Editor's ChoiceCategories Credit Type Issuers Blog

Should You Book A More Expensive Non-Stop?

01/25/2011

Two airlines will fly you from point A to point B.   One charges $100 more than the other.   Baggage and other fees being equal, which one should you take?

A. The Cheaper One

B. The More Expensive One

C. There Is Not Enough Information To Make A Decision

The answer is clearly C, as some airlines will always offer a lower fare, but saddle you with a less than ideal itinerary.   I am frequently asked the question of whether an extra stop is worth the savings.   It comes down to a variety of factors.    First, how much time will the stop add to your itinerary.   There is a big difference between a stop along your route at a relatively quiet airport with no change of planes, and a long connection at a congested, out of the way airport.     In the first instance, you might only expect to arrive about an hour later, and there is no chance of mis-connecting.   In the later arrangement, you could be adding hours to both your travel time and your flight times.    Worse, you are doubling the risk of cancellations and lost luggage.    You also have to take into account the possibility that a weather delay or cancellation will force you to pay out of pocket for overnight accommodations at your transfer city.

If you are a student or you are retired, perhaps your money is far more important than your time.   Compared to other forms of transport, even a delayed trip will be far quicker and the money saved will prove valuable in your travels.

While I am an extremely frugal traveler, one of my most precious commodities is my time.  I have just so many days off a year for vacations, that I have to make the most of each one.    You will find me at the airport departing for vacation after a day at work so that I can wake up the next day at my destination.   You will also see me on the last flight out on my return so I can make the most of my final day off.      Throw in a change of planes, and I end up spending too much time traveling.    Additionally, I would vastly increase my chances of missing a day of vacation if I have a problem on the outbound, or a day of work if I run into trouble on the return.    I have had both experiences, and neither are much fun.

That said, everyone has their price.   I have booked a quick stop to save $100, and even a change of planes to save more than $200.    That is about where my limits lie.   When booking a flight for you or someone else, you have to find out how much your time is worth an how much of a risk you can afford.  Once you set a dollar amount, you can then make the best decisions about which itinerary is going to serve your needs.

Marriott NewPort Beach BayView Review

01/23/2011

I am about to check out of the Marriott NewPort Beach BayView Hotel, where I have just spent a night. So here’s my take on this hotel. I would say that this is a typical Marriott Hotel – very well run, consistent and pleasant as well. The room is spacious, clean and most importantly, the bed was really comfortable. There is a restaurant at the lobby (where I had a buffet breakfast) and a swimming pool as well.

As I was only staying a night, one of the reasons I chose the Marriott was because I could use my Plum Card to get a 5% discount at this Hotel (all Amex OPEN business credit cards give you a 5% discount at Marriott Hotels). The only thing they did not have was a free shuttle service to the Airport.

But overall, I found my stay very pleasant and the quality and service is pretty much consistent was any Marriott Hotel out there.

Len Penzo Is Now Working For Ask Mr Credit Card

As our personal chef! Len was looking to make some additional income and since I was looking for a personal chef, I decided to interview him and his “interview question” was make me some good burgers!

Alright, this is obviously a joke! (this is what happens when you are jet lagged and writing a blog post at midnight). But here is the skinny!

I just came back from Len Penzo’s home and he graciously prepared a very nice dinner for me. He did a nice BBQ and we had burgers and hot dogs. He was even kind enough to ask if I want my hot dog well done or medium rare! We had a great time chatting about stuff. I also finally got meet HoneyB!

Len – those burgers were great! I would have hired you, but you forgot to turn off the cooker!

A Romantic Car Plate – Guess Whose Car Is This?

Fairmont Miramar Hotel Santa Monica Review – Amex Platinum Fine Hotel and Resort Partner

01/22/2011

I checked into the Fairmont Mirarmar Hotel in Santa Monica after landing at Orange County. When I was researching which hotels to stay (and more on that in another post), I found out that the Fairmont was only slightly more expensive than the other hotels along the beach. And it turned out that it was part of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program from my American Express Platinum Card.

