Editor's Note: Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@tktweetskim) and Trevor (@tmount) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjoy!

Episode 02: Show Notes.

In today’s episode, Trevor and Tom broach the topic of the International Gateway that everyone loves to hate. We’re referring, of course, to JFK International Airport in New York City. From its unique features and plane-spotting opportunities to the logistical challenges it presents, this episode covers it all. Tune in to hear Trevor and Tom’s review of the airport's various lounges and nearby hotels, find out about the upcoming changes to this international gateway, and discover why everyone keeps finding themselves at JFK, despite its flaws.

Key Points From This Episode:

Tweetables:

“[At] JFK there’s very limited, if not non-existent, airside connectivity between terminals.” — Tom Kim [0:03:05]

“The Virgin Clubhouse is probably one of the most notable [lounges] and is definitely one to go visit if you have the opportunity.” — Tom Kim [0:09:21]

“[There are] a lot of flaws in this major New York gateway to the world.” — Tom Kim [0:26:59]

“[JFK] is probably the best plane spotting location on the East Coast.” — Tom Kim [0:27:14]

“One of the reasons people love to hate JFK, yet still find themselves in JFK, is [that] you still find that award space.” — @tmount [0:29:32]

“The incredible connectivity that you have from JFK is really where it shines.”— @tmount [0:34:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Trevor on Twitter

JFK International Airport

New York JFK Virgin Clubhouse

Editor's Note: Today we host a new show on the network. Please welcome Travelstories with Tom (@tktweetskim) and Trevor (@tmount) who many of you already know. They'll share episodes here from time to time. Enjoy!

Welcome to Travelstories, where we get into the details of traveling, flight planning, and collecting miles and points! Flying with Japan Airlines (JAL) is always a treat. And although we didn’t enter Japan, we have flown through it with JAL en route to Manila. In today’s episode, we’ll unpack our trip to Manila, what it was like traveling with JAL, and whether it lived up to our expectations. We take some time to reflect on the challenges we faced in booking our flights and how we decided to optimally spend our points, as well as why we chose JAL for our premium flight experience. Listeners will hear our thoughts on how the airports and lounges we visited have changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the special insight we got into Japanese culture during our trip. We also share a breakdown of our in-flight experience, the food and beverages we were most impressed by, and why staying at The Grand Hyatt in Manila was undoubtedly the best choice. Our primary goal with this trip was to have a premium flight experience, and while we faced some puzzling challenges along the way, we feel that it was well worth the stress and planning it took to get it done. To hear all the nerdy details of our trip, plus some smart saving tips, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

Tweetables:

“I'm not a seafood fan. So the Japanese menu didn't really do too much for me. I had a couple of different items over the course of the two flights from that Japanese menu, but largely, it really was very heavy on the seafood.” — Trevor [0:15:05]

“The last time I had been to this lounge was well pre-pandemic. They had a nice layout, a little bit of buffet, and a little bit of a la carte that you could order. This time they seemed to have adapted to the pandemic a little bit more.” — Trevor  [0:21:57]

“The Red Room is still pretty cool. There are a lot of interesting artifacts there. They had lots of interesting aviation decorations and things like that. It still has a lot of charm.” — Tom [0:23:06]

“I think it was worth it. [Even] with all the stress. That's why we're in this hobby. We love this stuff. We love travel planning. W

We're back today with a discussion about finding award travel to Japan for a family from both the west coast and the east coast of the US, now that Japan is finally set to reopen for tourism.

