My daughter graduated from high school this June (hooray!), so we are entering a new phase of life.
For the first time in 13 years, our travel plans will not be dictated by the public school calendar.
As parents well know, travel during school breaks and over the summer is considered high season in terms of airfare and hotel rates.
Flights and hotel rooms are expensive and award availability is limited. Parents with kids in school simply don’t have the same flexibility as free agents.
We are not quite empty nesters because my daughter is living at home while attending community college. My husband is looking forward to retirement soon. That will expand our opportunities for leisure travel.
There are lots of places we want to go, with Japan at the top of the list.
Bargain Flights are Back!
Have you noticed that the airwaves these days are filled with airfare deals?
My inbox and twitter feed are chock full of amazing airfare bargains.
Getting in on these deals requires you to act fast and to have schedule flexibility.
In terms of frequent flyer miles, I have a stash of American Airlines and United miles, as well as some British Airways and Southwest miles.
My strategy going forward is to spend down my miles balances and to focus on cash back opportunities.
Growing Your Travel Savings Account
Earlier this year, I opened Capital One’s Venture Card. This card earns 2 times points on all purchases. Rewards points can be redeemed for travel expenses.
I also opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card early this year. This card earns 2 times Ultimate Rewards Points on restaurants and travel. These points can be transferred to the several airline partners or cashed out for statement credits.
Cash Back is King
I plan to concentrate my spending on the Venture card, with the exception of most travel purchases that will go on the Sapphire card. Cash back is still king, but Ultimate Rewards points can be used as miles or cash.
Both the Venture card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card carry annual fees, which are waived the first year. I have heard it is easy to get the fee waived on the Venture card. That is not the case for the Sapphire Preferred, so I will probably will probably cancel that card when the fee comes due.
In the meantime, I will be accumulating points in my “travel savings accounts.” These points are a lot more liquid than miles, it part because they are good for any bargain tickets you may grab, and also because partial redemptions are possible.
Has your points collection strategy changed, in light of the raft of cheap flights?
I think gift cards make terrible presents — Cash is a much better gift!
The unspent balances and fees on gift cards make a tidy profit for the people selling them.
Spending gift cards causes delays at the checkout counter.
Returns are more difficult with gift card purchases.
Gift cards can be lost or stolen.
There are a million more reasons why I hate gift cards, but that is a topic for another post.
This post is about each of the gift cards I have in my wallet right now, and why.
Staples Visa Gift Card — Value $20
I got this card from Staples as a rebate for purchasing $300 in Visa gift cards during a promotion. Every few weeks, Staples runs a promotion on Visa gift cards, with a rebate that offsets the card purchase fees. Sometimes, the rebate is in the form of a Staples gift card that must be spent at Staples. This Staples Visa gift card is a cash equivalent that can be spent anywhere.
Clydes Gift Cards — Value $50
Amex was running a special promotion where you could get a $5 credit for a $25 purchase at various Washington area restaurants. I purchased two $25 gift cards at Clydes, one with my Amex SPG credit card, and one with my Amex Bluebird card. Clydes is my favorite restaurant so I know these gift cards will be put to good use.
Tara Thai Gift Card — Value $45
Tara Thai is a fabulous restaurant that participates in the Rewards Dining Program. I purchased this gift card whenUnited Mileage Plus Dining was running a special promotion. The gift card gives me the flexibility to participate in the promotion offer, while delaying my actual dine until a more convenient time. I ended up missing the deadline for meeting the terms of the promotion, so I just earned 5 times Ultimate Rewards Points on this.
Lonestar Steakhouse Gift Card — Value $40
Lonestar Steakhouse is another participant in the Rewards Dining Program. I think when I picked up this gift card I had it confused with Texas Roadhouse. Lonestar Steakhouse is pretty far from where we live so we’ll have to go out of our way to use this.
Whole Foods Gift Card — Value $6.70
Amex Offers was offering a $15 statement credit for a $75 purchase at Whole Foods. By purchasing a gift card, I am able to earn the credit, while redeeming for small purchases at Whole Foods at my leisure.
Home Depot Gift Card — Value $100
I purchase Home Depot gift cards at Staples using a Chase Ink card that pays 5 times points on all purchases at office supply stores. I give the gift cards to our contractor to purchase supplies for our home renovation.
Amazon Gift Cards — $100
I picked up an Amazon gift card at Office Depot recently, where I earn 5 times points on my Chase Ink card. My daughter started college recently and we purchase some of her textbooks on Amazon.
