Quick summary: look into 1 way car rentals vs high priced Lyft/Uber/Taxi at peak times, it might be cheaper
Recently I landed in SFO at 11PM on Labor Day Monday and I didn't want to inconvenience anyone at that late hour. (how considerate of me)
I had planned on taking a Lyft or an Uber and thought it might cost about $60 or so. But boy, was I wrong. When I first opened Lyft and saw that the price for a Lyft Line (shared ride like Uberpool) to San Jose was $110, I thought I put in the wrong address but nope, the price for a shared ride was $110. The price for a regular Lyft was around $140 and UberX was similar.
I had never taken a taxi from SFO to San Jose but upon my quick search, it seemed like it would be around $120-130+.
At this moment, I had this idea of booking a 1 way car rental instead. And lo and behold, I was able to make a booking for a 1 way rental at around $63 including all taxes/fees using my corporate code. I suppose it might be higher without a good corporate/discount code but it's definitely worth a look.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
A good way to get a taste of local life
While I was in Panama over this past weekend (along with spending the day in NYC and a long layover in Miami), I had a chance to go to a few grocery stores, ranging from a tiny corner store to a big, air conditioned, modern supermarket and while a lot of what's in the big market is already Westernized (and particularly Americanized in the case of Panama), it's still an interesting look into how the locals really live.
Then I remembered I also enjoyed going to grocery stores in other countries.
One note is that at the supermarket, there was a security guard who was totally eyeballing us and following us (me and my girlfriend) around the store. The thing is it was like he was almost trying to be as conspicuous about it as possible. And it's not like we look like thugs who are likely to steal things. But again, that is part of the cultural difference that makes things interesting. I have to say their bathroom I pooped in was spotlessly clean.
But in summary, visiting a grocery store is a good way to get a look into the local culture. And a good way to pick up local snacks to bring back as souvenirs.
Then I remembered I also enjoyed going to grocery stores in other countries.
One note is that at the supermarket, there was a security guard who was totally eyeballing us and following us (me and my girlfriend) around the store. The thing is it was like he was almost trying to be as conspicuous about it as possible. And it's not like we look like thugs who are likely to steal things. But again, that is part of the cultural difference that makes things interesting. I have to say their bathroom I pooped in was spotlessly clean.
But in summary, visiting a grocery store is a good way to get a look into the local culture. And a good way to pick up local snacks to bring back as souvenirs.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Why no flat beds in airport lounges?
So we've had flat beds on planes for a while now. So why don't we have beds or loungers where people can nap while they wait for their flights? When I have a long layover in between flights, the thing I'd like to do most is (aside from getting a massage) sleep.
Some lounges have sleeping areas, such as the Qatar 1st class lounge in Doha, where they have individual small rooms which resemble a small hotel room with a bed, bathroom, desk, TV but even in regular lounges, it would require just buying some day beds and setting aside a section of the lounge, pretty easy to implement. This is something I'd like to see airlines implement.
As an aside, the best perk (aside from the room at in Doha) in a lounge for me was the free masseuse at the Phuket Priority Pass lounge. You should tip the masseuse a bit but even ) with the small tip (I guess equivalent to a $1 for a 15 minute massage, it was great. Now the Centurion Lounge in Miami has 15 minute free massages.
Some lounges have sleeping areas, such as the Qatar 1st class lounge in Doha, where they have individual small rooms which resemble a small hotel room with a bed, bathroom, desk, TV but even in regular lounges, it would require just buying some day beds and setting aside a section of the lounge, pretty easy to implement. This is something I'd like to see airlines implement.
As an aside, the best perk (aside from the room at in Doha) in a lounge for me was the free masseuse at the Phuket Priority Pass lounge. You should tip the masseuse a bit but even ) with the small tip (I guess equivalent to a $1 for a 15 minute massage, it was great. Now the Centurion Lounge in Miami has 15 minute free massages.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Visiting Panama for 42 minutes: Quick Note on doing the same plane turnaround in PTY
TL;DR - 42 minute connection in PTY perfectly doable as long as AA allows you to book it but you'll go thru gate security
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On 9/3/16, as part of a vacation/EQM run, I had a 42 minute connection in PTY. The incoming flight would land at 2:59PM and the outbound would leave at 3:41PM.
