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Introduction During our First Class Honeymoon in 2019 we found that Christina's Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status gave us access to amazing benefits including upgrades, free breakfast, and additional Marriott points. Her Platinum status ended up giving us access to experiences we could not have afforded without it. In this post I will discuss how to earn Marriott Platinum elite status, discuss the benefits, and provide tips on ways to maximize the status. How do you earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Status? Normally, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status is earned by staying at least 50 nights in one calendar year. However, due to COVID-19 Marriott both extended 2019 elites status through February 1, 2022 and provided 50% elite night credits, 25 nights for current Platinum elites, allowing current elites to fast track to the next status level. Also, Platinum status can be earned by spending $75,000 in a calendar year on your Marriott Bonvoy Brillant American Express Card.  Marriott Bonvoy Member Sign Al Maha Dubai UAE What counts toward the elite night credits requirement? One great part of hotel elite programs in general and Marriott's program in particular is that a wide variety of activities help meet the elite nights requirement. Generally, there are four ways to earn elite nights credits. First, any individually billed nights at a participating hotel count towards status, this excludes nights paid for through central billing such as for a convention. Second, unlike airline awards all award nights paid for with Marriott Bonvoy points count toward elite status. Third, holding a Marriott Bonvoy credit card provides an automatic 15 nights towards elite status regardless of spending on the credit card. This can reduce the 50 night requirement by 30 percent. Fourth, having an event at a Marriott brand hotel can earn 1 elite night for every 20 rooms booked. This was significantly devalued at the start of 2020 but may still be helpful if you are having a large group event.  Marriott Bonvoy Elite Room Key What are the Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status? Complimentary Enhanced In-Room Internet Access- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to complimentary in-room internet. However, Platinum members receive access to enhanced in-room internet which provides faster speeds. Member Rates- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to discounted member rates. Mobile Check-In/Services- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott can utilize mobile check in where available. Dedicated Elite Support Line- When Platinum members call Marriott Bonvoy customer service members receive access to dedicated elite support. Unlimited Reservation Guarantee- If the hotel is unable to honor the reservation then it will provide the Platinum member with compensation ranging from $100 and 90,000 points to $200 and 140,000 points depending on the brand. You can find the complete details here. Points Bonus- Platinum members receive a 50 % bonus on hotel stays and money spent during stays. This means that Platinum members receive 15 points per dollar spent at the vast majority of brands. Late Check-Out- Platinum members receive a guaranteed 4 pm late check-out at non-convention and non-resort hotels. Guaranteed Room Type- If a Platinum elite member room type request is not met then the member receives compensation ranging from $25 to $100. In-Hotel Welcome Gift- At check-in Platinum members receive a welcome gift ranging from a choice of 500 points per stay and a Food & Beverage item to 1,000 per stay or breakfast in the restaurant. These benefits vary based upon the brand and you can find the full list here. Enhanced Room Upgrade- At participating brands Platinum elites receive an upgrade to the best available room including select suites subject to availability. Lounge Access- At JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, and Renaissance Hotels Platinum members have lounge access. Annual Choice Benefits- After 50 elite qualifying nights Platinum members receive annual choice benefit with the choice between 5 Suite Night Awards, 5 elite night credits, a gift of silver elite status to another member, 40% off a mattress, or a $100 charity donation.  Marriott Elite Benefits Marriott Platinum Status Tips
1. Book Direct- Elite benefits only apply to stays booked directly with Marriott. In order to utilize platinum elite benefits it is essential to book direct. 2. Benefits Vary by Brand- To maximize Platinum elite status it is critical to be selective about the brand you book since benefits vary significantly between brands. For example, the In-Hotel Welcome Gift for the Element brand is 500 points or an amenity compared to the option for the The Luxury Collection of 1,000 points, and amenity, or breakfast in the restaurant. The differences are also not limited to value vs. luxury brands. For example, Platinum members don't receive upgrades to suites at Ritz Carltons while they do at St. Regis brand hotels. 3. Promotions- Periodically, Marriott offers promotions which can provide a shortcut to Platinum elite status. This is how Christina achieved Platinum elite status in 2018 with less than half the required elite night credits. Periodically, review your Marriott elite account for promotions. 4. Elite Benefits Guarantee- Marriott is unique among the major hotel brands in offering cash guarantees if elite members are not provided guaranteed elite benefits. We have had success getting a hotel to provide $100 in cash for not honoring one of the guarantees. Make sure to ask the hotel to honor the guarantee before check-out if the benefits are not honored. 5. Lounge Access- One of the most undervalued benefits of Platinum elite status is lounge access and is something which I would recommend maximizing. While the benefit is only available at a limited number of brands depending on the hotel it can be very valuable. For example, in the past we have been able to substitute a pasta dish for dinner and have been offered complimentary happy hours in Marriott hotel lounges. Take Away If you have the ability to earn Marriott Platinum elite status is can be very valuable and make a substantial difference during your Marriott stay. If you follow the tips above you can get access to benefits including complementary restaurant breakfast, lounge access, and suite upgrades.