Club Carlson Visa with 85k Gold Points

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Brad Christensen

I made a post not long ago in which I said that the Club Carlson card with 85k bonus points wasn’t as good as some other hotel card offers.  I’m now going to repent and ask for forgiveness. While there are still other great offers out there, there are a couple of very key benefits to this card that make it worth your attention.

Three Club Carlson Cards

  • The Club Carlson Premier Card – 50k bonus plus 35k after spending $2500 in the first 90 days plus gold status
  • The Club Carlson Rewards Card – 50k bonus plus 10k after spending $1500 in the first 90 days plus silver status
  • The Club Carlson Business Rewards Card – 50k bonus plus 35k after spending $2500 in the first 90 days plus gold status

As I mentioned the other day, I like to think of the bonuses in terms of how many Category 2 hotel nights they’d get me.  With Category 2 hotel nights at Club Carlson hotels running 15k a night, we’ll be pocketing 4-6 free nights after meeting the spending requirements.

The status is nice because it never hurts to get a courtesy upgrade – something that will likely come when you stay in hotels that aren’t extremely busy.

Those reasons alone are already enough to start wanderlusting with Club Carlson’s hotel directory… but it’s about to get even sweeter.

Since blazing onto the scene, I’ve found the Club Carlson loyalty program to be extraordinarily generous – and they don’t disappoint cardholders.  This next little benefit is what really makes this deal sweet like candy: Any time you redeem Gold Points for two or more consecutive nights, your last night is free. That becomes extremely powerful when you start to look at loop-trips with two nights in each location.

What that means is that if you’re able to find 5 category 2 hotels and stay two nights in each of them, you’d burn up a total of 75k gold points. Wait, that’s like 7500 points a night? Uh..huh… You’re grasping it, aren’t you?

Bulgaria Hotel

The Park Inn Hotel in Sophia Bulgaria is a Cat 2 CC Hotel

All of the sudden this beautiful little addition to your wallet is starting to sound very nice.  But like an infomercial, it’s about to get even better.  They also want you to keep this bad boy for more than just a year, so they’ve said, “look, for every year you keep the card, we’ll hit you with 40k more gold points.” And you reply, “so I could almost stay 6 nights a year (in 2-night increments) with the ongoing I’ll be getting?” Then Club Carlson’s all, “You freaking love me, don’t you?” So you’re like, “Yes, I do freaking love you.”

One more little added benefit is the abundance of free breakfast at so many of these hotels.  The Country Inn & Suites properties do not skimp when it comes to making sure you’re well-fed.  From warm cookies at check-in, to a hearty breakfast each morning, these places are better than home!

Now, what infomercial wouldn’t have a catch? The “catch” in this case is that they don’t waive the $75 annual fee in the first year, and each year your renew you’ll be on the hook for it again.  When you think about it, though, it’s a very small price to pay for some incredible benefits.  Here’s the link again to review the cards and the benefits: Club Carlson Visa.

If you’re worried that the selection of Category 2 hotels is going to be a disappointment, just check them out here.  Then be on the lookout for some more WorldWanderlusting loops through vacation destinations with Club Carlson properties.

By the way, we do not receive any commission in promoting this card.  We get our reward when you comment or email and tell us how you’re using your points to discover the world.

 

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Frontier Airlines- The Ugly Stepchild?

Posted on February 11, 2013 by wpengine
English: Airbus A319-111 – Frontier Airlines –...

English: Airbus A319-111 – Frontier Airlines – “Sebastian” the Hawk (Registration number: N933FR) at Seattle-Tacoma Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Delta, American, United, Southwest, and JetBlue are all common names in airliners, but Frontier Airlines is one that is commonly overlooked.   Because of this some people might refer to them as the ugly stepchild.  However, you should probably give them another look because they have some great features.

