terminals in Houston, so for instance you can visit United Clubs as well.

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Mar 25 2016

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is the 45 year old CEO and approximately 90% owner of VietJet, the first private airline to gain approval to operate in Vietnam. She expects to sell up to 30% of the airline in an IPO this year.

She made her first million at 21 trading fax machines and latex rubber. Her other major holdings are in commercial real estate.

The airline is turning a profit on half a billion dollars of annual revenue, and has 35 Airbus narrowbody aircraft, up from just 3 four years ago, and nearly 180 on order. The IPO seeks to value the airline at a billion dollars. And she loves the bikinis…

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Mar 25 2016

American Express lost 10% of its card business when they lost the Costco deal. Here’s an inside account of how American Express lost the business. As costly as it was for American Express to lose Costco, it would have been more costly to retain Costco.

Details of what were expected to be the new Citibank Costco card were leaked in a regulatory filing, and we were led to believe it was basically the same product offer as the American Express Costco card — only a Visa rather than an American Express. It turns out that’s wrong, and the new Citi card is better.

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Mar 25 2016

A week and a half ago I wrote about the Andaz Maui not living up to the really high standards it set on my first visit.

There was stained furniture in the room and a terrible shrieking noise that emanated for the door. The phones in the room didn’t work. Room service delivered and then re-delivered used condiments. One of the elevators smelled like pot, something other commenters had noticed at the property in the past.

And the hotel was simply busy, a far cry form the peaceful enclave I experienced on my first visit and closer to the ‘resort factory’ (e.g. 20 minute wait to be seated for the breakfast buffet) I prefer to avoid.

That said, on cash and points the stay was still a good value for money. I did get my money’s worth, especially since I wound up in an ocean view room ultimately and with free Diamond breakfast.

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Mar 25 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 24 2016

Garry Shandling died suddenly today at aged 66.

I was fond of him because growing up I didn’t know too many people named Gary (really, anyone) and even though he had an extra ‘r’ that was close enough. Plus he was pathbreaking in many ways. His The Larry Sanders Show spoofed a behind the scenes look at talk shows, and was an early adopted of using guest stars who play themselves.

Shandling of course was the lead passenger on Saturday Night Live‘s Redneck Airlines.

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