I type the voices in my head, I ask some questions & share links about how to travel solo, look smart in meetings and some other awesome stuff, TBBon!
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This is going to be one of those easy and quick posts, I hope. Not as easy as a weekly summary of course, I have never done of those…I hear they are good for SEO and Alexa rankings 🙂
Not much going on in the miles & points blogosphere anyway and it’s the weekend, where the action slows way down.
I attended to more important and pressing matters in the past few days. As in client meetings and even welcoming a new client. Amazing how that works out, no pumping needed lol! I am so blessed and grateful.
Any recommendations for good and easy to use (prefer free) VPNs? Looks like I will need one in Iran. Any tips/suggestions/insults are very welcome, please do so in the comments.
I have almost a whole day in Doha on the return. Suggestions on how to maximize my time? Flying Qatar Business class transiting there…like 18 hours!
I tried to burn some Club Carlson points in Philadelphia at that Radisson Blu, only to realize it is no longer part of Club Carlson, boo! Need two nights in downtown Philadelphia in December, any suggestions?
I am looking forward to unplug from the internet while roaming the streets of several cities in Iran. Phuck my Alexa rankings lol. Depending on how things go, I may surprise with some updates and photos from the ground here, so come back and click my links every day lol. As of today, I have NO posts scheduled to appear here as of today. Maybe my trip will ease my transition to slowing down here for good and go to a once or twice a week mega rant. We shall see…
This would not be a TBB post if I did not include something educational:
13 Tips on How to Travel Solo Without Being Alone
and of course something tremendously entertaining (warning: TOO funny!)
9 Tricks to Appear Smart in Brainstorming Meetings
and something inspiring too! (HT: Personal Finance Digest)
And I always end it with a hilarious pic or gif to make you laugh more! Don’t be angry. Unless you want to and, believe me, I understand you 😉
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I too would like some VPN expertise. There are quite a few US websites that block everyone using an overseas internet provider, even ones tied to major phone companies.
First, it seems, at least with a comment of substance.
First!
Yeah, hope we get some VPN advice here #hint
In Philly you can probably book a Doubletree or Holiday Inn, if you need to burn Hilton or IHG points, both are in good locations. Not sure what you need to be close to, there is a Sheraton too.
What are you up to in Philadelphia? That’s actually within driving distance from me!
Cheers,
PedroNY
Meeting a client, we have not set up the exact day/time yet. First weekend of December. I am flying in late Friday night and leaving Sunday in early afternoon I think. Likely we will meet during the day so early dinner may be possible. Or if she wants to meet in the morning or evening…subject to change right now, will likely firm the time with her in mid November or so.
I am flying Spirit there…for the first time ever. That should be interesting!
Lets revisit after I get my client meeting schedule finalized.
Why do you pay your business trips with with points?
Optimize profits?
Because…it’s a habit I can’t quit 🙂 Something about paying cash for travel seems so out of place for me, hehe.
I am getting better. Paid for hotel at a conference a year or so ago…good rate at hotels. com. Marriott property, no working wifi and the biggest bug all over my curtains….that I get when I pay cash!
I paid for the Iran tour out of pocket…tax deductible….so many miles. Business Class both ways…I deducted the taxes/fees at least 🙂
I need to kick this habit…
ExpressVPN works very well in Iran. It has a free trial and is easy to use.
Bookmarked it. At first glance it looks this may be the one, will download and play with it in the next few days, thank you!
So many questions for a Sunday morn!
(1) VPN — I use HotSpotShield down here for the few things I cannot access. No idea if it works well in Iran? NOTE: I would recommend downloading a couple of VPN’s in case one gets “fussy” while in-country. Always have a Plan B.
(2) DOH — I know this won’t be helpful but why does Qatar have an airport code from the Simpsons?
(3) PHL — I’ve stayed at the Doubletree City Center a couple of times and had AWESOME recognition as a Diamond. Second stay a bottle of decent Pinot Grigio with a handwritten note welcoming me back.
Buzz are you aware of the Ruth Chris promo in A2? Supposedly they are giving a discount of 70% based on yesterday’s score in the Michigan/Rutgers tilt. Imagine the DFP has a story. Hmmmm MEAT…
Happy Sunday all — #TBBon
Great, added that VPN bookmark, looks good, thanks.
