Fishing4Deals

aka the "Priceline Queen"

What’s Coming to Dulles Airport in 2015

IAD Flyers
Dulles Flyers: Expect Great Things in 2015

2014 was a great year for Dulles Flyers, with the opening of Metro’s Silver Line and the Silver Line Express Bus to the airport from the Reston station.

Construction has already begun on the extension of the Silver Line to Dulles International Airport (IAD) and beyond.  Completion is slated for 2019 but I’m not holding my breath.

2014 Service Expansions at Dulles International Airport (IAD)

The most exciting development for Washington, DC area budget travelers was the arrival of Frontier Airlines low cost service to Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Cancun, and these additional cities:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Chicago-O’Hare, IL
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Detroit, MI
  • Fort Myers, FL
  • Memphis, TN
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  • Orlando, FL
  • St. Augustine/Jacksonville, FL
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Tampa, FL

Another welcome service expansion is Southwest’s new daily, nonstop  service to Las Vegas and San Diego.

On December 20, 2014, United Airlines initiated seasonal weekly service to San Jose del Cabo in Mexico, and seasonal service to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

We also saw the inauguration of Air China’s nonstop service to Beijing, with four nonstop flights per week, and British Airways upgraded service to London on a new Airbus A380 aircraft.

What’s Coming to Dulles International Airport (IAD) in 2015

In 2015, we will continue to see expanded service from IAD.

Beginning March 11, 2015, you can look forward to daily nonstop service to Seattle on Alaska Air.

On May 1, 2015, Are Lingus will launch nonstop service to Dublin, Ireland four times a week.

Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Flying

Southwest, Frontier, and United often offer large bonuses of frequent flyer miles for opening a new credit card account — sometimes enough for two free round-trip tickets.

 

 

My End of Year Bonus Points Haul

IMG_3032Some generous bonus offers in the last quarter of 2014 have boosted the balance of frequent flyer miles and hotel points in some of my favorite programs, and should help fund travel in 2015.

15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

I earned 7,500 AAdvantage miles for test driving a Cadillac, and 7,500 miles for two stays at Radisson hotels, for a total of 15,000 bonus miles.  The test drive  was actually a fun time, because I got to experience the Cadillac’s electric vehicle, with an $82,000 price tag, no less.

11,000 United MileagePlus Miles

The United Mileage Plus dining program was offering 10,000 bonus miles for ten dines at restaurants in the rewards dining program.

I purchased gift cards for some of my favorite restaurants, which earned me 3-5 times points per purchase, for a total haul of 11,000 miles.  I can spread out the dines over a number of months next year.  A number of the restaurants were offering bonus coupons with the gift card purchases — a nice additional incentive.

30,000 Club Carlson Gold Points

I had two nights paid stays at Radisson hotels which yielded 40 times bonus points thanks to a double points offer, plus 6,000 points for booking the two reservations via the mobile app, for a total of 20,000  points.

The Club Carlson Visa was also offering an extra 5,000 points for restaurant purchases, above their normal 5x points, so I earned an additional 10,000 Club Carlson gold points for participating in the United Dining Rewards program bonus offer.

Were you able to take advantage of any year-end bonus offers?

When It’s Cheaper to Fly Than to Take the Train

Empire State Building on a Clear Night
Empire State Building on a Clear Night
Joel Shprentz Photo

Last year, our family took the train up to New York for Thanksgiving.

This year, it was cheaper to fly.

That’s because we were finally able to use the two companion passes that came with my US Airways credit card.

The companion passes can be a pain the the neck because of all the limitations, but this holiday season the stars were aligned in our favor.

US Airways Credit Card Benefits Saved the Day

I purchased a ticket on the US Airways shuttle for myself, and secured companion pass tickets for my husband and daughter.  The tickets cost $99 each, plus tax of about $20.  This was about $4oo in savings, compared to the cost of two full price tickets.

We each checked a bag, which normally costs $25 per flight.  We know we’d need extra suitcase space for all the sales we hoped to hit on Black Friday.  The checked bags flew free because of the credit card.  This equalled another $150 in savings.

Black Friday Sales Did Not Disappoint
Black Friday Sales Did Not Disappoint
Joel Shprentz Photo

The US Airways credit card carries an annual fee of $89, but it came with 40,000 frequent flyer miles. I am saving those miles for another trip.

The current offer for the US Airways credit card is even better:  50,000 Dividend Miles after the first purchase and payment of an $89 fee.  Plus, you get the two companion passes and free checked bags.

If you are following along, that is a terrific deal!

You have to be a bit crazy to fly the day before Thanksgiving.  I am happy to report that despite a two hour weather-related delay, everything went smoothly.

