Insiders Guide to the National Cherry Blossom Festival

The Yoshino cherry trees, which were first given to the United States in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo as a gift to Washington, D.C. are well on their way to peek bloom levels and that only means one thing....the tourists are coming....oh sorry sorry sorry I put on my DC hat there for a second. No, it means that one of the most beautiful times of the year to be in Washington, D.C. is on it's way: The National Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from March 20 to April 14, 2013 in and around the Tidal Basin area of the city.

If you want the insiders guide to the Cherry Blossom Festival, we've got you covered. This year it looks like there is some disagreement as to when the trees will hit their "Peak Bloom" when over 70% of the blooms are open. The National Parks Service, which maintains the Tidal Basin and the Yoshino cherry trees, estimates that the Peak Bloom will occur between March 26-30. The weather forecasters over at the Washington Post say that the bloom might actually occur closer to April 5 due to a colder winter. But the first signs of the blossoms should be coming in the next few weeks so even if you aren't in town for the peak bloom days you will still get a good view of all of these beautiful trees.

 The bad part about the Cherry Blossom Festival is that it is one of the busiest times in Washington, D.C. for tourists. It's right around spring break time for lots of schools and that means families and 8th grad3 Washington trips as far as the eye can see. As a visitor to the city this may not phase you that much, but you will notice it at the Tidal Basin if you try and go in the middle of the day or on the weekends. If you go during those times be prepared to squeeze your way through everyone and having a difficult time getting a good shot of the trees without someone in the background.

If you want to live DC like a local and see the Cherry Blossoms without too much hassle you have to plan on going down on a weekday morning before everyone else has a chance to make it down and while Washingtonians are busy working.

The easiest way to get to the Tidal Basin is to take the Metro system to Smithsonian station. You will want  to go early, but on a weekday just wait until after 9:00 and you will be much happier because commuters will not be blowing by you or rushing you onto a train. But, make sure you follow the basic rules of the DC Metro system. On all escalators you stand on the right and walk on the left side. Safest bet is for everyone to just stand in a single file on the right side and you won't get grief from anyone trying to run for the train. Second rule is that once you reach the bottom of that escalator, keep walking! If you stop at the bottom that means everyone behind you will keep moving and run into you...you don't want this. Third rule is that the easiest way to figure out our Metro system is to look where you are going and find the color of the line that you need to take and the end station on the end of that line. All trains have their line color and the end station (with a few exceptions during rush hour) on them so you know you are on the right train. If you are going to use the Metro system for your whole visit, which I would recommend, consider getting a SmartTrip Card  which will cost you $10 per card, but it will get you $5 in Metro fare and you can reload it at any time and it will save you $1 per use over a paper card.

 When you arrive at the Smithsonian station you will exit on the Independence Avenue side and you will want to cross Independence Avenue and walk on the south side of the street until you cross 15th Street SW and you will take a left and walk down 15th St until you hit Maine Ave SW and you will see the Tidal Basin across the street. The cherry blossoms are all around the Tidal Basin but most people crowd around the area right by Maine Ave so make sure you walk around until you get rid of the main mess of crowds  and you will have a spectacular view!

There is one parking lot that has very very limited parking so unless you have someone with you that has trouble walking or has a disability I would suggest you save yourself the headaches and stress and just let Metro do the driving and work. In the end you be much more excited to enjoy this view as long as you want.

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JD's Newbie Hotel Choice

Important Note: JD and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” Any credit card links in this post will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read JD's post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details.  

This is the last part of Chris and I’s debate on best newbie hotels and airlines. Other parts of our debates can be seen by clicking the links below:

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble (Intro)

JD’s Newbie Airline (US Airways)

Chris’s Newbie Airline (United)

Chris’s Newbie Hotel (Club Carlson)

I was having a hard time picking my newbie hotel. Many would probably guess, I would go with Hilton. I wrote here, why I am sticking with Hilton, even as others around running to other hotels. The benefits of Gold status (upgrades, breakfast, extra points) are very valuable. However, the recent increase in the number of points for a free nights made me think twice as naming it "Best Hotel for Newbies."

