Saturday, March 30, 2013

Radisson Blu Mall of America Offer

I opened my Club Carlson Visa statement (yes, I still get paper statements) today and noticed an offer for the Radisson Blu @ the Mall of America.




The offer is broken into two options: one for those with personal cards and another for those with business cards. 


Business Cards: Earn Triple Gold Points when you book and stay at Radission Blu Mall of America, when you use your Club Carlson Visa Card.

To get this benefit, you can book online at www.radisson.com/buscardmoatriplepoints or call 
1-800-333-3333 and ask for the Radission Blu Mall of America Business Card Triple Points Offer.

Personal Cards: Receive complimentary breakfast daily for up to 4 people and guaranteed late check out until 3pm when you use your personal Club Carlson Visa Card.

To get this benefit, you can book online at www.radisson.com/ccvisamoabreakfast or call 1-800-333-3333 and ask for the Radission Blu Mall of America Card Breakfast Offer.

Both offers are available from now until September 2nd.

Offer is subject to availability and may not be used in combination with any other offer, package or promotion that requires the use of special promotion codes. We reserve the right to add, modify, or discontinue the Offer without notice. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions.

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

Friday, March 29, 2013

WSJ: Airline Passenger's Rights

The always informative and very well done "The Middle Seat" blog at the Wall Street Journal this week took a look at how passenger's rights on airlines have changed over the past few years as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood prepares to step down.

In Sec. LaHood's time the Dept. of Transportation has implemented changes that were aimed at curbing long tarmac delays, show the full ticket cost and taxes at time of purchase, increased compensation options for involuntary bumps and my favorite option....the 24-hour cancellation on all tickets (Remember: Book first, ask questions later...well within 24-hours).

But the article highlights the failure of a committee that was formed by Congress to address the problems consumers are facing and make recommendations to Congress and the Dept of Transportation. The only recommendation that came out of it...relief areas for pets in airports. So  there seems to be many more things that need to be done. What changes would you like to see from the DOT to help improve passenger's rights?


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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Delta GrandSlam Update: Delta AMEX Gold

Important Note: We talk about credit card sign-up bonuses on our blog because they 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 my post on Young People and the Chains of Credit Card Debt for more details.  

I have been pretty silent on my Delta Grandslam, as of late. I have completed 8 of the 10 partner offers, so there is at least 1,000 Skymiles on the table. You can read more about the Delta Grand Slam here, here, and here.

Moving to another section of the Delta GrandSlam: Getting the Delta Amex Gold

The official section reads:

           "Not already a SkyMiles Credit Cardmember? Get up to 30,000 bonus miles 
           with the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. That's 
           up to 25,000 miles for getting the Card, plus an additional 5,000 miles now 
           as a new SkyMiles member. On top of that, earn one mile for eligible everyday 
           purchases and double miles for Delta purchases. Plus, get a free checked bag on
           every Delta flight"

However, the terms and condition state:

             "Credit Card Partners: 5,000 bonus miles earned for signing up for the           
              Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card. Only approved accounts are eligible                     
              for bonus miles."

I bring the terms and conditions up, because it only states that you have to be approved for Gold Delta Skymiles Credit Card. Therefore, one can earn points for any offer out there, not just the 25,000 mile offer.

With that said, a few days a go, I received an offer via email for a 40,000 Delta SkyMiles AMEXCard. The offer requires you to spend $1,000 miles in 3 months. A link to the direct site is here. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year. The offer is good until April 28, 2013.

If you get apply and get approved by this offer, you would have 45,000 SkyMiles (40,000 from card + 5,000 from the new member bonus). There is a risk that you might not get the 5,000 bonus. However, I feel like you would have a great argument to fight them not giving them to you.

On the other hand, I have read from bloggers about a 45,000 mile offer. It takes some time, but if you go to the Hustler Money Blog he will walk you through the steps. I just tried this steps and the offer is there, as of 11pm 3/27/13. The offer is slightly harder than the one above: 25,000 miles after the first purchase, 20,000 additional after spending $5,000 in 6 months. If you get this offer, you would then have 50,000 miles (45,000 from the credit card sign-up bonus + 5,000 new member bonus).

As a friendly reminder, take a screen shot of the landing page with the offer. This will be your proof, if you need to fight it later on.

