View Your IHG Set Your Sights Promo Offer Now

As I wrote about earlier, IHG Rewards Club is the first major hotel loyalty program to announce their 2015 promotion.

IHG Rewards Club has now unveiled the full details of their first quarter 2015 promotion, entitled Set Your Sights. The promotion is valid for stays between January 1 and April 30, 2015.

You'll have to log into your account to register and see what your offer is.

Much like IHG Rewards Club's recent Into The Nights promotion, this one consists of several "tasks" you have to complete to earn the maximum bonus. Beyond that, the offer is customized for each member, so we all have different offers.

The post View Your IHG Set Your Sights Promo Offer Now appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/15/view-your-ihg-set-your-sights-promo-offer-now/

Uber Offers Free Rides In Sydney Amid Hostage Crisis

Uber Sydney had nearly quadrupled its rates to ferry passengers out of the Central Business District amid a lockdown due to a hostage crisis.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/uber-offers-free-rides-out-sydney-cbd-after-criticism-raising-rates-amid-hostage-1756831

State Street in Bristol, Virginia

Lest they become an income tax nightmare the twin cities of Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia are two separate territories, each in their respective state, but one might be hard pressed to tell since the dividing line for the cities and the states is a single street that runs through their mutual downtown.

This confusing conjoining began in 1852, when Joseph Anderson bought acreage on either side of the Tennessee-Virginia border, where two railroad lines were planned to meet. He started a town called Bristol on the Tennessee side, with his house being the first building. The settlement on the other side of the border came to be known as Goodsonville after the city's founder Samuel Goodson. The borders of their lands would help form the city boundaries, but since they abutted each other so closely, the distinction began to seem a bit perfunctory. Goodsonville would officially rename itself Bristol in 1890. As the towns grew, their downtowns would follow State Street, the center of which contains boundary markers between the yellow lane lines.

Today the intersecting road is celebrated by both sides of Bristol. Many businesses on either side of the state line have some allusion to "border" in their name and the double-wide thoroughfare is gated by a large sign, proudly proclaiming the stately distinction.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/4170d17c/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cstate0Estreet/story01.htm

Happy Elephant Family

Part 3 of 3 – Tips for getting the Perfect Reflection Shot And here is the final part; here you actually get to see me edit the final photo! Thinking about Elephants I did not expect the elephants to be my favorite animal while in Africa. But they were! Sometimes I would get close to […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/12/15/happy-elephant-family/

I want my Disney cruise discount!

from Elliott http://elliott.org/can-this-trip-be-saved-2/want-disney-cruise-discount/

Borja Journal: A Town, if Not a Painting, Is Restored

Grief at a botched retouching of a church fresco has turned to gratitude for divine intervention — the blessing of free publicity — that has made Borja a magnet for thousands of curious tourists.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/417052a9/sc/11/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C150Cworld0Ca0Etown0Eif0Enot0Ea0Epainting0Eis0Erestored0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Chairman’s Preferred Upgrades On American Improved

All things considered I've been really impressed by the integration between American and US Airways. In fairness, they had the opportunity to watch the other two "big" mergers and learn from their mistakes.

But this is also an especially complex merger. Really it's not just American and US Airways merging, but America West is also still in the mix, since their work groups aren't even completely integrated.

In June of this year American and US Airways introduced reciprocal upgrades for travel on the other carrier. Their goal was to roll out the functionality as quickly as possible, though they freely admitted their solution was far from ideal. Given their technological limitations, though, it was the best they could do.

The post Chairman’s Preferred Upgrades On American Improved appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/chairmans-preferred-upgrades-on-american-improved/

A New Upgrade Benefit for US Airways Top Elites Flying American

There’s a new improvement that rolled out last week for US Airways top tier elites traveling on American Airlines, per JonNYC at TravelingBetter.com. American and US Airways Reciprocal Upgrade Benefits are Limited American and US Airways started offering reciprocal upgrades to each others’ elite members back in June. These were upgrades available at check-in only. […]

The post A New Upgrade Benefit for US Airways Top Elites Flying American appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/new-upgrade-benefit-us-airways-top-elites-flying-american/

2014 Annual Review Is Here! This Updated Free Tool Will Help You Plan Your Whole Life (Seriously)

Over the past eight years, nothing has helped me to accomplish big goals and stay on track more than a single exercise I complete each December: the Annual Review. Tomorrow I’ll publish a long post with my successes, failures (which are always more interesting), and lessons learned from 2014. This will probably be my most…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/2014-annual-review-is-here/

Emirates Introducing Two Cabin A380s In 2015

While this isn't breaking news, it is interesting to note that Emirates is going to two extremes on their A380s.