That title for me goes to Starwood. Say What!
                                        


Yes, Starwood is my choice for Best Newbie Hotel.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has 9 different hotel brands: Aloft, Four Points, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridean, Element, W, St. Regis and Luxury Collection. With over 1,100 hotels in 100+ countries, Starwood has hotels in almost anywhere you are headed.

The main reason that I am nominating Starwood as Best Newbie Hotel are the reward redemption's. Starwood's loyalty program is called Starwood Preferred Guest or known as SPG, in the mile world.  SPG gives you multiple ways to redeem Starwood points. The most straight forward way to redeem point is for free nights. Starwood Hotels are divided into seven (7) categories with higher category hotels costing more points per night than lower category hotels.

As you can see, SPG gives you the 5 nights for the cost of 4 night, when redeeming points for
categories 3-7. Week long redemption stays are cheaper, because of SPG 5th Night Free feature.

SPG has another feature that let's you stretch your points further: Points + Cash.

As you can see, one can spend points and cash to upgrade better rooms or even suites. I don't know if the spending the points on a suite is the best use, but there are times that it is well worth it: proposing to your girlfriend, impressing the in-laws or throwback high school hotel party.

There is a redemption chart for upgrades paid solely with points, as well:

One of the most interesting uses for SPG points is Flights and Nights. SPG gives you the ability to turn 60,000 Starpoints into 5 nights in a category 3 hotel and 50,000 airline miles or 70,000 Starpoints into 5 nights in a category 4 hotel and 50,000 airline points. The Miles Professor writes here how she use this redemption option to get two nights at the Conrad Tokyo (she transferred the miles to Virgin Atlantic)

I think the redemption option that makes Starwood stand out compared to other hotels is the ability to transfer points to an airline of your choice. What makes Starwood stand out is the transfer rate: 1 to 1. Starwood allows you to transfer their points into 29 different airlines. Only 6 of the 29 airlines don't transfer at a ratio of 1 SPG to 1 airline miles. Go here to see the list of airlines that Starwood allows its members to transfer to. As a basic member, the minimum number of SPG points one must transfer is 2500.

While I told you how you can spend the points with SPG, the other side of the coin is how one earns is SPG points. There are four major ways of earning SPG points:

Stay at their Hotels: 

Members at Preferred Guest level earn two (2) Starpoints for every eligible dollar spent on participating points. One can earn more points per dollar by gaining status within SPG.

Get and Use SPG Card:

Starwood offers a personal and business cobranded AMEX credit card. Currently, the offer is 25,000 SPG points after spending $5,000 in six months (10,000 points after first use and 15,000 points after spending six months). You earn 5 SPG per dollar spent at Starwood Hotels and 1 SPG per dollar on anything else. 

For the past two summers, the offer has increased to 30,000 SPG. I would wait until July to see if the offer comes up unless you need the card now!

Buy Starwood Points

I was hesitant to add this option, but it is an earning option. To buy points go here. Currently, you can save somewhere between 15% to 25% off buying points. Typically, you can by $0.035 per SPG point with a minimum 500 point buy.

Transfer

Transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards or Diner's Club

Frequently, Starwood has promotions to give you the option of increasing your points balance. For instance, in the past two quarters, SPG has offered targeted members opportunities to earn free nights or bonus points by staying at their hotel.

Yes, its nice that they have multiple brands for different price points. Its also great that they have more than 1,100 properties in 100 countries. The bread in butter is your ability to spend the points. Unlike Hilton or Club Carlson, a small amount of points can go far with Starwood. With free nights starting as cheaply as 3,000 or 4,000 points and the option to mix cash and points, a small amount of points can go pretty far. That is why I am recommending SPG for newbies. 

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 Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

Chris' Newbie Hotel Choice: Join the Club

Important Note: JD and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” Any credit card links in this post will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read JD's post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details. 


Now that we have round one of our "newbie challenge" out of the way (read each of our airlines of choice here and here) we will wait for the judges to tabulate the scores and move onto the next round. 

