Ed McMahon, Farah, and MJ all in the same week.  God rest their souls.  Travelers experienced another loss this week as well when Verified Identity Pass, Inc. abruptly shut down all of its Clear lanes in airports nationwide on Monday.

I’ve previously posted on my fondness for the concept of Clear, and specifically how improved the security experience in Atlanta was because of my Clear membership.  A number of things contributed to the demise of Clear.  TSA never supported the idea even though it was mandated to pursue the concept of a registered traveler program by Congress.  TSA’s lack of enthusiasm relegated Clear to something of a line-cut program rather than one where “trusted” travelers could bypass portions of the screening process.

Had Clear lived up to its original vision, I think travelers would have lined up in droves to join, and would probably have paid more than $179.00 dollars per year for the privilege.  As it was, heavy metal elite flyers already had access to shorter security lines, and Clear’s inability to provide anything more than a shortcut to the front of the line meant that many travelers had no real incentive to join.

And if all this wasn’t enough, the economy tanked.  Fewer people are flying, and the corresponding reduction in lines at security have all combined to make Clear a less than compelling investment for scarce travel dollars.  Throw in a handful of well-publicized goof-ups which compromised the personal data of large numbers of travelers, and you have a recipe for exactly what happened.

Clear was good to me while it lasted.  Clear, rest in peace.

Last week, we had the pleasure of attending the 48th annual Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Stadium. This is truly one of our favorite things to do in DC during the summer.

I started attending the Congressional Baseball Game when I returned to DC in 2000 to work for a Member of Congress. The game is very much ingrained in Capitol Hill culture for both Members and staff. For Members, it’s a great way to get to know one’s colleagues in a more casual setting, get a little exercise, and raise money for charity. For staffers, it’s an opportunity to socialize with one’s colleagues and cheer for (and sometimes laugh at) their bosses.

This is a good old-fashion, 7-inning baseball game. The teams are established by party affiliation, so the Democrats play the Republicans. Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Joe Barton (R-TX) manage their respective teams. And they’re serious about it. Both teams start practicing in March or April for the June game. The stakes are high – the coveted Roll Call trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights.

Both teams roster players representing districts across the country. While the game is open to both House Members and Senators, most of the players come from the House side, and only a few women elect to try out for the teams each year. Although the younger Members are often sought after for their athleticism, there’s no age limit. This year, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), age 72, helped base coach his team to a victory. Players show their hometown pride by wearing a uniform from a team local to their Congressional district, state, or alma mater.

Even though tickets are only $10, the game typically raises over $100,000 for the Washington Literacy Council and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. The seating is open, so if you get there early, you can usually snag a seat along the first or third baseline, depending on which team you care to cheer for. In my opinion, it’s quite the bargain given the entertainment value.

This year was particularly exciting. It was a high scoring game, and the Democrats beat the Republicans for the first time since 2000. The final score was 15-10.

I’m not a baseball fan. I don’t follow the Nationals, and unless someone gives me a free ticket, I don’t go to the games. But I love the Congressional Baseball Game. I love that a handful of our elected leaders take time to do something most average employees are encouraged to do at their office picnic. I love watching a Subcommittee Chairman bang himself up sliding into a base or going after a fly ball. They strike out, and they get frustrated. They’re not debating policy; they’re just trying to get on base. Most of all, I love the fact that at the end of the game, they shake hands with each other, and tell their rivals it was a good game. If I could bottle up this camraderie and sprinkle it over the House Floor, I would.

If you happen to find yourself in town around the time of the game, you should definitely make it a point to attend. Just buy your tickets on the day of the game at the stadium. And I’m sure your Congressman’s Office would be happy to answer any questions you might have about it. And for area residents, I strongly encourage you to make it a point to go to next year’s game. You may see Congress in a whole new light. This isn’t just a baseball game. It’s the Congressional Baseball Game!

Mrs. MJ on Travel, Deandra Brooks, is the author of this post.  Deandra can be reached at deandra@mjontravel.com.

Just caught this….  Clear is shutting down tonight at 11pm Pacific time.  Details here.

Edited to add:  Here’s a link to Clear’s website.  Very little info other than a statement that they were unable to negotiate an agreement with their senior creditor.  In other words, they ran out of money.  I’ll have an editorial on the demise of Clear very soon.  In the meantime, I recommend calling your credit card company and contesting the annual fee, especially if you joined or renewed relatively recently.  The worst thing that can happen is you’re stuck with the bill.

Hat tip to Benet Wilson at AvWeek.

