My Week in Points December 2-8: China Eastern in O and Palladium

I love clearing items off my watch list.

The United credit card 5,000 bonus posted and recent hotel stays all posted correct, I particularly watch the Hilton Double Dip miles going over to airlines, though one has never failed to post. For Hilton I currently go for Points + Fixed Miles with 1,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, though still have not found a good use for my growing account on that airline that I have never flown on. Partner details are scant and so is my patience to research. My Gol flights have not appeared on Delta.

I had a moment of unethical temptation on a last-minute business trip to Shanghai that has me ecstatic, after 8 years living in China I have not been there in over 2 years. I will be on the China Eastern nonstop from JFK, which in O class earns a 30% Delta SkyMiles MQM bonus, lower than the 50% if I had booked the same flight as Delta-coded, though I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I had booked that given the significant price premium. ‘Don’t be greedy!’ I tell myself.

I booked a United award for a relative, shows how little I know of United when I saw that US to China is $70 for the second checked bag. I am used to Northwest/Delta with extra luggage allowances for Asia. The 90k+ miles saved on this one-way compared to Delta make me swallow the $70 more easily.

Those few Diner’s Club card holders left in the US can get a 50% British Airways Avios bonus until 12/31. Rental car name but Avios are my most valuable points, for high-cost, short flights in economy.

Noob Traveler has an interesting piece on re-opening a Chase account within 30 days of closing, some strategic uses there as plenty of cards can be negotiating chips for new approvals, then resuscitated later.

I was interested in the US Bank Cash+ Visa Signature card, touted by Frequent Miler as perhaps the best cash back card. The 5x category for charity appealed to me at year-end, but now they are only accepting applications in branches and I am currently exiled to life in the NYC area.

The author of MyPalladiumCard wrote me that the JP Morgan Palladium card is not so easy to apply for, now I am curious about this card.

Christmas is coming fast and I have done nothing on booking. This will be a real test to find some wife travel harmony.