Home Improvement Gift Card — $200
This is another Office Depot purchase. Home Improvement Gift Cards are sold without a fee, and can be used at either Lowes or Home Depot, as well as a number of other stores.
Starbucks Gift Card — $32
I purchase Starbucks gift cards at Staples and load them to my iPhone. I usually pick up something from Starbucks if there is an outlet in the airport.
Exxon Gift Cards — $100
Currently, I am putting my gas purchases on my Chase Freedom credit card because of the quarterly 5 times bonuses on gas purchases. I purchased these Exxon gift cards at Office Depot, but won’t use them until October when the Chase Freedom bonus categories change.
CVS — $10
Honestly I can’t remember where I obtained a paper gift card worth $10 at any CVS drugstore. It will be a miracle if I remember to use it! I do know that some Office Depot stores sell CVS gift cards.
What’s in My Wallet? $700 Worth of Gift Cards
I totalled up these various gift cards and am appalled to report that I am carrying around $700 worth of gift cards. That is overkill, for sure.
First off it is way too much cash equivalent to have in my purse.
Second, that is an awful lot of money to have tied up in gift cards rather than earning interest in the bank.
It is just as necessary to keep tabs on your gift cards as it is on your bank account or credit card balances. It looks like I need to be more deliberate about slimming down my wallet!
Are Gift Card Purchases Worth It?
Let’s tote up the bonuses I earned on these gift cards.
Ultimate Reward points: 4,160 points
Amex statement credits: $25
United Mileage Plus miles: 425 miles
This is pretty small potatoes. After accounting for the time and gas spent driving around to purchase these gift cards, you might conclude that its not worth stuffing your wallet with gift cards, remembering to use them, and holding up the checkout line for such trivial bonuses.
On the other hand, you might find that small bonuses add up to big rewards if you consistently pursue all opportunities.
Where do you come down? Are gift cards part of your miles and points strategy?
Given that the Pinball Hall of Fame is now #13 of 692 things to do in Las Vegas on Trip Advisor, I wanted to put in a plug for another fabulous pinball gallery.
The Paris Pinball Museum is an incredible historical collection of slot machines, jukeboxes and over one hundred pinball machines from every era, from the 1930’s to the present.
Every one of the games is top condition and in working order!
Play All You Want at the Paris Pinball Museum
You need an advance reservation to visit the Paris Pinball Museum, which is only open on weekends.
The Paris Pinball Museum also features one armed bandits.
A $15 Euro admission ticket grants you access to play all the games as much as you want.
The owner, Raphael Lanker, was kind enough to arrange an opportunity for us to visit, even though he was away at the time.
Lanker has been in pinball since the 1950’s, and his love for the game is evident in the collection he maintains.
All the games at the Paris Pinball Museum are set to free play.
Each room in the museum is devoted to another decade.
There are an abundance of the wood-railed machines from the 1940’s, especially Gottlieb machines.
The Paris Pinball Museum is a blast from the past!
If there is time in your schedule, you may wish to include a visit to the museum on your next trip to Paris!
The artwork on the backglasses is amazing. Sky Line is a personal favorite!
Sleuthing in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame
You don’t go to Paris to stay at a cookie-cutter chain hotel.
Crazy that I am, I booked five nights at the Holiday Inn Paris Notre Dame, for half of our summer vacation in Paris.
The reason, of course, was hotel points.
I had enough IHG points from a credit card bonus to get two free nights at a Holiday Inn hotel, and I was not going to let those points go to waste!
A Surprise Tropical Oasis at the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame
The reason I chose the Holiday Inn- Paris Notre Dame was location. The hotel is literally steps from the St. Michel Metrostation and the RER train station. It sits right on the border between the Latin Quarter and St. Germain de Pres. It is within walking distance of just about everything.
Romantic view of Paris rooftops from our balcony at the Holiday Inn Paris — Notre Dame
What really intrigued me about the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame, however, was the rooftop bar that provides generous views of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.
The rooftop bar did not disappoint. It was spellbinding to watch the sun set over the rooftops of Paris.
Another bonus was the charming garden off the hotel lobby, complete with a koi pond and tropical vegetation.
Koi Pond in the garden at at the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame
However, the decor of the hotel was quite garish, like a fuschia throwback to the 1970’s. You can see pictures of the rooms on TripAdvisor.