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Complimentary Upgrades on Flights less than 500 Miles All American Airlines elites and up to one traveling companion receive complimentary upgrades when purchasing paid non-Basic Economy tickets on flights less than 500 miles long. However, only Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, and Concierge Key elites receive complimentary upgrades on all paid non-Basic economy tickets for flights greater than 500 miles within North America. Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members also receive complimentary upgrades on award tickets within North America. American Airlines defines North America for the purposes of 500 miles upgrades as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Earning 500 Miles Upgrades Only Gold and Platinum elites earn complimentary upgrades for every 12,500 elite qualifying miles flown during the membership year. The American Airlines membership year extends from February 1st-January 31st and elites can track their progress in their wallet on aa.com or in the American Airlines app. One key thing to know about 500 mile upgrades is that earning 500 miles upgrades only starts after the elite member qualifies for Gold status so any flights taken prior to earning elite status do not count. All other American Airlines elites do not earn 500 miles upgrades and must purchase the upgrades to upgrade their companions on flights greater than 500 miles. Purchasing 500 Miles Upgrades Any elite can purchase a 500 mile upgrade for $40 per 500 mile upgrade or 40,000 AAdvantage miles for 8 upgrades. However, in my experience these upgrades don't post immediately and may take a few hours to post to your account. The upgrades can be purchased through multiple American Airlines sales channels including on aa.com, most Admirals Clubs, during check-in, and through American Airlines reservations. Using 500 Miles Upgrades One 500-mile upgrade is required for each 500 miles flown rounded up to the nearest 500 miles. For example, a flight from DCA-LAX is 2,311 miles which would require 5 500 mile upgrades. There are many way for elites to request an upgrade on a 500 mile eligible flight including: 1) during the booking process, 2) opening the reservation, 3) calling American Airlines, 4)during check-in, 5) at the airport. The easiest way to determine the number of 500 mile upgrades required is reviewing the number required during the booking process or in the reservation after booking. 500 mile upgrades don't expire but can only be utilized by current elite members. If an elite member loses status they will have to regain status or travel with another elite member in order to utilize any unused 500 mile upgrades. An elite member is not required to have sufficient 500 mile upgrades in their account to request an upgrade but the member will be unable to check into their flight if the member does not have sufficient 500 mile upgrades. At this time the member's options are to purchase additional upgrades or cancel the upgrade request by calling American Airlines. Using 500 Miles Upgrades for Companions Elites can upgrade one companion using 500 miles upgrades. If an elite member is traveling with a companion then the members need to have sufficient upgrades in their individual accounts or enough 500 mile upgrades in one account for both of them to be upgraded. If the companion is not on the same reservation then the elite member can call American airlines to link the reservations and utilize 500 mile upgrades. If there are more than two individuals on a reservation then the elite member will need to call to request an upgrade.  Complimentary Upgrade Process on American Airlines Upgrade Order
Once a 500-mile upgrade is requested upgrades clear based on the status of the highest-level elite requesting the upgrade, type of upgrade requested, and then the 12 month rolling elite qualifying dollars. Booking code then time/date of the request serve as tie breakers. If an upgrade clears then the elite member will receive an email notifying the member starting from their elite upgrade window up until three and a half hours before the flight. If the upgrade doesn't clear then the elite is added to the airport upgrade list for the flight. American Airlines Upgrade Order
By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. On any flight, the experience begins on the ground and one of the most important ground amenity for me is an airline's airport lounge. If I have access to a lounge it can provide a respite from the chaos of the terminal and a place to recharge and gain access to refreshments. In this post I am going to focus on the upgraded food options offered in American Airlines' airport lounges. American Airlines' lounges are called Admirals Clubs harkening back to the days when these lounges required a membership and flyers could access the lounges regardless of the airline being flown. However, starting November 1, 2019 Admirals Club access was limited to passengers flying on an American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or OneWorld marketed or operated flight. I receive access to the Admiral's Clubs when flying with Christina through the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. This card allows access for the cardholder and up to two traveling companions.  Admirals Club/Flagship Lounge Entrance LAX While I appreciate many aspects of the airport lounge experience when flying domestically or on short haul flights the most important amenity are the complimentary food and drinks. This is an area where American Airlines has long lagged. Typically, what you can expect on the drink front is water, orange juice, machine-made hot beverages including coffee, rail liquors, wine, and beer.  Admirals Club Drink Options On the food front Admiral's Club options have been what I can only describe as sad. The options included bagels, unappetizing fruit, yogurt, soup, and cereal.
