MJ On Travel

Getting Caught Up On What’s New In The Travel World

July 27, 2014By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

Our family just got back from a great 10-day vacation in Italy and I’m getting caught up. There were a bunch of things I either missed or didn’t have time to touch base with all of you on. You’ll find a list of them below, with my thoughts: British Airways fuel surcharges are one of the very few major bummers I encounter with oneworld awards, especially given the “friendly” partner pricing United announced last year. View From The Wing to the rescue with a solution to help. Do this today! […]

Reminder: Free Points For All And Bilt Mastercard Holders Earn Double Points On All Non-Rent Spending Today

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Just a quick reminder that everyone can earn free Bilt Rewards points today and Bilt Mastercard holders earn double points on all non-rent spend on “Rent Day”, the first of each month. Even if you don’t have the Bilt card you can earn free points two different ways today: Download the Bilt Rewards app and link your Virgin Red account to Bilt Rewards to earn 500 free points. Participate in the trivia […]

Bilt Rewards Double Points On All Categories On The First Of Every Month

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Double points? On all spending? Sign me up! There’s also 50% off on cruises and free SoulCycle classes. Bilt Rewards, the program that lets you earn points for paying your rent, is also turbo-charging their credit card. I’m a big fan of what Bilt Rewards has been building, and this latest double points offering is another example of them making their credit card a valuable one to have in your wallet. Hyatt […]

Win A Flighty Pro Lifetime Membership!

As a road warrior I’m constantly looking for new tools to help me keep track of my travel. Delays and cancellations are probably as bad right now as I’ve ever seen them. But, travel problems are always lurking, keeping me from getting where I need to go. Over the years I’ve collected a number of tools that help me figure out when things are likely to go sideways. Many of them are arcane websites with crappy technology or involve flipping through multiple screens just to get one bit of data. […]

American Airlines Eliminates 24-Hour Hold On Reservations For Paid Tickets

American Airlines has eliminated the option for customers to place a flight on hold for 24 hours prior to ticketing. While the big 3 airlines (American, Delta, United) have grown more alike over the past 10 years this was one of a very few areas that American differentiated themselves in a positive light from their competitors. Now, that seems to have come to an end. Why American Airlines’ 24-Hour Hold Policy Was So Critical In the absence of a 24-hour hold, American will still allow a full refund within 24 […]

The Hope That Followed 9/11

For as long as I can remember I’ve written a blog post about 9/11. Some years I’ve flown on 9/11, other times I’ve recalled the memories of that day while surrounded by loved ones. As I sit here on a rainy morning more than two decades after one of the most impactful days of my life, my thoughts are focused on the hope that sprung up in the days and months that followed 9/11. The day itself, and many afterwards, were dark days. We were excused from work that morning […]

I Flew Frontier, Saved $400 And Didn’t Die. My Frontier Airlines Review

Those low-cost carriers always have very appetizing fare sales. Who wouldn’t want to pay $20 to fly somewhere? But, what does $20 really buy you? I found out exactly what Frontier does (and doesn’t) offer customers on my first flight with them recently.

How To Use New Metro Silver Line To Get Between Dulles and Reagan National Airports

People talk about how bad the traffic is in places like Los Angeles with plenty of adjectives. And, it is quite bad. But, the traffic in DC is what I refer to as “stealthy bad”. It doesn’t get the same press that LA traffic does, but a trip that normally takes an hour can easily turn into a 3-hour ordeal. With visiting dignitaries, protests and construction as variables, weather can also wreak havoc on a system that consistently backs up during rush hour. For those of us that live in […]

Update: American Airlines Variable Choice Plus Pricing A Feature, Not A Bug

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the original announcement that American Airlines was creating bundled pricing that included change fees at a lower apparent cost. Things got a little better when American also announced they were expanding the timeframe you could request a same day change to your flight. And, then things started to get a bit screwy. It started with just one flight I couldn’t get to price right with Choice Plus as an add-on. But, then I did a bit more digging and found out […]

A Summary Of United Airlines Global Services Benefits

As travel has gotten more stressful the benefits of elite status are even more valuable. In some cases, what used to be free for everyone is now only free for those customers that fly most frequently. I value my American Airlines Executive Platinum status more highly than any status I’ve earned, including 1K service with United Airlines. However, Global Services is another matter. For those not aware, Global Services is an invitation-only status level that United bestows on their best customers. What defines a best customer? Well, United doesn’t list […]

Is Foursquare Dead?

Venture Beat doesn’t think so, and I’m not 100% sure they’re wrong. But, before I discuss the article, a little background on why someone allergic to social media like me became a Foursquare nut. A few years ago, a company called TopGuest came up with this concept where you could earn airline miles and hotel points for checking in at various places on Foursquare. I can’t say I thought it was a terribly good business model, but they convinced a bunch of hotel chains to hand out miles for this. […]