Also see:
Last year, I tried my hand at predicting… the fyoocha!
Go go gadget clairvoyance
So let’s recap and find out what happened in 2016 behind the smoky haze of palo santo and sage.
WRONG.
He’s looking for Citi’s new transfer partner. Good luck, buddy
I don’t it’ll ever happen at this point. My hope is dwindling.
I referenced the enormity of the Atlantis Bahamas complex in my earlier review. But wow, this place is gigantic!
Walking through it all would be a nigh impossible task. There’s a free shuttle bus to get around the various towers. Most places are a 5- to 30-minute walk, depending on which tower you stay, and how quickly you walk.
View from Dolphin Cay
The Atlantis is a city unto itself. It would take several weeks to experience the dozens of bars and restaurants, swim in all the pools, and walk around the beaches of Paradise Island. So go into it knowing you won’t see everything. But do sketch out a rough idea for what you’d like to see and do.
You won’t get to all 21 restaurants and each of the 19 bars and lounges – not to mention everything else!
I had a Casino Experience Pass included as part of my 4 free nights, and that set us on a course to exploring the Atlantis.
It’s been an incredible year. I’m thankful for readers new and old; for all the comments and emails; and for all the support.
Here are the most-read posts written in 2016.
RIP
Readers were intensely interested in this card. And for good reason: 3X Citi ThankYou points on all online shopping, including payments through Plastiq, and shopping at Amazon and Costco. The card isn’t available any more, sadly. But I still use it regularly to bump up my Citi ThankYou points balance – it’s a wonderful complement to Citi Prestige.
Also see:
Like most peeps, I am ready to put 2016 in the can. It was a good year. I visited many places for the first time, including:
Mmmmagick 🙂
And I got to return to a few places, like:
I also left New York – finally! – bought a house and moved to Dallas.
Moving into 2017, there’s a simple principle I’ll apply when it comes to booking travel: BOOK THE TRIP.
This is gonna be a fast one so you can add this code ASAP.
Add code “AMEXAIRPORT” to your Uber account
The code is “AMEXAIRPORT” and you can get 2 free rides, up to $65 each, through December 31st, 2016 from these airports:
You need to set an Amex card as your payment method.
Here are the full terms of this offer.
Looks like there are plenty left
I just added this to my account and it went through right away. So hopefully there are plenty left.
This is another great move from Amex, after the 2X small business points promotion, cheap Hamilton tickets, and recent great Amex Offers.
They are doing good things and I’m really pleased to see this!
Get it while you can!
What I like most about the points and miles hobby is setting a goal, then attaining it.
For a long time, I’ve wanted to stay at the all-inclusive and adults-only Hyatt Zilara Cancun. And in a few weeks, I’ll be there!
Coming for ya, Zilara!
I used 75,000 Hyatt points for a stay that would’ve cost over $1,900 out-of-pocket. Here’s how it came together.
Also see:
American who? Delta what? Beginning 2017, I’m exclusively flying and crediting everything to Alaska or Southwest.
If I have to fly American, that’ll be credited to Alaska. Thanks to Alaska’s merger with Virgin America, I might not see the inside of DFW much next year. DAL is gonna become my new jam – and it’s only 10 minutes up the street.
I’ll be at DAL a lot more than DFW in 2017
I’m also going to transfer 90,000 Starwood points to Marriott to get:
I easily value that at least $5,000.
Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday. Here’s a good deal alert!
NEW Boxed users can get ~$67 worth of stuff for ~$31 by stacking a new account bonus, cash reward, Amex Offer, and clicking through a shopping portal. The discount works out to be slightly above 50%, assuming you can hit the target right around $67.
Stock up on household basics with over half off
I love a good stack! But keep in mind the math only works for new accounts. So you can either make a new account. Or just use the Amex Offer with a portal bonus and still do well.
I recently picked up an personal Alaska Visa card, then tried to get another one soon after. It was automatically denied. Like, straight up the answer is no.
That’s unusual, so I thought it may have been because I didn’t lower the limits on my existing Alaska cards before applying. Not wanting to waste the hard pull on my credit (because multiple inquires on the same day are combined), I applied for the business version of the card and was instantly approved.
Deeee-nied!
But I didn’t want to let it go. I called the next day to speak to a credit analyst (they are open 8am to 7pm and I usually apply for new cards late at night while tipsy) for reconsideration.
I offered to lower my limits on one of the other cards, as they are pretty high (like $20,000 each), but she said the denial had nothing to do with my credit score or account history. And moving credit lines wouldn’t help me, either.
I was denied because I already opened a personal Alaska card within the last 90 days – which was the first time I’d heard that. But apparently it’s been enforced sporadically for a while.
So I figured how to play by the “new” rules and still get my doses of Alaska miles: rotate between the personal and business versions of the card every 90 days.
Also see:
There are a few things in life that make me say, “Hell, yes!” as fast as 4 free nights in the Bahamas.
Exterior of the Atlantis Beach Tower
I wrote about the details of how I did it, but in a nutshell:
Booking was simple. I requested my dates (December 10th to 14th), booked a non-stop flight there from DFW to NAS with Avios points, and booked a flight back (with a connex at MIA) with American miles.
I was aflutter about the experience, how the benefit would play out, and what the room would be like. I am happy to report it was a wonderful trip.
Yeahhhh buddy, ’tis the season (for putting things off to the last minute)!
If you have an Amazon Prime membership, there’s still time to order gifts before Christmas with free 1-day or 2-day shipping.
Here are some cute stocking stuffers for anyone who travels often. And hey, if you get an Amazon gift card, maybe you’ll treat yourself to a couple of these.
For the love of gods, yes yes yes. These little guys are worth their weight in gold if you want to work or read during your flight. And if you get the seat next to a screaming child (we’ve all been there), they can go a long way toward preventing that third Aleve (or is that just me?).
The prices run the gamut
Earbuds are like cars: there are cheap ones, and there are really not cheap ones. What’s funny is how, at all price ranges, you can find a solid pair with nearly all 5-star reviews.
I’d personally go middle-of-the-road, but whatever you decide on will surely be welcomed with open arms. I mean… ears. 🙂
Also see:
My Citi Prestige card’s $450 annual fee recently posted. I will happily keep it for another year (if only to have Admirals Club access through the end of July 2017).
I’ve dutifully tracked the value I’ve gotten on the Citi Prestige by the Numbers page. But I want to dig into the numbers a little more.
Sorry for the selfie, but I needed a pic for this post
I also got an retention offer to earn 7X Citi ThankYou points on $8,750 in spending on airfare, hotels, and travel agencies – which is fine because I book ALL my airfare on this card to take advantage of its industry-leading trip delay and cancelation insurance that kicks in after only THREE hours (better than Chase Sapphire Reserve and any personal Amex card).
Hello and welcome to Out and Out! My name is Harlan – I’m a points and miles enthusiast who loves to travel. I am interested in personal finance, the power of positive thinking, and the extraordinary journeys that make life worth living.