• Info from US Embassy in Japan
• Set to reopen October 11, 2022
• Finally! Let the planning begin.
• JAL award availability patterns far out seem mostly the same with a few notable exceptions
• First, I don’t see JAL reliably opening 2 in First/2 in Business at schedule open any more (as was the case before the pandemic - see this post). Now only releasing 1 seat in First, and 2 in Business on the JFK-TYO route.
• Second, fuel surcharges are way up when using partner miles from non-US programs -or- JAL miles head-on. Alaska and AA have no fuel surcharges but their booking window opens far later than foreign carriers.
• Third, weekend departures/returns seem to have less availability than weekdays. Sweep for trends w/AA calendar search. 
• Fourth, close-in award availability release patterns are not as good than they were before the pandemic
• Fifth, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles have lost their appeal for this redemption even though they do see further out than British Airways. British Airways tends to have higher bank point transfer bonuses.
• Discuss: “Would you rather” award travel puzzlers
• How do you feel about splitting your family up between cabins? First/Business. Business/Premium Economy. Does 2 and 2 make a difference vs 3 and 1?
• How about splitting flights? 2 go through one city, 2 go through another.
• Favorable exchange rate (link for 5 year chart) - check cash hotel bookings now to lock in rates, and compare to hotel points

We'll follow up soon with a blog post summarizing changes in award travel trends to Japan, but for now we hope this discussion is helpful.

This week on Episode 173 of the paid show we'll be discussing new Amex opportunities and more. We'd love it if you joined us on Patreon to listen to those shows and gain access to our Slack community.

It's been too long since we've released a No Annual Fee epsiode. This week we take stock of the many Amex offers currently available, many of which can earn welcome bonuses even if you've had - or still have - the card. There's some nuance to it through, which we cover in detail. Enjoy!

0:25 Amex Opportunity Roundup

• NLL 250,000 Business Platinum (link to check, may still get pop-up)
  • $30,000 in 6 months
  • Additional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the card
• Targeted NLL Bundles
  • 150,000 Business Platinum (link to check)
  • 100,000 Business Gold (link to check)
  • Additional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the card
  • If card goes to recon, it seems the ability to earn 10,000 for additional employee is lost
• Call-in offers 855-531-3491 (DoC, FM)
  • 250,000 Business Platinum
  • 180,000 Business Gold
  • Additional 10,000 for adding employee at time of application and spending $1,000 on the card
• Targeted Upgrade Business Platinum 140,000 (link to check)
• Online business employee 20,000 for $4,000 up to 5
  • Business Green 
  • Business Gold
  • Business Platinum
  • Said to expire 3/31/2022, seems to still be working

20:25 Amex Reconsideration Calls

• Amex has rather lax approval standards compared to other banks
• There are many ways to get denied temporarily - for exceeding some limit on the total number of Amex cards you have, how recently you’ve been approved for the same card
• When this happens you have some time (usually around 90 days) to call Amex and ask them for clarity on why you weren’t approved, and to ask them to reconsider the application if the disqualifying disposition has been resolved
• This can be a very effective technique if a limited time opportunity presents itself, and you’re not eligible to be approved until some time has passed
• Check application status online
• Call them at 1-866-314-0237 (Mon-Fri 6am-8pm MST).
• Tell them your application number in the email they send you with their decision (or they can look it up with SSN, sometimes takes a while for them to find it if you’ve applied for a lot of cards over the years)
• Ask them why you were denied and if the condition has been resolved to have it put through for reconsideration
• If they agree you’ve resolved the condition you’ll usually get an email with approval within 24 hours

26:40 JetBlue Acquires Spirit

• Seems like for real this time
• Feels like this is going to be a mess

Robin Hutson from Luxe Recess comes back to chat with Robert about...

0:45 Travel Trends

• Prices on airfare and lodging as travel comes back big time
• Seeing this domestically and internationally?

11:05 The Sad State of Amex Platinum Travel (Loyalty Lobby)

19:15 The Bahamas

• Baha Mar
• Atlantis

33:25 Italy

• Hotels mentioned:
• Laconda Rossa
• Palazzo Margherita

49:15 Disney

• Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
• New Wish Ship

54:15 Luxe Recess Parenting Disney Weekend

• Finding Joy Inside & Out

Thanks to Robin for coming on the show!

Milenomics community member Lillian joins me to talk about her trip to Uruguay, Argentina, Tahiti and beyond. I'd recommend taking a look at Google Maps while listening to follow along. Enjoy!

