We share the devastating news of Accor buying Fairmont, show you how to go about canceling Southwest flights, travel to Barcelona & Iceland & so much more!
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Well, I don’t know about you but keeping this hobby is getting harder and harder. The beatings continue. The latest one is Accor Hotels buying my beloved Fairmont! The news release is HERE (thanks to Frequent Flyer Bonuses on Twitter) for letting me know about it while I started eating lunch and quickly lost my appetite! As a Lifetime Platinum member this is devastating news! I am too distraught to gather my thoughts right now. Never in a million years I would guess Accor Hotels. Please send condolences. I knew this was not going to last long but…still…it hurts! When you get comments at this FlyerTalk thread like “Even IHG would be better than Accor” you know this is an awesome fail of a fit. I am really staggering off the floor now…to continue…blogging…for…you. First blog post I saw on it was at Loyalty Lobby. Way too soon but it does not look good. If you never had the Fairmont plastic you may want to get it for two free nights as it may not be sticking around! #theendisnear
Travel With Grant has a fantastic post about how to cancel Southwest Airlines flights (paid or points) & view travel funds. Notice the absolute beauty and stunning symmetrical proportions of those red arrows! 🙂
Kiva is moving into loaning money, up to $10,000, to US small businesses. Very interesting!
KLM’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I swear, KLM has the most impressive email newsletter that is like a magazine. Every time I click it I get amazed. Very creative web stuff, wow.
If you only had three days in Barcelona. Another AFAR list. May come handy for us as Mrs. TBB asked to go with daughter as they really enjoyed it when I sent them to Paris last year for a week. #developing
Iceland from Above. Amazing video!
Godchecker. Your Guide to the Gods. Stunning reference site, everything you ever wanted to learn about any God…is here! You are welcome, click my links, gracias!
The S&P 500 Hot Hand Fallacy. Fantastic piece by A Wealth of Common Sense again. He is a fellow suffering Detroit Lions fan too!
AP Photos Top 100 News Images of 2015. Stunning pictures, some graphic, you have been warned.
What using the toilets looks like around the world. Hey Ramsey, gimme a break, please be gentle. This is to educate readers how good we have it here in the US. I just wish sometimes I could afford a Japanese toiletin my home. Only then I can become a True Titan 🙂
And I leave you with this…
How was your day? It can’t be worse than THIS guy!
I used to be a Northwest Platinum Elite for years with a 100% upgrade streak. Then Delta bought them and that was that. I became Inner Circle something in Kimpton and then IHG bought them. I had SPG Gold for years and was not that thrilled and then a program I avoided like the plague (looking at you Marriott) bought them. And now my Lifetime Platinum Elite status with Fairmont is going to be rolled into Accor Platinum…huh? Accor????? At some point, at this rate, why bother? Time to check out basket weaving and tai chi. Actually I may pick up a new hobby: drone racing. Client is into it and sent me a link to a starter drone and I may just do it. Oh, wait a minute, I will then click to make that a direct affiliate Amazon product link and sit back and watch all the dough roll in #titanicthoughts.
Every time a hater calls me a pumper and that I have turned into just like “them”, I just laugh and remember this blog post 🙂 I think I am going to do an extra dose of pump just to have some fun around here #confrontationalTBB #butstillnice #really I guess Mommy Points did not pump enough then! Some readers are just way too entertaining sometimes.
And then I went on a mini rant very late at night trying to finish this blog post so I can finally get some sleep. I felt better afterwards. Will my prediction come true? Many small blogs will die in 2016! I have been wrong before lol.
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Maybe today-come on baby, papa’s gotta win!
Golden finally!
Silver it is. Really think its worth applying for the Fairmont card?
This guy thinks it is. I agree with his reasoning. If you can use the free nights at a superb property that is. Maybe get 2 more free nights for SO and combine to a 4 night stay? Just like the SPG cards, this one is going to go away most likely in 2016!
http://pointscentric.com/2015/12/10/so-i-guess-it-is-finally-time-to-get-the-chase-fairmont-visa-credit-card/
And this guy likes the acquisition. “Why I like Accor Hotels Fairmont Hotels purchase”
http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2015/12/10/why-i-like-accor-hotels-fairmont-hotels-purchase/
If you use Accor Hotels and was not a faithful Fairmont Elite…sure!
Be thinking of you over Christmas as I’m on my fave Toto brand in Tokyo. Oh god, the days as a Northwest Platinum were grand! I too accomplished the 100% upgrade success multiple years in a row… And upgrading to WBC on M fares… Cats meow. So sad on where the “hobby” is today…
It’s amazing how much has changed…for the worse. Consolidation is just not good for this hobby!
When I become a Titan my first splurge buy will be a Toto toilet 🙂
@MrNice, I had the pleasure to use a Toto at the Hyatt in Kauai. Very fun and was thinking of upgrading the bluecat family throne to one of those.
But then—and excuse the “disguistingness” of what follows—I noticed some “splatter residue” on the walls surrounding the throne. Apparently, those little jets of water can be powerful.
So, dear TBB readers, please tell me if you have also noticed this terrible, terrible downside to the Toto! I need to know if what I saw was caused by “operator error” or a common occurrence!!! (<— 3 !'s)
The better Totos have a control where you can turn it down several notches. I have had frightening encounters with Totos set up too high and some of the knockoff Totos in Asia are set so high it is like the firing squad on your butt. So, please dear readers, make sure you check the settings!
I too aspire to own one of these wonderful inventions and think they are totally worth it.
One day…one day 🙂
We are too bored…
United brings back free snacks…yawn, like a few free stale peanuts will do the trick from a dismal flying experience.
American Airlines to introduce Premium Economy class because its fare structure was not confusing enough already
PSA: Never waste time using the Amex Chat Online, they are incompetents! Always call..
Boss is telling us to pump to get back at that angry hater bitching hater who complained this site…pumps. Hey dude, you do a blog for a month then & see how you like it, your eyebrow hair may start disappearing lol.
This is a REALLY slow morning, wow!
I 2nd the notion to call instead of chat. For the AirBnB rebate on Amex, I called in to complain about not getting the Offer credit on an Airbnb gift cert purchase and they immediately posted $50 credits. Nice.
We are all scared waiting to feel Ramsey’s toilet-induced wrath.
Please pray for us! If it is that bad, we will quit…again lol.
Costco revenue down last quarter. What was the reason they gave (according to WSJ)? NO MORE AMEX SIGNUP COMMISSIONS!
Ha ha! Costco is a Titan.
$15 million! They should offer CSP. No need to sell anything else.
I was writing a post about some practical tips on what to do in 2016. I almost added “Get the CSP card” in the end hehe.
Buzz… But what if we already have one… In perfect Titanspeak “get 3 more!!!”
You have potential! I see after “get 3 more” u strategically placed three exclamation marks. If that is not a sign for Titanhood…don’t know what is! 🙂
Get ready for more Lucky Ben’s mug on CNN :(((
Every commercial break he’s in his “friend” Richard Quest’s NYC promo.
Can’t believe he is 24 or something, looks over 40…
Saw that on CNN International in Hong Kong. Didn’t know if it was domestic or not.
Need to cultivate customers who never had a CSP card. And SPG. And Amex Platinum. And Citi Prmier and Prestige. So they can fly for “free” like him. Seen this movie before, it’s in a loop.
Hi from Bangkok!