Airline Miles vs Hotel Points

Last night I found a great price on a 15 day transatlantic cruise for later this year. Looking at the one way air fares a whopping $1295 per person, twice the price of the cruise.

I clicked on miles; the same flight was 30K per person, a value of $.04 per mile. Our only additional expense was $17 pp for taxes and fees. Using our Delta Airline’s credit card the first checked bag is free.

In the past I’ve seen Delta’s roundtrip fares were close the one way price and the same with using miles. Many credit card companies calculate by percentage, redeem 25K in points for a $250.00 airline credit. In this example it would take 120K+ points for the same 30K miles Delta flight.  

In a recent conversation with a fellow traveler, we discussed the use of hotel points verses airline miles. She preferred to gather hotel points and shop for cheat airfares. I shared our recent good luck at the Crown Plaza in Kensington London for a free anniversary night plus points and $110 USD was our price for two nights in a two-story suite.

I hope she will look into an airline credit card’s sign-up bonus with minimum purchase requirements. Companion certificates are another option on anniversary renewals for certain levels. Again, as long as one pays off those credit card balances every month, they are a great deal.

You may start checking prices and miles 330 days prior to departure. We have found great deals six months beforehand when excess seats available. Of course a little luck with supply and demand doesn’t hurt any time of year you choose to travel.

Another note… years ago I noticed once I returned to a site the fares were always higher. This wasn’t my imagination and confirmed by major travel magazine. Now I use C-cleaner after an inquiry to remove cookies from the search engine.  

Prioritize your needs, work on those accruals and enjoy redeeming them for safe travels!

Intl Text Charges on Free Wi-Fi

We have avoided the high price programs of slow cruise ship’s internet service for years. Instead it’s an adventure to seek out other Wi-Fi options in a café or port shops once on land.

I chose not to delete nor respond to the Verizon text(s) that kept appearing as we used a restaurant’s Wi-Fi service, free with the purchase of food, in the colorful port city of Cobh, Ireland.

Several weeks later our monthly bill was higher than usual and I scrutinized it carefully. Under ‘sent’ texts was a US area code 513. It appeared Verizon was billing me to receive their messages and auto-replies since I did not respond.

I chose to ‘chat’ with a rep and was told Verizon reads your device as long distance because no international feature was active.

Correct, I never agreed to a plan. The rep said, “When you travel international and there is no international services on the device and messages are not sent through iMessage it would attract a charge.”

He removed the expense and gave us an additional $12 for my trouble. I was surprised to find out while using a private Wi-Fi service; I am not protected from my carrier’s text charges.

One last note… in south Florida we found if one sees land while cruising out to sea expect to pay big bucks on that cell call. I don’t know how it works, but that tower in view is most likely not part of your program. 

Using Hotel Points

Fellow travelers have shared their many friends and family perks from the national chains. Years ago I started to accumulate hotel points, using an anniversary night or combinations of points with dollars can go a long way.

My favorite hotel credit card is IHG through Chase because the $49 annual fee does not have category restrictions. The one free anniversary night each year may be used in any of their worldwide locations, Intercontinental, Crown Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn Express and others.

IHG offers their customers creative accelerated point programs with stays and using the Chase card for double points on 'everyday purchases' like groceries, gasoline and restaurants. Hotels offer tier pricing (most of the time) or a free night for 15K+ points depending on the locations and time of year.

Customer Preferences List exceeds those of the others with the exception of Marriott inquiring as to ones pillow preference. IHG's website is easy to search and as with most membership check-ins there is free Wi-Fi and bottled water or bonus points.

Two weeks ago we used an anniversary night at the Crown Plaza, Kensington in London and then paid $110 USD with 40K points for the second night, booking a basic hotel room.

After making to two separate reservations on line, I emailed Crown Plaza asking if we could remain in the same hotel room for both nights. A prompt reply with a person's name said they made a note of it.

Standing in line to check-in we overheard the receptionist quote the nightly rate of 399 BPS, over $550 USD. The pleasant surprise, as IHG members we were upgraded to a two-story suite with a posted price of 499 BPS.

Accessible by elevator on both floors, the lower level had a sofa, desk, table to seat four, TV, stocked mini-bar fridge (additional fees applied) and a stairway up to the second floor to the sleeping quarters complete with coffee/tea set ups, biscuits (cookies), a safe, USB outlet, multiple 110V and 220V plugs. The pleasant staff and an excellent location near the Glouster Road Tube stop would be our first choice again on a return trip to London.

This past weekend we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Hixon, TN outside of Chattanooga using points for another reward night. The new ‘Formula Blue’ concept has a bright lobby and updated breakfast area. Across from check-in is a computer/business center and on the lower level a fitness room and square pool with round hot tub.   

The contemporary hotel room design was fresh, including the basics, min-fridge, Keurig coffee/tea station, microwave, USB and multiple power outlets. Another wonderful staff made this a nice experience, especially when one is reminded to pick warm cookies in route to your room.    

That's Not My Passport!

    As I showed my passport to the agent, I joked how it was a better hair day for that photo than the one I was sporting this afternoon. She smiled.

    I've told many strangers about my late-1990's surprise. Recently married, I needed to update my passport. Then in January we won an all-expense trip to Germany to visit two companies we represented. We started our passport application at once for the May departure.

    For some reason the Miami passport office took forever and in late April my hubby's arrived. My envelope showed up days later. The outside correctly addressed. The inside was a passport of a 7 year old cute kid, but not me.

    I found the unusual name and called. I explained to her mother this surprise, did she have my passport? No, she did not. The family was leaving for vacation in a few weeks, could I mail it to her? I quickly took it to the post office that afternoon.

    I called the Miami office number, reported the mix up. The next day I had a message from a woman explaining she received my passport by mistake and agreed to mail it to my home address. Unfortunately, I did not have hers.

    A week later I checked on the actual date it was sent. She said after our conversation she decided to phone the Miami office and told to mail it back to them. They would sort it out.

    Frustrated I yelled, "These are the people that didn’t double check the outside of the envelope with the contents to begin with!" Days passed, nothing showed up. Finally, right before our departure it arrived via US Postal.

    Fast forward two decades and my travel writing buddy told us how a family member did not realize their child's passport expired after 5 years until packing for their trip. Both kids were under 16 years of age.

    Others are surprised to find many countries will deny entry if a visitor's passport has less than six months prior to expiration.

    The good news is my passport photo will continue to have a good hair day and expire in 10 years. For international trips consider a Global Entry Card to save time in long lines when returning to the US. It could make the difference between catching a connecting flight or rescheduling a later one!