Unfortunately, I am unable to apply for this card now, because I just got some new credit cards last month. It always seems the best offers come out in the middle of my wait periods. My Delta anniversary is coming up in July, so I better get with flying with Delta, earning my last two partner rewards, and getting the AMEX card...otherwise, I am leaving valuable miles on the table . . .


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Coalition of Flight Attendants: No Knives on Planes

The recent policy change announced by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) that would allow small knives and many items of sports equipment starting April 25 is stirring up quite the controversy. The Coalition on Flight Attendant Unions which represents over 90,000 flight attendants across the country have come out publicly against the ban and are actively campaigning for it's end.

On March 21 flight attendants across the country handed out leaflets to passengers at the airport urging their support to contact TSA and say they do not support the rule changes. Today the head of the Coalition, a flight attendant for United, went on MSNBC's Morning Joe program and indicated that the Coalition doesn't see where the TSA is coming from on this rule change and their members and the passengers they serve and protect don't either. She indicated that it seems like the TSA believes that "security stops at the cockpit door" and now flight attendants are not only expected to do their duty and keep the cabin safe, but also be prepared to take care of anyone who is acting out on the plane...now possibly with a knife. I'll post the video of the whole interview once it is available. EDIT: Here is the video from MSNBC.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



The Coalition has started a petition on the White House's website to ask the Obama administration to rescind the policy. The petition currently has almost 40,000 signatures and if it can cross the 100,000 signature mark it will require an administration response. It will be interesting to see if all of the resistance from the flying professionals will cause any change from the TSA, or if this will just make them dig in their heels even more.

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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

Monday, March 25, 2013

Check Your Mail: 5,000 Hyatt GoldPoint Offer

I came home tonight from a very busy day to some happiness. I received a piece of mail offering me 5,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points after spending $3,000 on the Chase Hyatt Credit Card. Scott at Hack My Trip reported getting the offer last evening just before we posted.


One needs to visit https://hyatt.mychasebonus.com or call 1-877-532-3815.

 Since you need an enrollment code, I guess its limited to those who got it. However, check your snail mail, because I though this was a flyer talking about their Spring stay bonus and almost tossed it,

Well, time to switch some spending.

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Biscuits and BBQ: Do It For the Food Chapel Hill, NC Edition

A few weeks ago if you followed us on Twitter you might have noticed our...well JD's...consumption of a level of Voodoo doughnuts in Portland that would make Mayor Bloomberg faint. As the sugar coursed through our body we decided that it would be a great idea to start a new feature when we travel...not just reviews of the hotels or nice international flights we take, but the food that we eat.

JD and I are both foodies and are always interested in going for the best local options that new cities have to offer. You can get a real sense of the culture of a city by the local restaurants that are around and the ones that all of the locals go to. JD often plays a game when traveling that involved only going to restaurants and bars that are recommended by workers at other restaurants and bars. This way you get to the place that the people who work in the business want to sit down for a meal at. So...we bring you the first edition of...#DoItForTheFood.

Our first city is Chapel Hill, NC. As I posted on Friday I was on my own in Chapel Hill while Kelsey was busy trying to decide where she would be going to grad school next year. I knew that Chapel Hill had a great reputation for food...and the prospect of biscuits and BBQ had me salivating and I let my nose guide me to the perfect foodie day in Chapel Hill.

Starting off I walked from the University of North Carolina campus to the start of the town of Carrboro, NC. It ended up being about a 20-30 minute walk, but it was beautiful out and I needed to stretch my legs and stay active so it was well worth it. After walking for a bit I stumbled upon Jessee's Coffee and Bar and the prospect of a good cup of coffee drew me in. The small shop has about 10 tables and a big bar that you can sit at. They roast their own Espresso and Coffee and it was clear that the latte I had was fresh and the espresso roast was amazing. I also ordered an egg, bacon and cheese sandwich on a fresh made biscuit that I could have had at least 10 more of. The biscuit was warm and flaky and the egg, bacon and cheese cures whatever ails you as always. I also sampled the coffee offerings at The Looking Glass Cafe in Carrboro and it was very good if you need another option.

