No, this isn’t about how I dutifully do my share of the laundry, it is about keeping MJ on Travel in order. This is an administrative post, if anything, and it’s one that will tell you about a thing or two that have been done, and more things that are to come.

The BAcon conference of Boardingarea and other bloggers that I attended last weekend is no secret. I learned a lot, and I am going to be implementing some changes here that I hope make the blog better and more beneficial for readers. I’ll tell you something that I’ve done already. I’ve had a menu bar up top for a while, but I never thought about that menu bar as saying something about the blog. I reordered the tabs that I currently have as a result. Now they go something like this: Home (which is always be first), Ethics, About Me, Contact Me, and Credit Cards For Traveling Well (which is divided into Airline Rewards, Hotel Rewards, and Other Rewards).

Something else happened at BAcon too. I heard from a lot of great speakers, including my fellow BA bloggers, Two BA Bloggers spoke to us about some of their blogging successes. Both of them inspired me to be a better blogger, but one said something that has stuck with me in more ways than one. His advice was “write your passion” and that really resonated with me because it reminded me of why I started MJ on Travel in the first place. Write your passion speaks to me because that’s why I started MJ on Travel in the first place. I’ve told you before, my day job is very writing intensive…and editing intensive. As a result, writing MJ on Travel is almost therapeutic. I’m sure you hadn’t noticed that I’m pretty passionate about cruising, but I feel the same about travel in general, and the tools we all love to use to help us do so in comfort.

I’ve got some other clean up work to do with the blog as well. Priority number one is finding a different picture for the area above the menu bar. Why? That is not me up there….not that I’m planning on sticking a picture of my lovely self at the top…but I want something different. I’ll find it. I mean, seriously, that guy has great hair. Second, I’m going to add a professional shot of the real me to the About Me page just so you can pick me out of a crowd . And finally, I want to take the name of the blog back to what got me started – MJ on Travel. You know who I am, and that’s the way I want it. I actually thought about joining the rest of the modern world and coming up with some cute moniker of a name. In the end, the MJ on Travel brand is out there, I own the url, mjontravel.com, and…well… I kind of like the way the logo looks. Besides, what would I call the blog? Captain Baldman Flies Up Front would make for one heck of an email address change. Most, if not all of this will likely need to wait until some behind the scenes IT upgrades are done at Boardingarea. Then I’ll feel like I can bug the great folks there with some mundane template tweaks.

In the meantime, thanks for reading MJ on Travel. I feel like the next 1,500 posts are going to be a lot of fun.

As I am sure you are aware, I spend a bit of time in the Delta Sky Club. I debated whether to weigh in on this or not given the bit of attention it’s already received, but I decided to go ahead and opine. First, a little background. Delta has announced a change to its Sky Club complimentary alcohol options. If you liked what they had, you are probably not pleased. Here’s the scoop, courtesy of DLCorpGuy on Flyertalk:

Delta Sky Clubs are changing the selection of both complimentary and for-purchase premium alcoholic beverages beginning tomorrow. Complimentary well-known alcohol brands will still be provided at the Club just as they have been. 

Altering our complimentary offerings will enable us to expand our portfolio of premium for-purchase products and maintain complimentary spirits, beer and wine as we continue to invest in the overall Club experience. We review our Club offerings periodically so that we are able to make changes based on customer feedback, financial considerations and other factors including the variety of options we offer our members. 

The new offerings are comparable to house/well brands in other airport lounges. 

• Complimentary spirits: Vodka – Gordon’s; Gin – Gordon’s; Rum – Myers’s Platinum; Scotch – Scoresby; Bourbon – Jack Daniel’s; Sweet Vermouth – Martini & Rossi; Extra Dry Vermouth – Martini & Rossi.
• Complimentary beer: Budweiser and Miller Lite
• Complimentary wine: no changes to current wine offerings

Other brands will be available through our for-purchase options available through our Luxury Bar. Our goal is to offer members quality products and services at reasonable prices that are competitive with other airport lounges while continuing to provide good value for membership.

While I stick to wine, and rarely imbibe in hard liquors, I’m pretty sure this does not represent a quality increase. However, in contrast to a lot of what I’m reading online, I am indifferent to these changes. It’s Delta’s club product, and we all have the option to join or not, or procure a card product that provides access. At least they are offering some complimentary alcohol. Who else remembers when American and United charged for all alcohol? Truth is, I haven’t consumed the complimentary wine offered in the Sky Club since Luxury Bar first appeared on the scene.