Click here to compare current credit card offers.

Forget Uber. Dial 7 Car Service from LaGuardia

Dial 7 Car Service Beats Uber
Dial 7 Car Service Beats Uber

I have $20 worth of unused credits sitting in my Uber account, but when I flew into LaGuardia (LGA) last month I found a much better deal on ground transportation to Manhattan with Dial 7 car service.  

I am a budget traveler so limousines and black car services are not my thing — but this car service was the cheapest and fastest way to get my family of three and our bags to the hotel.

The driver was punctual, polite and pleasant and the cars were comfortable, convenient and commodious.

The regular fare from LaGuardia to downtown is $34 plus tolls and tax, but I used a discount code for $5 off.  Unlike Uber, car services are regulated and required to carry insurance.

How to Book Dial 7 Car Service from New York Airports

You can call Dial 7 at (212) 777-7777, but it is easier and cheaper to book ahead online.  The airport specials available with online booking are as follows:

From LaGuardia Airport $34
From JFK Airport $48
From Newark Airport $48

Rates do not include tolls or gratuity.

Special coupon codes are frequently available.  Check these sources:

For instance, I recently spotted this deal on Twitter:  $5 off LGA rides (Code: DECAIR1); $7 off JFK/EWR rides (DECAIR2).

When you get to the airport and have gathered your bags, you simply call Dial7 and they will direct you to your waiting driver outside.

There are many similar car services in New York — this is just the one I happened to try.

Everything worked seamlessly, on the busiest travel day of the year!  It beat standing in the cab line in the rain or taking the airport shuttle bus and stopping at a dozen hotels.

Thoughts?

Where Can You Find the Best Bagels in New York?

Brooklyn Bagels & Coffee is actually in Manhattan
Brooklyn Bagels & Coffee is near Penn Station in Manhattan

On 8th Avenue, just a few blocks from Penn Station, is a small bakery and coffee shop that makes the best bagels in New York, IMHO.

The bakery, Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company is in the Chelsea neighborhood at 286 8th Ave.

They serve all manner of bagels, bialys, lox, smoked whitefish, and a dozen flavors of cream cheese.

The bagels come in two sizes, “big” or “mini” — but I warn you, the big ones are enormous.

You can find a variety handrolled, kettle-boiled bagels:

plain, sesame, poppy, onion, garlic, rye (with seeds), everything, cinnamon raisin, egg, multi-grain, whole wheat, whole wheat everything, whole wheat oats & raisins, whole wheat sesame, pumpernickel and salt

Earn Frequent Flyer Miles at Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company

Earn Frequent Flyer Miles at Brooklyn Bagels and Coffee in Chelsea
Earn Frequent Flyer Miles at Brooklyn Bagels and Coffee in Chelsea

To be perfectly frank, I don’t know if this is the best bagel shop in New York or not.

The bagels are very fresh and very good, and the place earns four stars on Yelp.

But the key thing is that this shop participates in the Rewards Dining program.

I favor the United Mileage Plus Dining program, but most of the major airlines run a similar rewards program with the opportunity to earn their frequent flyer miles at the same list of restaurants.

If you make ten purchases at participating restaurants in a calendar year, you can earn 5 times United Mileage Plus miles every subsequent time you dine at a participating restaurant. (You earn 3x miles for the first ten purchases.)  Couple that with a rewards earning credit card to increase your savings.

Thus, if you stop in for bagels or coffee once in a while, you will be on the fast track to earning five times miles at hundreds of participating restaurants.

Do you earn frequent flyer miles through the Rewards Dining program?  Have you find any gems that you would like to share?  

 

A Nostalgic Gift for Oz Lovers

This Is Australia 2015 Wall Calendar
This Is Australia 2015 Wall Calendar

Do you remember the books of Miroslav Sasek?

His children’s books with quirky illustrations inspired a whole generation of children to travel.

Several of Sasek’s iconic children’s travel books have now been published in wall calendar form.

The most recent edition for 2015 is This is Australia.

It would make a nice holiday gift for the Australia fan.

2015 Wall Calendars featuring imaginative drawings by Miroslav Sasek are also available for these cities:

This Is Australia 2015 Wall Calendar
I love the classic illustrations by Miroslav Sasek.

The calendars appeal to people who like classic, whimsical illustrations.

If you frame the images from the calendar at the end of the year it would make a nice tableau.

This post contains affiliate links.  Thanks if you choose to use them!

Nine Things My Husband Won’t Do for Miles & Points

Screen Shot 2014-12-07 at 7.45.24 PM
“New York is where I’d rather stay.  I get allergic smelling hay.  I just adore a penthouse view.  Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.” — Green Acres Theme Song

My husband is incredibly supportive, but when it comes to collecting frequent flyer miles and points there are things he simply will not do.