Another Hilton family recommendation for Philadelphia, will take a closer look. Running low on their points now. Still stuck with way too many Club Carlson points…miss the book one and get one free awards…didn’t last too long….darn bloggers ruin everything.
Hmmm, did not hear anything about the Ruth Chris promotion with the football game score. I will keep my eyes on it, we recently mentioned it at home we should try it out and see what is the Buzz about their meat 😉
That game was a complete annihilation, omg. I felt really bad for Rutgers. Harbaugh is an awesome coach but I would not want to have beers with that guy, he will try to beat me to it…like he competes with everyone. I am hoping…he gets a few national championships in a row, gets bored, and then goes to achieve what he has not accomplished yet…and what he really wants…a Super Bowl ring…with the Detroit Lions #fantasy
The Ruth Chris promo is capped at 50%!
http://tinyurl.com/jcwmgou
And check out the name of the GM at Ruth Chris! LOL
They added the 50% restriction AFTER the game….and they are getting clobbered online. ALL tables booked for the duration of the promo!
Was just in Doha yesterday (and back in June, too). Yesterday on a coach ticket (work, don’t ask…), June on an AA Business Award to Africa.
Qatar offers a transit hotel (my layover yesterday was 19h – and a VERY nice hotel it was. They even threw in about $45 of meals) – got that on an economy fare booked with Qatar. Did NOT get it on an AA Business Award.
Back in June we took a transit tour. You will find the tour desk close to the yellow teddy bear. Free tour and entry into Qatar. Needs about 6-7h layover. Qatar website has info on both.
The Business Lounge is FANTASTIC – but ONLY for actual Business class customers. The “regular Business Lounge sucks”.
Thank you!
Nice to hear that the Qatar DOH Business class lounge is fantastic, I am on a Business class award booked with UA miles flying Qatar to Birmingham after arriving from Shiraz on Qatar flying Business Class…so I should be good?
I remember reading a blog post recently warning readers about the transit tour…all I remember is that it was VERY cautionary towards people not booked on paid Qatar tickets…so not really sold on doing that just yet.
You got the transit hotel with meals throw in with an economy ticket, wow, that’s really nice!
Anyone recently done the transit tour? How was it? Worth it? I guess they provide a place to hold your carryon bag
The Transit tour is an offering by the airport, not Qatar Airways. So ticket type shouldn’t matter. We did it on an AA award. Only ‘problem’ was that being on a business ticket they took us through the business immigration (which is like a lounge). Should have spent some time there and had some coffee etc. since it took all other people close to an hour to get through immigration.
Ah. Carryon. We left it all in lockers at the Business Lounge except for my camera.
Incorrect. Transit tour is offered by Qatar and airline reps work the desk and organize it. The ticket must be issued by Qatar (staring with 157). I had biz ticket connecting from Sydney to Munich, both on Qatar, booked with AA miles and they told me to go pound sand.
That said, it depends on the rep working the desk. I went back during less busy time (the line to sign up was 30 mins long in the early morning, there was not a single person in the afternoon) and while the different rep mentioned that requirement, I played dumb and they finally put me on the evening tour.
That being said, I didn’t think the tour was worth it. If you are flying biz, they will whisk you past immigration but then you will still wait an hour for everyone to clear it. Then you go on a bus and drive around the city listening to BS about all construction being completed by 2018. They let you off at two stops (the Pearl and the museum) but only for five minutes each so you barely have time to take a couple pictures, not really look around or go to museum. Last stop at the Souq was for about 40 mins free time which was ok. I was really disappointed with this “tour”. There is a city bus you can take from the airport and visit the Souk and the museum/port area on your own and actually see things.
I have been using WiTopia VPN for five years now, not sure about Iran. Since Dustin went with Nate last year, I assume that would be the best choice.
Thanks guys, appreciate all the feedback on this.
I will try to catch up on sleep when I get to DOH before 6 am. You know what they say about partying in SHZ lol.
I am more inclined to pound sand…in the business class lounge instead…We shall see.
You might actually have to if you plan to relax in the quiet area – two weeks ago they were doing construction somewhere nearby so it was the noisiest area in the whole lounge.
Windscribe, free up to 10gb with no throttle. (I assume it works overseas, but YMMV)
Thanks, added that to the mix to check out. Not sure about “‘throttling” though 🙂
Just used VPN Master while in China. Worked great since just about anything you want to use online in China is blocked. Used a premium version for $2.99.
Thanks a lot. I had no idea there are so many!