This article, on Smartmoney.com, entitled “Why Airline Cards Aren’t Worth It” prompts a few words from me on the topic.  Many readers already know that I use a handful of rewards credit cards to top off my mileage and hotel accounts from time to time, and recommend others do the same on one condition…..that they pay their bills in full and on time every month without exception.  Refresh your memory on my thoughts by reading my April 2009 post on the topic.

The article focuses on airline cards, and cites annual fees and difficulty in redeeming miles among several reasons not to bother with these types of credit cards.  Granted, these cards typically carry an annual fee, but that is a small price to pay for sometimes sizable signup bonuses.  And many, waive the annual fee during the first year.  For example, the Citibank Platinum Select AAdvantage World MasterCard offers 25,000 miles if you spend $750 dollars within 4 months of acquiring the card.  There’s no annual fee during the first year, and an $85 dollar per year fee thereafter.    Not a bad deal if you’re going to spend that $750 dollars anyway.  While I don’t necessarily condone “flipping” these cards, a number of people have done it, with no damage to their credit standing.  Flipping is the practice of opening an account just to get the miles, then canceling the account at some point in the future before applying for the same kind of account again and getting another set of bonus miles.  If you want more information on the topic, pay a visit to flyertalk.com and search for information.

Maybe I’m the luckiest guy on the planet, but I have never had a big problem redeeming miles.  I use them for upgrades on paid domestic flights and have “purchased” a few premium class tickets domestically with miles.  I will soon embark on my first quest for premium class international travel.  That’s not to say that I’ve never had to be flexible with my dates and times, but to make a blanket statement like you must almost always book 330 days out to have a prayer of snagging a seat as this article implies is simply not 100 percent accurate.

That said, I’ve found some programs to have better availability than others.  Sometimes much better.  And that’s why I continue to stick with American Airlines and the AAdvantage program.  I’ve found AAdvantage to offer the best availablity of all the traditional mileage schemes so I continue to focus my mileage accumulation with that program.  Your experience may be different, and that’s great for you.  No matter which program you choose, don’t ignore the additional accumulation opportunities that mileage cards offer.

Last night, we went on a Seadog Cruise. These 100-passenger speedboats sail from both the Gangplank Marina in DC and National Harbor, Maryland. We sailed from the Gangplank Marina for a monument tour.

Seadog describes itself as a “the most exciting way to see the sites on the Potomac!” But we found it to be a very relaxing, laid-back way to take in the monuments and learn some less common facts about them. Our cruise took us around the channel and up the Potomac to view the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington Memorials. Along the way, we also saw Fort McNair, Reagan National Airport, and Arlington Cemetary. The 45-minute tour combines fun with fact: when the tour guide isn’t highlighting the sites, they play rock music. For the best view, sit on the starboard or right side.

A Seadog cruise would be perfect for the business traveler who wants to see the monuments, but doesn’t have the time or energy to trek around them after a day of meetings. For area residents, it’s a great way to feel some ocean-like breezes without sitting in beach traffic.

Either way, combine your Seadog cruise with a stop at Cantina Marina. This open air, waterfront restaurant/bar attracts an eclectic mix of patrons. Serving a number of different beers and strong margaritas, it’s DC’s version of a beach bar. The menu is fairly simple, but the food is always pretty decent. Nothing too fancy, but there is a variety of Gulf Coast-inspired appetizers, salads, and sandwiches to chose from. Because Cantina Marina is an open air bar, smoking is permitted, and so are dogs.

Links:
http://www.seadogcruises.com/dc/

http://www.cantinamarina.com/

Note: This post was authored by Mrs. MJ on Travel herself, Deandra Brooks.  Deandra can be contacted at deandra@mjontravel.com.

If it hasn’t become clear through my posts, Mrs. MJ on Travel and I reside in Washington, DC.  No, we don’t live in Virginia or Maryland, we call the District of Columbia our home.  Washington, DC offers a wealth of opportunities to explore new things and broaden the mind, a key reason I love to travel.  We consider ourselves very fortunate to live in such a place, and want to encourage more people to enjoy what our Nation’s Capitol has to offer.

Accordingly, I’ve created a new category for the blog called “Destination DC.”  From time to time, we will share stories on things we’ve found here that you might not otherwise find in the “tourist” brochures….and we’ll probably have a story or two about things that are in those brochures too!  So if travel brings you to DC, check out “Destination DC” for tips and suggestions of things to try while you are here.