In contemplating Delta’s changes and preparing for this post, I asked myself why I invest in access to the Sky Club? Free booze, as appreciated as it is, did not make the list. The top reasons I continue to pay for Sky Club access are:

• Getting away from the gate
• Personalized attention from experienced agents when needed
• A place to get work done (include power outlets and wi-fi here too)
• Comfortable chairs
• Clean restrooms

As long as I get these things, I will continue paying for Sky Club access, which I consider to be an investment in myself. I don’t mind paying for a glass of decent wine either. And if Delta is interested in knowing, I’d probably pay for some enhanced food options too, as long as they do not ever mess with the olives and cheese. Hint, hint. How do you feel about Delta’s changes to its Sky Club product?

-MJ, May 17, 2013

…one of my favorite things, free GoGo wi-fi!!! Late last night, I blogged that MJ on Travel arrived at a milestone 1,500th post. That’s a reason to celebrate, I think. I have a couple of GoGo passes I would love to give away to a reader, along with a $50 dollar Amex gift card. We will keep this simple. Enter by commenting to this post. You can say anything you want that doesn’t involve profanity or personal attacks (sorry, had to have a rule). If your comment is travel related, so much the better. Contest closes tonight at 12:00 midnight EDT in the USA. I will choose the winner using Random.org tomorrow morning and announce it here.

CONTEST CLOSED – WINNER TBA

Yesterday, the 1,500th post appeared on MJ on Travel. Post number one appeared on the interweb on August 3, 2006. With that, I introduced myself to you, without a name. Since then, I’ve moved from Northern Virginia to DC to Atlanta, gotten engaged, married, promoted, traveled, and even told you my real name. We’ve been through status challenges, status matches, and yes, I’ve even appeared on a few mileage runs, and maybe even a mattress run. There’s been a cruise or 20 along the way, a couple of restaurants here and there, and a lot of Atlanta area W Hotels. Damn, I miss those W Hotels sometimes. Heck, I even became a Mac guy since entering the blogosphere.

I don’t think it is a secret that in the last year or so I have faced some difficulties in keeping my day job and this job separate. As a result, I think know my content has suffered. For that, I apologize. In the last month, I’ve been doing some things behind the scenes to alleviate that, and I think I am close to a place that I can call balanced.

Nonetheless, I’m feeling pretty good about the future of MJ on Travel. I’ve got my reasons, not the least of which is my time at BAcon in Colorado Springs this past weekend. I’m betting you’ll notice the difference by August 3, 2013. In the meantime, thanks to Randy Petersen and all the folks at Boardingarea for their support, and most of all, thank you for reading MJ on Travel.

-MJ, May 15, 2013

OK, I’m kidding about carrying Delta Points‘ luggage, even if he does have a bit of the big head about hitting Diamond Medallion since he did ask me to carry his bags for him when we were on the same flight earlier this week. Hey, he really was kidding. That said, I’m not kidding about Platinum Medallion. I posted recently about my quest for maximizing Delta MQMs now that I have relocated to Atlanta. Let’s look at my situation.

• I live in Atlanta.
• I fly outside the country once per year, on average. (Ships don’t count)
• MrsMJ accompanies me on less than 25 percent of my flights.
• I live in Atlanta.

About Atlanta. Hey, this is Delta’s home and largest hub. I can fly to just about anywhere in the country, heck, on the planet I want to go nonstop, or with only one-stop. I no longer travel outside the country significantly, so SkyMiles less generous systemwide upgrades are not a huge deal breaker for me. SkyMiles’ respectable domestic upgrade program is just that, respectable. Its one weak spot – traveling with a companion and you go to the bottom of the list. If I’m traveling with MrsMJ, I split the reservation and put myself in the least desirable of our two seats. Upgrade clears, MrsMJ sits up front, I take her better seat in coach. If mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy, right? For that flight headed across the pond, I’ll redeem miles for premium travel for the both of us. I have actually seen Delta Business Elite availability at the low level, not a ton, but it’s there if you work for it. Further, I’ve got a healthy cache of alternative currencies to spend on premium travel if I need to.

Did I already say “about Atlanta?” Yes, I did. My other choice is Southwest. Frankly, I like flying on Southwest just fine for certain flights, but until they figure out what TSA PreCheck is, there isn’t a snowball’s chance in a Silver Medallion upgrade out of Atlanta on Monday morning that they will routinely see me on one of their flights. And you know what? That’s just fine, because I like flying Delta. Yes, I really do.