It turns out our neighbors had stayed there a couple of years ago. “It’s not very Parisian,” they said.
We were assigned to a tiny room on the first floor, with a bizarre large window between the bedroom and the bathroom.
Holiday Inn Paris Notre Dame: Things That Go Buzz in the Night
Upon returning to the Holiday Inn after a full day walking around Paris, I fell fast asleep.
Around 10 p.m., I was awakened by a security guy searching our room.
There was a strange buzzing going on, that my husband reported to the front desk.
We couldn’t locate the source of the buzzing. It sounded like it may be coming from the bathtub. No. Was it coming from the desk, or maybe from the closet?
The security man brought in a ladder and removed a ceiling tile. Nothing up there. Then he turned off the electricity to see if the buzzing would stop. No luck there. He left to search the adjoining rooms to see if he could identify the source of the persistent buzzing.
Lovely tropical garden at the Holiday Inn Paris- Notre Dame
After an hour of this, it was getting ridiculous. It would be impossible to get back to sleep under these conditions.
The security guy radioed the front desk and said we would have to be relocated to another room. The desk clerk agreed.
Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked for the night, and we would have to move to another hotel.
We packed our bags and headed down to the lobby.
I guessed that they would move us to another Holiday Inn. “Do you mind waiting?” the desk clerk asked. “There’s nothing available. Paris is completely booked tonight.”
Hotel Danube Paris, a More Traditional Accommodation
Half an hour later, she had secured a room and breakfast for us at what she promised was a very nice hotel not too far away.
Lobby of the Hotel Danube Paris
She called us a cab, and we were whisked off to the Hotel Danube Paris on Rue Jacob in the 6th arrondissement.
I was up for the adventure — this would give us the opportunity to see another hotel and another neighborhood!
The Hotel Danube Paris is a typical Parisian hotel. It is a family-owned, solid three star hotel. There was a small courtyard where you can take breakfast. The lobby is decorated with ornate green wallpaper.
Charming Courtyard at Hotel Danube Paris
We arrived very late at night, and were lucky to get a large, comfortable room with an enormous bathroom. It was the Hotel Danube’s most expensive room, a “Prestige” room.
This is the kind of place I can imagine returning on a future visit to Paris.
The next morning, we reported back to the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame. The reception staff was most apologetic. I don’t think they ever located the source of the buzzing.
In exchange for our trouble, we were upgraded to an “Executive” room on the sixth floor for the remainder of our stay.
View from our private balcony at the Holiday Inn Paris – Notre Dame
This “Executive” room was easily twice the size of our first room. It had a windows stretching the length of the room.
There was a balcony large enough for two chairs and a table. The balcony was shaded by vines and quite private. It had a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower.
The reception staff said that we would find a welcome amenity in our room. Yes, there was a Twix bar and a water bottle on the desk. Was this the amenity?
When we returned from dinner, we spotted another gift: a bottle of wine; and a beautiful book of water color paintings of Paris: Une Aquarelliste à Paris.
This was a touching gesture and will make a nice keepsake of our time in Paris.
Book of Watercolor Prints of Paris
Book the Room, Not the Hotel
The moral of the story is that in Paris, and many other places, there is a big difference between the standard room and a superior room at the same hotel.
Our perception of these two disparate hotels was greatly influenced by the room quality.
On a points stay, you are eligible for a standard room.
If you have status with the hotel, by virtue of holding a branded credit card, you may be upgraded to a larger room. Or maybe not.
If you are a cheapskate like me you may be reluctant to choose anything but the standard room. Based on this experience, I would advocate searching for a nicer room at a less expensive hotel before making a decision. In Paris, the difference between a four star hotel and a three star hotel may be whether there is a restaurant and a bar in the hotel, or an elevator, or other features that you might not care deeply about.
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Is it worth it to keep the Club Carlson credit card?
U.S. Bank sent me a letter today thanking me for being a loyal Club Carlson Visa cardholder.
The reward for my loyalty? 7,500 bonus points.
This is an interesting development, considering that in the last few months, Club Carlson has decimated the value of their credit card by eliminating the second night free benefit and by raising the points required for a reward night at all their best properties.
If you did not receive a similar bonus, I suggest calling U.S. Bank, at 800-236-7546.
I was all set to cancel my Club Carlson Visa business card when the $60 annual fee comes due next month.
