Monthly Archives: February 2014

The Inevitable (and Expected) Club Carlson Devaluation has Arrived

Carlson announced a devaluation of its own today, joining last year’s Hilton bloodbath and last month’s Hyatt changes.  The announcement is on the Club Carlson website and will go into effect March 15th. The key takeaways, roughly prioritized by significance: … Continue reading

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Italy: American Airlines Arrivals Lounge London Heathrow

I stopped by the American Arrivals lounge after clearing immigration for a quick shower and snack before heading into London.

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Italy: American Airlines Business Class Chicago to London

I applied two systemwide upgrades to my itinerary.  For my flight to London, my upgrade cleared a bit over two days prior to departure. American 98 Chicago O’Hare (ORD) – London Heathrow (LHR) Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 Depart:  9:45PM Arrive: … Continue reading

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Italy: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Chicago O’Hare

In preparation for my departure to London, I visited the Flagship lounge next door to my gate.  I previously visited this lounge in September 2013.  As this was the last international departure for American that evening, the lounge was quite … Continue reading

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Italy: An Introduction

With Emirates introduction of JFK-MXP-DXB service, a fare war broke out in the fall, driving base fares for New York to Milan to laughably low levels:  $10 round trip.  Of course, thanks to a $516 fuel surcharge, it’s not a … Continue reading

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Radisson Hotel Fisherman’s Wharf

Way back in 2012, Radisson ran a stay one night, get one night free promotion.  I wound up picking up a night at the Radisson San Jose Airport, as I was heading out of SJC particularly early in the morning … Continue reading

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American Airlines First Class Lihue to Los Angeles

American only serves Lihue from Los Angeles, unlike Honolulu and Kahului which see redeye flights to Dallas.  Consequently, getting back to New York required spending a chunk of a daylight on an airplane.

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The End of the Hyatt Devaluation

As part of Hyatt’s January 7th devaluation, they announced that awards booked prior to that date would be eligible for changes using the old award chart until February 15th. The 15th is almost here, so it’s time to make some … Continue reading

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The Nā Pali Coast

I flew all the way to Kauai to fly on another airplane to see Kauai…

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Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

With a pile of Starwood points to burn, I chose to stay at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas for five nights during my visit to Kauai.  As a newly minted SPG Platinum, I had received a 35% off redemption … Continue reading

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