Why bother with Platinum? Hey, it’s higher than Gold, and at my current flying and MQM earn rates, it’s not only obtainable, more importantly to me, it is maintainable. I don’t expect to get upgraded on every flight, heck I don’t expect to get upgraded on a lot of flights. I do expect an improved travel experience, and a slightly better level of care with the higher status. In short, it will make what I have found to be a very good customer experience with Delta just a little better. And Delta Points will stop asking me to carry his bags.

-MJ, May 15, 2013

Since the internet was afire last week with the 75,000 point offer for The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN, I could not let the sun set without posting this. There’s a new 75,000 point offer out there. Unfortunately, this one requires $10,000 dollars in spending during the first four months of card membership. While I’m pretty sure there are approximately three of you who read me, and not Gary, he gets the hat tip since I saw this first on his blog.

If $10,000 in spend is a little too high for you, there are still a plethora of 50,000 point offers out there right now with much lower minimum spend requirements including my personal favorites, the Ink Bold® Business Card and the Ink Plus® Business Card. Each offers 50,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, but be advised that the Ink Bold is a charge card which must be paid off each month while the Ink Plus is a credit card. You will earn 5X points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, cell phone, landline, internet, and on cable TV. You also earn 2X points per dollar, again on the first $50,000 spent annually, at gas stations and hotels. Ultimate Rewards are a favorite of mine, and I love earning lots of them with my Ink card. The annual fee is $95 dollars for each card which is waived the first year.

-MJ, May 14, 2013

LINK: Ink Bold® Business Card

LINK: Ink Plus® Business Card

Disclosure: If you apply for the Ink Bold® and Ink Plus® cards through the links provided in this post, I will receive a commission. Please know that I appreciate your readership whether you use my links or not.

Introduction — Status Matters – A New Cruising with MJ Series

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Carnival

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Disney

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with NCL

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Princess

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Holland America

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Celebrity

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Royal Caribbean

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status Reciprocity with Affiliate Brands

Cruising with MJ – Elite Status Summary

Carnival, the biggest cruise company, likes to use the tagline “fun ships” and their loyalty program plays along. Known as the VIFP Club, you aren’t just a very important person, but a Very Important Fun Person. Unlike the majority of cruise line loyalty programs, you can join Carnival’s VIFP Club even if you haven’t cruised with them before. If you are new to Carnival, you will join the VIFP Club at the Blue level which includes members-only offers and a newsletter. The VIFP Club includes five levels of status with varying point requirements to obtain. After Blue there is Red, which you obtain on your second sailing and will remain at through 24 points. Note that one cruise day = one point. Now you’ll begin to feel more at home with the program level names as you elevate to Gold status at 25 points, Platinum at 75 points, and Diamond at 200+ points.

The benefits of Red and Blue are pretty basic, but begin to improve once you achieve Gold status, when you will get an invite to a cocktail party on 5-night or longer sailings. In other words, free drinks and apps for an hour or so. At the Platinum level, the perks become more attractive with things like priority boarding, priority tendering, and some complimentary laundry services. If you attain 200 cruise days with Carnival, you will achieve Diamond status. You receive the perks of Platinum plus additional things including unlimited complimentary wash and fold laundry (that’s actually not a small deal in my opinion), guaranteed dining reservations in the main dining room and specialty restaurants, and a dedicated phone line for sales and service. You can review all the benefits of each status level here.

In summary, the benefits of Carnival’s VIFP Club are basic, but things like priority boarding, disembarkation, and reservations for specialty dining are always appreciated. I especially like the unlimited complimentary wash & fold laundry for Diamond members. Notably missing from the list of benefits is a complimentary internet allowance, a big deal for me and a weakness in the program. You can join the Carnival VIFP Club here.

-MJ, May 14, 2013

Housekeeping Note: This is the first in my series on elite status programs with cruise lines. If there is something missing that you were hoping to see, please comment, and we’ll improve the quality of the series together.

There is nothing like a good dose of standard security to make you appreciate TSA PreCheck. I have to admit it, I knew that I would not get PreCheck when departing Colorado Springs this morning, but I did not expect my first non PreCheck experience in a long time to be so, well… annoying. Don’t get me wrong, the TSA personnel I interacted with were nothing but polite and professional. It’s just that I have gotten a little out of shape, if you will, with the standard security process.