(Quick Disclaimer: We do earn a commission for the Frontier Airlines card and would definitely appreciate if you’d use our link)

Frontier Airlines Routes

Although Frontier Airlines doesn’t fly everywhere, they do have quite a few destinations across the country.  They definitely do better in the middle of the country and in the Southwest than some of the other areas.

Early Returns

Frontier Airlines Route Map

Their international destinations are constantly growing, but right now they service Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.  For anyone who wants to get out of the cold…any of these will work.  Long winters in Idaho definitely drag on and on.  It is luxurious to take a flight to someplace warm during those long winters.  These guys can take you there.

Their interactive route map can show you where you can go from all of their destinations and the stops that you have to take before you can get there.  For example, Frontier flies directly to Denver and Cancun. This makes me really want to take Frontier directly to Cancun, as it wouldn’t even require a layover anywhere.

Using Early Returns Miles with Frontier Airlines

You can earn miles obviously by flying their routes, but you can also score up to 40,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases in the first 90 days by getting the The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®.  Earn up to 10,000 bonus miles on balance transfers (1 mile per $1 transferred) in the first 90 days.  (The card does have a $69 annual fee that isn’t waived the first year)

The 40,000 doesn’t sound too exciting, but it can get you quite a few places.  A roundtrip ticket in the US will you 20,000 of your EarlyReturns.  You still have some baggage fees and a $5 tax to go with the itinerary.  You could also use the miles to get to one of their international destinations, which takes 30,000 of your miles.

Frontier Airlines

EarlyReturns Redemption Chart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As an additional benefit to the Frontier Airlines Card you can also get a 5,000 mile discount when booking a companion on your exact same itinerary.  So your companion will get a flight within the US for 15,00o miles and 25,000 for the international destinations.

Frontier Airlines

EarlyReturns Companion Airfare Redemption

 

 

 

 

 

It’s super nice that your bonus will allow for two flights within the USA as long as you’re both traveling on the same itinerary.  That will burn up all of your 35,000 miles, but it is always nice to have two roundtrip flights for roughly $150 with everything included.

 What other benefits come with flying on Frontier Airlines?

Frontier offers complementary beverages, but basically everything else is going to cost you.  Their menus are more affordable than the other airlines, so buying something isn’t completely out of the question, but I’d recommend finding something good on the terminal before hitting the flight.

Their inflight entertainment costs based on the amount of time that you’re on the flight.  I’d recommend you load a few videos on your iPad and bring that along instead of paying for the mediocre videos.  It’ll save you a few bucks, and you can be sure to enjoy the movies.  The last movie I watched on an airplane was LAME.

Best Uses of the Frontier Airlines Card

  • Trip for two to visit Alaska for your favorite fishing or hunting spot
  • Trip for two to anywhere they go within the lower 48.
  • Costa Rica Baby!  (To learn about an amazing Costa Rican trip Check out our Eight Great of Costa Rica)
  • Direct flight from SLC to Cancun

Summary

Look.  Frontier Airlines isn’t going to be your primary airline that takes you across the world, but they do fill a niche spot in your quiver.    They will work well for a couple of flights within the US, or a quick trip to a warm destination during a cold winter.

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Dream Italian Vacation Part II

Posted on February 6, 2013 by wpengine

We’ve already take you on the first part of your dream Italian vacation, but now let’s complete the rest of the dream.  It’s taken you from Milano to the Italian Rivera.  Then we traveled through the picturesque Cinqueterre and onto the famous Florence.  If you’re not salivating now, then you definitely haven’t been bitten by the bug. Now it’s time to round the corner and see the rest of Northern Italy.

Italian Vacation Stop 4: Bologna

Don’t let the name of this city stop you from wanting to go there.  Let’s be honest…coming to school with a bologna sandwich definitely merited the laughs of your schoolmates.  The flavor was never exciting either, but this will not be the case for your culinary experience in Bologna.  They’re known for their food, so loosen the belt buckle, and enjoy every meal.

