This is the first installment of our way to Greece in June of 2015 to see grandma. I am the world’s slowest trip report travel writer, it takes months if not years to put them up. And I have been known as the one blogger who writes the longest reports by far! Oh wait, maybe that’s why!
I never split them up in 35 parts like some other so called travel credit card bloggers sellers do! Since it has been a whole year and I just got through the first part of this report I am going to blast it out to you guys. So, here I go Part I of 265, just kidding. Actually, this one just gets us to the point right before we landed in Greece! Like I said, I am SLOW! I am not sure how I am going to handle the rest, I hope I finish it before I quit. With my Asia trip coming up this may get even slower, expect that one sometime in 2019 at this pace.
This also saves me some material for next week so it’s all good. We all should take a breather in the weekends and based on my Alexa rankings you do, lol.
When this is all done it will be posted in its gruesome and ridiculous length entirety in the amazing Trip Reports page.
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June 2015
We burned some miles and points to go see grandma in June of 2015.
120,000 AA miles for 4 economy seats flying Detroit to New York City La Guardia on American Airlines, New York City JFK to Madrid on Iberia to Dusseldorf, Germany on Air Berlin to Thessaloniki, Greece on Air Berlin.
10,000 Starwood points for one night in Sheraton Dusseldorf, Germany
12,000 Hyatt points for one night in Hyatt Thessaloniki, Greece
1 free night cert in Hyatt Thessaloniki, Greece
50,000 Hilton HHonors points for one night in Hilton Frankfurt, Germany
120,000 United miles for 4 economy seats flying: Thessaloniki to Munich on Aegean Airlines, Munich to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, Frankfut to Detroit on Lufthansa
89,424 Barclays Arrival points to cover all taxes and fees charged by American Airlines and United for 4 award tickets
That 6 am flight on American Airlines to La Guardia is always a better idea when it is booked and always a bitch getting up so early. Obligatory family pic in the Detroit airport, it could be one of the last ones as son is heading to college and we are just not as cool anymore to travel with.
Of course, as experienced travelers we know how to fly faster 😉
Uneventful flight as usual. We crashed in the La Guardia AMEX Centurion Lounge for several hours. 
It’ s a love story. You can visit too!<——–Click on my credit card links. Ooops, excuse me, I got a little carried away you guys. That Titan blogger DNA, what can I say, woohoo!
Do you call yourself a human if you have not entered the amazing luxury of this lounge? Really? Huh? I didn’t think so!
It was empty when we got there but it was soon over run by many other travelers…
She feels important for some reason. Have I created a monster? Wait, an economy class seat awaits her. Enjoy this girl, for now!
Like I said, this place was over run by more Amex Platinum card holders soon after we got there…
When it is empty, it is a really nice lounge
Naturally, we had breakfast…and lunch too!
We caught up on some sleep after waking up at 4 am, phew!
Quality family time drinking beverages and focusing on our own electronics!
Amazingly, this is one of the few places in the world where my laptop can not connect to the wifi!
I think we ate enough for the rest of the day
Not bad, it will do.
After we rested and completely full, we went outside at the NYC Airporter bus shuttle stop.
Bus ride to the JFK airport, definitely not a limo or Uber black which I could have done I guess but I had no more credits. You can change that by clicking on my Uber affiliate link, gracias!
Checking in with Iberia in JFK. I think this was our first time flying Iberia Airlines.
From La Guardia to JFK. It’s like going from worst to just worse. Come on America, we can do better that this!
We must admit we enjoyed flying Iberia. Nice service, decent food, comfortable seats, on time.
Entertainment selection was very good as well.
I always feel like an idiot taking pics of food on the plane. Chicken was good.
I took a pic of the business class section. With four tickets I only splurge in limited occasions. I want my kids to be normal and not snobs lol.
Hello Madrid Barajas airport! This was the bird that brought us here.
Long walk to passport control…
Like I said, we are still walking!
We had a few hours layover in Madrid and then we boarded Air Berlin to fly to Dusseldorf, Germany. Uneventful flight again. We also liked Air Berlin too.
Hello Dusseldorf! We have been here before in another trip to Greece. We walked across the terminal to the Sheraton where I have stayed before. Just 10,000 Starwood points for one night.
It only hit me that I stayed in this hotel before as we walked towards the entrance. Deja vu time. Always weird!
I remembered this entrance, you take an elevator up. This hotel is shaped in a kind of weird circular design.
This hallway goes all the way around, in a circle. Like I said, what a weird design. Those Germans!
It has a small open air patio, nice.
Hotel’s restaurant: Otto, how German. We did not eat here, we walked across to the terminal where they had plenty of other more reasonable options.
‘
We slept like babies. Even found time to pay a visit to the hotel’s gym #winning
Sheraton Dusseldorf, the lobby
Just a few pics of our standard room. As Starwood Gold I almost never get any special treatment and they always let me know it.
I always enjoyed the open feel of the Dusseldorf airport.
It has plenty of eating establishment choices as well. We hunted for something to eat.