Beginning in 2018, American Airlines began upgrading its food options introducing both freshly made guacamole in the afternoon and avocado toast in the morning. In 2019, American Airlines extended the food options to include build your own mac-and-cheese bars in the afternoon and breakfast tacos in the morning. During my 2018 travels, I had the opportunity to try both the freshly made guacamole and the Avocado toast. I had the guacamole on several occasions and found it to be boring, tasteless, and the chips to be too salty.  Admirals Club Guacamole However, I must give American Airlines credit for the avocado toast. In 2018 I looked forward to eating the fresh avocado toast during my morning flights.  Made-to-Order Avocado Toast The options for avocado toast toppings included mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, yellow and red onions, ham, and my favorite avocado toast topping salmon.  Avocado Toast Toppings I found the avocado toast to be tasty and better than some of American Airlines domestic First Class breakfasts which I will discuss in my upcoming posts.  Admirals Club Avocado Toast Take Away
Historically, I believe that one of the weakest aspects of the American Airlines' Admirals Club experience was the food. I give American Airlines credit for upgrading the food to provide additional options. My experience with these options has been mixed. I found the freshly made guacamole tasteless while the avocado toast was delicious. I still don't think Admirals Club's food options are great or likely to replace a full meal but it is nice to have more snacks options when waiting between America Airlines flights. My advice would be to have a full meal in the terminal if are hungry but try out the new options if you are flying American Airlines and in need of a snack. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Introduction Most leisure travelers do not spend 50-60 nights in hotels a year and therefore do not have access to elite benefits including upgrades, free breakfast, and late-check out. However, travelling companions have another option if they want to receive elite perks without elite status, travel rewards credit cards. These cards such as the American Express Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve have access to many benefits typically reserved for elite members. In this post I will discuss the benefits of booking through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. What is The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection? The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection is a benefit of select Chase Cards which provide access to a slew of benefits at over 900 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. These hotel's provide additional benefits for select Chase customers. Chase does not publish an exhaustive list of which credit cards are eligible for this benefits but in my experience the eligible Chase Cards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred. However, you can check if your credit card is eligible at www.lhrcollection.com/.  The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection Website What are the benefits of The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection? The benefits of the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection vary from property to property but typically include the following:
How do you book with The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection? All properties can be booked through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection website. The cardmember must enter the destination and then the list of hotels available in that area populates and shows a summary of the benefits available at each property.  After selecting the hotel there is a complete list of benefits, a property overview, a list of benefits, and the ability to search for rooms on specific dates. Once you select your dates you will be prompted to put in the first six digits of your credit card which is required to make the reservation.  Finally, you will see a list of rooms and prices. From this screen you can select the room type you desire and book.  As you can see below looking at the subtotals the price for booking the Aria directly versus on The Luxury Hotel Collection website is the same meaning you can take advantage of these extra benefits at no additional cost. Note that the Aria website adds in additional taxes and fees so comes out to a different total.   Tips for Booking with The Luxury Hotel Collection
1. Compare the Rate- Sometimes the rate on the website can be the same or less than booking directly with the hotel which can lead to additional benefits without additional cost. However, other times the price can be significantly higher and the additional benefits can outweigh the costs. Always, compare the rate on the website to the cost of booking directly with the hotel. 2. Resort Fees Not Included- Reservations on the website may not include resort fees which are now not limited to resort properties but are common at properties in major cities. To find out what the resort fee is for a property go to the hotel's website and attempt a booking. 3. Subject to Blackout Dates- Hotels available on the website are sometimes subject to blackout dates and therefore are only available on select dates. If you don't see a hotel you want available on the exact dates of your search try additional dates. 4. Collect Hotel Points- Because you are charged directly by the hotel many hotel chains consider rooms booked through The Luxury Hotel Collection to be eligible for hotel points typically only available for rate booked directly on the hotel's website. I can vouch that this works with Hyatt , however, it may not work with other hotel chains including Marriott, which is typically more restrictive on which reservations earn points. A good practice is to always add your loyalty number to the reservation upon check-in just in case. Because this is not guaranteed you should weigh the cost of losing points with the additional benefits if you are staying at a chain that does not allow points. Take Away The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection can be a great benefit for those holding eligible Chase travel credit cards. It can provide the cardholder with benefits typically reserved for elite members sometimes at the same or less cost as booking directly with the hotel. Finally, with some hotel chains it can provide these benefits along with hotel points. If you have an eligible Chase credit card the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collect is worth checking out. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Introduction In 2018, I flew over 36,000 miles and there are a few benefits which make traveling more comfortable for Christina and I. I have spoken in the past about the benefits of better seats, upgrades, free baggage, and early boarding provided by our elite status but in this post I want to focus on another benefit which makes our travel more comfortable lounge access through Priority Pass. I remember that when I flew prior to having lounge access I would wait at the gate which was often crowded and struggle to find a plug that was working to charge my phone or laptop. Now I have access to lounges which can provide a respite from the chaos of the terminal and a place to recharge and gain access to refreshments. Recently, airport lounge access has become democratized thanks to memberships provided by various premium travel credit cards. In the past when a passenger wanted to a gain access to an airport lounge the passenger had to have a lounge membership or a business/first class ticket. However, because of partnerships with credit card issuers airlines have opened up access to their lounges to a larger swath of people and getting a premium travel card is the best way to gain lounge access. All of the major U.S. airlines have credit cards that give access to their lounges. For example, Christina receives access to American Airlines Admirals Clubs through the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. Additionally, there are a network of independent lounges which grant access to their lounges in the U.S. and around the world through Priority Pass and these lounges are the focus of this post. Priority Pass Membership Members can gain access to Priority Pass lounges by signing up for a Priority Pass membership. The membership prices vary by country but for the U.S. unlimited access costs $429 but does not include complimentary guest access.  Priority Pass Membership Prices Major credit card issuers including Chase, American Express, and Citi grant Priority Pass Select memberships through their premium rewards cards which typically grant the holder of the card complimentary unlimited access to select lounges for themselves and up to two guests with a cost for any additional guests. For example, I have complimentary access through my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card for myself and two guests with a fee of $27 per additional guest. Depending how often you use the lounge network Priority Pass Select membership can have significant value.  Example of Priority Pass Select Membership Card Priority Pass Network The Priority Pass network gives members access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide. The vast majority of Priority Pass locations are located outside of the United States. The lounge locations within the United States are typically run by independent operators such as The Club at ATL at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (ATL) or international airlines who grant access during non-peak hours such as the British Airways Galleries Lounge at Washington Dulles Priority Pass Lounge Quality  The quality of Priority Pass lounges varies significantly. The democratization of lounges has lead to overcrowding at many lounges within the U.S. I experienced this earlier this year at the Club at ATL where the noise was worse than some gate areas at ATL and the food had been picked apart. While other domestic lounges such as the Club at PHX at Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) can offer a good break from the airport with decent cold food options. However, where Priority Pass really shines is internationally where members are granted access to lounges typically used by international business and in some cases first class passengers. While there can also be a range of quality internationally many of these lounges offer high-quality food options, complimentary alcohol, and comfortable seating like we experienced at the Joan Miró VIP lounge at Barcelona El Prat (BCN).