0:30 Premise and Parameters

4:50 AA Business Class

• 115k pp round trip
• AUS-MIA-MVD
• Accessed the Centurion lounge and AA Flagship Admirals Club in MIA

11:00 Montevideo, Uruguay

• SORO Montevideo, Curio Collection by Hilton for 18k a night
• The location is perfect for biking on La Rambla and for good dining within walking distance. Rooms were perfectly fine, modern decor. 
• Diamond status recognition: They delivered a delicious tray of sweets. 
• Car rental: Marino Sport, delivered car to hotel. Three hour drive to the beaches.

16:30 Punta del Este, Uruguay

• Casa Flor Boutique Hotel in the town of La Barra
• Originally booked with Chase 28k a night for 5 nights. 
• Due to covid and rebooking, I ended up paying a cash rate at the hotel with my credit card $250/night.
• Amazing hotel, please stay here.

23:00 Salta, Argentina

• Legado Mitico Salta Boutique Hotel 
• One night booked on Chase portal: $22k points. 
• This is the best hotel in the city. It oozes old world charm and it’s like staying at a European guest house. 
• Location is great, lots to see. 
• Great breakfast. Still dreaming of the mini pear tart I had.
• Car rental: Hertz/ Salta downtown. 
• We walked to the Hertz from the hotel and got to see the main square, picturesque town. 
• Get a 4-wheel drive because it’s a  grueling drive down ruta 40 not for the faint at heart but incredibly scenic. 

29:50 Cafayate, Argentina

• Patios De Cafayate Wine Hotel
• Three nights for 18k points/night booked on the Chase portal 
• It’s on the grounds of the famous Bodega El Esteco winery. 
•  We had a great stay here. I had some misgivings on the mixed reviews because this place was a bit more expensive that the second best hotel in Cafayate but if you dug deep, I felt like the bad reviews were basically misunderstandings which most definitely could occur if you come from the US and expect things to go the way they do in the US. 
• As a guest, you get a free wine tasting at the store which is literally just a taste of three wines without explanations, not the official tasting tour which you need to book.
• Basic King room is beautiful and gigantic. The view was of the vineyard and the mountains in the background. 
• Informal horseback rides available
• Visited Botega Yocochuga, up a crazy dirt road. Get the rose!
• Piatelli winery: excellent wine tasting, restaurant overlooking the valley, incredible atmosphere and food, gift shop with indigenous art to purchase. Make sure to reserve in advance. 

33:45 Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Airbnb Palermo district. 
• We rented a two-story loft in the Palermo Soho district. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/31556390?source_impression_id=p3_1648659139_ughGq4ac3lauBYSv. 
• Excellent location to feel like you are part of the city. It is not for smal

Too much news for our Patreon Podcast this week, so we broke the following out into this No Annual Fee Episode. Enjoy!

0:26 JetBlue News Roundup

• Boston to London service begins this summer (Link)
• Bids for Spirit (Link)
• Has service recovery issues (Link)

04:11 Marriott Bonvoy Dynamic Pricing Goes Live

• Seems to be a mixed bag
• Booked Ritz-Carlton Maldives for 335,000 now 385,000 (not bad)
• JW Marriott Bonnet Creek was 60k weekends, 50k weekdays, now < 50k each night which makes it a target for 50k certs
• And will be a target for up to 15k cert top-off when that starts “some time in April”

09:54 Bilt Rewards Mastercard Widely Available, Issued By Wells Fargo

• Now issued by Wells Fargo and open to all (no waitlist)
• 3x on dining, transfers to AA, Hyatt and others
• No AF, but no welcome bonus yet
• Referrals are 25,000 per 5 referrals, can refer even if you just have a Bilt Rewards account without a card (I’d wonder if you could sign up for Bilt Rewards account, refer P2 for Mastercard, and then refer back if you wanted two of the cards, but that seems like overkill for the overall value)
• I hear there are no such things as AUs with this card, so if you’re getting this for P2 when you’ve been shutdown by AA they’ll need to get their own in order to transfer to AA
• Discuss: Pretty wild to see this right on the Wells Fargo site. What’s stopping Wells Fargo from taking the Bilt Rewards relationships and rolling out a very compelling bank point card/program?

