Posted by Seth on December 31, 2008 under Uncategorized | 
Lacking anything else exciting to write about this afternoon, I thought I’d finally take a look at my travel numbers for the year and see just what I managed to do. And here’s what I found.
I took 59 flights on 8 different airlines, passing through 31 airports on 22 different types of airplanes. I flew a hair under 93,000 miles, or 3.75 times around the planet; that’s almost 9 full days in the air.
I only was in 6 foreign countries (Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand, Australia, England and Turkey), but five of them were new to me, so that was fun. I crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice and the Pacific Ocean three times and visited 13 new airports.
And only three of those flights were work related.
Not too shabby. The best part is that next year has even more in the plans, with at least six new countries already planned, and I’ve only made it to July thus far.
Happy New Years everyone!!
Posted by Seth on December 30, 2008 under Uncategorized |
The Japanese have long been regarded as having one of, if not the, most efficient, functional and downright speedy national train grid in operation. So what do you do as the operator of this national network of high-speed trains when you’re looking for an encore? Go faster!
The Central Japan Railway Company has stated that they intend to proceed with their previously announced plans to build an even faster train network over then next 16 years, starting with the Tokyo – Nagoya route. The new train is expected to operate at ~500 km/h (~310 mph), cutting the trip time between the two cities to about 45 minutes.
The build-out is currently budgeted for about 5.1 trillion yen (~$56 Bn), which is pretty expensive, especially when the global economy seems to be in a rather precarious state. But the chairman of the company is having none of the doomsday gloom:
"We can’t expect conditions to be unchanged all the time," chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai told a news conference. "There are some days of good wind and some days of bad wind."
He also noted that they expect the debt service costs to decrease since interest rates are dropping like a rock these days.
I was very much looking forward to a ride on the existing bullet trains when I was planning our trip to Japan for earlier this year that never materialized. Now I’ll have something even better (or at least faster) to look forward to once I get another trip to Japan scheduled.
Posted by Seth on December 29, 2008 under Uncategorized |
There has been plenty of hype about the quality of the premium cabin in-flight product that Asian and Middle-East carriers are bringing to the skies. Singapore Air and Emirates have invested significantly in their A380 First Class experience. Singapore offers a double bed option for couples traveling together and Emirates offers a shower, among other benefits. But getting in to those seats is going to cost you a lot of cash; they cannot be booked using all those points you’ve been saving.
Singapore Air started limiting seats in their Suites by designating them a different booking class, and therefore making them ineligible for reward bookings, even for their own KrisFlyer members. Things got worse when they changed the rules on their new business class product, allowing redemption only using KrisFlyer points and then only at the unrestricted/double points level. Among other things this took the NYC and Los Angeles to Singapore non-stop flights away from partner award bookings, as they are configured in an all business class setup using the new product.
Emirates was actually letting folks still redeem for their premium cabin seats following the launch of their A380s earlier this year, but that well seems to have dried up, too. As of December 1, however, they apparently are no longer permitting any redemptions in either the business or first class cabins on those planes.
Qantas is in a similar position, blocking out their A380 first class cabin from reward redemption. A number of enterprising folks booked reward seats on flights that were operated by the 747-400 when the reward was booked, expecting that the aircraft would be swapped to the A380. As far as I know they have been successful in keeping their reward seats, but no new reward bookings are being taken on those flights.
Ten years ago the most luxurious way to travel was arguably the Concorde. Sure, the seats were small, as was the fuselage itself, but you were wined and dined and among the elite of air travel. And all the while it was bookable with reward points. I’m not saying that there were free seats out there every day for anyone who wanted one, but at least the option (or the dream) was there.
And then, just like that, poof. The option is gone.
Premium cabin long haul flights are still, by far, the best value for redeeming points, but it certainly is disheartening to see the greatest of the options disappearing. Hopefully the allure of the A380 will wear off and those seats will come back into reward inventory, but I’m not holding my breath.