Priority Pass Restaurants In response to overcrowding at U.S. Priority Pass lounges and in an attempt to expand the number of options for its U.S. based members Priority Pass added a number of restaurant options primarily at airports within the United States. While these options typically do not offer the quiet and access to power of a traditional lounge they do offer travelers and guests an opportunity to have a complimentary meal. Christina and I tried this benefit for the first time at the Corona House restaurant in the Miami International Airport (MIA) and it was a very simple process. I handed over my Priority Pass card which was scanned and then the $30 credit was deducted from the bill. More recently, we have used it at our home airport Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) with the restaurant American Tap Room in Terminal C where we receive $28 off of our meal every time we fly. While their meals are average at best it is a nice option to have a free meal option in the airport and this benefit has saved me significant amounts of money when I travel through airports that have Priority Pass restaurants. As of August 1, 2019 access to any Priority Pass restaurants and non-lounge experiences is not available through American Express issued Priority Pass Select memberships. Take Away Priority Pass membership is a nice benefit offered by a number of premium travel rewards cards which offers access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide. While the lounge quality can vary significantly I think it can be a very good value for U.S. traveler who: 1) frequently travel internationally, 2) have a Priority Pass restaurant in their home airport, or 3) frequent an airport with a Priority Pass restaurant. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch, your travel dollars, miles, and points further. One question I often get asked is, where do you find your cheap flights? Given that I fly over 30,000 miles a year for pleasure, it is important that I stretch my travel dollars so I may go on as many trips as possible. One way to find cheap airfare is a fare sale. A fare sale is when one or more airlines discount their airfare to/from a specific city. Below are my suggestions for the best websites, apps, social media, and email subscriptions you should use to find cheap flights.
1. Google Flights Google Flights is my favorite travel tool because of its powerful flight search engine and it has the ability to customize your search. Google Flights searches prices from multiple sources including online travel agencies (e.g. Expedia) and airline websites. The website then easily sorts the results by the best flights based on multiple factors including the flight length, departure, and price. However, where Google Flights really shines is the ability to customize your search by features such as number of stops, airlines, connecting airports, times, and now the ability to eliminate basic economy fares. The best Google Flights function for finding cheap flights is the "Track prices" feature which allows you to track the change in flight pricing based on your customizations all the way up to the day of departure. If the flight increase or decreases in price Google Flights alerts you to the change by sending out an email. 2. Hopper This is my favorite app for flight deals! Hopper allows you to pick your departure and destination airports, filter out flights which long layovers, and basic economy fares. Where hopper really shine though is it take the guessing out of the best time to buy. The app gives you a prediction of what is likely going to be the best price based on your specified filters and in what time period you are likely going to see that best price. Once it finds the best deal it alerts you on your phone that it is time to buy and even tells you how much the price is predicted to go up if you aren't ready to buy. Two things to keep in mind when using Hopper. First, it does not consistently show all major U.S. Airlines (e.g. Delta). Second, you should double check Google Flights to make sure that the price on the app is in fact the best price because Hopper charges a fee to book through the app and sometimes there are cheaper flights available on other websites. 3. The Flight Deal The Flight Deal is a Twitter account which on a daily basis sends out alerts on the best flight deals on the internet for flights to and from a select set of major U.S. cities including New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles among others. If you click on the links from the Twitter account it brings you to a more detailed page which shows you information including the fare availability, examples of the fare, and mileage earning for non-elite members. Where The Flight shines is the speed with which it brings you deals. I typically find out about the best deals here first before other websites send out alerts. Finding out about cheap flights quickly is important and The Flight Deal delivers your alerts with speed. 