15:15 Targeted Chase 5x Promos

• Link to check: https://chase.com/mybonus/
• Ex: 5x Travel, Gas, Grocery on United card (capped at $1,500 spend in Q2)
• Reminder: Other Q2 2022 5x categories
• Chase Freedom: Amazon.com and Streaming Service
• Discover: Gas Stations and Target
• Citi Dividend: Drugstores and Grocery

16:57 [Targeted?] Bank Point Transfer Bonuses

• Amex Avios 40% 
• Amex Marriott Bonvoy 25%
• Chase Air France 25%
• Citi Avianca 25%

19:55 AA Expiring Miles Again (TPG)

• Louses–they’re not even giving you 18 months from the announcement–they seem to be backdating to the last activity which means miles could expire SOON. 
• Miles for minors do not expire, thankfully. 
• Book and cancel (can do the whole thing online). I found  a 7,500 Mile Main cabin LAX-SJC and booked–canceled right after ticketing and miles and money came back without needing to do anything (took about 2 days).
• Write-up from 2018 on this process.(link) 

21:55 Alila Maldives Open for Booking (OMAAT)<

This week I chatted with Milenomics community member CF Frost about his recent stay at the new Hilton LXR Mango House Seychelles and we do a deep dive into the Hilton program.

You may remember CF from this post he wrote about a now-expired opportunity to get Amex Hilton Aspire cards without an annual fee. Those Aspire cards kick off free night certificates and resort credits that are now enabling trips like the one we discuss in this episode.

Subscribers may also enjoy a trip report to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives discussed in Episode 6 of Checking In.

Hyatt gets a lot of love from the points & miles community but as we discuss on the show, Hilton deserves some consideration as well. In the second half of the show we cover 10 Ways Hilton is Better than Hyatt.

• Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts (website)
• 95,000/nt Standard Room Reward
• Bookable with Amex Hilton Free Night Certificates (what are those?)
• Nearest Airport: SEZ

1. Footprint: Number and Location
2. Decent Meaningful Status with No Spend
3. Four Credit Cards vs. Two
4. Can Get Credit Cards Even if Ineligible for Welcome Bonus
5. Fifth Night Free on Award Stays
6. Easy Point Transfers
7. Free Night Certificates at Top Hotels Attainable through Reasonable Amount of Bonused Spend
8. Free Weekend Night Certificates Usable Any Night Lately
9. Generous Automatic Extensions of Status, Certificates, Points Expiry
10. Favorable Cash Upgrades to Award Stays

We could surely do a follow-up show on "10 Great Things about Hyatt" - and we probably will. But it's worth paying attention to other hotel chains like Hilton because there's a lot of value to be had.

This week on the paid Milenomics Podcast Network feed, we just released Episode 150 of our flagship show. If you enjoyed this free epsisode head on over there for more points & miles podcast content, a thriving Slack community, and more.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for your support.

"Checking In" is a show on the Milenomics Podcast Network where I usually chat with members of the community about some specific trip, loyalty program, or method they've been using to generate points & miles. Today's show is a little different because my guest is Milenomics founder Sam Simon. And since it's a Disneyland trip report and totally "above board" we're releasing it here on the No Annual Fee feed.

I once read a post on a forum somewhere questioning whether, in times when our country and the world can seem so divided, is there anyhting we can all agree on? The first answer that popped up was Disney. Which quickly and definitively led to follow-on posts where it became clear that Disney [as a travel destination] is just as devisive a topic as anything else we might discuss.

Sam lives in Southern California about 20 minutes from Disneyland. He's been there in the past, has some familiarity with the attractions, and casually keeps up with the latest developments in the Disney fan base. With two young kids, their family is somewhat interested in visiting the park but they are by no means Disney enthusiasts.

So this trip report is a story about what it's like for a casual guest to engage with a travel and entertainment destination with a built-in community of fanatics that see Disneyland as their park. A place where familiarity with operating procedures, desirable dining options, and experience with their own group's preferences are all leveraged to maximize the experience.