Both my flights had the same flight number and they were both the same plane type (Embraer ERJ-175) so I was pretty sure it would be the same plane and therefore zero chance of me not making the connection. I even had the same seat on both flights and wished I could have just sat on the plane but of course, they don't allow you to do that (I actually did ask the FA for confirmation).
I actually met the 2 bloggers from www.nomascoach.com after they noticed my Flyertalk luggage tag. This was the first time someone talked to me about it. I've only had the tag for a couple of months though.
So once we landed, I got off the plane but I couldn't go directly into the waiting area. It's roped off. So I went directly to the gate security check area and went thru the security.
Every time I've gone thorough the gate security check in PTY, they're really annoyingly thorough/picky and this time was no different.
So no need to go thru customs or immigration, just the gate security. And 42 minutes is way more than enough but not enough time for me to consider going to a lounge.
Then when I got on board again, (they announced business class first), the FA was surprised when I said 'nice to see you again' and she asked what I'm doing. She hadn't heard of mileage running so I was explaining it to her when another Flyertalker boarded and overheard what I was saying, turns out we had exchanged messages on Flyertalk previously about being on the same flight, we had a nice chat.
On both the flights, it was nice to meet who understand you and what you're doing, rather than tell you you're crazy.
------
On 9/3/16, as part of a vacation/EQM run, I had a 42 minute connection in PTY. The incoming flight would land at 2:59PM and the outbound would leave at 3:41PM.
Both my flights had the same flight number and they were both the same plane type (Embraer ERJ-175) so I was pretty sure it would be the same plane and therefore zero chance of me not making the connection. I even had the same seat on both flights and wished I could have just sat on the plane but of course, they don't allow you to do that (I actually did ask the FA for confirmation).
I actually met the 2 bloggers from www.nomascoach.com after they noticed my Flyertalk luggage tag. This was the first time someone talked to me about it. I've only had the tag for a couple of months though.
So once we landed, I got off the plane but I couldn't go directly into the waiting area. It's roped off. So I went directly to the gate security check area and went thru the security.
Every time I've gone thorough the gate security check in PTY, they're really annoyingly thorough/picky and this time was no different.
So no need to go thru customs or immigration, just the gate security. And 42 minutes is way more than enough but not enough time for me to consider going to a lounge.
Then when I got on board again, (they announced business class first), the FA was surprised when I said 'nice to see you again' and she asked what I'm doing. She hadn't heard of mileage running so I was explaining it to her when another Flyertalker boarded and overheard what I was saying, turns out we had exchanged messages on Flyertalk previously about being on the same flight, we had a nice chat.
On both the flights, it was nice to meet who understand you and what you're doing, rather than tell you you're crazy.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
1 MAJOR Downside of Airbnb Bookings
TL;DR: Be aware hosts can cancel on you as the traveler on Airbnb and you get a small coupon to rebook a property but most likely that won't be enough to find a comparable property. To look out for hosts who cancel, look for reviews that look like the image at the bottom of this post.
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For the most part I like using Airbnb, I've stayed at probably 40-50 different properties through the years and for the most part, I've had good experiences and usually are cheaper than getting a comparable hotel in a comparable area. (Hotels are usually in commercial neighborhoods vs Airbnbs in residential neighborhoods)
However, this has happened to me twice now, when the host cancels the reservation on you, we, as the renters, are kind of left high and dry. Just today, we had a booking in NYC for mid-September that was cancelled by the host because she is having work done on her house and that's the only date available for the work to be done (her words, not mine) Whatever the reason, Airbnb offered us a paltry $16 coupon to book something similar.
$16 is nowhere enough, even if I expanded my price range to $50+ the original booking, there's nothing remotely similar at this time. That's because unlike hotel rooms, Airbnbs are each unique homes, apartments, etc and once 1 person books that listing, it's gone. So that when you look for places close to when you need them, you'll be getting the leftovers.
