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Just noticed this thread. Quit my job doing 100k+ domestic (US) last year to settle down a bit more. Unfortunately, I moved from an area well served by Delta to one served by AA so I don't have relevant status. Traveling like some kind of pleb is friggen terrible. That being said, the first night I spent away from my wife in 4 months where I was the one travelling was 2 weeks ago. I focused on using the 2nd favorite airline out of my airport that served what I needed for status. So, Delta out of PHX for the last few years resulted in a roughly 90%+ upgrade rate without having top-tier status. Briggs & Riley for carry-ons. The drat thing has been beaten senseless but everything still works and if I ever stop being lazy I can send it in for repairs and they'll basically send a new one back. Don't waste airline miles or hotel points on domestic. Points usage is scaled and you get much more bang for your points in exotic locales and long flights in business class. You can either travel 2 people in domestic first from coast to coast or 1 person in business from the US to Asia. Compare the costs and you're getting much more for your time. Also try to get a credit card, especially if you're cash reimbursed, that'll comp you over airline club membership if you don't get it as part of your status. If you invest /w Merrill their M+ card gives you status at 50k spend with no fee. That'll make the airport stay a little bit nicer. Also the "2nd" story in DEN and MSP (mall area) is awesome. Nobody is there with plenty of seats and outlets.
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May 22, 2013 03:26
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Seconding the B&R on luggage. Expensive, but lifetime warranty and service. You shouldn't have anything in your pockets when you get to the security area. Seriously, unload your pockets into the top most pouch of your carry on bag. It should be shoes+belt+liquids in 1 bin, laptop in the next. What else do you have to scan? Send your luggage on the belt, it doesn't need a bin.
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Jun 11, 2013 03:20
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Thoguh posted:I didn't realize Global Entry was linked to PreCheck. I very rarely travel internationally but if I fall off of being elite on Delta that might be worth it. Precheck eligibility is binary. Once you're in, you're in. I've lost my status with American but still used pre-check on Memorial day out of SFO flying to DFW. EDIT: The lovely thing is when they decide to be really stingy with it to prove some kind of point. MSP was doing a 2 out of 3 denied bullshit last time I was there.
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Jun 15, 2013 05:53
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Belldandy posted:Same here. And to also provide an anecdote, I was batting 100% on the pre-check until I got assigned a gig at MSP last year. Suddenly they've got a long line for pre-check and only 1 out of 3 is being accepted. I don't know if that was a few weeks of bull poo poo in general, MSP doing something weird, or statistical clustering. I haven't had that problem any other place or time though.
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Jun 17, 2013 05:20
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Ynglaur posted:Contrast with, e.g. MSP, where its relatively trivial to find a spot to open your laptop during a delayed flight or long layover. I used to kill time at MSP at the sitting area on the second floor. Nobody is ever up there except the employees.
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Nov 6, 2014 06:01
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Used to be 100% travel consultant, out Sunday back Thursday kind of thing. Traded that in for a desk job. 2 and half years later and I think I made a mistake. Not just the lack of travel, but I changed industries and I don't think it is a good fit. About to take a new job that'll involve 25-40% travel, but that travel is 2 weeks in China, 1 week in Australia, 1 week in Europe, then back to the states kind of thing. Any tips? Outside of my honeymoon I haven't had to go through immigration since before they required a passport every time. Global Entry is obvious, but anything else? Is there a recommended brand/style of checked luggage? I've got a B&R 22" for carryon duty.
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Mar 9, 2015 23:04
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Uncle Jam posted:New policy: Usage of corporate chipless amex is mandatory Try calling Amex and see if they'll issue you a corp card with a chip?
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Apr 5, 2015 01:14
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Just took the jump to head back to a travel job. Not a weekly thing like when I consulted, but multiple international trips a year for 1-2week each. Couple of questions: Should I renew my passport before doing my chinese visa application? I've heard business visas are now 10 years in length, but is that limited if my passport doesn't have 10 years left on it? Global entry? Worth it? I might have 3-4 trips a year at least in the short term. Is there any actual, checked luggage, that is worth the price paid? I've been burned in the past on poo poo that didn't really hold up.