So I decided to stay at this hotel and use Amex Platinum Travel to book it and my entire trip. For those of you who are not familiar, you will get certain benefits if you book a “Fine Hotel and Resort” hotel with Amex Platinum Travel. Here’s the list I got for this hotel (anyway).

  • Room Upgrade if available – Which I duly got when I checked in. In fact, I was upgraded to the top floor (10th) ocean facing room. (see pics below).
  • $100 Hotel Credit – Which I used for a 1 hour Shiatsu massage yesterday. (and BTW, the masseur Claire probably gave me one of the best massages I’ve had
  • Complimentary Breakfast for 2 – Which I had at their FIG restaurant. (more on that below).

    My Breakfast at FIG Restaurant – I could have had my complimentary breakfast in any of their restaurants (they had a place in the lobby for example). But I was told that the FIG restaurant had the best food. So I was up at 7:30am and the first one in the restaurant (East Coast Jet Lag!). I ordered a Corn Beef Hash with poached eggs (less runny more medium), some toast and a tea (was also tempted with a side dish of roast tomato). It was very nicely done and I got a great seat with the pool view. They even put their butter in a nice little dish with a cover on top that says FIG!

    Overall Experience – Though the stay was for only one day, I would say that this is a very nice hotel. The room isn’t that big (but hey, it is by the Santa Monica beach and it is only 10 stories high). But the service was impeccable. I got some complimentary fruits in the room. The massage was great. I was even given a NY Time and not the LA Times in the morning (guess they paid attention to the fact that I flew in from the east coast).

    If I came to Santa Monica again, this is the hotel I would be staying at.

  • Getting Front Row Seats On SouthWest Airlines

    I was on the plane today flying to Orange County in the West Coast. I flew with SouthWest. It was quite a hassle for me because of two things. Firstly, I had to change flights. The first flight was 1157 from PHL to MWD (Chicago). Then I had to wait for 2 hours for the flight to John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Secondly, my flight was at 7:10am EST and I had to get up early. And it snowed overnight (4 inches where I lived) and so I had to shovel my driveway in double quick time

    But this was the first trip that I paid the extra $10 each way for an automatic check in with SouthWest. That meant that I did not have to check in 24 hours early just to get boarding priority. My boarding number was A31 and A34 respectively.

    And the funny thing was that I managed to get front row Aisle seats twice even though I was the 31st and 34th person to board. Each time, there was a person sitting in the window seat. And the person in front of me just looked ahead without considering taking the front row seat. Perhaps it’s instinct to look for an empty row. But I gladly took the front seat. In my opinion, it was the best seat because there was lots of leg room. It certainly felt more like sitting in a US Airways first class!

    From now onwards, I will gladly pay the extra $10 so I do not have to manually check in online. And I guess I have a much greater shot a front row seats?

    Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Credit Card from Chase

    Another Great Promo Code For Southwest From Visa

    01/21/2011

    Southwest Airlines unusually, but not always, has the lowest fare to it’s destinations.   Every now and then, you can find a promotional code online that takes some money off even their lowest fares.

    Get The Southwest And Visa Signature Promo Code

    If you go to this link here you can enter the number from any Visa Signature card to receive a promotional code worth 15% off any Southwest Airlines purchase.   According to their website:

    Visa Signature wants to reward cardholders with instant access to perks that do not have to be earned through points or miles. So this travel season Visa Signature has partnered with Southwest® Airlines to give cardholders an exclusive discount on round-trip Wanna Get Away Fares.

    You can get one promo code for each card you have.    Each promo code can be used with one itinerary, but the itinerary may contain up to eight tickets.

    Here’s The Problem

    The purchase must be made by April 30th for travel through June 1st.   Sounds easy right?   Not when you consider all of the blackout days.   According to the promo code I received:

    “Blackout dates apply February 17, 2011 through February 28, 2011, April 21, 2011 through April 25, 2011, and May 20, 2011 through May 24, 2011. If any portion of travel falls on a blackout date the discount will not apply.”

    That pretty much excludes any travel for President’s day, Spring Break, and Memorial Day.    Thanks.