Posted by Seth on December 27, 2008 under Uncategorized |
I’m a big fan of short trips to hit a few highlights of a city and then skip town. I’m also a big fan of longer trips, but work seems to prevent that from happening as often as I’d like. For the short trips it can be a challenge to find a couple highlights and get them in without overloading the schedule. A couple weeks ago I was in Atlanta for a weekend and I managed to hit a great balance of great things to do and eat and not be overwhelmed by it all. I stretched it out as I had an extra day in town, but here are some highlights for a weekend jaunt to Atlanta.
The aquarium is not to be missed. I’ve been in Atlanta a few times now since it opened and I am seriously annoyed that it took me this long to get to see it. They have the largest single tank in the world, and it is well stocked, from whale sharks to leopard rays to barracuda, with dozens more species mixed in as well. There are several exhibits in addition to the giant tank, and all were quite well done, with docents around to answer questions or just offer up useful information about the displays, like dispelling the myth that piranhas will eat someone swimming in the Amazon. The otter feeding was more just them tossing chunks of shrimp at the otters than a real show, but that’s OK with me, as they get the fuzzy guys right up to the glass partition. The only notable disappointment for me was that the penguin exhibit was closed until 2010, but I got over it. Go to the aquarium at some point during the visit. I’d recommend earlier in the day than not, but that really depends on what else you manage to squeeze in to the weekend.
A cuttlefish hanging out in the tank.
Go Gators!
A pipefish of some sort.
I’m sure that there are other things worth seeing while in town, but given a limited schedule I’d spend most the rest of my time in town focusing on food and beverage. To that end, a few thoughts. The Midtown neighborhood is hopping on weekend nights, with plenty of options for drinking well into the wee hours. Some of the places charge a cover, which is morally reprehensible in my opinion, but such is life. Find a place without a cover and go drinking. Good times are likely to ensue.
We had some great BBQ at One Star Ranch one afternoon. We were there for a party so we had a little bit of everything to choose from which was great. I’d go for the ribs, Brunswick stew and beef brisket, in that order. And make sure to sample the jalapeño cornbread liberally.
The other really good meal we had was at the Brick Store Pub. Sure, there was a 30-45 minute wait for a table when we arrived. But I was honestly a little disappointed it was that short, as the beer selection (both bottles and draught) they have is phenomenal. And not only do they have such a great selection, the beer list explains the flavors for you. If that isn’t enough, the staff also knows them incredibly well, offering great recommendations and tastes just to make sure you like what they’re suggesting. Oh, and get the warm soft pretzels in the bar. Dip them in the homemade mustard. Enjoy. Repeat as appropriate. We waited for our table in the bar upstairs in the back. It was a bit quieter and more intimate than the main bar downstairs. The food at Brick Store was pretty good, too. The Brunswick stew was a big winner at the table, as was the fish & chips. The pasta was rather blah, though I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered it.
So there you have it. A couple great meals, something to do during the day and some evening entertainment options. You’ll probably want to find one more thing to do during the day for a normal weekend visit, but this is a good start.
Posted by Seth on December 26, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Forget Frommer’s and Fodor’s and their boring, traditional travel itineraries. Who wants to spend every day holed up in a museum anyways? Thanks in part to the TV show Amazing Race the idea of more adventurous travel, even in less likely locations like Western Europe, is catching on and operators are popping up to help fill that niche in the market.
Competitours is the first company looking to help folks looking for such an adventure that I’ve seen with a complete offering available. Their trips are a low-stress approach to competitive and adventurous travel. They include competitions for each day of the trip, including multiple options for each day. Feeling lazy or hung over? Stay close to the city center. Looking for something crazy? Head out to the end of the line on the local subway and discover something random there. And when you’re done with the day’s adventure you simply log on to find out your next destination and how you’re supposed to get there.
You earn points for each challenge completed and documented (via a short video uploaded to their site). At the end of the trip the team with the most points wins. Pretty simple, and it seems like a lot of fun.
They include most everything in the cost of the trip, including transportation (both across the pond and within Europe), lodging and even a bit of spending money each day to complete the challenges. You won’t know where you’re starting until a couple days prior to the trip and you don’t know the next day’s adventure until late in the current day, so this sort of thing isn’t for the control-freak traveler out there, but if you’re willing to go in with an open mind and a flexible schedule it seems like a great option.
They’re also getting some press from National Geographic Traveler, which is pretty impressive.