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Apr 13, 2015 01:01
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Looks like I'll be in China at the end of next month. First trip out there. Any advice regarding laptop/phone/etc? Should I try to find or setup a VPN for my communications prior to rolling out?
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May 23, 2015 20:57
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Bloodnose posted:Yes. I'm now setting up my VPN stuff after arriving and it's a lot more annoying than it needs to be. Just test everything before you leave Free Internet Land. Let me know if you find something that works well, mobile + desktop.
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May 24, 2015 03:32
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Doing HKG to DFW on AA's 777-300ER, anyone know if MCE in 16E (the very middle) is easy to get in-out of? All the Aisles are taken up in MCE and I prefer to be able to move around if I want/need to.
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Jun 2, 2015 17:15
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Global Entry questions, I'm traveling late next month with plenty of time before my flight to take care of the in-person interview portion of the application. How long before my trip should I start the process? I've heard you have to do your interview within 2 weeks or something stupid. Is that true? Once I've completed my in-person, how long until the cards are issued and whatnot? Assuming everything goes well. I'm a very boring person, so I suspect it'll be fine.
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Jul 30, 2015 16:54
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MickeyFinn posted:My card was issued immediately but you don't use it at the Global Entry kiosks, you use your passport. It is more about you getting in to the system, I think, which could quite easily take two weeks. Well, its a 2 hour drive for me to head to the nearest office (at the airport), so I thought I'd just tack it on to the front of a trip to Europe. I was hoping that I could get it setup in short order so I could use it on the way back.
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Jul 30, 2015 20:16
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Don't count on it, but if it's going to take you that long to do it, I wouldn't make another trip. The immigration line will be less than four hours (unless you're at MIA hehe). In and out of DFW, so far (knock on wood), hasn't taken more than a few minutes at immigration and customs.
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Jul 30, 2015 20:27
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DJCobol posted:I'll have to try this on Saturday before my flight to LAX. I haven't printed boarding passes in quite a while. Make sure you print "with offers"
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Aug 11, 2015 18:12
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Anyone have a recommended travel plug adapter? Don't need to do anything other than convert US prongs to other prongs. Also, prongs.
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Aug 13, 2015 00:04
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Mackieman posted:You can get one for about $5 on Amazon and it works just about anywhere in the world. So, do you have a specific model to recommend? Because I am aware that things can be purchased cheaply from Amazon.
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Aug 13, 2015 02:49
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How does the APEC card work for US Citizens? I mean practically since you still have to obtain a Chinese & Korean visa. In and out of HKG and Australia, maybe Japan and Singapore and South Korea, nothing else really scheduled. So I'd just be paying 70 bucks to avoid lines at immigration?
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Aug 14, 2015 21:16
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P.D.B. Fishsticks posted:I concur on the Anker multi-USB chargers. I've been using one of these exclusively for the past half year, and it just takes a standard C8 power cord as an input, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with a C8 power cord for whatever country you're going to. C8 is the receptacle, C7 is the plug. That being said, this is an awesome suggestion and something I might look into building for my travel pack for next year. Already got the plugs from before and my last trip scheduled for the year happening next week. Having a kid due in Nov. is cramping my travel for Q4.  Also, Global entry update, took about a week to get my application reviewed, was able to schedule my interview at DFW on the day I wanted, but going to review it now puts appointments well over a month out. So, if you're on the fence go ahead and get it in the system so you can schedule at your convenience since getting a slot seems difficult. That being said, looks like the appointments are only 15 minute slots, so I'm hoping it'll be quick. You guys said I should be able to use it immediately correct? Cause I'm going from appointment to London and back the following week.
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Aug 17, 2015 17:23
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smackfu posted:This was the cheapest one I could find on Amazon, for $5. Found this earlier. http://www.sfcable.com/iec-c7-power-cords.html
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Aug 17, 2015 19:09
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I can't imagine an in person CBP interview is all that much better, but I've never done the TSA Pre only. My GE interview was "can I see your passport?" They didn't ask me about travel, criminal history, or nothing. Now, I've had probably 5 background checks done in the last 4 years and about 3 rounds of fingerprinting, so maybe that was just me. Less than 15 minutes.
