Tag Archives: Citi Bank

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Chase Freedom + Uber in Europe = 5x Chase Ultimate Reward Points + Foreign Exchange Fees

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Good morning everyone, I’m here in Munich, Germany, today and flying to Venice, Italy, this evening.  I’ve had a few chances to use Uber in Europe (UberX both times) and wanted to share my thoughts.  Unfortunately, Uber is not as widespread as it is in the United States and is only available in a few European cities.  I have only taken UberX rides in Nice, France, and Munich, Germany.

UberX is always cheaper than traditional taxis (excluding surge pricing) and it can sometimes be cheaper than public transportation (buses and trains).  For short trips with multiple people, I would use UberX every chance I can.  Unfortunately, you need WiFi/data to access the Uber app.  I don’t have an international data plan, but I can connect to various free WiFi hotspots in airports, hotels, and cafes.  As long as you can request an Uber pickup, you do not need WiFi/data for the duration of the trip.  Your credit card will automatically be charged when your ride is over and you will receive an emailed receipt, like the one below.

Uber Receipt Munich

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Hotel & Flight Bookings for LHR, CDG, NCE, MUC, VCE, and DUB

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Good morning everyone, happy TGI Friday!  First, I wanted to thank everyone for voting in my poll (Reader Feedback Needed: Which Blog Posts Should I Write First?).  I was busy this week with 2 free movie screenings in SF (13 Hours and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) and the SF Travel Hackers Meetup, but I’m finally getting around to writing about my upcoming trip to Europe.  That was the overwhelming winner and since my trip starts tomorrow (1/16), I better write about it before I fly out of town.

Blog Topic Poll 1-14-2016

I will share my thought process and booking experience with my flights and then about my hotels.  Since I planned most of this trip back in March/April/May 2015, I was able to find award space to/from SFO very easily.  Here is an overview of my paid and award flights:

  • SFO-LAX (AA First) and LAX-LHR (AA Business) = 50,000 AA miles + $5.60 in taxes/fees
  • LHR-CDG (British Airways economy) = 2,500 BA Avios + $57.50 in taxes/fees
  • CDG-NCE (Air France economy) = $56.76
  • NCE-MUC / MUC-VCE (Lufthansa economy) = $99.99
  • VCE-LGW-DUB (British Airways / Aer Lingus economy) = $138.60
  • DUB-SFO (Aer Lingus economy) = 25,000 BA Avios + $106.76 in taxes/fees

GCM Eurotrip 2016

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Chicago Seminars Scheduled for October 14-16th, 2016, Book Cheap Virgin America Flights Now

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Good morning everyone, I hope your week is off to a great start.  My friend Jim just told me that the dates for the Chicago Seminars have been announced and scheduled for October 14-16, 2016 (FlyerTalk thread).  I love going to the Chicago Seminars and I feel like it is the best-valued travel conference available.  Even though the registration link is not available yet, I already booked my flights to the event.

FT Chicago Seminars Post

Virgin America has some very good prices with flights from SFO-ORD starting at around $130 each way.  I love getting to Chicago early on Friday afternoon so I can catch up with old friends and meet new people before the conference kicks off later in the evening.

SFO-ORD RT Google Flights $312

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Guest Post from DEM Flyers: Should you Keep Citi Prestige & Dump Citi Premier?

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Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a great New Years celebration, but now it’s Monday morning and time to get back to reality.  A few months ago, my friends Daniel, Esther and Michael started a blog: DEMflyers.com.  (The ‘D’ is Daniel, the ‘E’ is Esther, the ‘M’ is Michael, and the ‘flyers’ is who they are.)  They are very experienced travel hackers and members of the SF Travel Hackers Meetup Group.  Like I always say, 3 travel hackers/bloggers is better than me 1, so I always look forward to reading their informative, educational, and entertaining posts (except for writing 94 letters to IHG, no one has time for that!)

Anyway, a few days ago, I asked the DEMflyers team if they could help me with a math problem.  How many Citi Thank You Points per year do I need to redeem to justify paying the $450 Citi Prestige annual fee vs. paying the $95 Citi Premier annual fee?  Take it away Daniel…

The number one rule of churning is that you should never pay an annual fee.  Go for a retention offer, downgrade, or cancel, but never pay an annual fee.

This is the conventional wisdom for two reasons: First, the fees add up.  If you keep just 10 rewards credit cards a year but pay a $95 annual fee on each one, you’re paying nearly $1,000 in annual fees for benefits you probably don’t even use.  Second, the value proposition is usually in the sign-up bonus, so you have no reason to keep the card after you’ve received the bonus.  Continue reading →

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Travel Predictions for 2016 Part 2: Credit Cards and MS

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope you enjoyed my insightful/crazy ramblings in Travel Predictions for 2016 Part 1: Airlines and Hotels.  If you liked that post, you will surely love my crazy predictions about credit cards and MS.  Full disclosure, I wrote most of this post on my iPhone standing in front of a dryer at my local laundromat, so the train of thought might be kind of strange.  I apologize.  Without any further ado, let’s get started!

Credit Cards

Chase – with the loss of Amtrak and the addition of Singapore Airlines in 2015, I think we will see some more changes to Chase’s transfer partners in 2016.  I think we will see some more international airlines added (like the Citi Thank You Points program).  A few guesses?  Air Canada, Qantas, Air China, and Lufthansa (insert your favorite international airline).  Chase Ultimate Rewards will continue to transfer 1:1 to all programs and there will be no transfer bonuses.  I think there will be a newsworthy announcement for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, maybe adding free Gogo WiFi like the US Bank FlexPerks Credit Card or perhaps a new 3x category to compete with Citi Premier/Prestige Credit Cards.  What about our beloved Chase Ink Bold/Plus Business Cards?  I am worries that the 5x category might change to something less lucrative or the yearly cap might be lowered.  I also predict Chase will launch a completely new travel rewards credit card in 2016.  Maybe the Airbnb/Uber Credit Card?  Lastly, I hope Chase loosens up on the 5/24 rule or completely eliminates the rule altogether.   Continue reading →