You’re in the land of FAST cars here.  Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, and more all have production facilities in this area.  You probably won’t be allowed to tour any of their facilities, but to even see where they are made would suffice.  I’ll never forget the Lambo that passed me when I was driving on the Autostrada in Northern Italy.  It passed me like a bullet.  It was incredible.

Court of Emperor Justinian with (right) archbi...

Court of Emperor Justinian with (right) archbishop Maximian and (left) court officials and Praetorian Guards; Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another stop that is out of town, but relatively close to Bologna is Ravenna, Italy.  Here you’ll find  the Basilica of San Vitale, where you’ll encounter the Mosaic of Justinian, which is one of the most well preserved Mosaics of its time.  My college humanities class required me to recognize it, and I’ve never forgotten it since.

If you’re motivated by the number of countries that you’ve visited (I admit, I’ve got a problem here), then you might make a quick run to San Marino, which is a massive 24 square miles.  Don’t blink or you just might miss the fact that you were there.

If you’re into the school thing, then you should stop by the University of Bologna.  It is the oldest University in Europe, which basically puts it as on of the oldest in the world.

You’ll be stretching your legs and hitting the pillow at the Sheraton Bologna Hotel.  Your Starwood Preferred Guest credit card will give you this room as it takes either 3k or 4k points per night.

Italian Vacation Stop 5: Padova/Venice

Italian Sheraton PadovaI’m really excited to send you to this hotel.  I stayed there personally in April of 2012 and had a great stay.  Our two nights at the property were everything that you’d hope for in a hotel.  They had great customer service and free WiFi in the lobby.  The beds were nice and we were even welcomed with a free bottle of champagne with our room.  As it had always been a dream of mine to shake up a bottle of champagne and then pop the cork, I knew this was my moment.  I went into the bathroom (don’t tell the hotel) and shook up the bottle until I felt like it was ready.  I removed the wrapping, undid the wire, and popped the cork in the shower.  It made a huge mess and the bathroom smelled like champagne for a couple of hours.  (Please don’t try this at home) The best part is you can leave your wallet behind (except a small city tax) and you’ll just owe 3k-4k points for the night.  Can’t beat free nights.

This place will be your springboard to Venice.  Staying here will keep your costs down of going to Venice.  Plus hauling your luggage to the hotel would be a nightmare. Take the free shuttle that the hotel has to downtown Padova, then take the train to Venice.  It should take you about an hour to get there, but it will be worth it.

Venice is going to be everything that you’ve dreamed about.  Everywhere you look is the cover of a magazine.  Every alleyway and every bridge is picture worthy as well.  You won’t be able to stop yourself from snapping away.  So make sure that your batteries are charged, because you’ll be going picture crazy!

Venice Bridge

San Rialto

Sitting on the Grand Canal having a pizza and pasta is a MUST-do.  The pizzas are actually rather affordable, so take a seat and enjoy one.  I know it is a shameless thing to do, but we would always stop at the grocery stores and buy bottles of water, so we wouldn’t pay the overpriced small bottles that each restaurant offered.  Remember that it isn’t America, and the waiters aren’t kicking you out of your chair the minute that stuff the last bite.  Things outside of America are usually at a much slower pace.  Work hard to fight the urge to lunge out of your chair the minute you’re finished eating.  Remember that the setting of your dinner will probably never be so unique again.  Soak it up and sit for a while.

Gandola in VeniceOk, taking the gondola isn’t cheap, but remember that your hotel tonight is FREE.  So pull out the 100 Euros and pay the man with the hat.  I never could get our “driver” to sing for us even though I was shameless enough to ask.  They have a “small tour” and a “big tour.”  We opted for the big tour that included a loop under the San Rialto bridge, by Casanova’s house, and seeing Marco Polo’s house as well.

Download the Rick Steve’s Europe App for your iPhone and listen to his tutorial as you visit San Marco’s Basilica.  He walks you through the whole building and talks about the decorations, the mosaics, and much more.  It will enrich your experience of the tour.