But after reading an article by Freequent Flyer about how the new one free night annual benefit will work, I am reconsidering.
Basically, you will be awarded a one-night free cert (for use in U.S. hotels only) upon paying the annual fee, if you have spent $10,000 on the card in the prior year.
After checking my account, I realized that I have already met the spending threshold.
In August, if I pay the $60 annual fee, I will earn 40,000 points. My current balance is 30,000 points. Thus, I would have enough for one award night, and one free night at a hotel like the Radisson Martinique on Broadway which charges 70,000 points for an award night. In general, two “free” nights is worth more to me than one “free” night, because reduces the likelihood of having to pay for a second night at the same hotel on a weekend trip.
Had I not already met the spending threshold, it would not be worthwhile for me to hold on to the Club Carlson Visa card. That’s because I would rather use a 2 percent cash back card like my Venture card if I were to spend $10,000. That would get me $200 to spend on travel, and I know I could find a nice New York City hotel on Priceline for less than that. $200 plus a $60 annual fee is not a good value for one night.
Have you decided what to do? Are you quitting Club Carlson or hanging on?
Fairmont Hotels is running a third night free offer in conjunction with Amex, through the end of 2015.
Here’s the deal:
“Book and pay with any American Express Card using promo code PMXX and receive a complimentary consecutive 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th night depending on the property, plus a $25 hotel credit at participating Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide.”
Click here to see the full list of participating properties, and to read the Terms and Conditions.
The offer valid at participating Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for bookings from July 16 to December 31, 2015 and stays through December 31, 2015. The offer is subject to availability and requires a minimum 3, 4, 5 or 6 consecutive night stay depending upon property.
The best deal here is for a three night stay.
Why Does Luxury Travel Sell?
I don’t usually write about luxury hotels. My feeling is that most middle class families stay in mid-priced hotels. To me, luxury is having free wifi, a laundromat and a swimming pool on the premises! I am writing about this deal because it may have utility for some readers planning a getaway for a very special occasion.
The North American cities with Fairmont Hotels participating in the third night free offer include:
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Newport Beach
Pittsburgh
San Francisco
San Jose
Washington, DC
Calgary
Edmonton
Quebec City
Montreal
Ottawa
Toronto
Vancouver
Victoria
Winnipeg
In Asia:
Beijing
Jaipur
Kunshan
Makati City
Nanjing
Shanghai
Singapore
In Europe:
Baku
Hamburg
Kyiv
Monte Carlo
In the Middle East
Abu Dhabi
Cairo
Dubai
Dozens of other Fairmonts in more sought out locations are offering the 4th or 5th night free.
Pharmacies are everywhere in Paris. Photo via Google maps.
We were about 80 miles outside Paris, in the little medieval town of Provins, when I realized I was sick.
We cut our visit to Provins short, so I could get back to Paris to seek medical attention.
This was not a big deal except that it was the afternoon of July 13, and the next day was a national holiday — Bastille Day.
I telephoned a pharmacy near our hotel, and the pharmacist gave me the name of a local doctor that sees patients on a walk-in basis.
The doctor’s office was in a typical Haussmannian apartment building near Place Victor Hugo in the 16th arrondissement. The building had wooden doors large enough for a horse and carriage to enter. There was a small brass plate on the door. We rang the bell and the doctor buzzed us in. It was 6:59 p.m.
We entered the doctor’s suite and ventured down a curved hallway to the waiting room. Several other patents were waiting, holding their French national health insurance cards. There was no receptionist and no nurse. At 7:45 p.m., the doctor called me in, the last patient of the day. He gave me a prescription which I was able to fill in the neighborhood pharmacy before everything closed for the holiday.
The cost of the doctor visit: 35 Euro, payable with a credit card. The medicine cost 7.50 Euro.
This is a bit less than the copay for an urgent care visit at my HMO.
If You Need to See a Doctor in Paris
Asking a pharmacist to recommend a doctor is a good first step. Many doctors in Paris see patients without appointments. If the pharmacy is closed, they often post information about another nearby pharmacy with extended hours.
In researching this post, I came across couple of resources that may be of some help:
La Fourchette is the European equivalent of Open Table or Yelp.
You can search for nearby restaurants, read reviews, and make a reservation online. The website is owned by TripAdvisor.
You can also find restaurants offering twenty to fifty percent off menu prices with a prior reservation via the La Fourchette app.
On our recent trip to Paris, I opened the app to search for nearby restaurants.