This time it's....hotels! Since JD got to start off the airline round, it's my turn to start off the hotel round. My favorite hotel chain for newbies in the points game is.....Club Carlson.

Club Carlson is the loyalty program for the Carlson Rezidor hotel group which features brands like Radisson, Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inn & Suites by Carlson (Details on each here). They have over 1,000 hotel locations around the world and are currently expanding heavily. I previously wrote about Club Carlson as a possible alternative for Hilton users who were looking to take their loyalty to another hotel after their most recent devaluation. I think that recommendation is something still to consider, but if you are just starting to look for a new hotel program to join, well join them all, but a focus on Club Carlson is a good move. 

The main reason I recommend Club Carlson for newbies is just how easy it is to earn their points, and in turn spend them. Just by signing up you become a "Red" level member and you will earn 20 points per dollar spent on your reservation and you get an extra 1,000 points by booking on Club Carlson's website. If you stay more times at Club Carlson you can move up their elite level to Silver after 15 nights or 10 stays, Gold after 35 nights or 20 stays or Concierge after 75 nights or 30 stays per calendar year.

If you are a Silver or Gold member you earn 2,000 points by booking on the website and 3,000 points at the top Concierge level of status. In addition to the extra points you are eligible for other benefits such as room upgrades, late check-out and points bonuses. When free nights start at 9,000 points per night...that adds up quickly.

Club Carlson Award Chart

Club Carlson also allows you to book awards with a combination of Cash and Points. It depends on the Category of the hotel you are booking, but these are often very reasonable.

 Club Carlson has regularly also offered points earning opportunities just by staying a few nights. Last year during their Big Night Giveaway you could earn 50,000 points just by staying one night at a Radisson and 40,000 miles for staying one night at a Country Inn & Suites or Park Inn. This past fall they also offered the opportunity to get one night free in the United States after staying one night at any property. Through these promotions Kelsey and I earned enough points to secure two nights at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street in London (Category 6 Hotel) and the Radisson Blu in Amsterdam (Category 6 Hotel) for two nights for free.

Recently Club Carlson also introduced a set of Visa Cards with some amazing bonus opportunities. Note that the issuer is US Bank who is notorious about denying applications or downgrading to lower cards upon application. So...double-check your credit levels and make sure you know which card you are offered after applying and as always...be a good steward of your credit and don't take on more than you can spend. 

If you are approved for the Club Carlson Premier Rewards card, the top card, you are eligible to get 85,000 Club Carlson points (50,000 after the first purchase and an additional 35,000 after spending $2,500 in the first 90 days) which will almost get you to two free nights at a Category 6 hotel, their top level. But where you really get the bang for the buck is in the earning potential. Beyond they normal points bonuses you get 10 points per dollar spend at Club Carlson hotels and 5 points per dollar spent at other merchants. You are also gifted Club Carlson Gold Status for as long as you hold the card. But...in my opinion the best feature is the Bonus Award Night feature which means that if you redeem points for two or more consecutive award nights, the last night is free! 

The great rewards program, the large number of locations worldwide and the potential to earn points easily for free nights to dream locations, or just around the corner from home, make Club Carlson the perfect choice for a newbie looking for a good hotel chain to start with!
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Google Reader Ending July 1, 2013

I know that this isn't directly travel related, but stay with me for a minute. The best way I have found to keep track of all of the frequent flyer blogs and news that I read on a daily basis is through Google Reader. It keeps everything organized and brings new content to me as soon as it's posted.

When I logged in a few minutes ago I got a message that said Google Reader was ending as of July 1, 2013 and took me to this blog post. I am so sad to see this feature go and sad that Google isn't seeing value from it anymore. So...I need a new RSS feed...what do you use?


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 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

Chris' Newbie Airline of Choice

Important Note: JD and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” Any credit card links in this post will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read JD's post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details. 

Alright it's time to keep this throw down going. JD made some valid points and got a few nods from the judges...but now it's my turn to lay the hammer down. (Stop: Hammer Time? Sorry sorry I digress). 

My newbie airline of choice, and my personal airline of choice, is......United Airlines! 