Some things are too much trouble; others he considers to be ethically suspect.

Let’s face it:  this is a crazy hobby and the lengths we go to maximize our miles can be excessive, to say the least.

Every one has their own take on what they are willing to do, and on where to draw the proverbial ethical line.

Here are the nine things my husband won’t do.

Where a Reluctant Spouse Draws the Line

1.  Change hotels midstream:  Once we arrive at our destination, my husband will not change hotels just to get a free night.  For that reason, credit cards that offer a free night every year are not attractive to us, because it means paying a high rate for the remaining nights — compared to a a low rate we could get on Priceline for the entire stay.

2.  Open excessive numbers of credit cards:  The fewer cards the better, as far as my husband is concerned.  He will not apply for a credit card with a fabulous bonus if we do not have an immediate use for the miles.

3.  Call to request a retention bonus:  No one likes to call the credit card company only to be placed on hold or transferred to another department, especially my husband.  If he is the primary cardholder and an annual fee has posted, I place the call to request a fee waiver, and he affirms whatever deal is offered.

4.  Go on “mattress runs”:  Some people will book phantom stays at hotels just to earn extra points or to gain status in a hotel loyalty program.  No way, Jose!

5.  Charge small purchases at local restaurants or the neighborhood dry cleaner:  My husband prefers to pay cash for small purchases when he goes out for lunch or patronizes small businesses.  He thinks the swipe fees the banks charge merchants are too high for small businesses to absorb.

6.  Open a Bluebird, a Red Card, a Serve account, or any other manner of reloadable debit card:  Fuggedaboutit, he says.  These accounts do not function like an FDIC insured bank.

7.  Fly an indirect route:  My husband doesn’t mind changing planes if it gives him a chance to stretch his legs and grab lunch, even if it adds a couple of hours on to a trip.  But there is no way that he is going to fly around in circles just to earn miles, or accept some crazy routing to save miles.

8. Buy gift cards:  Gift cards lack the consumer protection of credit cards, and they make it more difficult to track your spending for budget purposes.  They are too much of a hassle when buying gas and they hold you up in the check-out line.

9.  Hang up and call again:  My husband doesn’t have the patience to spend hours on the phone to book an award ticket, and I don’t blame him.

Can you relate to any of these?   Please share in the comments.

This post contains affiliate links.  Thanks if you choose to use them!

Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.

My Room Rate Dropped Four Times in Four Weeks

Gotta Love the Thanksgiving Parade!
Gotta Love Hello Kitty at the Thanksgiving Parade!
Joel Shprentz Photo

Do you ever wonder how much the person sitting next to you on the plane paid?  It seems that airfares are constantly changing and totally unpredictable.

The same can be true of hotels.  The room rates go up and down depending on the hotel’s model of supply and demand.

We had a recent hotel stay at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway.  I locked in two award nights well in advance — 50,000 Club Carlson points for a two-night stay.

We decided to add a third paid night on to our stay, so several weeks ago, I made a reservation to extend our stay.  The room rate at the time was close to $300 per night, plus tax, bringing the total to nearly $350.  That’s a lot to pay for a room at a 3 star hotel.

Amazing View from the Empire State Building
Amazing View from the Empire State Building, but Chilly!

It wasn’t worth bidding for a Priceline hotel because it would be really inconvenient to move hotels for one night.  Also, since we were traveling with our teenage daughter, we needed a room with two beds, and Priceline only guarantees that the room will accommodate two adults.  In New York City, hotel rooms are notoriously small, and often cannot accommodate three people.

Check the Room Rate and Call if it Drops

I had booked the room at the AAA rate.  Each week I checked online to see if the rates had dropped.  If so, I called the hotel and requested that they adjust my rate.  I did this four times, and four times, the hotel graciously adjusted the rate downward.  We ended up paying $172 for the room.  With tax, it came to $200.

Great Sales at Macy's
Great Sales at Macy’s
Joel Shprentz Photo

I love the location of the Radisson Martinique, right in K-town in the center of Manhattan.

We took advantage of pre-Black Friday sales at Macy’s, and went up the Empire State Building — both less than two blocks away.

Thanks to the Martinique app, the hotel comped us breakfast each morning.

This post contains affiliate links.  Thanks if you choose to use them!  

Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.

Do the Quadruple Dip for United MileagePlus Miles

Earn Extra Miles Shopping at Local Merchants with MileagePlus X App
Earn extra United miles shopping at local merchants with the MileagePlus X app

United Airlines is beta-testing a a new way to earn bonus miles when shopping at brick and mortar stores or for online purchases.