After walking over 5 miles and not realizing that the local buses were free I had worked up quite an appetite for lunch so I used my nose and eyes to find the restaurant along Franklin Street in Chapel Hill that seemed to have the most people in it still at 1:00 pm and ended up choosing Spanky's Restaurant & Bar . Spanky's has been a Chapel Hill institution since 1977 and their menu was inspired by local ingredients and their beer menu featured almost exclusively local brews. I sat at the bar for lunch and the service was great and all of the staff members were wonderful. I went for the BBQ sandwich (of course) which was bbq pork with a spicy NC style vinegar based sauce and topped with slaw. Now I'm a Kansas City BBQ purist and refuse to recognize that their might be a better kind of BBQ...but I gotta say...this was absolutely amazing Q. The pork was beautifully smoked and the sauce was spicy but full of flavor. I would have ordered another, but I had to save room for more biscuits the next day. ;)

After meeting up with Kelsey and wandering around Chapel Hill for a bit it was time for dinner and we wanted to have a drink along with dinner so we opted to go for the local Carolina Brewery Brewpub and Restaurant. On the drink front Kelsey went for the Sky Blue Golden Ale which was a Kolsch style ale. I went for the Copperline Amber Ale which is my favorite Red Ale with just a bit of hopps and a slight bitter aftertaste. For food we both went with the burger which was well seasoned and delicious so it really hit the spot.

Hopefully this will be a decent guide for those that are visiting Chapel Hill and looking for some options of where to eat. If you live in the area or used to live in the area and I missed out on some places, or your disagree...let me know...because I want to know where you would go so I can go there when we go back!

Now I just want biscuits and BBQ....
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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Introduction: End of Year - Tokyo Trip

My end of the year trip to Tokyo was born out of boredom. Yes, boredom. But I need to take a step back before we move forward.

2012 was year of change for me. After five years, I left my first real job at a local community bank to move to a "to big to fail" bank. After three months, I learned quickly that I did not fit well with this bank and quickly signed up with a local mortgage company. 2012 = 3 different jobs. My horoscope for 2013 says that the winds of change are finally calming down. Looking back, 2012 was one big tornado.

Back to the story, one night in November, I was at work late and had enough of this refinance "from hell" (On a side note, not telling your loan officer, you just leased a car, in the middle of your refinance, is not a good thing.) I need something to look forward to. I was having hard time justifying my work. I was the one who said "he works to travel." My last major trip was February. I needed to change my travel drought quickly. That night I put together the trip.

I knew I wanted to go to Asia, as it would knock another continent off my bucket list. Tokyo was the only destination available. My dream destination was an Asia country with warm weather and a beach, but with less than 30 days before the trip, one can't be to picky. It was either Tokyo or Connecticut for the holidays and the decision became a no brainer.

The entire trip was booked using online portals except for the Hyatt stays that had to be booked via the phone. I did not use a booking service (thought about it). I used the United website to book the outward bound flight and American Airline's website for the return flight. Therefore, anyone can recreate this trip.
As I detailed here, I used United miles for my trip from Washington, DC to Frankfurt in  United First and then onward to Tokyo on ANA in their Dreamliner. While in Tokyo, I used my free nights from the Chase Hyatt Visa to stay at the Park Hyatt for two nights. My last three nights were at the Tokyo Hilton using points for two nights and cash for the remaining night.To get home, all that was available was American First from Tokyo to Washington, DC with an overnight in Chicago. My night in Chicago was spent at the W Lakeshore.

I will breakdown my trip into 9 parts:

Introduction
Tale of Two Lounges - Dulles Airport
Onward to Tokyo - First Class United & ANA Dreamliner
Castle in the Clouds - Park Hyatt Tokyo
Day Trip to Kamakura
Tokyo Hilton
A Blast From the Past - American First Class
Tale of Two Lounges - Narita Airport
The Joan Rivers Hotel - W Chicago Lakeside
Wrap-Up of Trip

I hope this trip report gives you the inspiration to start your own amazing trip. For many months, I would read other people's trip reports, wondering one day I could have my own trip. Yes, this is my second international trip paid for by points, (my first being Niger - trip report to come soon) but my first international trip for less than $500 out of pocket. Again, I hope this brings you the inspiration to start planning your own trip, because the first step in your own dream trip is the dream.