I miss the Dreamliner 

As you might know United's frequent flyer program is known as MileagePlus and United as an airline is a member of the Star Alliance. When you accumulate United MileagePlus miles you can use them to over 370 destinations worldwide on United or one of their 26 partner airlines. The hubs for United include: Newark's Liberty International Airport, Houston, Cleveland, Denver, Washington Dulles, Los Angeles, Chicago O'Hare and San Francisco. 

Image Via United Airlines 

The wide range in hubs gives United the edge over US Airways, though post merger with American this will change a bit, but for now it offers tons of different choices all over the country. With most flights on US Airways you know you will have to go through one of three locations, with United your options will be much more abundant and should offer more choices in comparison. 

You can access award travel within the continental United States, Canada and Alaska for 12,500 miles each-way in economy and 50,000 miles to Europe in business. I know this is more than US Airways, but what I believe is an advantage is that you can use your miles for a one-way trip. If you only have enough miles for half of the award, you can book half of the award. With US Airways you are stuck until you have enough to get that 110,000 miles to get to Africa via US Airways. With their current credit card sign up bonus and no Grand Slam promotion to earn valuable miles quickly....United is gaining the edge here. 

As with US Airways you can currently use your United miles on any of their Star Alliance partners. I have used United miles to book flights on Lufthansa in the past and in July we will be using our miles to experience the great service on Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines. When US Airways moves to the oneworld alliance they will still have some great redemption options, but I don't think they are quite up to the level of Star Alliance. Especially with the availability in Asia and the South Pacific that Star Alliance has. United wins on this one here in my book as well. 

Like US Airways, United has the option to earn a decent sign up bonus via their MileagePlus Explorer credit card. The current offer is to earn 30,000 MileagePlus points for $1000 in spending during the first three months. The annual fee of $95 is waived for the first year. This card has had much better sign up bonuses in the past, but I have no idea what will happen in the future...but for all of our sakes I hope it goes back up! Where I think the MileagePlus card has the most value if you are a casual traveler is in the benefits. Your first checked bag is free, which is nice if you have to pack a little bit more. Also you are able to have Priority Boarding privileges in Group 2. That's in the same group as me as a Premier Silver and Premier Gold members. You also get two passes a year to the United Club which is a great way to try out the airline club lifestyle without committing to the fee for a full year membership. 

United also has many of the same other ways to earn extra miles that are equivalent to US Airways, like shopping portals and dining rewards so that's a push in my opinion. 

But where I think United has the edge is from the same exact position that JD uses to justify US Airways...the future. United had some growing pains during their merger with Continental and I understand why some long time fliers are angry at them. But they seem to be getting the kinks out and starting to integrate in better ways which is making for a much better airline. US Airways is going to go through those same growing pains (in different ways, of course) when they merge with American Airlines. What this means, we don't really know, but for now I would rather take the airline that is clear of mergers and is finally getting their feet again. That and for the most part the people at United are very nice. There are a few bad apples, as is to be expected, but for the most part their employees are awesome. Though to become a truly awesome airline they HAVE to be better at social media. 

United has been my favorite airline for years now, and was the first one I ever focused on as my only airline giving me the first opportunity to earn status. The earning options, route networks and partner availabilities make them my newbie airline of choice. Plus...when your airline theme song is Rhapsody in Blue...can you really go wrong? 

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Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com

JD's Newbie Airline Choice

Important Note:  Chris and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” If we do decided to use credit card links, they will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read my post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details.


My choice for the best airline for a Newbie is US Airways. Unconventional choice, many of you are saying.

US Airways’s frequent flyer program is called Dividend Miles. With Dividend Miles, US Airways can get you free flights to over 200 destination in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. US Airways has hubs in Charlotte, NC, Philadelphia, and Phoenix and a large focus city in Washington, DC.

Why is this important?

It allows you to get regularly within the United States for as cheap as 25,000 Dividend Miles and Europe and South America for as little as 60,000 Dividend Miles. In addition, throughout the year, US Airways has time periods that offers discounts on award travel. For example, in 2014, one can spend 35,000 miles for a seat to South America in economy, during February 3- 13 & March 17-April 3.

