Tag Archives: Travel

a black letter on a white background

Get to the Oakland International Airport (OAK) Escape Lounge Like a Pro

Posted on by . 10 Replies

Disclosure: I have TSA PreCheck, a Clipper Card, and travel with carry-on bags.  If you do not have TSA PreCheck, your security screening will take longer.  If you do not have a Clipper Card, you will need to buy a one-way BART ticket prior to riding BART.  If you need to check your bags, you will need to drop off your bags before going through security.  With that said, here is how to get to the Oakland International Airport Escape Lounge like a pro.

Good morning everyone.  Last week, I wrote Get to the SFO Centurion Lounge Like a Pro.  I wanted to show the East Bay some love too, so I will show you how to get to the Oakland International Airport Escape Lounge like a pro.  This lounge is part of the Escape Lounge collection and is accessible for free if you have an American Express Platinum Charge Card (you can bring in 2 guests for free).  The lounge is located in Terminal 1, between gates 8 and 8A.  The lounge opens at 5am and closes at 9pm, unless the airport is quiet and the lounge will close early.  I’ve been to the Escape Lounge a few times and I recommend reading Points with a Crew’s review of the Escape Lounge.

a bar with a counter and a television

Image source: https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2016/11/11/norwegian-partners-escape-lounge-oakland-san-francisco/

Continue reading →

a close up of stamps

Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and AAdvantage Points Sale–Expiring Starting Tomorrow!

Posted on by . 1 Reply

Seems to me hotel and airline loyalty program points fall into a few different categories. Some points you know you’ll put to great use, and some points you’ll likely use and even have a general travel plan for. And some hotel and airline points you scratch your head and wonder how the heck you’ll use them! Whether or not to buy hotel and airline points when promotions are running depends on which of these three categories the loyalty program falls into. When it comes to Hyatt points, Hilton points, and IHG points, I always have a plan for them!

We have a few hotel points sales going on right now with Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG. The sales expire soon, so take a look if you’re planning some hotel stays and can use these points at a discount. We also have an American Airlines AAdvantage sale going on right now, as well. It’s not the best offer ever. But if you’re tapped out of AA miles like I am after using a huge stash of my miles for my trip to Spain, and need some AA miles for trips you’re planning, a discount, even a small one, is better than paying full price when you need to top off your account. Continue reading →

a close-up of a stamp

Business Travelers: What Do You Look for in a Hotel?

Posted on by . 10 Replies

As much as I travel, and as great as my own gusto for travel is, I’m always impressed by the stamina of business travelers. You know, those travelers who week after week head out either to the same location or various locations due to living in one place and conducting business in another. I don’t actually have many friends who spend their weeks living this life, but recently I sat down and talked with my friend Rachel who has been a business traveler for a few years now and travels three weeks out of every month. I was curious about what she looks for in a hotel and how she makes accommodation choices.

Rachel’s Story

Due to a change in business travel locations, about two years ago Rachel switched from Marriott Rewards loyalty to Hilton Honors loyalty. She was pleased with Marriott, so the switch was based purely on Hilton property locations that worked better for her business location. She’s enjoying Hilton properties and has quite a huge accumulation of Hilton points now! For her, hotel location being close to her business is always more important than being close to an airport. Rachel easily maintains Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status. Continue reading →

a woman with blonde hair and a green shirt

Keep, Cancel or Convert? Old Chase IHG Rewards Select & Hyatt Credit Cards

Posted on by . 13 Replies

Good morning everyone.  A few readers have asked me if they should keep their old Chase IHG Rewards Select Credit Card ($49 annual fee) and old Chase Hyatt Credit Card ($75 annual fee) in exchange for the annual free night certificate.  As a reminder, the free night certificates are not really free, since you pay the annual fee before getting the free night certificate – they are more like prepaid free night certificates with a strict expiration date.  Both of these credit cards are no longer available to new applicants, so if you do not have these credit cards right now, there is no way for you to get them now.  That also means that if you ever cancel or upgrade to the new Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card or the new Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card, you will never be able to get the old Chase IHG Rewards Select Credit Card and old Chase Hyatt Credit Card again.

a close-up of a credit card

Continue reading →

a close-up of a stamp

Don’t Overpay For Your Hotel Rooms!

Posted on by . 15 Replies

Everyone loves a good hotel sale! I don’t know about you but to me, getting a hotel on sale means paying less than you normally would. Sales aren’t everyday events but getting the best price possible on each and every hotel stay can be an every trip event! It’s easy to know if the price you’re paying for your hotel stays is the very lowest price possible. Continue reading →