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Question for the thread - is it worth saving Southwest points if you're not going to qualify for A-list or a companion pass by the end of the year? Debating if it's worth saving the $500 fare and spending 35k in points (I have 110k currently).
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Sep 11, 2019 23:42
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| # ? May 16, 2024 06:10 |
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for what it's worth, TPG values WN rapid rewards points at 1.5 cents per. Assuming it's an anytime fare, your net points cost is ~40,000 (35k spent, 5k opportunity cost). 40,000 rapid rewards points is worth ~$600 at that valuation, so it is theoretically better to spend the cash. Big caveat - airline points generally are subject to inflation so unless you do plan to spend them on something relatively soon they will inevitably lose value.
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Sep 12, 2019 00:24
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Motronic posted:I have not run into this, but I have also not had it on offer. I'll try it next time out. Ports of entry won’t go for it but most car rentals, cell phone stores, and hotels I’ve tried it with have accepted the copy.
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Sep 12, 2019 01:42
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The value of Southwest points is relatively static so I'd spend then if they're close unless you have other flights coming up.
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Sep 12, 2019 01:55
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Cocoa Crispies posted:I had to do that for a tourist visa, but there’s a consulate downtown here so whatever. Weird, I went a year ago and we got a piece of paper that we carried with us and didn’t have to send a passport anywhere. Just submitted a passport photo. But some agency handled it.
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Sep 12, 2019 02:05
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Wooo got a SSSS boarding pass at FRA this morning. But at least this time they didn’t try and argue that a stick deodorant is actually a liquid.
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Sep 12, 2019 08:36
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you know what, they can have the stick deodorant. I don’t care.
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Sep 12, 2019 15:14
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drgitlin posted:Wooo got a SSSS boarding pass at FRA this morning. But at least this time they didn’t try and argue that a stick deodorant is actually a liquid. Pretty sure I've gotten one of these every time I've departed Europe in the past two years. The back of my passport is just a bunch of Delta SSSS stickers
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Sep 12, 2019 20:16
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torb main posted:Pretty sure I've gotten one of these every time I've departed Europe in the past two years. The back of my passport is just a bunch of Delta SSSS stickers The handful of questions Delta makes you answer to get a sticker are nothing like a TSA SSSS search.
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Sep 12, 2019 22:15
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Cocoa Crispies posted:The handful of questions Delta makes you answer to get a sticker are nothing like a TSA SSSS search. How does one get a TSA SSSS search? I thought it only applied to inbound international flights?
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Sep 13, 2019 05:25
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It’s random. Last time I got it it was on a paid J ticket
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Sep 13, 2019 05:32
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sellouts posted:It’s random. Last time I got it it was on a paid J ticket
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Sep 13, 2019 12:35
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Dango Bango posted:Question for the thread - is it worth saving Southwest points if you're not going to qualify for A-list or a companion pass by the end of the year? Debating if it's worth saving the $500 fare and spending 35k in points (I have 110k currently). IMO, always spend down points if possible on personal travel, never spend points on business travel.
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Sep 13, 2019 15:33
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My current boss spends his points on premium wine in the delta lounge.
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Sep 13, 2019 19:37
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Initio posted:My current boss spends his points on premium wine in the delta lounge. 
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Sep 13, 2019 19:42
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psydude posted:How does one get a TSA SSSS search? I thought it only applied to inbound international flights? I've seen TSA SSSS from extremely late bookings, one-way trips, and a coworker who had a name that was similar to someone on a no-fly list. After a few scares, we eventually built in an hour for TSA nonsense into our travel schedules on his behalf.
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Sep 13, 2019 19:46
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I have a former colleague who has the exact same name as a guy on no-fly. It's terrible.
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Sep 13, 2019 20:10
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Supposed to be home by 3. Charlotte to Charlottesville landing at 2. Too cloudy, circle for an hour. Run out of fuel, land at dulles. 3+ hour delay so I'm getting a rental to drive my rear end for 2 hours.
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Sep 13, 2019 21:04
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I’ve done this. Leaving for my honeymoon. The $/mile redemption value for a bottle of Dom is actually really good!
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Sep 13, 2019 21:18
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The Big Jesus posted:Supposed to be home by 3. Charlotte to Charlottesville landing at 2. Too cloudy, circle for an hour. Run out of fuel, land at dulles. 3+ hour delay so I'm getting a rental to drive my rear end for 2 hours. Ugh, that sucks.
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Sep 13, 2019 22:35
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ScooterMcTiny posted:I’ve done this. Leaving for my honeymoon. The $/mile redemption value for a bottle of Dom is actually really good! That’s wild. It’s shipped to your house? Tell me more.
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Sep 14, 2019 03:55
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Randomly selected for additional security screening in BCN. Relatively harmless 10min process where they re scanned my bag and did the wipe thing
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Sep 14, 2019 04:59
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After posting on the very first page of this thread, I am back to say that I get to do my first overnight work trip when my new job flies me to California for my first week of on-boarding  Time to see how much of this thread I can get through before my flight, lol
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Sep 14, 2019 06:06
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Waroduce posted:Randomly selected for additional security screening in BCN. Relatively harmless 10min process where they re scanned my bag and did the wipe thing This has been my experience when I've gotten SSSS (leaving BRU) and when my wife has it (which is much more frequent because she's super shady  ). The only real downside if you have a connecting flight in the US is that pre-check will not be available on your domestic boarding pass.
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Sep 14, 2019 12:51
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sellouts posted:That’s wild. It’s shipped to your house? Tell me more. Drank it in the lounge
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Sep 14, 2019 13:33
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Oh booo, whatever. I wanted to drop 60k points on half a case or something.