    On one hand, I like these promo codes.  I could potentially save a lot of money when booking travel for my family.   I especially like that I could use the promo codes with the Southwest gift cards that we are receiving as a sign up bonus on the Signature Visa card from Chase.

    While it remains to be seen, I think there is a decent possibility that you can use a promo code in conjunction with the new Rapid Rewards scheme that is rolling out in March.   With that plan, you are using your Rapid Rewards points as statement credits towards the value of the ticket.    I have not seen anything that excludes promo codes, but you never know.

    The problem is that they are making this offer but providing all sorts of exclusions that many people are going to be disappointed.    15% sounds like a great discount, but if they eliminate the times when people want to travel the most, they might be generating more frustration than goodwill.

    Barclay's Bank May Be Violating The CARD Act

    01/20/2011

    Just over a year ago, I signed up for a Frontier Airlines Visa through Barclay’s bank.   It was a great offer, with 40,000 bonus miles, potentially enough for two award tickets on Frontier Airlines.   The annual fee was waived the first year, so I kept the card after I had earned the bonus miles.    At the end of the year, I called to cancel when I received notice of the annual payment.    At that time, I had made a typo, and paid my bill a dollar short.   When I canceled the card, I realized that I still had a balance of a dollar after the annual fee was removed.   To my surprise, the representative informed me that I did not have to send the dollar in, and that they would close the account with a zero balance.

    Guess What Happens Next

    A month passes and I get a bill from Barclay’s for $24.    They had taken the dollar, charged me some kind of minimum interest charge of a dollar for three months (don’t ask me how) and added a $20 late charge.   Very frustrated, I called them immediately upon receipt of the bill.    Again, I was told that the balance would be forgiven, as well as the late fee.

    Wait A Second…

    I remember reading that the CARD Act put limits on the amount of late fees.   Specifically, a late fee cannot be more than the amount owed.    According to the web site of the Federal Reserve Board“…your credit card company cannot charge a late payment fee that is greater than your minimum payment. So, if your minimum payment is $20, your late payment fee can’t be more than $20.”

    I am no lawyer, but it appears that Barclay’s may be violating the CARD Act.   Of course, I have no case, since they immediately credited me the fee and my balance (or so they say), but I am no left wondering how many people are getting caught up in this.

    If This Happens To You

    Any time you get a late fee, you should call your bank and ask for it to be waived.   Unless you do this very often, your bank will almost certainly grant your request.    Certainly if you ever receive a late fee that is greater than your minimum payment, you should also point out your bank’s potential violation of the CARD Act.   If you are in a really bad mood, you may also wish to alert Federal regulators.

    The CARD Act of 2009 has been the greatest piece of consumer finance legislation in my lifetime.  Familiarize yourself with it’s provisions, and you will never be taken advantage of again.

    My Ideas On So Called Tarmac Delays

    01/19/2011

    One of the hot button issues in travel these days is what is often referred to as a “Tarmac Delay”.    Of course, Tarmac is a specific type of asphalt, and just about every airport uses a reinforced concrete surface.    Just by pointing out this detail, I am letting you know that I am putting on my pilot’s hat in looking at this problem.

    This Pilot’s Perspective

    As a pilot we are trained to handle all manner of unlikely contingencies.   In fact, all airlines have an operating handbook that pilots must have on hand during commercial operations.  These handbooks specify in minute detail the proper procedure for eventualities so obscure and unlikely, that any given pilot has only a minute chance of encountering them in their entire career.   What struck me most about all of the notable “tarmac strandings” in the last decade or so was that recounts of the event clearly indicated that no one had any kind of procedure for dealing with it.    Basically, the pilot’s complained to the airport and their company, and both replied to the effect of: there is nothing we can do at this time, we are working on it.  After the event, the airline in question would pretend to have fixed the problem, yet the entire process would repeat on the same or a different carrier the next time there was irregular operations.

    Enter The Three Hour Rule

    Eventually, things got so bad that the government was forced to intervene.    A three hour rule was created by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that used a blunt instrument, heavy fines, in order to ensure that passengers were never detained on a plane for more than three hours.   The clock starts ticking when the doors close, but exceptions are made when the plane cannot return to the gate for safety reasons.