Make sure you watch the video “Ancient Mysteries: The Miraculous Canals of Venice” on Netflix before your trip too.  It will enrich your experience as you have a better understanding of how the place was made.

Pick up your favorite Venetian Masquerade Mask as a handy souvenir.  You’ll never regret it.

Italian Vacation Stop 6: Bolzano, Italy

Leaving Venice will be tough, but remember that you’ve still got so much to see.  It’s the only way you’ll ever be able to say goodbye.  Otherwise you might stay forever.  Take a quick stop in Verona on the way to Bolzano, because there is a ton to do there.

In Verona I recommend you:

  • See the Roman Arena that is in the main plaza.  It has been renovated, but is worth the entrance fee.
  • Eat more gelato.  You definitely haven’t had enough
  • Do some shopping (If you’re rich)
  • Visit Romeo and Juliet’s balcony
  • See the ancient Roman Road

You’ve got to complete the drive up to Bolzano so you can enjoy the Four Points there.  I parked our rental car on the street to avoid their ridiculous parking fee, and everything was fine the next morning when I awoke.  You have a grocery store within walking distance, so it is a great place to have a very affordable meal.  Enjoy the pool that’s on the top floor and the steam and sauna rooms this place has to offer.  You could spend a day alone at their facilities.

You need to do a day trip to the Reifenstein Castle.  It is a MUST-do activity.

Spend a day hiking in the Dolomites.  This is also a great place to catch a tram ride to the mountains.  You might also enjoy many of the vineyards along the road, and take the old highway instead of the Toll road if you’ve got time.

This is an area of the world where I’d love to return.  It has a strong agriculture base, yet a rich history.  The foods will knock your socks off, and the people are very friendly.  If you have a baby with you, plan on hearing “Bambino” from everyone.  They loved our little boy and he got way more attention than we did.

 

Posted in American Express, How to Wanderlust, Starwood Preferred Guest | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hotels.com Welcome Rewards Program

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Brad Christensen

One of the first loyalty programs that really turned me on to points-hoarding was the Hotels.com Welcome Rewards.  Why?  Because it was extremely simple.

Understanding these programs can sometimes be complicated.  Negotiating the intricacies of points value is as tough as tracking currency exchanges.  When you have Club Carlson doling out points like they’re going out of style with seemingly fat 85k point bonuses, American Express appears stingy when they’re offering 25k with the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.  Yet, when you really look into it, the SPG points will get you further because you’re only looking at 3-4k points to book a category 2 reward night, whereas it will cost me 15k for a similar reward with CC.  I always like to think of bonuses in terms of how many category 2 nights they will get me – that simplifies it a bit, and that’s generally how I like to use them.  I’m cheap.  That’s why I do this.

Anyways, back to the WelcomeRewards program and its simplicity.  There’s not big whopper of a bonus at the moment, and there’s no credit card which will help you accumulate WelcomeReward points, but there is an offer for a rebate when you book multiple-night stays, and it’s a solid program for a few key reasons.

  1. Simplicity: Buy 10 nights, get 1 free.  The free night is worth the average of the 10 stayed.
  2. Versatility: You can book hotels almost anywhere – large chains, small chains, bed and breakfasts.
  3. Flexibility: In most cases, you can cancel reservations without a penalty – watch this closely, though.
  4. Affordability: Many times you’ll be able to find the same hotels at better rates than if you book directly – unfortunately, though, you forego accumulating loyalty points. (This is not a huge deal for me because if I had to earn hotel points by actually staying in hotels, I’d never have any significant amount of them).
  5. Friend Bookability: This is my favorite differentiation.  Most loyalty programs require that you be the individual who is staying.  Hotels.com only cares that you’re the one booking the reservation.  As such, it becomes extremely easy to pile up these rewards.

Using Hotels.com Welcome Rewards Program

I’ll give you an example.

