travel thread

[michigancat]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

eh, thanksgiving is pretty peak, isn't it?

[steve dave]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

eh, thanksgiving is pretty peak, isn't it?

yep

[Skipper44]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

eh, thanksgiving is pretty peak, isn't it?

I have heard tickets to get in the gym can be tough to get as the arena only seats 2,400; there is a possibility of a matchup with Mizzou

[steve dave]

You would have to go through a broker unless you are a very high level donor. Each school is alloted a very small amount.

[michigancat]

I've talked to someone who's gone several times that said it wasn't that difficult. I just don't go to Hawaii enough (ever) to justify spending all my time watching basketball.

[Skipper44]

I've talked to someone who's gone several times that said it wasn't that difficult. I just don't go to Hawaii enough (ever) to justify spending all my time watching basketball.

true, but it looks so cool on TV when you have 2 high level teams playing in high school gym - I would be pulling out all to go if it was Frank's JYCs led by Senior AA Angel 

[steve dave]

I've talked to someone who's gone several times that said it wasn't that difficult. I just don't go to Hawaii enough (ever) to justify spending all my time watching basketball.

yep. plus we're almost certainly going to suck so WGAF. just thought I'd point it out.

[asava]

I've talked to someone who's gone several times that said it wasn't that difficult. I just don't go to Hawaii enough (ever) to justify spending all my time watching basketball.

yep. plus we're almost certainly going to suck so WGAF. just thought I'd point it out.

 

i just don't even want to think about it right now.

[michigancat]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

I can fly to Lihue from pretty much any airline that flys there with one stop max. Keep in mind I've already burned through a United Explorer. you can churn AA, right?

[steve dave]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

I can fly to Lihue from pretty much any airline that flys there with one stop max. Keep in mind I've already burned through a United Explorer. you can churn AA, right?

actually, just looked it over some more and you should get BA miles. You can fly OAK to LIH direct for 12,500 Avios on Alaska. That's fantastic. they are a mileage based redemption.

[steve dave]

BA card

http://track.linkoffers.net/a.aspx?foid=21894767&fot=9999&foc=1

[steve dave]

Alaska also flys direct from SJC so you will have some options. also 12.5k each way. man, living on the west coast is amazing for avios use to hawaii. 

[michigancat]

BA card

http://track.linkoffers.net/a.aspx?foid=21894767&fot=9999&foc=1

holy crap that's great. Nice tip.

[steve dave]

getting 4 award tickets on the same flight will be a bit tough to LIH but they show some availability for 4 spread out around July (which is as far out as you can book right now). I'd plan to get the 100k avios ready (you and the wife can combine accounts so you get all 4 on one booking) and be ready to book in 3 months if posible. just pay attention to when they open up the award space and book the flights there on that date and the flights back seperately when they open that availability and you should be able to pick your dates (unless Alaska blocks some days, I'm not familiar with their award bookings).

[michigancat]

getting 4 award tickets on the same flight will be a bit tough to LIH but they show some availability for 4 spread out around July (which is as far out as you can book right now). I'd plan to get the 100k avios ready (you and the wife can combine accounts so you get all 4 on one booking) and be ready to book in 3 months if posible. just pay attention to when they open up the award space and book the flights there on that date and the flights back seperately when they open that availability.

looks like the directs from OAK are seasonal, is it the same mileage for non-direct flights? Or flights out of SJC?

[steve dave]

it will be more miles if you have to layover somewhere.

this is the best tool to figure out where you can fly from and what the mileage will be:

http://www.wandr.me/Avios-Calculator.aspx

[steve dave]

looks like it will be 17k each way if you layover in LAX (still not bad, would be 17.5k AA miles for the same route "off peak" and 22.5k "peak"). 20k to layover in SEA.

[mocat]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

Change of plans, probably will do it next October. Start churning some AA cards?

Yeah, whoever flys from oak or sfo. Also, the Maui invitational featuring the cats is around that time.

I can fly to Lihue from pretty much any airline that flys there with one stop max. Keep in mind I've already burned through a United Explorer. you can churn AA, right?

actually, just looked it over some more and you should get BA miles. You can fly OAK to LIH direct for 12,500 Avios on Alaska. That's fantastic. they are a mileage based redemption.

When I read this I went  because I thought Alaska was SkyTeam. I did not know Alaska was more or less independent. That's pretty neato.

Alaska Airlines is not part of any of the three major airline alliances. However, it has codeshare agreements with some members of Oneworld, such as British Airways, LAN Airlines and American Airlines, and with some SkyTeam members, including Air France and Delta Air Lines.

[steve dave]

yeah, Alaska is a huge slut

[mocat]

yeah, Alaska is a huge slut

did you see how much the USA paid for it? 

[ben ji]

Going to Nashville for work then sticking around for a weekend.  What should I do/stay?

Went for a bach party back in April and Pak'd super hard at The Stage, was so much fun we went 2 nights in a row.

If you dont want to go to the main strip downtown there are some lower key bars around Vanderbilt that are pretty fun, cant remember much about them but they were super fun.

[michigancat]

approved on the first BA Card.

[puniraptor]

LA then SF next 2 weeks. Will report Dallas comparos.

[ben ji]

Eating at www.rustichousechicago.com a week from Friday with the bach party, reserved the private room for all 15 of us.

Anyone been?

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

Eating at www.rustichousechicago.com a week from Friday with the bach party, reserved the private room for all 15 of us.

Anyone been?

A+ source says its very good.