Tag Archives: Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Trains and Buses from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Train Bus Airplane Public Transportation

Trains and Buses from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Diego International Airport (SAN)

This post was inspired by my recent Amtrak trip from Seattle to Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight (link).  I was curious if/how it were possible to get from Los Angeles Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  After doing some research, I found out how to get to LAX from Orange County.  Then I figured out how to get to San Diego International Airport (SAN) from Orange County.  There are several airports in SoCal, but I did not look into flights out of Long Beach (LGB), Burbank (BUR), Santa Barbara (SBA), Ontario (ONT), San Diego McClellan-Palomar (CLD), or Palm Springs (PSP).  This particular post is probably only useful for SoCal readers, but the thinking process can probably be applied to many other regions of the country.

To start, I looked at the Pacific Surfliner Amtrak train route.  Since the train travels between San Diego and San Luis Obispo several times per day, you can probably use this train to get to and from LAX and SAN.

LAX Union Station to Irvine to San Diego

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Quick Deal: 11 Reams of Paper for $10 at Staples (Expires November 1)

Staples Logo

Quick Deal: 11 Reams of Paper for $10 at Staples (Expires November 1)

Good afternoon everyone, I have a quick deal for you if you are in the market for some paper.  Every Sunday morning, Staples updates their coupons page (link) with the weekly deals.  For the last few weeks, paper has been promoted because it is a loss leader for Staples and get’s people into the store.  Without these deals, I would just buy my $200 Visa gift cards from Staples.com and never enter the store.  Remember, you must tell the checkout cashier the coupon codes, otherwise you will not get the prices below.

Staples Paper Discounts 10-26-2014

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Southwest Airlines Companion Pass – Part 2: Hyatt and Chase Ultimate Reward Points Game Plan

Southwest Airlines Companion Pass Logo

Southwest Airlines Companion Pass – Part 2: Hyatt and Chase Ultimate Reward Points Game Plan

Before reading Part 2, please read Part 1.  As a refresher, to get a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass, you need to earn 110,000 Southwest Airlines miles in a calendar year.  Southwest Airlines has a handy page to track your current Companion Pass status (link).  As of today (October 23, 2014), I need to earn 41,522 more Southwest Airlines miles to obtain a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass good through the rest of 2014 and all of 2015.

Grant Thomas Current Companion Pass Status

Last year, I converted 50,000 Hyatt points into 30,000 Southwest Airlines miles.  I plan to do the same thing this year (image is from last year).

New Hyatt Account Balance

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Southwest Airlines Companion Pass – Part 1: Obtaining the Companion Pass the Hard Way

Southwest Airlines Companion Pass Logo

Southwest Airlines Companion Pass – Part 1: Obtaining the Companion Pass the Hard Way

Every travel blog out there will tell you how awesome the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is and how easy it is to get.  Here is the Cliff Notes / Spark Notes version:

  • Apply for 2 Chase Southwest Airlines Credit Cards between October 1 and December 31.
  • Don’t spend a penny on the cards during any statements periods that close in 2014.
  • Spend $2,000+ during the statement periods that close in 2015.
  • Collect 52,000 Southwest Airlines miles x 2 = 104,000 miles.
  • Get the remaining 6,000 miles from Hyatt, Marriott, or other points transfers.
  • Travel for “free” with a companion for all of 2015 and all of 2016.

If that sounds like something you want to do, please consider signing up for a Chase Southwest Airlines Credit Card through one of my credit card referral links.

However, this post is not about the easy way to get the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass.  This post is about the hard way to achieve the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass.  Let’s say your name is Grant and you find yourself somewhere between no Companion Pass and a Companion Pass for 2015.

Let’s assume you got the Chase Southwest Airlines Premier Credit Card last year and the Chase Southwest Airlines Plus Credit Card earlier this year.  Let’s also assume you cannot get a Chase Southwest Airlines Business Credit Card since you just got a Chase Ink Plus Business Credit.  Lastly, let’s assume you are 41,522 Southwest Airlines miles away from qualifying for the Companion Pass next year.  What do you do?  To view your current Southwest Airlines Companion Pass status, please log into your Southwest Airlines account first and then click this link (you may want to bookmark this link as well).

Grant Thomas Current Companion Pass Status

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