Posted by Seth on December 25, 2008 under Uncategorized |
In honor of Christmas, a bit of a shopping tale…
Fifth Avenue in New York, particularly in midtown, is a shopping mecca. Flagship stores, decked out beyond belief and folks who actually shop in them flooding the streets, especially this time of year. Even on Christmas day Fifth Avenue is crowded with folks out shopping. The difference is that all the stores are closed.
So where are people shopping? In the secondary market that miraculously pops up to fill the gap. The legitimate stores are all closed, but I couldn’t make it 50 feet on the sidewalk without tripping over folks stopped to look at handbags, watches, shawls, sunglasses, names painted on signs and just about everything else you can imagine. On a normal day these “merchants” would be relegated to side streets for the most part thanks to NYC’s reasonably strict rules about sidewalk sales. But today, when all the stores are closed and the cops are mostly on vacation, the bootleggers get free rein.
I’m pretty sure that most the folks buying on the street know that all the stuff is fake. At least I really hope that they do. The one that worries me is the three-card monte. I passed at least three different games set up on the street this afternoon. One was in full swing while the other two were just getting warmed up. I couldn’t resist the urge to shout “Its a hustle” as I walked by. Hopefully the folks around don’t lose too much money.
Still, it was fun to see the other half getting their turn to be Fifth Avenue merchants, even if it is only for a day.
Posted by Seth on December 22, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Sure, credit limits are being slashed all over the country, but that hasn’t hit me yet. What has hit me are cuts to the travel benefits that AmEx offers for their Platinum and Centurion (“Black Card”) members. The travel benefits were always of questionable value to begin with, depending on travel patterns and whatnot, but I’m pretty confident that they are truly losing most of their appeal, and doing so rather quickly.
The first benefit to go this year was one that was only recently introduced – a domestic 2-4-1 ticket deal for both Platinum and Centurion programs. The program was limited, with blackout dates, only 6 carriers participating (the major legacy companies) and ridiculous ticketing fees on both the “free” and the paid ticket. Still, I managed to use the program a couple times and saved $1-200 each time on flights I’d have taken anyways. Not a bad benefit to have. Sadly this one died about 5 weeks ago.
Next up were changes to the Mandarin Oriental benefit for the Centurion program. I’ve only ever once stayed in an Oriental property. We did so in Bangkok as part of our honeymoon. It was phenomenal. I’m not sure that I can really justify spending that much for hotel rooms on a regular basis (says the guy booking in to hostels for the next few vacation nights to save beer money) but it really was an impressive hotel. The Centurion program offers a BOGO deal at each participating property. Pay for one night and get a second night free, with a few minor limitations. That’s a phenomenal deal. The number of hotels participating continues to drop, however, and the substitute benefit is pretty miserable. You now get a $200 food/spa credit instead of a free night. Ouch.
And finally there is the fabled International Airline Program, AmEx’s 2-4-1 international premium airfare deal. This one is so fraught with caveats that it is almost never a good deal. You have to pay pretty much the highest fare available but inventory for cheaper fares needs to be available, and those discount fares can often be half of the top fare. The carriers and destinations are limited. And the free ticket collects no points. Still, every now and then there were deals to be found. Those diamonds in the rough are going to be harder to find if the rumors of airlines departing the program are true. It seems that Continental, Delta and Emirates are all departing the program.
There are a few new hotels joining the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, but that really only benefits folks spending a lot of money on hotel rooms, of which I am not one. I might be getting rid of the card when it comes up for renewal this year after carrying it for about 5 years. The value is disappearing pretty rapidly for me.
Posted by Seth on December 19, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Finally some good news in the world of fees and surcharges! Most major international airlines are cutting them now that fuel costs are dropping back to early 2007 levels.
Recently bmi announced that they were removing fuel surcharges from flights to/from Heathrow, and then they expanded that plan to remove the surcharges on all their regional flights in Europe. The other British carriers have also announced major cuts, with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both trimming their fees. The amount varies depending on the cabin and trip length, but every little bit helps. Then again, the surcharges don’t seem to be changing for the premium cabins, so maybe it doesn’t help so much.