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Sep 21, 2015 17:51
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What do I do with 36k Amex Rewards? I'm probably going to trade them for Avios for short-haul AA domestic awards for friends/family, but are there better uses?
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Oct 13, 2015 17:13
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:AA Platinum isn't that good since you're still on stickers. I would not spend a thousand dollars to get AA Platinum again even if I were still doing 40+ segments. AA keeps offering it to me for $699, so that should give you an idea of what the cash value upper bound is. Platinum is nice for international lounge access and priority luggage, which you don't get at gold. That being said, you can buy international lounge day passes for fairly cheap. I considered it since I'm like 10k short and am now mostly international, but it just isn't worth it at $50/day or whatever it is for a lounge pass. And after 14 hours 15 minutes for luggage isn't that big of a deal.
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Oct 15, 2015 19:38
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Finally signed up for AwardWallet and it is warning me that I haven't been to a Hilton in a year and they might expire my points. Is this a real concern? I'm sure I can figure out something to get 20-200 HH points stuck in there if I have to.
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Oct 23, 2015 20:38
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caberham posted:uuuuuuuuuuuuuuber matrix.itasoftware.com
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Oct 28, 2015 05:30
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Looks like AA is about to switch to earning miles on spend instead of but in seat, and the rumors are that they're also going to devalue the program. Probably going to be hard to get in a multi-week vacay in the coming year, what should I be thinking about with respect to my half-million mile stash? I'd really like to start burning some of them on international upgrades on my work trips, but I don't get why I also have to throw a co-pay in on top. gently caress that, just charge me more miles damnit. Bonus if you know what to do with three quarters of a million HHonors points. Obviously, I just travel for work and never take vacations. FunOne fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Nov 8, 2015 |
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Nov 8, 2015 23:03
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triple sulk posted:I don't think there's supposed to be any major changes to the award redemptions based on the FT thread. The only thing it implies is potentially late 2016. Things are getting changed a bit with regards to the FF program (and it will probably make more sense when it's officially announced) but there will still be no minimum spend requirement. AA probably thought it a good decision to be the one major US airline that isn't revenue based. Link? And my concern is that with the earnings moving to revenue based in 2017 (rumored) that along with that will come a range of devaluations. Not that I think the US Airways management would be cheap as poo poo or anything. 
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Nov 10, 2015 02:11
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Quick trip to Hong Kong for next week. 30 hours of flying for 72 hours in country, roughly. But hey, it'll pop me over for Plat on AA for next year.
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Dec 2, 2015 03:40
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Blinkman987 posted:I know at least 5 people who are making runs like this across the next two weeks. Tis the season. Not a mileage run technically, but a short trip to our manufacturer to verify production specs on a new order and meet with some regulatory people. HKG is the transit. The bulk of the trip will be in beautiful Shunde. EDIT: I've never done a miles + Cash upgrade on AA. Do I pay upfront or just if it clears? If I pay upfront and it doesn't clear do I keep my cash balance for my next flight or upgrade request? FunOne fucked around with this message at 16:20 on Dec 2, 2015 |
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Dec 2, 2015 06:55
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Slinked over Platinum on AA for the year, do I get my full bonus miles on the qualifying flight? Thats worth 6k to me.
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Dec 14, 2015 18:34
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Mulatto Butts posted:Any tips on staying fresh while travelling all the time for work? I started a new job a month ago where I'm flying every week and in hotels Sun-Fri. By Friday the lack of sleep starts to get to me. First, fly home Thursday or fly out Monday. Second, your home routine should be to shuffle one week of clothes out and another in and maybe some laundry. Have a 2nd of everything your travel pack so you don't have to repack. Repack equals stress. Third, stop spending time after work with your coworkers. That is time "on" and is going to wear your rear end out. Ditch them as soon as you can each day. Fourth, stop trying to make each week a vacation / exploration. Do your poo poo, go to the hotel, watch some TV, sleep. You can use those miles to come back for a vacation in the future. I don't know how much that really applies to you, but when I figured it out for my last job with that kind of travel it really eased things up for me.