I've flown first class on every airline operating the A380, and the one offered by Emirates is hands down my favorite. While the seats themselves aren't the most spacious, they have onboard showers, an onboard bar, wifi, and the most extensive entertainment selection in the sky. There's simply not another airline where I can stay as entertained for the entire flight as on Emirates.

They're the largest operator of A380s in the world, and it's kind of nice how consistent the product is as of now, since their entire A380 fleet is in a similar configuration.

The post Emirates Introducing Two Cabin A380s In 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/emirates-introducing-two-cabin-a380s-2015/

Sheraton LAX Ups Its Game in the Most Important Way an Airport Hotel Can

Over the summer I wrote about the Sheraton LAX, a property I’ve written about before and stayed at many many times. Before my summer stay, I described the way to choose an airport hotel as: Book the one attached to the terminal, if one exists and price allows. If no property attached to the terminal, […]

The post Sheraton LAX Ups Its Game in the Most Important Way an Airport Hotel Can appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/sheraton-lax-ups-game-important-way-airport-hotel-can/

Choosing An Airline Program For 2015

The past year or so has been a bit of a roller coaster for the domestic landscape in the US. We’ve got mergers, spending requirements, bifurcated award charts, changes to partner earnings rates -- the works. And there isn’t really a “sure bet” for a domestic airline program going forward, at least not that I can see.

Generally Ben's blog focuses on him answering reader questions and providing advice, but I'd love to flip that around today.

So this might be a bit presumptuous, given we’ve really just met, but I need help.

Actually, my very patient husband needs help choosing an airline program for 2015. His travel patterns are wildly different than mine, but are probably very familiar-sounding to many of you.

Hopefully walking through the options and thought process will be helpful for others facing this same dilemma, as I can’t imagine I’m the only one struggling with finding the best frequent flyer program for next year.

The post Choosing An Airline Program For 2015 appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/choosing-airline-program-2015/

2015 Promo Sneak Peek: IHG’s Set Your Sights

Not surprisingly, it hasn't been the most exciting year for hotel promos, simply because hotels are having no problem filling all their rooms without too much extra incentive needed.

One interesting trend we've seen in 2014 is that more promotions have been targeted rather than available to all members. For example, IHG Rewards Club ran their "Into The Nights" promotion, whereby each member received a unique offer.

Similarly, while widely targeted, Hyatt ran a promotion offering up to 50,000 bonus points after 20 nights. For me that was the most lucrative promotion of the year, as it basically offered 2,500 bonus points (which I value at ~$40) per night. The only downside as someone that lives in hotels is that it was capped at 20 nights.

The post 2015 Promo Sneak Peek: IHG’s Set Your Sights appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/2015-promo-sneak-peek-ihgs-set-sights/

American Flight Attendant Contract Arbitration Complete

Airline labor relations are fascinating, though I usually don't chime in on them. That's simply because I'm not an expert on them, and I also tend to think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as with most things in life.

That being said, in early November I wrote about American's flight attendants rejecting their new contract. They were the first work group to undergo negotiations for a new joint contract between legacy American and US Airways, so the situation set an interesting precedent. Out of over 8,000 votes, the contract got turned down over just 16 votes, which is crazy.

What also made this vote seem so straightforward is that the proposed contract was worth $193 million in yearly increases, while if the contract went to arbitration it would be capped at $112 million in yearly increases, which even the union acknowledged. I get the contract didn't include everything flight attendants wanted, but in this case it seemed pretty black and white in terms of the money at stake.

The post American Flight Attendant Contract Arbitration Complete appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/american-flight-attendant-contract-arbitration-complete/

What Happens When You Threaten To Blow Up A Plane In Thailand?

Here's a crazy story about two passengers acting up on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Nanjing this past Thursday, which had to return to Bangkok. Via the Bangkok Post:

"Witnesses said the man threatened to blow up the plane and his girlfriend told other passengers she wanted to commit suicide, Charles Liu posted on the Nanfang Insider blog on Friday. Earlier, the couple...