I had the same thing happen for a property in Prague over Christmas/New Years, the busiest time of the year in Prague for hotel bookings, and the host cancelled pretty close to the actual travel date. Back then (Winter 2014) Airbnb offered a 20% credit but I had booked the room originally 6+ months out. And lots of hosts had ridiculous demands for bookings during that week (as in ridiculous long minimum stays, jacked up rates etc.) So imagine what slim pickings there was when I had to find something about a month out. 20% was not even close to try to get something similar. I still had to pay extra just to find a decent place that was further out from the city center.
In retrospect, I should have complained more but I didn't.
So you may want to have a refundable booking at a hotel as a backup if you have an Airbnb booking in a popular location. What I've found is sometimes hosts will have their places listed on multiple sites and if they think they can get a better rate vs what was originally booked, they may cancel on 1 site and list at a higher rate on a different site. (note Airbnb does not allow hosts to relist on the same dates once they cancel)
And I feel like Airbnb does not do enough to protect consumers and seems to favor hosts (and themselves), as hosts can set pretty strict cancellation penalties. There is no way for the consumer to be able to cancel without some kind of a penalty. I do not know if hosts can penalized monetarily for cancelling a booking but they should if they are not already. And much more than 12.5 or 20%.
Here's a way to protect yourself against this, if you see a listing and if you check the reviews (and you always should) and you find reviews like this, you should be very wary as this means the host cancelled on the guest. If there are multiple reviews that look like this, I would stay away.
HTH.
---
For the most part I like using Airbnb, I've stayed at probably 40-50 different properties through the years and for the most part, I've had good experiences and usually are cheaper than getting a comparable hotel in a comparable area. (Hotels are usually in commercial neighborhoods vs Airbnbs in residential neighborhoods)
However, this has happened to me twice now, when the host cancels the reservation on you, we, as the renters, are kind of left high and dry. Just today, we had a booking in NYC for mid-September that was cancelled by the host because she is having work done on her house and that's the only date available for the work to be done (her words, not mine) Whatever the reason, Airbnb offered us a paltry $16 coupon to book something similar.
$16 is nowhere enough, even if I expanded my price range to $50+ the original booking, there's nothing remotely similar at this time. That's because unlike hotel rooms, Airbnbs are each unique homes, apartments, etc and once 1 person books that listing, it's gone. So that when you look for places close to when you need them, you'll be getting the leftovers.
I had the same thing happen for a property in Prague over Christmas/New Years, the busiest time of the year in Prague for hotel bookings, and the host cancelled pretty close to the actual travel date. Back then (Winter 2014) Airbnb offered a 20% credit but I had booked the room originally 6+ months out. And lots of hosts had ridiculous demands for bookings during that week (as in ridiculous long minimum stays, jacked up rates etc.) So imagine what slim pickings there was when I had to find something about a month out. 20% was not even close to try to get something similar. I still had to pay extra just to find a decent place that was further out from the city center.
In retrospect, I should have complained more but I didn't.
So you may want to have a refundable booking at a hotel as a backup if you have an Airbnb booking in a popular location. What I've found is sometimes hosts will have their places listed on multiple sites and if they think they can get a better rate vs what was originally booked, they may cancel on 1 site and list at a higher rate on a different site. (note Airbnb does not allow hosts to relist on the same dates once they cancel)
And I feel like Airbnb does not do enough to protect consumers and seems to favor hosts (and themselves), as hosts can set pretty strict cancellation penalties. There is no way for the consumer to be able to cancel without some kind of a penalty. I do not know if hosts can penalized monetarily for cancelling a booking but they should if they are not already. And much more than 12.5 or 20%.
Here's a way to protect yourself against this, if you see a listing and if you check the reviews (and you always should) and you find reviews like this, you should be very wary as this means the host cancelled on the guest. If there are multiple reviews that look like this, I would stay away.
HTH.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Yet another post on Citi Prestige Concierge
I am truly astounded at Citi's incompetence. I opened a Citigold checking account several months back and it was a royal pain to get everything set up. I had read online that it would be and anything that they can mess up, they will. So I wasn't surprised but I was still unhappy as a consumer.
And then Citi actually closed a credit card without my approval and all they said was tough luck.