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Dec 15, 2015 06:59
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Currently I'm with ATT but their international options just suck. I'm thinking of making a change to someone else with better options when travelling. Any recommendations? I'm not excited about swapping SIM cards around when I travel for local data, but if that is the best option then I guess I could live with it.
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Dec 20, 2015 02:22
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Mackieman posted:I've been all over Europe, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Peru, Canada, and some other places and have never actually had 2G. It's usually 3G and more recently, 4G/LTE access. Yes, 3G is slower than what we normally expect today, but it's more than functional and means I don't have to mess with alternate SIM cards or other plans/services. As in all things, YMMV, but it works quite well if you're willing to take an extra second to load maps and stuff. I've got a Google Fi SIM card on the way. Supposedly this runs over top of T-Mobile and Sprint in the US and the same roaming network outside of it. Last time I tried T-Mobile I didn't have much service at my house, but that was a few years ago so I hope they've improved. Not the cheapest for data if you use a bunch, but with either working at home or traveling my data use has gone down quite a bit as I'm almost always near WiFi. I'm hoping this works well and isn't an abandoned Google project in 6 months.
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Dec 21, 2015 17:58
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Are any of the rental car companies' benefits worth it? I got stuck with Avis after a few years with IBM and haven't switched. I don't think I've ever gotten a free rental out of it, maybe a discounted day or two. Has been good for the occasional upgrade, but nothing super notable since I stopped the weekly travel.
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Jan 4, 2016 16:06
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Looking to get some luggage that is bigger than my carry on but still maneuverable for longer intl. trips. Need something I can still hump in and out of cabs, ferries, trains, etc. About to pull the trigger on a B&R Baseline spinner in 25", anyone want to talk me out of it?
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Jan 8, 2016 15:57
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I think spinners are loving horrible but if you really like that type of bag B&R makes good poo poo. I've got their 20, or 22 or 19, or whatever it was so long ago domestic carry on that has easily done 750mi without an egregious issues. Just isn't big enough to really carry what I need for a 10 day trip, plus gifts, plus shoes, etc.
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Jan 8, 2016 18:29
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Cacafuego posted:Is everyone in this thread a consultant/in IT of some kind staying put in a hotel for work M-Th? Did the strategy consultant thing for a few years, humping across the US on a M/Th schedule, then changed jobs and didn't travel at all. Now doing management for a company manufacturing in Asia and selling in Europe, so fewer but longer trips. Also, gently caress you work Vegas. Vacation Vegas I can try to have a good time, work Vegas is just grating.
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Jan 22, 2016 18:01
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Follow up, Uber in Vegas has dramatically improved getting around.
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Jan 22, 2016 19:08
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app posted:I don't get it either, especially given the number of young folks in consulting. But as someone who was exec plat at 22, and looked like I was 18, I probably got a comment once every month mostly from other pax but occasionally the FAs too. I was doing DFW-NRT once in J and the surly 60 year old AA FA opens with 'ohhh, traveling in business class today, are you going to visit your dad'. I had plat in graduate school doing the long distance thing for a semester. I remember going up in shorts and a tshirt to get standby on the first flight of the day, getting the "the list is full no way you'll make it no reason to add you", dropped my ticket and asked can you try anyway and receiving a ticket right back. Felt good.
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Jan 23, 2016 23:23
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Midjack posted:It may be a revelation for some of you, but it's possible to gently assert status though you can escalate if necessary. Yeah, as per story, I just asked if she could try anyway while putting my ticket on the counter. Wasn't trumping status, but wanted to make sure she actually, you know, tried. I personally am very happy to have more technology in the process. I'd rather just do that standby, or change my seat, or whatever from my phone. I've had surely gate agents bitch about changing my seat last second on a transcon cause they were trying to put their buddy flying standby into that exit row seat. Just let me handle that with my personal device. My current travel bitch, the pre check move from FF status to GE payment. Way more occasional travelers in the pre check lane these days. That lane is supposed to hustle dammit.
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Jan 25, 2016 01:09
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