4. Scott's Cheap Flights This is an email subscription service which searches the web for cheap flights and sends periodic updates about deals to your email address. The emails include information such as the pricing of the fare sale from different airports, the airlines offering the sale, and the relevant sale period. Where Scott's Cheap Flights really shines is the ability to understand how good the deal is and their estimate of how long they expect the deal to last. These two pieces of information are very important when trying to take advantage of a fare sale. 5. MyTravelNerd This is an email subscription service which sends periodic emails with flights deals for your specific city. The emails include information such as how good of a deal it is, the normal price, the quality of the airline, mileage earnings, and credit card point earnings. Where this subscription service shines is the ability to completely curate the flight alerts. The service sends you deals based on your city and includes the specific award miles and credit card points you are likely to earn based on your preferred card and elite status with the airline. The ability to curate the flight deals in this fashion means you will only receive deals that are relevant. Tip- Act Quickly on a Fare Sale One key thing to remember is that airline pricing changes constantly and a fare deal could disappear from one hour to the next. So if you find out about a fare deal and think you are likely to go book it as soon as you can. Because of a Department of Transportation regulation all major U.S. airlines allow you to cancel a non-refundable ticket within 24 hours of booking without a penalty as long as it was booked at least 7 days in advance. This can be a powerful tool when you find a deal but would like to make sure you can get the time off, figure out the rest of your trip itinerary, or check with your traveling companions, By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. First Class Honeymoon Trip Report Booking Singapore Suites Booking Etihad Airways Apartments Introduction Christina and I have never flown international business class or first class. However, this blog aims to help you stretch your travel dollars further and provide advice for travelling companions. Travelling in international first class with miles is one of the best examples of how to accomplish both of those goals. One of the best ways for travelling companions to both save money and travel comfortably is to use miles and points to book international business and first class travel. Miles and points are a currency just like any other except they generally have the best value when used for travel. Just like dollars you want to get the maximum value out of your currency and you simply can't beat the value of flying business or first class with miles and points. For economy travelers, like Christina and I, with a limited budget it takes the same discipline as a putting together a good travel budget. After two years of travelling together my travelling companion (aka fiancée) Christina and I accumulated a large number of frequent flier miles, hotel points, and credit card points and have saved them for one blowout honeymoon in two of the best first class airline products in the world for couples the Singapore Airlines Suites and Etihad Airways First Class Apartments. Both of these first class products feature actual beds in the sky which can be joined together to offer a double bed perfect for travelling companions. In May I shared the experience of booking our first leg of our honeymoon in the Singapore Airline Suites. Now I can share that last week we booked the flight back to the US from honeymoon in the Etihad Airways First Class Apartments! As you can see in the screen shot below these one way tickets in Etihad Airways First Class Apartment on the Airbus A380 normally cost over $8,500 each and we booked them for 115,000 American Airlines miles and about $49 in taxes and fees each. This means that we got a value of more than 7 cents per mile!  Etihad First Class Apartments AUH-JFK Cash Price In this post I am going to update you all on our honeymoon itinerary, share some of the features of the Etihad First Class Apartment, and let you know how we booked this flight. Another goal of this blog is to share our adventures and I am looking forward to sharing a full trip report next year. Thank you again for reading and please subscribe to our new Facebook page and our mailing list to keep up to date on our adventures. Honeymoon Itinerary Below is our likely route for our honeymoon next year. So far we only have the first long haul leg on Singapore Airlines Suites and the return long haul leg in Etihad Airways First Class Apartments booked. Since my last post on our honeymoon covering the Singapore Suites our route has not changed. However, what has changed is the length of our honeymoon. Our honeymoon will now be three weeks long instead of two weeks and this equates to 17 nights on the ground and two days and one night in the air. We are currently planning to spend five nights in Singapore, five nights in Koh Samui (Thailand), five nights in Bangkok, and two nights in Abu Dhabi but we are also debating whether we need to add another stop to another location such as Changi Mai in Thailand and shorten the Bangkok stay.  Tentative Honeymoon Route Map Map generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl L. Swartz Etihad Airways Experience So I know what you are thinking what is the experience like flying in Etihad Airways First Class Apartments? Well I have included a few highlights below: 1. The Apartments feature a 6 foot ten inch bed. Some of which are interconnected and as Etihad Airways describes them as "perfect for when you’re travelling with a companion" and we will definitely put that to the test.  Copyright Etihad Airways 2. The Apartments features a separate chair and a 24 inch television allowing you to stay entertained throughout the flight.  Copyright Etihad Airways 3. My favorite feature is that it has an onboard shower! I imagine this is going to be a surreal experience showering in the air.  Copyright Etihad Airways 4. First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi features a la carte restaurant dining, a fitness center, and a spa.  