Most of the major Asian carriers are reducing as well, with ANA, JAL, Asiana and Korean all announcing cuts in the past week or so. The cuts range from 30-70%, which is pretty impressive. That being said, the ANA and JAL cuts are coming down from some ridiculously high levels and they are at the lower end of the range for the cut amounts, so those flights will still have a rather significant surcharge associated with them.
Here’s the thing – we almost certainly won’t see lower fares because of this. The surcharges will decrease but the carriers will almost certainly attempt to raise fares to match the decreases. So why does it matter? In a word, rewards. Reward tickets are subject to “taxes and fees” so they pay for fuel surcharges in most cases. This can render a reward ticket virtually useless for many trips. As the surcharges are traded out and fares raised to compensate folks buying tickets will pay the same price but folks redeeming for a reward trip will see their costs reduced significantly. That’s a great thing.
Posted by Seth on December 17, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Hertz made a very big deal over the summer of their new, customer-friendly refueling policy. The concept was reasonable: no more gouging on the per gallon price, with just a bit of gouging on the service fee. Now that fuel prices are back to a somewhat reasonable level, however, Hertz has decided to drop the marketing efforts and go back to gouging on fuel prices.
The announcement came with no fanfare and the webpage for it doesn’t even have the Hertz logo on the page. They are clearly trying to downplay this, and for good reason. As bad as the “pump price” policy was, it was still way better than the traditional gouging they offer.
Hertz has reverted to our prior refueling options, effective December 1, 2008. This means the Flat Refueling Fee, and Fuel and Service Charges based on local pump prices, have been discontinued. All North American corporate-owned Hertz locations, including Airport, Hertz Local Edition® and Off-Airport locations in Canada are affected.
Hertz has three refueling options available to meet your needs:
- You may purchase a tank of gas from Hertz at time of rental and return the vehicle with as little gas as you prefer. Please be aware that we are unable to issue a refund for unused fuel. However, this method eliminates the need for you to refuel the tank prior to returning.
- You can let us refuel for you and only pay for the fuel required to replace the fuel you used, and for the service and convenience of refueling the tank.
- You can stop and refuel the tank yourself, immediately prior to returning the vehicle.
We apologize for any inconveniences this change may cause. No matter which Hertz refueling option you decide is best for your travels, we are glad you are choosing Hertz.
The worst part of it all is that they changed the program effective December 1 and didn’t bother to tell anyone for a couple weeks. Morons.
Posted by Seth on December 16, 2008 under Uncategorized |
My favorite dessert for as long as I can remember has been key lime pie. I love the tart and the sweet flavors, the consistency and the ease of making one. But I never expected that I’d be making one while at cruise altitude on an airplane. Yet here I am, 30,000 feet over Virginia, and I just managed to have what can reasonably pass for a slice of key lime pie, prepared fresh on board at my seat.
I read about this recipe a couple weeks ago and thought it was a joke. Surely it couldn’t be done. Now I’m not sure if any in-flight snack on a domestic flight will ever match up with the deliciousness of what I just ate. And the best part is that it is incredibly easy to produce, with only two ingredients required.
Start with a drink of any sort that would be served with a lime. Personally that is a vodka & tonic (or club soda if I’m driving when I land), but there are a number of other options that would work. Then grab a bag or two of the delicious Biscoff cookies from the snack basket as it makes its way by. Squeeze the lime on the Biscoff cookies. That’s all there is to it. No whipped cream and no creamy consistency, but the flavor is mostly there.
It is worth noting that this snack is most easily produced on Delta flights thanks to the abundance of Biscoff served on them. This isn’t quite enough to get me to change my loyalty for carriers, especially with the way Delta has eviscerated their SkyMiles program, but it definitely is a big plus for them in my book.
Posted by Seth on December 15, 2008 under Uncategorized |
And they’re starting with the lounges.
Effective starting today members in United’s Red Carpet Club lounge program are now eligible to access Continental’s Presidents Club lounge in Las Vegas. No word on when future lounges will happen or other partnerships, but things are starting to move forward.
ETA: And just a couple hours later some reciprocal details came out. Continental Presidents Club members are now able to access lounges in Orange County, California and Phoenix, Arizona. Yippee!