But I still opened a Citi Prestige and for the most part, the card has been fine, but my experience using their concierge has been atrocious.
Here's a recap:
Part 1: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-experience-booking-hotel-through.html
Part 2: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/update-on-booking-hotel-in-japan.html
Part 3: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/hopefully-last-post-on-booking-japanese.html
And now, that confirmation I was supposed to get, never came, so I had to call to get it sent. Then when it finally did come, the dates were wrong. So I had to call again to verify the dates are actually correct and to have a new confirmation email sent to me. But by now I have absolutely zero confidence they even made the right booking at the right hotel. They spelled the name of the hotel wrong but got the address right at least. So I emailed the hotel directly with the confirmation number and am now waiting for them to confirm I actually have a reservation. Until they confirm, I'm not cancelling my backup booking.
Bottom line: If you use the concierge to book hotels outside the US at non-US chain hotels, be prepared for a world of incompetence, lack of follow-up, and lots of phone calls and wasted time.
And then Citi actually closed a credit card without my approval and all they said was tough luck.
But I still opened a Citi Prestige and for the most part, the card has been fine, but my experience using their concierge has been atrocious.
Here's a recap:
Part 1: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-experience-booking-hotel-through.html
Part 2: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/update-on-booking-hotel-in-japan.html
Part 3: https://airsicktravel.blogspot.com/2016/08/hopefully-last-post-on-booking-japanese.html
And now, that confirmation I was supposed to get, never came, so I had to call to get it sent. Then when it finally did come, the dates were wrong. So I had to call again to verify the dates are actually correct and to have a new confirmation email sent to me. But by now I have absolutely zero confidence they even made the right booking at the right hotel. They spelled the name of the hotel wrong but got the address right at least. So I emailed the hotel directly with the confirmation number and am now waiting for them to confirm I actually have a reservation. Until they confirm, I'm not cancelling my backup booking.
Bottom line: If you use the concierge to book hotels outside the US at non-US chain hotels, be prepared for a world of incompetence, lack of follow-up, and lots of phone calls and wasted time.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Hopefully last post on booking a Japanese hotel with Citi Prestige concierge
Being the glutton for punishment I am (as well as being a cheapskate) I have continued to find what I think are suitable hotels then calling the concierge to get it booked.
I found a hotel that had rooms available on booking.com and had their own official booking page that didn't require registration and called the concierge again then they told me the room was not available for my dates and that booking.com buys a bucket of rooms and then resells them.
But yesterday (8/22) I tooled around on their own website and found availability so I called in again. I had to coach the concierge through going to their official page and having to use Google Chrome to translate the Japanese booking page to be able to go through the booking process. It took a while navigating the less than user friendly page that's also being translated via Google to finally make the booking. Supposedly. And he confirmed that I'll get the 4th night credit once the booking is paid for.
So I'm supposed to get a confirmation email within 24 hours (it's been about 18 hours so far), until I get that email, I don't think I can actually assume it'll happen. Let's see what happens.
Overall, it's taken about 6-7 separate phone calls each lasting about 20-30 minutes and my time looking up suitable hotels. I'd be saving US$165 on a US$740 booking. I guess it's still worth it... barely.
I found a hotel that had rooms available on booking.com and had their own official booking page that didn't require registration and called the concierge again then they told me the room was not available for my dates and that booking.com buys a bucket of rooms and then resells them.
But yesterday (8/22) I tooled around on their own website and found availability so I called in again. I had to coach the concierge through going to their official page and having to use Google Chrome to translate the Japanese booking page to be able to go through the booking process. It took a while navigating the less than user friendly page that's also being translated via Google to finally make the booking. Supposedly. And he confirmed that I'll get the 4th night credit once the booking is paid for.
So I'm supposed to get a confirmation email within 24 hours (it's been about 18 hours so far), until I get that email, I don't think I can actually assume it'll happen. Let's see what happens.
Overall, it's taken about 6-7 separate phone calls each lasting about 20-30 minutes and my time looking up suitable hotels. I'd be saving US$165 on a US$740 booking. I guess it's still worth it... barely.
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