Given that I'm originally from northern Ohio, I was pretty excited when the Bar Symon restaurant joined the Priority Pass lounge network this spring. I get back that way fairly often with my family, so having a place to grab a "free" bite to eat can…
As I'm sure everyone knows, it's possible to redeem frequent flyer miles for magazines. It's definitely not the most exciting use of miles, but there are reasons to do it sometimes. That said, I'm guessing that most of us really only redeem for magazines…
Earlier this summer Frontier revamped their elite status program, and the changes were generally positive. It's a reasonably impressive program for a low-cost carrier, at least in so much as they actually have an elite program. It does have some real…
Priority Pass has been adding airport restaurants to their lounge network at a furious pace. Within the past year alone, restaurants in Cleveland, Denver, Syracuse, St. Louis, and Indianapolis airports have joined the program, just to name a few. The…
I've been a Hyatt Globalist for going on a decade. But I almost threw in the towel when they raised the Globalist requirements to 60 nights with the launch of the World of Hyatt program. That's because I'm what you might call a Hyatt tweener -- I can…
United rolled out basic economy domestically a little over a year ago. They started offering the fares in limited markets at first, but then expanded to most of the US. United had also intimated that they would be expanding them to international markets…
I recently visited Timberline Steak and Grille, which is a Priority Pass "lounge" at the Denver Airport. I noted in the review that I've probably been there over a dozen times since it joined the Priority Pass network last fall. My family likes to say…
I was pretty excited when Timberline Steaks and Grille at Denver Airport joined the Priority Pass network last fall. I've been there probably at least a dozen times since then. Having become somewhat of a regular, I know most of the ins and outs of the…
I'm generally not a fan of the basic economy concept. I sort of get that the legacies wanted to create a way to segment the market such that they could simultaneously compete with the low cost carriers, and still offer the benefits of a mainline carrier.…
I was in need of roadside assistance a couple of weeks ago, or perhaps more accurately, my wife was. Her Jeep Cherokee -- the original, not the fake new one -- overheated while she was driving home one evening. She called me in a bit of a panic to ask…
For nearly three years now United has been running what I have argued is the best -- and most gameable -- car rental promo out there. In short, it has awarded up to 2,750 United miles for each Hertz car rental at airport locations, which was pretty awesome.…
One of the more obscure features of United Airlines is the united.com Club. No, I'm not talking about the place where you can load up on snacks and drinks before your flight -- that's the United Club -- but rather their almost-secret frequent buyer program…
United's basic economy offering is one of the most punitive in the industry. When flying on one of these fares, United advises that you won't get to choose your seat, won't get a proper carry-on, won't get a chance at an upgrade, and perhaps most importantly,…
I rented a flexible fuel vehicle on a trip recently. It was a Dodge Journey that I had selected mostly because it was the biggest vehicle on National’s Executive Aisle at the time. And bigger is frankly much better when I’m traveling with my wife and…
One of the best perks of The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN is access to Centurion Lounges. These lounges are generally far nicer than what’s offered by US airlines as they offer complimentary…
At just shy of five million acres, Denali is the third largest of the American national parks. Yet with only one significant road, it's relatively inaccessible -- and you can't even drive on that one road most of the time. Instead you have to take a…
I have found SAS to be a very family friendly airline. My family has flown them several times and have had pretty good experiences. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that we have Star Gold status, but in general I think much of this would be available to anyone.…
Norway might just be my favorite country to visit in the world, and that's no small statement considering I've been to over 50 countries now. The entire country is basically one big national park. The food is fantastic. My family has been to Oslo a couple…
I've been using Plastiq since they rolled out the service a couple of years ago. I use them to pay bills with a credit card that I otherwise couldn't. I've used them to pay our mortgage, our daughter's gymnastic lessons, insurance, and probably some…
United has had a long running promotion where you can earn a pile of miles for each Hertz rental car you book via the United website. I think it started in 2015 and has been repeatedly extended pretty much ever since. Apparently it's a good deal for…
I recently purchased a ticket for my mother-in-law on Spirit, and booked it at the airport to save the passenger usage charge, which on this ticket was $18.99. So I paid $24.10 for the ticket, instead of $44 which is what it would have cost online. I…
