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Oh, man. How did I miss this thread? Crosspost: I have a job that requires me to travel. Like a lot. Like 75-90% of the time. I'm trying to figure out which Airline to make my primary, but comparing their frequent flyer mile programs and cross-checking that across my credit cards and hotel chains and car rental places is making my brain hurt. Here's what I have to work with now: - I will be flying primarily out of Buffalo. The big carriers here are Delta, United, and American Airlines. Delta is generally the cheapest, and I have to stay within $50 of the cheapest price when choosing tickets. - I have an apartment in north Jersey that I may have to fly out of occasionally. Newark airport is primarily United, but others fly out of there as well. - The card I plan on putting most of my expenses on is an American Express Gold Premier charge card. I expect to have between $2k and $5k / month in expenses on it. They have mile transfer deals with Delta and Jet Blue. I am open to getting rid of this card and getting a different one if that makes more sense in terms of points/miles/whatever. - My company uses Avis for car rentals. I don't think I can use anyone else. - I prefer Marriott to Hilton because Hilton keeps calling me with their dumb marketers that make me want to scream at them. - I'm a tall guy so things like free upgrades to preferred seats or first class are a big deal for me. More so than free flights, probably. How do I go about making sure I have the best synergy between my rewards programs / credit cards / whatever else?
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Apr 10, 2016 06:50
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Is there a good reason not to pick Delta, since I already have a matching card? Would it be worth it to upgrade to a Platinum AmEx if I fly a lot? My main problem is looking at the different airlines, their frequent flier programs have so many variables, it's hard to do a direct comparison. Is there anyone that had to decide between those airlines before that can give me some insight into why they picked the one they did?
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Apr 10, 2016 14:40
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:I'm just sad you have to use avis. Not empty quoting. sellouts posted:If you can use SPG for hotels and you're not I think that is a mistake I can use whatever hotels I want, as long as they're under the cap ($150/night for most areas, more for major cities). air- posted:A platinum amex is only worth it for a first year sign up bonus on MR points (doubt there's one running right now) and if there's a centurion lounge at your base airport. If your employer covers the pricy annual fee though, then why not. The platinum Amex also gets you into the Delta lounges, which costs quite a bit by itself. I would be responsible for paying the annual fee, though (I think).
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Apr 10, 2016 20:59
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Is there a good way to guestimate if miles or segments are going to be more important? A lot of the places I fly are pretty close (Boston, NY, Chicago), but I sometimes have to go across the country.
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Apr 11, 2016 04:14
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The only places I get more than $200/night in the US are like Manhattan and SF. Even downtown Boston is $200.
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Apr 11, 2016 13:16
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Now I remember why I don't like delta. These seats are atrocious. Yay, bare metal for my knees.
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Apr 25, 2016 14:10
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I've never had a line longer than 15 mins in BUF at security, and I've lived there my whole life and fly weekly.
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May 11, 2016 01:08
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DJCobol posted:Stayed in ham town for a month and a half while working in Stony Creek. This is sage advice. Don't forget Swiss Chalet. My parents send me across the border on pilgrimage.
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May 12, 2016 03:47
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People have been talking and laughing loudly outside of my door at this Ramada all night and I can't sleep. Someone kill me.
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May 12, 2016 13:06
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Barry posted:Tell them to shut up? It's... not a nice neighborhood. This same guy threatened the person at the front desk when I checked in. This is what happens when you get a $150/night budget for a hotel room just outside NYC. Midjack posted:Just make sure they don't block your alarm out too. This is my fear.
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May 12, 2016 20:52
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I'll be sure to bring it up.
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May 12, 2016 23:59
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I was kind of miffed about having to spend 2 weeks in a Best Western due to having a poo poo budget for hotels, but this place is surprisingly pleasant so far. Yeah, it looks like my grandma decorated it. But the room is pretty big and, unlike all the Hiltons I've ever been in, the wifi works and the shower has decent pressure.
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Jun 13, 2016 21:33
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$50 for me, but can be more depending on the city. Boston is $65, for instance. The problem is the hotels. I negotiated a rate of $199 with the Marriott sales manager to stay in the Chelmsford Courtyard, but my VP of finance wasn't having any of it. I'm stuck in a $99/night Radisson and it's TERRIBLE. When's the last time you slept in a full bed in a hotel room? I'm 6'3", damnit! Also, they negotiated free breakfast, which is the worst food I've ever had in a hotel, ever. But I'm stuck eating it because they're going to deduct $10/day out of my per diem for it.
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Jul 14, 2016 04:22
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This Radisson sure as hell isn't. It smells like mildew in here and the blackout curtains don't close more than half way because they were installed incorrectly. Also, there is no screen in the window.
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Jul 14, 2016 07:35
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Staying in a Crowne Plaza for the first time. Porn websites are blocked. 0/10, would not stay again.
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Jul 19, 2016 02:41
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People on Southwest are just surprised they made it. 
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Jul 26, 2016 04:30
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Absolute worst case, if you spend at least $35k per year on travel, you could use that extra point as gift cards to pay for the difference in yearly fees. It would be the least efficient way to spend those points, but you could do it.
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Aug 17, 2016 18:11
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This is such crap and I want to strangle my VP of finance. I had a hotel picked out (Chicago O"Haire Renaissance) that was within the limit for hotels ($200 in this case), but had a cheaper rate available through a company we partner with. I sent him an email asking if I should book directly with the hotel to get the cheaper rate. I got this back: quote:Please amend your reservation and book the following hotel for 111$/night. After I raised exception to that, I got this: quote:OK, but the question is if there is cheaper hotel than [other company] rate in the area (like the case in Chicago). 