Copyright Etihad Airways Booking Etihad First Class Apartments Etihad Airways is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and is considered one of the Middle East Three (ME3) airlines along with Emirates and Qatar. These airlines are major international players in particular when it comes to business and first class travel in part because of their favorable geography. Etihad Airways First Class Apartment is the airline's flagship first class product only available on its A380 (the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft). The Apartments are so luxurious that they were named by Skytrax as the best first class seat in the world in 2017. Etihad is not a part of any major alliance and the best way for US-based travelers to book award tickets on Etihad is through American Airlines AAdvantage because the airlines partners with Etihad. A flight between the United States and the Middle East costs 115,000 AAdvantage miles in First class.  AAdvantage Award Chart Etihad Airways award tickets cannot be booked on AA.com. This is common for American Airlines. In fact, only seven of American Airlines 25 partners can be booked online. If you are only searching for award availability on AA.com you are missing out on a significant number of American Airlines partners. To search for Etihad award space you should go to the website of their frequent flyer program Etihad Guest and select book flights now. To book the Etihad First Class Apartments I went to the website and entered my departure point Abu Dhabi and my destination New York JFK. Then I selected First Class, two adults, and miles as my form of payment.  Etihad Guest Website This brought me to a new screen where I was prompted to login into my Etihad Guest account but I selected "proceed without logging in". The new screen showed that two seats were available in Guest First on the flight from AUH to JFK (which means they are also available to book via Etihad's partner airlines). Etihad generally has little to no award availability when booking this route out of New York-JFK but typically releases two first class seats on the route when booking well in advance from Abu Dhabi to New York. This makes this route ideal for couples travelling together but difficult for larger groups of travelling companions. For groups larger than two I would recommend booking Etihad's business class or economy if you want to travel on this route. Also, Etihad has recently struggled financially, primarily due to bad investments in partner airlines, and in response reduced the number of daily flights from from JFK-AUH from two daily to one daily making this redemption more difficult but still possible with advanced planning  Etihad Guest Award Availability With the knowledge that our flight had two available award seats Christina and I called American Airlines AAdvantage Reservations. Compared to my last experience booking the Singapore Suites our experience booking the Etihad Apartments was a breeze. The most difficult part was getting past the computerized prompts which continually tried to direct us back to the website to book the ticket or get additional information, though Etihad Airways is not bookable online. Once we were able to get through the computerized system we gave the agent our flight information and she transferred us to the international desk. Once we reached the international desk we once again gave the agent our information and she quickly found the availability and booked us two first class tickets on the flight. I was surprised how easy it was to find this availability since other bloggers have reported that U.S. based American Airlines agents continue to have difficulty finding Etihad award space. Our reservation immediately showed up in our American Airlines accounts but actually ticketed about six hours later.  American Airlines AAdvantage Reservations Contact Information If there is SAAver availability American Airlines allows you to add on a free connection within the North America which we could have used to get back from JFK to DCA. However, there was absolutely no SAAver award space on American Airlines between JFK and DCA in either First Class or Economy despite looking nearly a year in advance. American recently has substantially tightened award availability on its own flights and often requires you to connect to redeem a domestic award. It ironic that the award availability has gotten so bad on American Airlines that it was easier finding an international first class ticket than a domestic First Class or Economy ticket. In fact for us to get back to DCA from JFK in business class using miles it would have cost 75,000 miles each, enough to get us back to Abu Dhabi in business class! This is for a flight that is 1 hour and 45 minutes and costs $174 in business and $84 in economy. Sometimes it is easier to just to buy the ticket.  American Airlines Business Class Reward Availability JFK-DCA ne piece of advice is to make sure to ask for the Etihad Airways record locator because American Airlines is unable to make seat selections on Etihad Airways flights. We asked for our Etihad record locator and called their customer service number to choose our seats. Once again we ran into a very confusing computerized system which kept trying to hang up on us. However, after selecting the number two for "existing reservations" we were able to reach a customer service agent. Similar to my Singapore Airlines booking experience the language barrier was challenging. When it comes to selecting seats couples will want to select seats 3A and 4A, 3K and 4K, or 1H and 2H since these seats are connected to one another and have a screen which can be lowered between two beds allowing couples to share beds in the sky! Seats 3A and 4A were already taken which was surprising since we booked so far in advance. However, seats 3K and 4K were available and we selected these seats in adjoining "Apartments".  Etihad A380 First Class Seat Map This process was much more straightforward than booking the Singapore Suites. What I believe made the process much easier was that we booked through a US based airline and we are already American Airlines frequent flyers so American Airlines had all of our information on file. We are super excited about our trip and I imagine it will be a once in a lifetime experience!
