Manufactured Spend Flowchart, Amtrak Credit Card conversion, Travel Hacking When Cash Rich, OneJet, Extended Stay Hotels, Tree Hotel, Crazy Festivals

24 Comments

1. Probably not first

   1. Gold!

2. Why applying for the freedom card? Waste of inquiry and you get a 10-20k bonus. I would only convert a CSP to freedom and rinse and repeat

   1. Wife can’t get another UR card…

      #developing

3. Hey Chris how does that work again ???

   🙂

4. Airbnb is the darling of new media but I don’t think many biz travelers ever use it.

   The popularity of extended stay hotels is pretty obvious: they’re generally better than motels. You get more room, a much better free breakfast, some extra perks (often a happy hour or a free light meal) and some services you might actually use. How often do you use the services of a full service hotel? They’re usually just a rip-off. I would never choose a chain motel if I could stay in a comparable extended stay hotel at a similar price point.

   1. Let there be Airbnb points and we have a winner!

   2. Full service hotels are there for a certain. Type of traveller, that is exactly why spg has 10 different brands to pick from. When I’m travelling on work in a developing country I need to be sure I get certain services from the hotel when I need it: cleaning the only suit I took along, dinner that won’t make me sick, table at a restaurant etc.

      1. You all make good points. I just stated I like these extended term hotels as I have always been pleased with my stays. Maybe it’s a “value” thing 😉

5. Buzz did you get the Panera reward card offer for Free Coffee everyday of the month of Sept?

   https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/mypanera/dashboard.html#utm_source=Loyalty&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=CRM

   1. No…I am never targeted for them because I am there almost every day anyways 🙂

6. TBB, I don’t have a Chase Freedom card. When the conversion comes, will I lose out on any bonus Chase Freedom points I would have received by getting the card. I never had this card (the Freedom). Gasp! Oh dear. What should I do? Who should I ask? How can I go on. 😉

   1. I think yes on: “will I lose out on any bonus Chase Freedom points I would have received by getting the card”

      Wait….are you messing with me? Never had it, really?

      I am torn here…This Amtrak card has been held by my wife for many years, hate canceling it. Then again, hate letting it convert as I will likely get no signing bonus! Even if I did, there is no way to convert to UR points as she was recently shut down on getting a CSP (and had canceled an Ink late last year)….It is a dillemma that has been bothering me…I am leaning towards letting it convert…at this present time #developing

      1. TBB,

         It’s true and I admit it. I never got the Chase freedom card. #OhMy.

      2. She can transfer her UR points to your Ink/CSP/Bold UR account. She will need to add your full account number and you are all set. That’s what I do with my wife’s freedom card UR points.

         1. I thought this was no longer available or iffy as Chase cracked down. We do not have same last names. Can you call in the info or can do this online? I don’t want to raise flags as I hope the UR points bandwagon will return in the future…

            1. TBB and others.

               You can relax now. I just transferred 2000 Chase points to top off my Amtrak account (I got 12,000 points to open an account several years ago). With my limited spend on the card, my 15,000 points will get me a 1 zone Roomette between Denver and Portland OR. Meals are included. This will be my first longhaul trip. Amtrak is asking $819 for this trip. That’s almost 5.5 cents per point. Yikes. I should start blogging about this, rather than piggyback onto this post. 😉

               Now if only TBB would post a link to his train trip. I would find it just as useful as his EZE report was several years ago. 😉

               1. Found what I was looking for. https://travelbloggerbuzzcom.wp1.sh/travel-reports/megatrip-planes-trains-and-cows/

                  1. Roomettes suck! But for a 1 zone trip it would be all right 🙂

                     Enjoyed immensely that Amtrak trip. So sad to let that award go bye bye. You can blame me for killing the deal lol.

                  2. I don’t see any issue even if your last names are different. As long as you are wife/husband(Chase asks you to confirm), you are fine.

                     I redeemed 80000 points for family bedroom from Bay Area to Chicago and back on California Zephyr. Trip is in December but its only time when I can get time-off for kids and me.

7. Good extended-stay hotels are great for family travel, so I’m happy if opening more properties is a trend. It is so much easier to put the kids to bed in a separate room. When a family of 4 with young kids is stuck in the same hotel room, the adults frequently have to go to bed at the same time (or at least turn out the lights for a good amount of time until the kids fall asleep). And of course, there is the lack of privacy for the adults. 😉 So I’m all for more extended-stay properties as long as the price is not too far out of whack.

   1. I agree! Going forward this may not be an issue for us any longer….but, darn it, I REALLY like the extra space and the evening reception…love chicken wings lol

8. Free-quent Flyer misses the key point. When you have money (and I spent 16 years in the City so I probably count) then your miles are worth more!

   If I cannot get a business class flight somewhere, I just buy one. Similarly, we regularly spend £750+ per night on hotel suites for our family – if I can get those free, it is a genuine saving. If you would normally never spend more than £100 on a hotel then you haven’t ‘saved’ £750 if you get that suite – but I have.

   1. Usually posts about miles/points valuations bore me. We are all different. I linked to that one because it had an interesting angle. And it was a slow day 🙂

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