    What Has Happened Since

    Strandings have virtually disappeared, especially the terrible ones that went on all day or all night.    On the other hand, foreign carriers, which are exempt from the rule have continued to see strandings during the recent snowstorms in the northeast.   Another effect has been that airlines are staying at the gate as long as possible when they cannot take off due to traffic, weather, or mechanical issues.     This solution is imperfect, as many airports are too short on gate space to permit lengthy stays.   Nevertheless, I have had several recent occasions where I or an acquaintance has been on an airplane that remained at the gate for some time during a delay.    It is always comforting to know that you can leave the plane easily if you need to.   There are all sorts of reasons you might do this.  Perhaps you have already been delayed enough that you will miss your connection.  Maybe you have booked a new ticket to your destination during your delay.  Perhaps you will even miss the event you are to attend, making it a “trip in vain”.

    The Rule Is Not Perfect

    In my recent web radio interview with Brett Snyder, AKA The Cranky Flier, he made several excellent points about the drawbacks of this rule as implemented.   He contents that flight cancellations have increased.    This may be true, although many dispute whether or not the statistics show this definitively.    Even if it could be proven that has been some uptick in cancellations directly attributable to the three hour rule, I am not ready to call that a bad thing.   I personally, would rather be in the terminal after my flight was canceled, than be stuck in a plane for hours on end.   In the terminal I have access to food, water, and medical care.   I might even find another flight to my destination or one nearby.  I can also leave the terminal and go home, go to a hotel, or find alternate ground transportation to my destination.    I have no options if I am stuck in a plane.    Brett empathizes more with the travelers that are determined to make it to their destination on their original flight, regardless of the delay.   On that subject we agreed to disagree, but we found plenty of common ground in our concerns that the rule is necessary, but could use more tweaking.

    Brett points out that the DOT has given very little guidance about this rule and that the potential fines are very steep.  I agree that the rule could have been designed and implemented better.     I also feel that the airports need to be held liable to some degree as well.    Too often, airlines and pilots merely claim that the airport doesn’t have any  open gates, and then they all give up.   In reality, the airport should be able to find an open gate, allocate the next open gate, or at the very least provide an air-stair.     To do otherwise is inexcusable.

    Either way, I will always feel that the creation of the rule has been a victory for passengers as well as the realization that the airlines have failed.   Clearly, airlines and airports are finally getting around to creating standard procedures to deal with these types of irregular operations.   They only have themselves to blame for the fact that it took government intervention for them to do so.

    What's The Deal With Discover

    01/18/2011

    I have written hundreds of articles on this blog on the subject of Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.   I can’t recall a single one about the Discover Card.

    I’ve Got To Start Somewhere

    The Discover card was on my mind last week, when I was visiting a family member who was using it regularly.  Frankly, I kept expecting merchants to reject the card, as I presumed that it was not taken in nearly as many places as the big three.    To my surprise, each time the card was presented, it was regularly accepted.   It is possible that there are regional preferences, as I was in south Florida at the time, and I have never noticed so many places taking Discover out here in Denver.

    What Is The Story With Discover

    Discover was started in the 80’s by the Sears company of all places.   Think way back to a time when they were America’s largest retailer, and you can see how they had the market power to make a run at the major card issuers.   At the time, Sears had also acquired both Dean Witter and Caldwell Banker financial services.   The idea was that Sears would become a one-stop financial center.    Imagine such a move by Wal-Mart today and you can envision the plausibility of such a proposal.   It didn’t really work out that way, but they did gain some significant traction in the marketplace by offering cash back rewards as well as reduced merchant fees.

    In a case of, “if you can’t beat them, join them”, this may have been the frontrunner of the modern cash back system we enjoy today.    Even now, some Discover cards offer class beating rewards of up to 5%.

    Today, Discover has over 50 million card members and is starting to expand beyond the United States.   As they build a critical mass of merchant, they will continue to expand and threaten the markets of the big three.

    The time may even come when we refer to Discover as one of the Big Four, but we are not there yet.

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