By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. First Class Honeymoon Trip Report Booking Singapore Suites Booking Etihad Airways Apartments Introduction After two years of traveling together my travelling companion (aka fiancée) Christina and I accumulated a large number of frequent flier miles, hotel points, and credit card points and have been saving them for one blowout honeymoon in two of the best first class airline products in the world for couples the Singapore Airlines Suites and Etihad Airways First Class Apartments. Both of these first class products feature actual beds in the sky which can be joined together to offer a double bed perfect for couples. I am happy to report that we booked the first leg of our honeymoon in the Singapore Suites last week! As you can see below these one way tickets in Singapore Suites normally cost over $8,000 each and we booked them for 120,000 Singapore Airlines miles and about $49 in taxes and fees each. This means that we got a value of 7 cents per mile significantly more than the 1.5 cents per miles if we had use our points booking directly through the Chase portal.  Singapore Suites JFK-SIN Cash Price In this post I am going to share with you our tentative route, how we booked the tickets, and some of the features of the first product the Singapore Suites. Over the next year I will post as we book each leg of the trip, share advice for other traveling companions on how to book these trips, and of course write up a full review of the trip on the blog. This will be our first international business or first class experience and we are so excited to share it with you all! Also, we would like to announce a new URL for the blog travellingcompanion.ramonbullard.com. Thanks to Christina for the new URL and all of our readers for coming along on our adventures as we share our experience traveling as a couple around the world. Tentative Honeymoon Itinerary Below is our tentative route for our honeymoon next year. So far we only have the first long haul leg on Singapore Airlines Suites booked. Our current thinking is that we will spend two nights in Singapore, five nights in Koh Samui (Thailand), two nights in Bangkok, and two nights in Abu Dhabi but this could change as the trip evolves. A significant part of the trip will also be spent in the air since the flight from New York JFK with a stop in Frankfurt and on to Singapore is about 22 hours and the flight back from Abu Dhabi is about 14 hours.  Tentative Honeymoon Route Map Map generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl L. Swartz Booking Singapore Suites Singapore Airlines was voted as the world's best airline at the 2018 World Airlines Awards meaning it was rated as one of the 10 best airlines in the world. Singapore Suites is the airlines flagship product only available on its A380 aircraft which is the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft. New York JFK is Singapore's only U.S. A380 destination which makes this award one of the most difficult to book. Singapore Suites from JFK to Singapore can be booked for 120,000 miles each at the Saver award level and 225,000 miles at the Advantage level. Suites can only booked using miles from the airline's KrisFlyer frequent flyer program. In this case I logged into my Chase Ultimate Rewards account and clicked on Redeem Rewards and then clicked on transfer your points. I scrolled down to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and clicked on Transfer Points.  Chase Ultimate Rewards KrisFlyer Transfer I then entered in my KrisFlyer number and after a few additional screens transferred 239,000 points to KrisFlyer. Because of a promotion earlier in the year my account already had 1,000 Kris Flyer miles. This was definitely the easiest part of the experience as Chase makes transferring miles very easy. However, after this the nervousness ensued. The vast majority of transfers from Chase process instantaneously but KrisFlyer can take up to two business days. I was nervous because even nearly a year from departure the New York JFK-Frankfurt-Singapore is one of the most difficult routes to book at the saver level and if the transfer took too long I might miss my opportunity.  Chase Ultimate Rewards KrisFlyer Transfer Confirmation The vast majority of the time, even a year out, when you try to book the Singapore Suites at the Saver level you will see the message below saying that you can waitlist for an award or another message showing that their is no availability. Waitlisting for an award is essentially your expression of interest and is unpredictable. However, when I logged into my account last week Monday I saw rare instantly confirmable Suites Saver space out of New York in May, however, my 239,000 points had not yet transferred.  KrisFlyer Redemption I was extremely nervous and felt my one chance at booking the Singapore Suites slipping away. In the past month of watching Singapore Airlines space I had only seen one flight with two instantly confirmable Suites awards out of JFK and the timing of this award in early May would likely work very well with our tentative April wedding date. My response was not to panic but to turn back to my research. During my research some people said they had success holding award space when they already had miles in their account and told agents that they were waiting for their miles to transfer. I went to the Singapore Airlines website and called up the Singapore Airlines office in New York. I was only hold for what seemed like an eternity but realistically was about 20 minutes when an agent answered. Throughout this conversation I my nervousness only increased in part because I had serious communications issues with the agent as she only spoke limited English. At first the agent was very resistant to holding an award for me and asked me why I wanted to hold the award and said that they typically only do so if you already have the sufficient number of miles in your account. I explained to the agent that I transferred the miles the day before but had not yet received them in my account.  Kris Flyer Membership Service Contact Information The agent asked for my transfer number and after verifying that I had in fact transferred the miles agreed to put the award on hold. However, I ran into an unforeseen issue which was the nomination process. The agent said that I could not book an award for anyone unless I had nominated them. In all of my research I did not see anyone mention the nomination process. The agent said if I did not complete the nomination process right away I would have to hang up and call back. I said that I would complete the process right away and logged into my account and she walked me through the process. Nominating a person for your Kris Flyer account requires logging into your account and clicking on your profile, redemption nominees, and filling in the person's information. I would advise anyone calling in to be patient and to complete the nomination process in advance so that you are able to quickly complete a booking.  Redemption Nominee Screen Finally, the agent completed the booking process and but the reservation on hold. She said that I would receive an email with the confirmation number and needed to call back once the miles transferred to my account. I logged into the account and saw the sweet sweet image below showing that my award was reserved. A few hours later about 25 hours after my initial transfer my points showed up in my account I called back Singapore Airlines and the airline ticketed my reservation!  Award Redemption Confirmation I read numerous blog posts about the process transferring points and booking international first class experiences but what shocked me about my first experience was just how nerve racking it was! Seriously, I hadn't been this nervous doing anything in quite a while but ultimately I remained calm followed my research and was able to snag what may be a once in the life time experience to start our First Class Honeymoon. My advice to couples trying to book a first class experience with miles is to plan, do your research, and be ready for unexpected. I was only able to book this route because I booked nearly a year out on the day that Singapore Airlines released their award space on this route. I know that on the majority of trips you won't be able to make plans this far in advance but if traveling in first class is one of your goals you should begin planning at least one year in advance.