We were staying at the Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan hotel in the 16th arrondissement — on points, of course.
20 Percent Off Radisson Blu Metropolitan Restaurant
20 percent off dinner at Le Metropolitan Restaurant in Paris
The Radisson Blu Metropolitan hotel is in an upscale residential district near the Trocadero Gardens. The hotel has modern decor, an indoor swimming pool and steam room, a mid-sized restaurant, and a head on view of the Eiffel Tower.
The first restaurant to pop up when I opened the La Fourchette app was the hotel restaurant at Le Metropolitan.
The offer was for a 20 percent discount off of menu prices if you made a reservation on the app.
Other restaurants had offers of 30 percent or 50 percent off, though many of these offers excluded the set price “menu du jour.”
The app lists tens of thousands of restaurants in France and elsewhere in Europe; not all restaurants offer discounts.
In Paris, I noticed that many of the places with special offers were ethnic restaurants serving sushi, couscous, kebobs, or other specialities.
Click here to get an idea of other restaurants that are offering discounted meals in Paris.
Earn Loyalty Points with La Fourchette
You can earn loyalty points for each reservation you make with La Fourchette. They call the points “Yums.” You can cash in your “Yums” in for discounts at participating restaurants.
The Terrasse Colbert in the Louvre has a convenient outdoor snack bar.
There are at least 15 restaurants at the Louvre museum in Paris, and all 15 of them have a long line at lunch time.
Except one.
In the Richelieu wing, on the “first” floor (which is really the second floor), just past the entrance to the Cafe Richelieu, there is an open door which looks like a service entrance.
There is a banner on the door, but if you are coming from the opposite direction you will miss it.
The door leads past the Cafe Richelieu espresso machines to an exit onto an outdoor terrace overlooking the courtyard of the Louvre.
Welcome to the Terrasse Colbert!
Statuary of the Terrace Colbert at the Louvre Image via Wikimedia Commons
There, you will find some long tables set with chairs, and a small cafe.
This cafe is not mentioned in the official literature from the museum, so I suspect that it is seasonal.
You can rest your feet among the statuary and enjoy the view.
The snack bar at Terrasse Colbert at the Louvre
The selection at the snack bar is quite limited — just a few types of sandwiches, soft drinks, and packaged ice cream.
But you will be able to rest your feet, enjoy the fresh air and the view of the famous pyramid, and avoid wasting precious time standing in line.
British Airways Club Europe customers traveling to London Heathrow
British Airways Executive Club Gold and Silver Members
oneworld Emerald and Sapphire card holders
Lounge Rats Will Enjoy the British Airways/OpenSkies Lounge at Orly West
The menu of food and drink offerings at the OpenSkies/British Airways Lounge at Orly Airport in Paris
I am not much of a lounge afficiaonado so I don’t have much basis for comparison.
But I can share some pictures of the food and beverage offerings and the accommodations.
There were a variety of snack items available including raw veggies, fresh fruit, yogurt, nuts, and potato chips, as well as a number of uniquely French foods.
There were freshly baked rolls, and three types of croissants to choose from, and small sandwiches.
Beverage choices included French wine and champagne, the usual juices and sodas, and espresso.
All in all, one could make a nice lunch from the spread at the lounge, but the food was nothing to write home about.
Fresh rolls and Viennoiserie
There was a nice selection of pastries available for dessert.
French pastries at the new OpenSkies lounge at Orly airport
I would bet that the lounge caterer also provides the in-flight meals on OpenSkies, as several of the food offerings were the same.
Fruit tartare at 212 Orly West lounge
The pasta salad with salmon was delicious!
French wine, cheese and salmon pasta salad
You can pour yourself a drink or a glass of champagne at the self-service bar.
The liquor selection at the new lounge at ORY
212 Orly West Lounge Has Modern Furnishings
The seating at the 212 Orly West lounge is comfortable.
Casual seating at 212 Orly West
There are electric outlets at each seat to charge your phone and laptop.
The windows are reminiscent of airplane windows
212 Orly West is a quiet lounge, so there are no announcements of flight boardings.
A Crested Chinese Powder Puff enjoying the lounge amenities
As you would expect, there are free newspapers and magazines.
Modern furniture at the new lounge at Orly West
There’s a television in the reception area.
Is that a money belt she’s wearing, or . . .
After relaxing for a while, it is time to board the plane.
Given that the 