Let’s say you and two other couples are booking a 3-night trip to Vegas.  You put yourself in charge of making reservations.  I always browse by putting in my dates and narrowing the location, isolating 3-star or above, reviews of 3.5 or above, and then sorting by lowest price.

When I do that, I get a few that I just throw out like “The Quad” (what the hell is the Quad in Las Vegas?), and I’m choosing between Circus Circus ($49), Riviera ($53), Excalibur ($60), Stratosphere ($61), and Luxor ($72). I’m instantly intrigued by the Luxor, because it’s a little nicer for not a lot more money.  Circus Circus is older and a lot of fun to visit because of the free mini-shows, but it, Riviera, and Stratosphere are far from the center of action.

Then I see that Excalibur is also offering a $20 food and beverage credit for each room.  They also have free internet, no cancellation fee (until 2 days before arrival), and it’s very well-located for what we want to do there.  I book all 3 rooms for 3 nights for a total of $607 toward the minimum spend on my Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.  My friends each pay me $202 a couple and we plan our Vegas Vacation.

Excalibur HotelAfter booking 9 nights I’m only one more night from getting a free night with Hotels.com.  Each of us will get a $20 rebate, and if my friends need to cancel, I can do that without a problem.  We’ve saved a little money over the rate on the Excalibur site

and gotten a $20 food credit.

The WelcomeRewards program is an important weapon in your arsenal in the war against travel expenses.  Signing up is as simple as entering your name and address. And right now they’re offering up to a $100 rebate when you book at Hotels.com.

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Bring the History of Your Travel Destinations to Life with Wikipedia

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Brad Christensen

Portobelo Panama

Portobelo Bay – a sleepy port on the North shore of Panama, enamored me in the same way it has far more intrepid explorers throughout history.  The morning mist is like lingerie over voluptuous green mountains.  It’s serene in a way that’s unique – even in the Caribbean. The humble condition of the small town belies its importance in history. Yet, when you consider the sheer number of cannons which guarded it, you realize that it was once far more than it is today.

One of the aforementioned intrepid explorers was Sir Francis Drake.  Drake was born a commoner, but early in life apprenticed with a wealthier shipowner who had no other heirs, and bestowed him with enough to launch a nautical life. To the English, he was a great and courageous Admiral.  To the Spanish, he was “El Draco” (the Dragon), among the most feared pirates intent on stealing their “rightfully stolen” goods before they could be returned to the motherland.

His story is one of many that set the standard for pirate tales – one that includes camaraderie and betrayal, thrill and hopelessness, and of course, gold.  It weaves a thread around the world – for what else could you expect from the man who was likely the second to complete the circumnavigation of the globe?  And it’s a story that I likely would never have known (or, more likely, remembered), had I not made my way into Portobelo Bay and heard mention that the remains of “The Dragon” were within a lead coffin, deep in the waters off from the island that bears his name.

You see, I find infinitely more meaning in my discoveries with even just the slightest taste of local lore.  Learning more of Drake led me to research other early adventurers like Rodrigo de Bastidas, Vasquez de Balboa, and Martim Afonso de Sousa.  Reading these names may invoke the thought that these men were greedy conquistadors more than they were adventurers.  And if you’re considering only the genesis of their original interest, perhaps you’d be right.  But read the histories of these or any others and you’ll find that in the end, their thirst for exploration often outraced their zeal for treasure.  Knowing that creates a bit of a bond, and all of the sudden, the fact that the California Redwoods I visited with my boys in Muir Woods were just 30 miles from Drake’s Bay – a crescent-shaped harbor named after the selfsame seafarer  who anchored there on his way around the world – makes every experience that much more significant.

What I’m getting at is that even though there is so much eye-candy on every trip you go on, the real sweetness is in knowing what’s behind everything you’re seeing.  One of my favorite (though obvious) tools is to use Wikipedia.com to get a quick overview of particular sites, individuals, movements, and other intriguing facts about an area.