If you want to spend the miles on premium seats, US Airways can help as well. A ticket to Africa in Business Class costs you 110,000 miles and even stranger a trip to Northern Asia with a stopover in Europe cost only 90,000 miles. This is compared to 120,000 United Mileage Plus Miles for business class to Northern Asia or Africa. American Airlines business class seat costs 150,000 miles to Africa and 100,000 miles to Northern Asia.

The other major benefit of Dividend Miles is that it can be used on other carriers. US Airways is a member, for the near future, of the Star Alliance. This is a golden opportunity. The Star Alliance is made up of over 25 International Airlines and flies to over 1,300+ airports in 190+ countries. Dividend Miles opens the world to you.

The ability to easily spend Dividend Miles is not the only reason, why I am recommending US Airways to my newbie friends. Dividend Miles are very easy to obtain, as well. For instance, US Airways has a cobranded card with Barclays. The offer on the US Airways Main Page offers 30,000 miles after your first purchase with an $89 annual fee. Not many credit cards offer that many points after a first use.

Another way to obtain points is to buy them. Every month, US Airways has offers that range from 30% to 100% mileage bonuses. I don't recommend buying points. Yes, it can bank you easy points, but the cost does not always make sense. However, if you are short 10,000 mile to get an award trip, US Airways constant mileage promotions will make the award trip cheaper.

Another way to earn Dividend Miles is to use various US Airway partners. From eating out Dining Rewards to clicking on links through eMiles, Dividend Miles can be earn by doing almost everything in your life. If you are staying at hotels or rent cars, many Dividend Miles can be earn as well. Finally, you can earn miles at the ratio of one (1) mile flown = one (1) mile earned on many Star Alliance airlines.

The final reason why US Airways is a great airline for newbies is the future. US Airways and American Airlines is eventually going to merge into one airline. Subsequently, the Dividends Miles and AAdvantage programs will become one. If history is any indicator of the future, Dividend Miles will transfer 1 to 1 into AAdvantage similar to the Continental and United merger. Therefore, when US Airways leaves the Star Alliance for OneWorld, your miles can be used there as well. It is the best of both worlds. You can use your miles now in the Star Alliance or later in the OneWorld Alliance.

US Airways Dividend Miles was my first frequent flyer account and over the past 12+ years, it has treated me well and I know it will treat you, newbie, equally as well.

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Newbie Debate: Best Airline & Best Hotel Chain

Chris and I disagree about many things. An interesting conversation brewed recently between the two of us and we were on opposite ends of the spectrum, to some degree. So, we decided to bring our, at times, heated conversation to the blogosphere.

Here are the two questions:

1)      What is the best US based airline for newbies?

2)      What is the best hotel chain for newbies?

When we use the term, “newbies,” we are talking about someone who has zero loyalty with any airline/hotel chain and they have never signed up for loyalty programs with airlines or hotels. A “newbie” is a virgin to loyalty travel.

 A few ground rules:

1)      Newbie lives in the Washington, DC Area

2)      She/he can fly out of DCA, BWI or IAD.

3)      Newbie has a good credit score, but no airline or hotel cards

4)      Has a job, but does not travel for it.

5)      Newbie is focused on overseas travel with a sprinkle of US base travel.

Over the next few days, Chris and I will lay out our arguments on why Newbie should pick our airline or hotel chain. Arguments will be laid out back to back based on the subject. For instance, today, I will argue for my airline and tomorrow, Chris will lay out his airline choice. Then we will move to hotels.

At the end, we hope you, our loyal readers (all five of you); will vote on who persuaded you the most too sign-up for their airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!!!

Important note: Chris and I may talk about the loyalty credit card for our particular airline and hotel in these posts. Credit card sign-up bonuses are an important part of the “game.” If we do decided to use credit card links, they will be public application links taken from the issuer's direct website. We do not earn income from you applying from the links. Similarly, please take an extra minute or two before applying for credit cards. If you do not pay your credit card balance off every month then you should stay away from this aspect of the game. Credit cards can lead to major long-term problems if not used correctly. I encourage you to read my post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details.

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Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us?

E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com