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The Traveling Millenial

American Airlines, Miles & Points, The Traveling Millenial February 3, 2016

American Airlines Miles Sale – Should You Buy Miles?

If you have a frequent flier account with American Airlines (AAdvantage) you likely received an identical copy of the above promotion: you can buy American Airlines’s miles at a discount.  You may wonder whether this is a good deal.  No worries, so did I. In order for this deal to potentially be worthwhile, you should calculate the cost of the miles.  American normally charges 2.95 cents per miles, but the discount and bonus miles completely changes the equation.  I provided calculations below based on the base number of miles purchased (taxes included in the cost): 20,000 miles: you receive 27,000…

National Park, Review, The Traveling Millenial February 2, 2016

Redwood National and State Parks — Road Trip!!

My friend and I drove through the redwood forest after forest fires canceled our Yosemite Trip.  We rented this car. This summer, my Yosemite backpacking trip turned into a California road trip after a forest fire ended the backpacking trip before it even started.  Thankfully my good friend and I had a smart phone and a car so we could continue our week-long expedition.  Our first stop after Yosemite National Park was the Redwood National and State Parks. A converted DC-10 drops a red chemical onto the forest fire in Yosemite. This was my first trip to California and also…

American Airlines, Deal Alert, The Traveling Millenial January 31, 2016

Cheap airfare: ~$150 Between Major US Cities on American Airlines!!!

You can fly to Arizona and explore “Hole in the Rock.”  That’s of course its scientific name. [Deals like this tend to expire quickly so this article may be out of date after February 2, 2016] Kudos to theflightdeal.com for finding this deal! American Airlines is offering an excellent deal where you can fly for approximately $150 between major US cities.  American Airlines offers one of my favorite elite programs with perks that include complimentary first class upgrades and reasonable award flight redemption rates.  You can credit the flights below to either American Airlines’s or Alaska Airlines’s frequent flier programs.  In addition, you’ll want…

Admirals Club, The Traveling Millenial January 29, 2016

Chicago (ORD) Admirals Lounge (Christmas Eve.)

I did not expect to get intimately familiar with the ORD lounge but I ended up here two weekends in a row and closed it out on Christmas Eve.  It’s important to note that there are two Admirals Club lounges in ORD.  This review is for the larger of the two lounges, located between the H and K terminals.  I also walked through the smaller lounge but only hung out there for about five minutes.  It was smaller and the view wasn’t nearly as nice.  You need to ride in an elevator to reach the larger Admirals Club. Food: the…

Hotels, Millennials, The Traveling Millenial January 28, 2016

New Hilton Brand Targets Millennials–Will it Work?

It’s no secret that millennials are traveling more and companies are starting to cater to the needs of our generation.  In this spirit, Hilton recently announced Tru by Hilton, a cost conscience hotel brand that targets millennials.  Hilton offers the following description of Tru by Hilton: Tru by Hilton is a category disrupter. It’s built from a belief that being cost conscious and having a great stay don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Tru focuses on what matters most to guests, with a hotel that is more than just a place to sleep, it’s a true travel experience. With lower…

American Airlines, Snowzilla, The Traveling Millenial, Travel Alert January 24, 2016

Snowzilla Actually Got My Brother a Better Flight (and blizzard photos)

As I’m sure you all have heard, Snowzilla achieved blizzard status and dumped 20-40 inches of snow on DC (and a ton of other places).  Where I live in Arlington received about 24 inches of snow.  My pictures are below–you’ll be able to see gems like the pizza delivery guy sneaking between two plow trucks and construction equipment clearing the road.  Snowzilla affected my brother’s travel plans to DC–about 10,000 flights were ultimately canceled–but he actually received a much better flight.  I imagine not many folks were that lucky. My Brother For his graduation and Christmas gift, I booked my little brother a…

Deal Alert, The Traveling Millenial January 22, 2016

New Zealand for a Week: $999 Groupon (air and hotel included)!!

I hiked the Presidential Traverse in NH but would love to hike New Zealand. I’ve never been to New Zealand but it’s certainly on my list of places to visit.  Based on my valuation, this is an excellent deal but you’ll want to make sure you read the fine print before booking.  Click here to see the Groupon deal. What’s included For $999 (per person for a minimum of two people) you get: 7 days and 5 nights in Auckland, New Zealand Round-trip airfare on Hawaiian Airlines Stay at Auckland City Hotel, New President Auckland or similar hotel (2 to…

The Traveling Millenial, Travel Alert January 21, 2016

Traveling this weekend? Change your Flight and Review your Credit Card Policies

In 2013, I drove from Miami to Chicago and encountered the polar in Illinois. It’s no secret that the east coast may get pummeled by a blizzard-like snowstorm this weekend.  The current forecast for DC is 12-20 inches of snow over a 36 hour period.  That’s a ton of snow.  In DC, folks follow the Capitol Weather Gang which provides up-to-date and detailed weather forecasts.  While we may hope for a work or school snow day, folks who are traveling this weekend may be far less excited for the snow.  The good news is that most major airlines will allow you to…

strategy, The Traveling Millenial January 13, 2016

2015 recap: how I earned 84,000 American Airlines miles

I flew to London for the first time in 2015 and that sparked in interest in traveling.  Since July 2015, I have earned 84,000 frequent flier miles by strategically traveling and planning my purchases.  84,000 miles is enough for two off-season, round-trip tickets to either Hawaii or Europe on American Airlines or one of its partner airlines.  Thus, it was a good year for miles! Where did the miles come from? The miles came from several sources: 35,000 miles came from a Citi Advantage credit card sign up bonus.  The card now offers a limited time 50,000 mile signup bonus.  I had…

The Traveling Millenial, United January 9, 2016

How should a TTM contributor use his $500 United Airlines certificate?

(Cancun, Mexico) A TTM contributor received a $500 United Airlines certificate when United overbooked his flight (over the holidays) and rebooked him at the gate on a significantly less convenient flight.  Instead of taking the initial offer of a $300 United Airlines certificate, this savvy traveler negotiated a $500 United Airline certificate, $30 worth of food on the flight, and an upgrade to first class on the return trip.  I flew an American flight that was trapped in ORD until 3a on Christmas but I only received 8,000 miles for this inconvenience.  While his airline was certainly in a different position than…