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Aug 20, 2016 19:57
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I'm just going to book the hotel I want at the company rate and point to the travel policy if I'm asked. I literally live out of hotels. Living in a dump is not on my list of life goals.
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Aug 22, 2016 14:53
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My boss just sent me an email saying to be in Israel in less than two weeks. Looks like I might hit platinum with United this year after all. Which is crazy, considering I didn't start using them until late May.
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Aug 31, 2016 05:50
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The company president wants to put me on a double connection flight to Israel with an 8 hour layover (27-28 hours total) on an airline I never use (and therefore will get a lovely seat) instead of a single 2 hour connection (17 hours total) on the airline I always fly because it would save the company $300. I'm not crazy for thinking this is unreasonable, am I?
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Sep 7, 2016 01:07
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I'm salary exempt (and have had to do poo poo like work 20 hour days 4 days in a row sandwiched between long flights). It's also expected in my company to work weekdays and fly weekends because my coworkers set precedent and have no balls. I think I'm the only one giving the company a hard time about their policies. Everyone else just rolls over. The clincher is that I've been asked to be there Saturday because the work week in Israel starts Sunday, but all of the flights they will approve will get me there Sunday (because flights on Friday are more expensive, you see  ).
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Sep 7, 2016 17:03
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I'm not offering to pay. It literally says I'm responsible to pay the difference if I fly a non approved flight in the travel policy. People have gotten screwed on reimbursements that way in the past.
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Sep 7, 2016 17:07
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Yes. I'm making contacts here and actually doing things that will help my career / resume. I like almost everything about the job except how drat cheap they are about everything.
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Sep 7, 2016 18:08
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I just got an email from my travel agent that the president approved the original itinerary I requested. 
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Sep 7, 2016 18:34
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To be fair, I only did that once, and it was an "Oh poo poo, this has to happen now while you also handle your normal duties" thing and I just got word we're hiring another person to back me up. Right now, I'm sitting in the Adirondack mountains with about 2 hours worth of emails to go through and then I'm going to sit in the hot tub, so it kind of evens out. My average is definitely well over 40 hours per week though, if you include travel time. I have no doubt they're hosed up though. Very neurotic about some things.
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Sep 7, 2016 19:04
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Waiting for my united flight, there was just an announcement that the galaxy note 7 specifically needs to be turned off and not used or plugged in during the flight. Any idea why? Edit: it's because they were recalled. KillHour fucked around with this message at 11:34 on Sep 26, 2016 |
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Sep 26, 2016 11:30
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Speaking of dumb questions, is there anything you have to do to get upgraded if you're Avis preferred plus? I haven't noticed any difference in the cars I get assigned. It's dumb as poo poo that you can't actually get into the upper tiers of their program without buying into a private jet timeshare company or whatever. Noctone posted:I mean to be fair, you drat near have to be living under a rock to not have heard about it. I heard about it weeks ago and promptly forgot since I don't own one.
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Sep 26, 2016 14:18
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I have a week a month booked in my schedule. I get that roughly half the time. In other news, I was approved for a CSR card. No more waiting in lovely airport food courts for me!
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Sep 29, 2016 03:51
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In the US, that's true. Try the breakfast at the Herod's Herzliya in Israel. 
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Oct 4, 2016 13:11
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Brazil was loving horrible. I had to drive to NYC.
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Oct 5, 2016 22:46
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Luckily, once I actually got there, nobody gave a poo poo about the regulations that said I was supposed to drive back a week later and they just gave me a 10 year multiple entry on the spot. Also luckily, they didn't question why I was going too hard because I technically was supposed to get a VITEM V, which requires a loving FBI background check. Then you have to go to the federal police when you get to Brazil to "check in" so they can find you. And after all that, it's only good for 3 months. 
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Oct 6, 2016 02:18
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Go to an ATM and get cash out in the currency of wherever you are. Your bank at home will make the conversion at current exchange rates and ATM fees are usually reasonable unless you're in a strip club or something.
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Oct 6, 2016 03:17
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Speaking of rentals, is there a way to tell Avis to stop upgrading me to SUVs? Half the lot is loving Mustangs. Give me one of those.
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Nov 4, 2016 21:00
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They ask you to put your favorite car type on your profile. Then they promptly ignore it. I'll ask them about it Sunday when I fly out to California since I have nowhere in particular to be.
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Nov 4, 2016 21:59
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Irvine, Boston, Chicago, Israel, Canton OH, Irvine.  I'm really starting to realize that flying for work is a miserable existence. KillHour fucked around with this message at 15:05 on Nov 7, 2016 |
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Nov 7, 2016 15:03
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The new revenue based mileage has its ups and downs for me. It is quite advantageous on business-class trips but it sure does suck when you're budget conscious. What's it like having a company that pays for business class?
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Nov 9, 2016 16:44
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Buy headphones that don't say Bose on them.
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Nov 28, 2016 14:05
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If you want to buy overpriced crap, that's your business. But just know if you're on the same plane as me, I'll secretly judge you. Ditto for Beats.
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Nov 28, 2016 17:22
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If you want to suffer for 8 hours just to show up to your business meeting in a wrinkled, sweaty suit, be my guest. I'll stay comfy.
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Nov 28, 2016 17:51
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