Mrs. TBB saw an Asian option. It will be a long time before she saw another one so she went at it!
They wanted a picture with Chanel and Dior in the background. Don’t ask!
At our gate waiting to board this flight.
Airport entertainment I guess.
This bird will take us to Greece!
Darn it, I wanted Air Berlin to be in the picture. Oh well…
Thanks for reading. Next installment lands us in Thessaloniki and you won’t believe what happens next!
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I’m enjoying the report! I’ve flown to Greece and back a few times just like you did–AA points one way, and Star Alliance the other. It’s quite a challenge to get those itineraries worked out isn’t it? You can’t beat the hotel Sheratons for convenience–they’re great for layovers.
Really looking forward to hearing about Thessaloniki. I feel like kind of a dunce–We had a 24 hour layover there, and hadn’t done any research on it. I was blown away by how great it was–so much history.
Yes, it’s been a challenge, especially in the summer! Managing to get 4 award tickets in mid June was a major accomplishment!
Did not spend much time in Thessaloniki, we just land there and spend some time at the Hyatt. Only on the return we went into town for a little bit. It is a unique city, easily two full days there are nice, lots of history indeed. At this pace expect that part of the trip report by Christmas lol.
I saw at least 15 opportunities to #pumppumppump — oh the humanity!
For some reason I love the genre of Trip Reports — some kind of vicarious thrill seeker? But every time I sit down to write one, I (re)discover how much work it is to put in the links, to decipher my scribbles (which tend to get worse as flights progress), to actually finish the danged thing.
So, please, don’t leave us hanging! I’ve wanted to splurge on a “yacht” and cruise the Greek Isles since I was old enough to read…
Happy Sunday, Buzzers. #TBBon
I could have pumped more! Actually, I added the Uber affiliate link when I was done and still feel guilty about it. Then I looked at my June Amazon earnings report and I said phuck it, I am going in lol.
Yeah, doing these trip reports is just a MAJOR time suck machine. I have to give it to the Lucky OMAAT dude who cranks these out so often, wow! It sure pays for him when he pumps a credit card sales piece with every other post though unlike here…#crying
I did not get to the isles. Next phase of the trip report goes to my hometown. Where no tourists make it. This is going to be the most UnGreece type trip report you will ever read. When I am finished, hope to be done by June 2017 lol.
It might be time for a post with ‘insert link’ in ask the appropriate places.
Keep the trip reports coming.
Live tweet Japan?
Medals for all!
See my comment above about inserting that Uber link…
I certainly plan to live tweet Japan. I am assuming wifi will be plentiful.
No idea about posts here while I am gone. I should schedule some but not much time to get to them. I may, please sit down, do some repeats of gem posts. Hope son finishes his trip report from the Mexico trip before we depart.
I should also dig out some stuff from trip to Rome and the Cavalieri hotel I found in my hard drive recently. Oh, if I had an intern willing to work for Freeeeeee!
Pumped for the NBA Finals game tonight!
Why bus four people over a car hire it can’t be that much different in price. And holy cow who knew this existed http://weekendblitz.com/the-free-delta-laguardia-to-jfk-transfer/
I didn’t know about this! Very handy!
3 words for you:
Luggage
Surge pricing
That trick requires flying Delta, oh no 🙂 I see the post is from 2014, does it still work?
Rule 30 of Delta contract of carriage updated May 2016
There is no surge pricing with a Taxi or like Carmel car service.
Is there a way to subscribe to comment replies?
Nice post! More, please, they break things up.
(I was 😉 Wondering about the legroom on Iberia/Air Berlin. Nobody seems tall except your son, were they okay for him? Do you know what the pitches were? (no, not ‘HERE’S AN AMAZING CARD YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST GET!!!’ 🙂
I sure wish someone would do more info about economy trips, like an Anti-Lucky. I can’t be the only one wanting details. Flying economy doubles the number of trips I (we) can take!
(anybody wanna point us to useful economy info…?)
Iberia economy felt fine. Probably one of the most comfortable economy flights I have had. We don’t mind when we are all together, we can use the same amount or more for more trips!
Check out all seat measurements at seatguru or the airline website.
Yeah, not many do this as it just doesn’t sell as well the luxury lifestyle “look at me in my flat bed eating caviar and drinking Krug and you can do eeeet too, click on my credit cards”.
Or ask Mike below 🙂
Seatguru isn’t so guruish.
I booked a DOH-PHL because seatguru said it was a new A350, but it wasn’t. Then it had an AA TATL as a 2-5-2 when it was really a 3-4-3.
Lucky you to have a shorter stature and family. Me & Mine cannot deal with 30″-31″ pitch.
I’ve gotten a lot of wrong maps on Seat guru lately. Some all the versions on SG didn’t match up with the AA seat map
Iberia, Air Europa, Ryanair, what do you want to know?
Is it true Ryanair provides a butler (with a fee of course)? 🙂
The Dusseldorf Sheraton is pretty nice – but yes, very weird!
Basically round, like a space station – because it’s actually built on top of a huge parking garage!