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Mrs. MJ on Travel and I recently completed a one-night stay at the chic Conrad Miami Hotel.  The hotel receives mixed reviews on FlyerTalk.com, so I was anxious to give it a try and see if the hotel had improved since the first reviews were posted on Flyertalk.

Check-in

We took a cab from Miami International to the hotel.  The fare was around $25.00 for the two of us and our expansive cruise luggage.  We were immediately greeted by the bellman upon arrival who took our bags and explained to us (although we already knew) that the hotel lobby was actually on the 25th floor.  There is a concierge desk on level one that I understand provides check-in services, but we proceeded to the 25th floor, appropriately marketed as “Level 25″ by the hotel.

Upon exiting the elevator, we were cheerfully greeted by the front desk staff who checked us in to our bay view corner room within minutes.  The desk clerk remarked that he “loved my credit card” which is a Hilton HHonors Surpass Card from American Express.  We collected our keys and proceeded around the corner to the elevators which took us to our 17th floor room.  Yes, our room was actually below the lobby level.  The rooms above level 25 are condominiums, many of which are “sold” as hotel rooms when the owners are away.

The Room

Our room was a corner bay view (apparently an upgrade from what I’d booked) tucked nicely away from the elevators.  The room was well appointed with all the modern amenities one expects from Conrad.  The bathroom was enormous and blessed with windows stretching the entire length of the wall.  There were dual vanities, and a separate tub and shower.

Things to Do

Downtown Miami is not crawling with activity.  However, there is a Gordon Biersch restaurant one block away that featured live music on the night we arrived.  We spent most of the evening wih friends of ours at the Level 25 Bar.  I won’t tell you how many bottles of wine the four of us drank.  We also enjoyed  a few delicious appetizers.  The tab was surprisingly light considering our consumption.  Don’t get your hopes up as it was just north of $200 dollars, but still much better than I’d feared.  After a slow start, our server turned out to be quite polite and attentive.

We dined at the Atrio Restaurant on the 25th floor for breakfast the next morning.  I received complimentary continental breakfast as part of my Hilton HHonors Gold VIP benefit.  The hotel was running a special the morning we dined including hot breakfast items (eggs, sausages, hash browns, etc) as part of the continental offering.  So we received basically a full breakfast for free.  The continental buffet was well appointed with numerous fruits, pastries, cheeses, and deli meats in addition to the featured hot food items.  Service was polite but not overly gregarious.  Probably just about right considering how late we were up the evening before.

The hotel features a nicely equipped fitness center that was not crowded at all.  Equipment included a full range of strength training machines as well as the usual batch of cardio devices like bikes, treadmills and ellipticals  Complimentary bottles of cold water are provided so remember to hydrate!

The Bottom Line

I know this review is a little light on intricate details.  We didn’t spend a lot of time at the hotel after arriving late in the evening and checking out before noon the next morning.  I’ve read some not so flattering reviews on FlyerTalk about the property, but I decided to give it a try and see for myself.  Outside activities are a little sparse to recommend the hotel for anything like a weeklong South Florida vacation unless the price is really right and you have transportation.  In the end, our stay worked out fine and I have no complaints at all.  I’d certainly stay again for a brief business trip, or like this visit, one night pre-cruise.  In summary, I like the Conrad Miami overall.  Give it a try if you think it might meet your needs.

(Posted from 24,000 feet via Gogo Inflight Internet.  Get $4 dollars off your next GoGo session between now and July 3rd by entering promo code 4wifi)

Hello from somewhere between DFW and LAX.  I’m flying American Airlines today, and happen to be aboard one of their GoGo inflight internet equipped flights.  I would not have known if my neighbor hadn’t turned on their laptop.  American needs to step up the onboard marketing of this service a couple of notches.

While I’m here, my review of the Conrad Miami is in progress.  I hope to have it posted by the end of the day tomorrow.

While American is touting it more as a “green” initiative (and it certainly is one), the airline has begun testing some important technology that will help pave the way to the Next Generation “NextGen” of the air traffic control system.  American will test the latest GPS-based navigational technologies on its Miami-Paris services using a Boeing 767-300.  American’s press release on the topic can be viewed here.

The press release tends to focus on single-engine taxi and reduced fuel burn associated with more direct flying to reduce greenhouse emissions.  But the real benefit is moving us along the way towards an air traffic control system that actually works.  Reduced fuel burn is simply a side effect, but it certainly benefits us all.  It’s about time!

Next time you’re on an aircraft equipped with wireless internet access from GoGo you can enjoy the service at a significant discount.  Enter promo code 4wifi and receive $4 dollars off the price of the session through July 3, 2009.