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ruths-chris-ann-arbors-regrettable-michigan-promotion-044050399.html
And here it is…local Ann Arbor hobby enthusiasts, have a DO over there? #wow
Tunnelbear is a good idiot-proof VPN for non techies
Bookmarked it. It fits my personality it appears 😉
Suggest you google VPN Iran. Lots of webpages reviewing and comparing VPN services. Some are Titan-like sites apparently just set up to steer you to certain products, but I think I saw a cnet article which may be free of too much bias.
Be careful please and stay out of trouble over there!
Just got email from one doing the Iran tour right now…and it appears Express VPN is THE one to get!
No worries at all, she confirms THIS is the place to travel to, I am beyond excited to go!
VPN – Not free, but portable and a USB stick (one time fee and can use it on the go)… I use SurfEasy https://www.amazon.com/SurfEsay-1000001-SurfEasy-Private-Browser/dp/B007YJYNRQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1476029022&sr=8-2&keywords=surfeasy
Gracias!
Doha transit:
I have done transits at least on three occasions. You get plenty of time to tour main part of doha, cronchie and all that stuff, nothing really to see there. However Al mourjon lounge is best business class lounge. They also have private little sleeping rooms where you can sleep for 3-4 hours easily plus an excellent selection of foods, one near the sleeping cots and another in the restaurant, buffet style. you can’t get wrong in either side as far as food is concern. I would venture out (hoping they allow free transit visa by then) and see little bit of doha for 5-6 hours if you are arriving in evening, late evening.
As for Philly, I work in Philly and leaving for month long trip to Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Bali, Hong Kong with family on Saturday but I love to meet you on Friday night.
Thanks a lot!
That lounge sounds like an awesome place. My flight from SHZ is at 5 am so I think I will go straight to those sleeping rooms! I’ll see how I feel afterwards. I did not know I had to pay for visa to venture out.
I ‘ll announce here my timeline in Philly when it firms up, probably in mid November.
Sorry about the Eagles loss today…could not believe the Lions actually made plays to win one in the end, almost always goes the other way!
The Visa is QAR 100 (about $27.50). Pay with Credit Card right at the immigration desk. Good for 30 days. Really not an issue.
Also: if you head out on your own there is Uber!!!! Taxis are about double the price of Ubers – and ONLY take cash. Which means you’d have to hit the ATM (close to the Al Maha Services Desk outside baggage claim – the ATMs close to the taxi stands were empty when I got there). Just make sure you have data on your phone so you can call one for the way back to the airport.
I’d check out the Museum of Muslim Art (if only for the building, the collection is kind of meh) and the Souq Waqif.
Thanks again for the helpful info!
1. PHL: as noted focus on the location where you’ll be. I’m from the area and find Philadelphia a little painful to get around. The Double Tree Center City is fine for that area. If you’re willing to spend some $, or you can work some Fairmont/Accor angle, I’d highly recommend the Sofitel. Get a sunny side room on the upper floors.
2. Second the Tunnel Bear VPN suggestion for really simple to install and use. You can get extra free data by tweeting them. I can’t validate it works in Iran but does in Turkey.
I never even thought of the Sofitel…Can we use FPC free night certs there? I did not think so…I can check. Any clue yet what Accor will do with FPC? The silence is…deafening!
I think that Tunnel Bear will be my VPN backup choice, thanks!
Thanks for reminding me to look at VPNs.
Will I finally be in a country you have not been?
If yes, going to celebrate!!!
If you VPN is illegal in Iran why risk it?
Doesn’t opera have built in VPN?
Why isn’t Radisson Blu part of Carlson anymore you offered no explanation!
I think it is a very common practice. I need to at least check email and a few sites to keep up with my practice.
I tried Opera once. Never went back at it.
I was told the hotel decided to go independent. It’s a shame…I mean, it was one of the few Radisson Blu properties in the US.
Express VPN gets a lot of good reviews on tech / expat web sites for usage in countries around the world, mainly due to its reliability and very large number of server locations (i.e. if Netflix or a certain country decides to block them, they have the resources to address the issue quickly). Their service also has a “kill switch” feature – this means if the VPN tunnel is momentarily disconnected, your traffic does not go out to the unprotected internet. It won’t allow you to do anything until the tunnel is re-established and you are safe.
Express VPN sounds like a keeper….Will install…when I am done with work and Feedly 🙂