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Sep 14, 2019 15:36
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 How does Hyatt do upgrades? I occasionally travel, but stay in hotels maybe 20 nights a year. The last Hyatt property I stayed in this year was the Park Hyatt in Paris on Chase points for a week. I'm at a conference in Chicago and I'm sure I'm nowhere near the top of the list. Somehow I got upgraded to an enormous giant suite? I don't even have the lowest tier status with Hyatt this year.
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Sep 14, 2019 21:02
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I got a nice upgrade at the Hyatt McCormick in Chicago last conference. Shrug 🤷♂️
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Sep 14, 2019 23:17
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Mandalay posted:I got a nice upgrade at the Hyatt McCormick in Chicago last conference. Shrug 🤷♂️ Did you sit naked on the couch?
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Sep 15, 2019 00:21
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Residency Evil posted:
maybe someone at the front desk thought you were cute 
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Sep 15, 2019 01:09
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How would you compare Hyatt’s room and service quality to Marriott? I’ve heard Hyatt treats their customers more like VIPs than the other major chains, especially if you have status with them.
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Sep 15, 2019 22:59
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I get crazy upgrades at Hyatt. Insane. Rooms, wines, snacks. All better. Park Hyatt’s are some of the best rooms and hotel I stay at. Andaz great, too. Marriott is by the book, if ever. Most are not interesting and I’ve had some pretty mediocre experiences at the St Regis levels of properties. For me, Hyatt all the time. sellouts fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Sep 15, 2019 |
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Sep 15, 2019 23:19
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It all depends on where you’re going frequently, I guess, but I don’t stay in enough places with Hyatts. Sure if they’re where you need to be, but I’m not driving 2 hours a day to commute to a Hyatt property when I can stay in town at a Marriott brand hotel and get my status there.
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Sep 15, 2019 23:29
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Not enough Hyatt’s to make it worth it.
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Sep 15, 2019 23:46
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Hyatt is the best hotel chain hands down, but they have very few hotels outside of major metro centers. Unfortunately, they're usually expensive or unavailable where I'm traveling so I'm sticking with Hilton for the time being. Just requalified Diamond last week 
psydude fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Sep 16, 2019 |
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Sep 16, 2019 00:24
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Crossposting in business travel and credit cards threads. I graduated grad school in May and started my new job at a consulting firm in late June where I’ll be traveling basically every week M-TH or M-F. I want to make sure I’m making the most of my travel rewards. Usually travel out of Charlottesville (American Airlines most friendly) and occasionally Atlanta (Delta). Credit cards: Corporate Amex Plat – this is the card that we have to use for all work expenses. Get to keep the points from it. Access to delta lounges, centurion lounges, priority pass. American Airlines Exec – Personal card, got it for the sign-up bonus and lounge access. Now I should have some sort of lounge wherever I go. Platinum Delta Amex – I just use this for personal delta flight booking, the companion pass, and $29 lounge access for guests (aka when girlfriend tags along for trips that were booked Delta). Considering dropping this one since I can get her in with my corporate card. Chase Sapphire Reserve – Going to let this one die now that my corporate card gives me PP access. May pick it back up or something like it in the future once I’m eligible for a sign-up bonus again. Chase/Discover 5% and Citi 2%. Travel Programs: Note: flights must be booked through Concur but everything else is fair game to book directly. Marriott – about to complete a status challenge for Platinum. I think I’ll end up staying at these most often. Hilton – I have Gold through Amex. Probably won’t stay as often. National – Emerald Exec from my chase sapphire. Currently set to get delta miles instead of free rental days, since delta miles don’t expire and I rarely get a rental car for personal travel. Hertz – Gold 5 star from Amex. American Airlines – No status. Will most likely do the status challenge for platinum once I figure out where my next project is located, as American will probably be my most-flown airline going forward. Delta – A couple segments from silver. So, a few questions: 1) Which rental car company should I be going after? I’ve had good experience with National in the past and I have no idea if Hertz points are worth anything. I’d guess National since I have equal status and I can just get delta miles. 2) Is there anything I seem to be missing? Any good tips? I’m currently booking hotels directly through Marriott’s website and snagging some cashback via Rakuten. 3) I assume it’s not worth getting a hotel credit card since I can’t book with them for work and should accrue enough points eventually to cover personal stays. Is that logic sound?
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Sep 17, 2019 21:34
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national free days are a pretty good value you're carrying way too many credit cards for my taste, especially since you can't book work travel on the airline ones. lounges suck, not worth it imo.
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Sep 17, 2019 23:06
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It’s a weird experience moving from one client who agonized over every dollar of expenses to a new one that’s more than happy to say they’ll just eat the $400 in last minute flight change fees as long as I can make it to their rescheduled meeting.
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Sep 18, 2019 03:22
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One of the platforms I manage is experience retention issues and there is discussion of putting me and my new VP title on the road to kiss babies and shake hands ....ugh. I really dont wanna spin back up into 75%+ travel. I did 10 of 12 weeks per quarter makes me wanna die
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Sep 18, 2019 03:29
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AA/Marriott/National loyalist here. I agree with Kyoon, it seems like you can streamline the cards significantly. I’ve avoided hotel cards, as I’d rather earn air miles with my spend and just accrue hotel nights on stays/points. Likewise, work reimburses me for my lounge pass, so I just carry the AA one. Card fees won’t be reimbursed, so I don’t bother with the expensive cards - just an AAdvantage MC and SWRR Visa (work/personal). I have a Chase Sapphire but haven’t really used it since I got the signup bonus.
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Sep 18, 2019 03:39
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