The trip report is in two parts, before and after. We discuss...

Even when living close to the parks it can pay to book a nearby hotel for naps and relaxation. The Disney hotels are famously overpriced, and in Anaheim third party hotels are very close to the park.

For a one-day park visit, does it make sense to book a hotel the night before, or after? What about early check-in/late check-out availability?

Sam found a unique option in The Westin Anaheim Resort just south of the park that happens to be an Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts property. We discuss the pros and cons of the property.

With young children especially lines are consistently one of the most annoying parts of any theme park experience. We discuss how Genie+ worked in terms of suggestions and wait time reduction.

We've heard reports of long wait times for mobile ordering, supply chain issues, and labor shortages. Dining is a big part of most Disney trips, and planning ahead is generally recommended. But with only a day to plan, are any of the better options be available?

• Checking In w/Robin from Luxe Recess on New England Resorts, Blackberry Farm, Luxury Disney and Orlando
• Seeptember 2021 Disney World Trip Report w/Joe Cheung

These free episodes are just a sample of what's discuss more fully with a paid subscription:

• Hundreds of hours of additional content discussing creative ways to earn and redeem points & miles
• Access to a vibrant Slack community
• In-person meetups

Thanks for listening, and thanks for your

Today's special episode is hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer.

[Cold open] Harraseeket Inn holiday buffets: https://www.harraseeketinn.com/dine-1

Hello, and welcome to The Manifesto with Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, on the Milenomics Podcast Network. I’m Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, and I’m joined today by Ted Fleischaker, board member of Portland, Maine’s Etz Chaim Synagogue and publisher of the Up Portland newspaper. Ted, welcome to the Manifesto.

• Etz Chaim: https://etzchaim-portland.org/
• Up Portland: http://www.upportland.com/
• Micucci’s Grocery Store: https://www.facebook.com/MicucciGrocery/
• Anywhere else people can find you online/in Maine/conferences, etc?

• Etz Chaim: India and Congress ST, Portland, ME.
• Services, Torah Study, Museum.
• Fire during COVID
  • What kind of renovations were required? Discovered original (1921) wiring.
  • How was the community served while the synagogue was closed?
• History of the building
  • Location of a boarding house for Irish and Italian immigrants that burned down in the fire of 1866
• History of the Jewish community in Maine
  • Nearby 1904 Synagogue split in 1920’s over whether to use Yiddish or English during services.
  • English speakers spent $50k remodeling present Etz Chaim building.
  • Mid-1970’s, only 15 members left in congregation. Sell the building, hang on, or merge with another congregation?
  • Museum foundation took over the building, congregation rents sanctuary back for services
  • Etz Chaim changes from orthodox to egalitarian. 3 services per week: Monday Orthodox minyan, Friday night reform service, Saturday morning Orthodox service.
• What do Jewish traditions look like today in Portland: how can people find seders, sukkahs, etc if they’re in Portland or Maine for the Holidays?
  • Four working synagogues in Portland: Chabad House, Bet Ha’am, Temple Beth El, Etz Chaim
  • Surrounding areas: Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Biddeford-Saco, Bath
  • Center for Small Town Jewish Life: https://jewishlife.colby.edu/

• Washington Post Magazine on local journalism: https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/interactive/2021/local-news-deserts-expanding/
• How does Maine support so many local newspapers?
  • Up Portland
  • Island papers
  • Lobster boat papers
• What goes into publishing a daily/weekly/monthly paper? How many printers remain, do papers get shipped in from out of town, USPS, “paper boxes” on the streets? What does it take to manage a dead-tree media distribution company these days?

• For first-time visitors to Portland or to Maine, what recommendations do you have?
  • Where to stay?
    • Eastland Hotel (The Westin Portland Harborview)
  • Where/what to eat?
    • Dock’s Seafood - lobster roll: https://www.docksseafood.com/
    • Street and company - lobster dinner: https://www.streetandcompany.net/
  • What to see?
    • Por