MileagePlus X mobile app lets you earn extra miles for every dollar you spend at participating merchants.

If used strategically, the new app can enable triple or even quadruple stacking of bonus MileagePlus miles.

Many readers take advantage of bonus cash back or miles by doing their online shopping through portals like FatWallet, or the United MileagePlus Shopping portal.  With MileagePlus X, you can now earn extra points when paying for in-store purchases.

Earn Extra Miles Shopping at Local Merchants with MileagePlus X App
MileagePlus X Earnings

The bonus points range from 2-4 extra points for purchases from national retailers such as Lowe’s, Sears, Gap, AMC Theaters, and restaurants chains, up to to 20-24 points for purchases at local restaurants, spas, beauty shops, exercise studios, entertainment, nightclubs, and other activiites.

Earn Bonus Points Up To Four Ways With MileagePlus X

Here’s how it works.  The app indicates participating businesses near your location, and the amount of miles you can earn.

At the register, customers enter the total dollar amount of their purchase via the app, and purchase a digital merchant gift card.

The cashier scans the barcode to complete the digital gift card purchase. Award miles instantly appear in members’ accounts in addition to any miles the customer may earn purchasing the digital gift card with a MileagePlus Credit Card from Chase.

Earn Extra Miles Shopping at Local Merchants with MileagePlus X App
MileagePlus X Earnings

Chase United® MileagePlus Credit Card holders earn a 25% bonus on the miles for purchases made through MileagePlus X.

The MileagePlus X app can also be used for online purchases with many merchants. While you are checking out, use the MileagePlus X app for the amount due and enter the gift card number and PIN that is generated to pay with a gift card at the merchant’s web site.

The Considerable Downsides to MileagePlusX

Because you are purchasing and paying with a gift card, many of the consumer protections of credit cards, such as extended warranty and loss replacement do not apply to these purchases.

Your ability to return items will also be limited, most likely to store credit.

The MileagePlus X Triple Dip

If you use your MileagePlus credit card, your purchases will earn:

Earn Extra Miles Shopping at Local Merchants with MileagePlus X AppEarn Extra Miles Shopping at Local Merchants with MileagePlus X App
MileagePlus X Earnings
  1. traditional mileage for using your MileagePlus credit card
  2. miles for paying with MileagePlus X
  3. a 25% cardmember bonus.

The 25 percent cardmember bonus does not apply to authorized users of the credit card.

How to Do The MileagePlus X Quadruple Dip

If  a merchant is included in  both MileagePlus X and the MileagePlus Shopping portal, use your MileagePlus credit card within MileagePlus X, and then pay for your purchase online with the gift card number and PIN from MileagePlus X after clicking through to the merchant at MileagePlusShopping.com.

Have you received an email inviting you to test the MileagePlus X app?  What has your experience been?  Please share in the comments!

Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.

Pay What You Wish at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pay what you can at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Pay what you wish at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of the commercial travel deals sites that I follow is Travelzoo.

They regularly send out enticing offers — not just for flights and hotels, but also for shows and cultural attractions at a deep discount.

 Economize on Visits to the Met

New York City is an expensive city to visit so a Travelzoo deal for cut rate admissions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum caught my eye.

Travelzoo is offering admission tickets to the Met for $19, or four tickets for $60.

The usual “recommended” admission to the museum is $25 per adult, and free for children under 12.

The regular fee includes admission to the museum including all special exhibits plus same-week admission to The Cloisters.  The website states:  “To help cover the costs of exhibitions, we ask that you please pay the full recommended amount.”

But when you go the purchase tickets page, you see this notice in the fine print:

If you would like to pay less than full recommended admission, please go directly to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to pay as you wish.

I turns out that that the Met and a number of other New York City institutions are required to accept voluntary donations for admission.

You can pay whatever you want, every day, all year long.

The execution of this policy was the subject of some litigation in 2013.  The lawsuit contended that the  museum was obscuring the option to pay less than full price, because the sign by the entrance indicated “suggested donation” in small print.  You can read more about this issue in The Atlantic and the New York Times.

I have fond memories of visiting the Met and the Cloisters as a kid.  Both were pretty magical places, where I felt transported back in time.

I think the admission fee is fully worth it to visit a world class art museum.  However, if the cost of admission is holding your family back from a visit, know that you can pay what you wish and it is perfectly okay.

Pay What You Wish at the American Museum of Natural History

Pay What You Wish at the American Natural History Museum
Pay what you wish at the American Museum of Natural History

Some other New York museums that have the pay what you wish policy are the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Cloisters, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

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