Singapore Suites Experience Now that we have the Singapore Suites booked what do we have to look forward to? First, as I mentioned earlier the attached suites feature a double bed in the sky. Given the difficulty I typically have sleeping on a flight this is the perk I am most looking forward to enjoying. Second, the Singapore Airlines serves both Dom Pérignon and Krug champagne onboard. Third, Singapore Suites has book the cook where you can select from a large menu of restaurant quality dishes in advance including prime beef, New York strip steaks, and rack of lamb. Fourth, on the ground at JFK Suite's passenger have access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge which some people consider the best airport lounge in the United States and features sit down a la carte dining, games, and a spa. Needless to say we are very excited for this experience and look forward to sharing it with you all. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Introduction Christina and I headed to Europe for our longest and furthest trip together yet, a 9 day vacation in February. This was my first trip ever to Europe and Christina's first trip to the United Kingdom and Spain. Our plan was to spend three days and two nights in London which would give us a chance to see some of the tourist sights and visit friends in the city. We then planned to spend five days and five nights in Barcelona with a day trip to Valencia to see Christina's cousin. We booked this trip back in July so our excitement was building for months. I was especially looking forward to checking out La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona which I remember studying as a child, but it was even more stunning than I imagined and I would recommend anyone visiting Barcelona to get a ticket in advance for a tour.  The interior of La Sagrada Familia Basilica Booking Flights and Train I was able to find a deal for two tickets departing out of Washington National (DCA) to London Heathrow (LHR) through Charlotte (CLT) and returning from Barcelona (BCN) to DCA through New York John F. Kennedy (JFK). These tickets cost about $616 each a great fare for a full-service carrier to Europe and it even allowed us to begin an international trip at our home airport DCA. This fare was part of a trend of fare sales to Europe in 2017. Full service carriers such as American Airlines lowered their transatlantic fares in order to compete with low-cost carriers such as WOW, Norweigan, Icelandair, and AerLingus. The competition is making transatlantic travel accessible to more people. The down side is that the unbundling of airfare form ancillary charges such as baggage fees, meals, and seat selection can result in higher overall prices. American Airlines announced this month that they will be introducing their own version of a "basic economy" fare on some flights to Europe starting in April. When booking your ticket on any airline, take into account these additional fees because the airfare is only one aspect of the cost. American Airlines did not offer basic economy on this route so we did not have to worry about any of these fees. After booking our tickets to London and our return from Barcelona we looked at our options to get from London to Barcelona. The route had a choice of Ryan Air, Norwegian, EasyJet, Vueling and "full-service" carrier British Airways. Because British Airways and American Airlines are both part of the One World Alliance, we chose British Airways so that we could get free seat selection in advance and earn miles. We paid 52 pounds each (about $66 at the time) for the one-way tickets which included one piece of checked luggage each. British Airways also offers cheaper tickets which include carry-on luggage only. We needed to check luggage, so the more expensive fare made the most sense. In total we earned 9168 Elite Qualify Miles, 570 Elite Qualifying Dollars, and 3,984 Award Miles for all of the flights. Below is a map of our final routing.  European Adventure Flight RoutingMap generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl L. Swartz Finally, we booked our train tickets on Renfe from Barcelona to Valencia using Loco2. I tried to book the fare directly on Renfe's site and found the website difficult to navigate . After spending a long time navigating and numerous unsuccessful attempts to pay, I booked the tickets via Loco2. I recommend that you save yourself the hassle and use Loco2. Renfe offered two classes on our train to Valencia Clase Turista (Economy Class) and Clase Prefente (First Class) which cost nearly double Clase Turista. We booked two tickets in Clase Turista for 33 euros each (about $38 at the time). Booking Hotels In total we needed seven nights rooms, two in London and five in Barcelona. We only looked at Marriott hotels since Christina needed nine more nights for the fast track to Marriott Gold status promotion. London has numerous Marriott hotels but the city is also notorious for high hotel prices. The prices were high during our stay even though it was the off season. In order to save money, we ended up booking a pre-paid hotel reservation at the London Marriott Regent's Park at a cost of 228 pounds (about $302 at booking) for two nights. We planned to stay at an AC Hotel in Barcelona, as I mentioned during my review of the AC Hotel New Orleans. Originally, we planned to stay at the AC Hotel Barcelona Forum but we ended up changing our reservation to the AC Hotel Irla. I will detail why it was a decision we would later regret.  London Marriott Regent's Park During this trip report I plan to review four flights, two hotels, and for the first time a train.This trip report will also include my first time ever in a lie-flat seat (though it was for only about one hour). Christina will also be joining Travelling Companion and blogging about our experience with food in our destinations. We plan to post reviews over the next two month so please subscribe by clicking the subscribe button at the top of the blog so that you can see our latest post. Hope you enjoy coming along on our adventures!
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