What do I mean? I was packed like a guy who wasn’t going to need to take any laptops (I was traveling with two this weekend) out of his bag, remove his belt, shoes, or 3-1-1 bag, all of which, of course, needed to be done. At least I remembered not to wear lace-up shoes. Once I got through the metal detector without alarming, I was sent to secondary for a hand swab because I wear an insulin pump, another thing I’ve gotten used to living without. I never really minded the hand swab, but I had definitely become accustomed to not getting the extra treatment when using PreCheck.

In the end, I got through security just fine, but it certainly took a lot longer than I was used to. This experience served as a good reminder of how much I appreciate the time savings and convenience offered by TSA PreCheck. You can learn more about PreCheck here.

-MJ, May 13, 2013

You might say its time had come. I applied for and received a Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card from American Express. Let’s explore why getting a credit card that comes with a $450 dollar annual fee was a good idea for me, and may be the right card for you. A while back I posted about the impact my relocation to Atlanta has had on my Delta SkyMiles experience. In short, I am all Delta, all the time. While I don’t consider myself a hard core “road warrior,” I certainly fly enough to obtain a middle level of elite status, and this year, an even higher level of status is well within reach. Assuming my current flying patterns continue, I will achieve SkyMiles Platinum Medallion status this year.

A hiatus in my travels last year led to my descent into the seventh circle of hades, aka being a Silver Medallion in Atlanta. Now that I am on the road again, I’ve been earning Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) at a pretty steady pace. Gold Medallion is on the horizon, and Platinum Medallion is probably coming just in time for Christmas. As I’ve been flying more, I began to consider what things I could do to obtain status more quickly. Right now is not a good time for me to mileage run even though I’ve seen some really attractive fares out there. However, with no need to apply for a mortgage, and being in a good place with my credit card situation, it is a good time to add a new card to my wallet. Since the Reserve Card includes 10,000 MQMs with your first purchase, I felt like this was a good option for me.

Applying for the personal Reserve Card was out since Amex won’t allow you to earn the bonuses that come with a new card if you’ve held another personal SkyMiles card product within the last 90 days. I already carry the personal Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card, so I applied online for the Reserve Card for Business. I completed the application, which was already partially completed thanks to using my Amex website login. I was instantly approved for a fairly generous credit line, and they expedited the card to me via UPS. I made my first purchase the day I received the card, and the 10,000 bonus MQMs posted to my account within a few days, even before my first statement closed.

While the MQMs were a big motivator in my application for the card, it does come with some nice benefits such as Sky Club access for you and up to two guests, priority boarding, and a first checked bag fee waiver for you and up to nine companions in your same reservation. The personal Reserve Card is now offering 10,000 bonus redeemable miles with your first purchase as well. With either card, you will earn a 15,000 bonus MQMs and 15,000 bonus redeemable miles when you spend $30,000 dollars on the card during a calendar year. If you spend an additional $30,000 during the same calendar year you will receive an additional 15,000 bonus MQMs and 15,000 bonus redeemable miles.

In summary, lacking the time for a well placed mileage run at the moment, the Delta Reserve Credit Card was the right option for me. In addition to the MQM bonus, the card comes with compelling benefits that make it worthwhile for me as a budding Medallion flier living in Atlanta. Did you know that the Reserve card is one of the “tie breakers” in the Medallion upgrade queue within your elite level and fare class? If you are in a travel situation similar to mine, the Reserve Card might be worth a look for you.

-MJ, May 13, 2013

LINK: The Delta Gold/Platinum/Reserve Credit Card from American Express 

If you apply for and receive a credit card through the link in this post, I will receive a commission. After selecting “Apply Now” you will see an option to apply for a business card if that is the type of product you are looking for.

So much to talk about this week I can hardly stand myself! It’s been a good weekend, and I’m looking forward to the week ahead…..a lot! I’ll be flying home Monday, from Colorado, and then diving into the work week. No further travel this week unless something unexpected comes up. In the meantime, what’s going on at MJ on Travel this week?

• Delta Reserve – I Took the Plunge
• Cruising with MJ – Elite Status with Carnival
• Next Stop – Delta Platinum Medallion (A Word on Why I Won’t Carry Delta Points’ Luggage)
• Housekeeping with MJ on Travel

It’s going to be a good week with all this and a little more this week at MJ on Travel.

-MJ, May 12, 2013