Beyond that, I tell you that there’s nothing like reading a good non-fiction piece or even a novel set in the area you’re traveling in.  For this trip to Panama, I started into David McCulloch’s Path Between the Seas – a phenomenal overview of the construction of the Panama Canal.  Now I’m into a novel with factual settings about a merchant in Panama in the 17th century – The Merchant of Panama, by Paul S. Jennings.  When I get home, I’d like to read more on the Kuna Yala indian people, who, as Sheldon told you, inhabit the San Blas Archipelago.

This is all in an effort to make a rich experience even richer.  How do you add excitement to your journeys?  What resources do you use?  Any specific stories you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear your comments.

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Children Afraid of the Water

Posted on January 30, 2013 by wpengine

Our recent trip to Panama was a warm welcome to our freezing temperatures in Idaho.  At one point before the trip there was a 111 degree difference between Idaho and Panama.  Living in Idaho really limits the amount of time that you spend at the beach.  Our little boy Max had been to the beach a couple of times, but had never swam in the ocean, and it had been a while since he had even been in a swimming pool.  It was time for him to get wet.

We were so exhausted from the journey that we first wanted to just walk along the beach with our toes in the sand.  No swimming suits quite yet, as we just wanted to soak it all in first.  Max, however, didn’t want to get in the water.  I barely caught this photo showing his apprehension, as he was afraid of the water washing onto the shore.

San Blas Islands

You can see that the sand looks soft and the water looks clean, but he was still not welcoming the idea. I wasn’t sure what to do, because I obviously didn’t want him loving the water so much that he ran off in it alone, but I also didn’t want to stay out of the water because he was afraid of it… It was a tough spot to be in. We waited a little while before putting on our swimming suits and heading for the warm ocean water. The San Blas archipelago is an phenomenon of roughly 360 islands just off the northern coast of Panama. The Kuna Yala Native Americans inhabit these idyllic islands.

I first tried walking him into the water, but that resulted in screams and yells.  Obviously that didn’t work.  My next choice was the quick entry.  I picked him up and carried him into the water.  At first it didn’t seem very successful as the crying continued.  I kept him there for a couple of minutes when I decided to give up.  I walked out of the water and onto the shore.  I dropped him off by his mother, so she could watch him as I headed back into the water.  I hadn’t taken but a couple of steps when the crying stopped.  I turned around and Max was headed right for me.  Apparently he had changed his mind and he wanted into the water.

I picked him up again and took him into the ocean for the second time, and instead of tears, this time came laughs and splashes.  It had been a great success and he was super excited to be back in the water.

Kuna Yala

From that point forward, we never had any trouble getting him in the water. He enjoyed the waves washing up onto this feet, and welcomed the warm water. It felt like a great success to me, as I had helped him overcome a fear. Not that I’m proclaiming to be some amazing dad for this, but it was really cool. It feels rewarding to be a part of his life. Taking him on trips is going to be a major part of him growing up. You have to create experiences for your children that they’ll never forget. Create moments that will last a lifetime. That is what traveling will offer your family. Start today by subscribing to our blog – put your email address in the upper right hand corner of the homepage. Keep wanderlusting with us.

Were your children ever afraid of the water?  What did you to do help them to overcome the fear?  What suggestions do you have for other parents out there?

 

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WorldWandering – in Panama

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Brad Christensen

We are sorry if you’ve noticed that we’ve been slacking this week. We set aside our lusting in exchange for some wandering.  Sheldon and I have both been attacking the sites in Panama, with our families in tow.  We’ve had some incredible experiences already – not the least of which was a visit with the Embera Indian Tribe on the banks of the Chagres river – probably the most unique cultural opportunity I’ve given myself – and the best part is that my kids, ages 8, 6, 4, and 2, were all there with me.

We’ll blog about this and other experiences later, but thanks for checking in.  We love wanderlusting with you.

 

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