Earlier, the couple were angry when they discovered they were not sitting together, which happened because they were part of a tour group seated in alphabetical order."

The post What Happens When You Threaten To Blow Up A Plane In Thailand? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/what-happens-when-you-threaten-to-blow-up-a-plane-in-thailand/

Are Revenue-Based Frequent Flyer Programs, and Bonusing Premium Fares, Really the Same Thing?

It’s tempting to say that ‘going revenue-based’ and ‘rewarding premium cabin tickets more’ are two sides of the same coin. That’s actually wrong, for one simple reason. Both United and Delta next year will be rewarding miles for flights based on the cost of a ticket, rather than the distance flown. To paraphrase comedian Steven […]

The post Are Revenue-Based Frequent Flyer Programs, and Bonusing Premium Fares, Really the Same Thing? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/revenue-based-frequent-flyer-programs-bonusing-premium-fares-really-thing/

Should I Buy up to American Executive Platinum Elite Status?

TPG reader Al sent me a message on Facebook asking: “US Airways just quietly posted their revised buy-up to elite program, which is pretty close if not identical to American’s boost program. Do you think it’s worth it to buy up for higher elite status?” It’s December, which means it’s crunch time for elite status. […]



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2014/12/should-i-buy-up-to-american-executive-platinum-elite-status/

The 6 best barrios in Santiago

With over 7 million people in the greater Santiago area (a third of Chile's population), all the different communas and barrios can be hard to decipher. Here is Cathy Dean's guide to the six best barrios in the city:



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/trips/the-6-best-barrios-in-santiago-de-chile/

This Rap Star Didn’t Want to Miss His Flight, So His Entourage Opened the Jetway Door And…

Rapper Jeremih didn’t board his US Airways flight from Newark on time. The Chicago-born rapper, whose real name is Jeremy Felton, 27, and his pals pulled the pea-brained stunt about 1:45 p.m. at gate 37 in terminal A, as a US Air flight to Phoenix was just seconds from takeoff, the sources said. …So one […]

The post This Rap Star Didn’t Want to Miss His Flight, So His Entourage Opened the Jetway Door And… appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/rap-star-didnt-want-miss-flight-entourage-opened-jetway-door/

Will I Get SkyClub Lounge Access When I Fly Delta?

TPG reader Tiffany tweeted me to ask: @thepointsguy– “I’m flying JFK-SEA on Delta over the holidays and wanted to see if I’ll have SkyClub access before my flight?” Well, without knowing anything about this trip or your situation, it’s hard to say. If you’re just flying in economy and you don’t have a credit card […]



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2014/12/will-i-get-skyclub-lounge-access-when-i-fly-delta/

Why Don’t I Use My Hotel Suite Upgrades?!

I'm constantly looking at my loyalty program accounts, be it the redeemable account balance, the elite qualifying balance, available upgrades, free nights, etc. And that's especially true towards the end of the year, when there's often a rush to track your status and figure out which upgrade instruments are expiring.

My two favorite hotel chains are Hyatt and Starwood, and both offer their top tier elite members confirmed suite upgrades:

-- Hyatt Diamond members received four Suite Upgrade Awards, each of which can be used to confirm an upgrade into a suite for up to a seven night stay at the time of booking

-- Hyatt Platinum members receive ten Suite Night Awards, each of which can be used to confirm an upgrade into a suite for one night up to five days before check-in

The post Why Don’t I Use My Hotel Suite Upgrades?! appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/14/dont-use-hotel-suite-upgrades/

Warning! Dropping off your rental car doesn’t mean you’re off the hook

from Elliott http://elliott.org/the-navigator/warning-dropping-off-rental-car-doesnt-mean-youre-off-hook/

Victoria Falls as Seen from Mosi oa Tunya National Park, Zambia

from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/12/13/victoria-falls-seen-mosi-oa-tunya-national-park-zambia/

Reader Success Story: From Frugal College Student to Savvy World Traveler

Over the years, we’ve had many readers share their success stories with us. Folks for whom traveling domestically once a year was a luxury are now traveling the world with just a few credit card sign-up bonuses. And the best part? They are sharing their stories with us and others who benefit from knowing that […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/12/reader-success-story-from-frugal-college-student-to-savvy-world-traveler.html