Through July 26, Delta is offering 2500 miles each way (no roundtrip required) on the Delta Shuttle between DC, New York, and Boston. Registration is required, and all standard paid fare classes qualify (even L, U, and T fares). That’s 5000 bonus miles roundtrip, and I’m seeing weekend fares under $150. Since it’s “per segment” a shuttle flight in conjunction with a longer itinerary should count, at least that’s my read, so (especially if you live in a shuttle market) you may want to add connections onto your larger Delta itineraries to include shuttle flights. Sadly, for those with Northwest elite status, you’ll need to credit to a Delta Skymiles account in order to earn this bonus.
Novotel Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok Airport Hotel)
Hotel: Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport 999 Suvarnabhumi Airport HotelMoo 1 Nongprue Bang PhliSamutprakarn – 10540 BANGKOK – THAILAND Tel : (+66)2/1311111 My recollection from past stays was that the airport Novotel had a representative outside of door 4. This time as we headed over there two Thai ladies were at a desk inside the door, checking guests against an arrivals sheet. She asked my name but I wasn’t on the list. I showed her my printed confirmation for my prepaid rate, and we invited me out the door to the waiting hotel shuttle bus. We pulled up to the front of the hotel, grabbed our bags, and went upside. One of the staff members was ready to assist me, and it turns out that I walked in just in time because a sleuth of guests queued…
American AAdvantage Mileage Earning to Cease on Air Tahiti Nui
A minor note for most, to be sure, but after November 1 it will no longer be possible to earn American miles flying Air Tahiti Nui. I don’t know the backstory here. For years Air Tahiti Nui was a redemption-only partner of American. Then they added Northwest as a redemption partner, there was talk of linking up with Delta for redemptions, and they began offering mileage accrual with American as well. Now the notice says that redemption will conitnue, but no more accrual. Of course, it will still be possible to accrue miles in Air Tahiti Nui’s program. But they don’t really have too many partners, most people flying Air Tahiti Nui will only do so once (roundtrip). For those who can build up a decent stash of their miles, though, upgrades are pretty easy…
Flight From Chiang Rai Back to Bangkok
3:30 pm Chiang Rai, Thailand (CEI) to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) Thai Airways Flight 135 Business Class Seat Assignment at Check-in Duration: 1h 15m Airbus A300-600R 414 miles traveled We left the hotel a little bit after 2pm for our 3:30pm flight and even that was more than plenty early. We were at the airport in about 10 minutes, checked in within two minutes of our arrival (after running our bags through security screening at the entrance) and there was no line whatever for security screening before the gate area. There’s a Thai Airways lounge at the airport, but it’s not much better than waiting outside in the terminal. A woman checks eligibility for entry into the lounge, but there’s a sign on her desk that says “Self Service.” Although there’s not much service you can…
Northern Thai Cuisine Cooking Class at Le Meridien Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai Cooking Class at the Le Meridien: On our last morning at the resort we scheduled a cooking class. I don’t like early morning departures, I’m tired and I’m not relaxed and that really cuts against the whole point of the resort stay. But afternoon departures can leave us feeling antsy, basically just waiting around and killing time until it’s time to fly. So we always try to schedule an activity for the last morning, and on Southeast Asia trips in particular that usually means a cooking class. I enjoy cooking Asian dishes, and usually do bring back what I learn in the class to prepare at home. In advance of the stay I e-mailed Le Meridien to find out whether they offered classes. I did look into what else one might do in…
50% Bonus on Hotel Points Transfers to US Airways
Via One Mile at a Time, US Airways is offering a 50% bonus on hotel and rental car activities through July 31. Hotel points transfers are included in the offer, too, and registration is required. This is pretty exciting for Starwood points transfers — for example, 60,000 Starwood points normally transfer to 75,000 US Airways miles (since they give you 5000 bonus miles for each 20,000 points transferred). With this promo the same 60,000 Starwood points yields 112,500 US Airways miles. Make the transfer 65,000 Starwood and you wind up with 120,000 US Airways miles — enough for a first class Star Alliance award from North America to North Asia. For example, you could fly ANA first class from Chicago to Tokyo, connect on to Shanghai, and then fly Asiana first class Shanghai to Seoul…
Feel Sorry for Me
For the first time in a year (and even then, that was the first time in 7 years..) my cross-country upgrade didn’t clear and I flew in coach. And it was Delta coach, it makes me realize just how much those extra 3 inches of legroom on United matter, though even that’s not pleasant because width is just as important. I had an aching neck since much earlier in the morning, and boy coach didn’t help. It was a 757, no onboard internet. And live TV is boring because, well, most TV is boring. Though if HBO’s Big Love or Entourage showed new-ish episodes I might’ve paid the $2. Instead I happily had downloaded the latest Upgd Podcast, so that helped kill half an hour. Fortunately my return upgrade cleared, I don’t think I can…
Touring the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle Thailand Tour: I pinged a few tour providers in the Chiang Rai area and they were all quoting prices close to what the Le Meridien was asking for the tours arranged through the hotel. I decided to go with the hotel booking for convenience (of course they are contracting with a local tour operator, but do handle everything and ensure the guide and driver are there for us on time, provide their waters and cold cloths, etc).. I did feel a little bit trite in requesting their “tour #7” Doi Mae Salong / Golden Triangle full day tour. But after emailing the hotel and having them send me a list of the tours they offer (a one-page .pdf sheet of each, which is also duplicated in a book in the room) I decided…
Credit Card Legislation and the Effect on Rewards Cards
By request (thanks Colleen), my predictions on what new credit card legislation will mean for earning miles and points. It seems a rather odd time for Congress to be pushing legislation to reign in “excesses” of the credit card industry, certainly the narrative isn’t that banks are taking advantage of poor people and earning too much profit. (If that were the case, they wouldn’t be on the TARP dole.) Certainly there are industry practices which strike many as ‘egregious’ with respect to changing fee and terms and conditions that customers may not understand. At the same time much of the alarmism is misplaced. It’s been a common refrain that if we take revenue away from the credit card companies in one dimension, they’re going to have to make up for it in others — spelling…
Common Bangkok Scam
Frugal Travel Guy experiences a common, annoying scam in Bangkok. He shows up at a tourist site, is told by a local that “it’s closed” and is offered an inexpensive tour that winds up at a jewelry shop. Relatively harmless as far as scams go, but can easily ruin a day of sightseeing. It’s one reason that, in an inexpensive destination, I like to hire a guide for the day on my first visit to a city. I’m basically paying one tout to fight off all the others for me, and give me a more seamless experience…
