We bring you the new Hilton Marketing chief, visit former USSR cities, the pain of bullets, how to book awards with Asia Miles, sign up for the 5% categories with the Chase Freedom card, get more scared about AI progress, laugh (or cry if you prefer) about some crap done back in the tech stock bubble days, visit states with the most million dollar homes and addiction stuff.
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Very interesting interview with the new Chief Marketing Officer at Hilton. The focus to keep improving the direct booking route will continue. And going “digital-first”. But hey, why stop there…why not add four new brands to the 14 brands that exist already, wtf! Oh, the Hilton Honors loyalty program will be a “major focus”…oh shit!
If you have a Chase Freedom card, activate now the 1st Quarter 2018 5% categories.
This is very good: 20 Cities to Visit in the Former USSR.
One of the themes around here is what artificial intelligence is doing to us. Well, this is right on! Artificial Intelligence Is Killing the Uncanny Valley and Our Grasp on Reality.
These are the two edges of the AI sword. As it improves, it mimics human actions more and more closely. Eventually, it has no choice but to become all too human: capable of good and evil in equal measure.
What Bullets Do to Bodies. This is disturbing. Guns don’t kill people, psychos with guns they can get to so easily kill people…Yeah, I am all for gun control but after so many children were murdered at Sandy Hook I have given up too.
Another theme is addiction and what it does to addicts and everyone around them. This is a very touching posts by Mimi O’Donnell, the wife of brilliant actor Philip Seymour Hoffman who died of a heroine overdose. It shows you how this battle is never over…
The US stock market keeps shooting higher. Many keep mentioning the world bubble. I think it applies with bitcoin but it does not apply to the stock market currently. I could be wrong of course, markets keep you humble. Or they should. I have been around two stock market crashes now and I know better. Do not fall in love with the highest number in your portfolio! And for God’s sake, don’t keep checking it like this guy who wants to have a contest to see whose net worth is bigger, how sad is that! Okay, where was I going with this? Oh yes…You have no idea what was going on back in the tech stock bubble days , no idea, read it and weep. Or laugh you should prefer!
The photography of Maxim Fedorov is amazing!
The US States With the Most Million Dollar Homes. In the Top 3: Washington DC at 17.3%, California at 13.6% and Hawaii at 13.5%.
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I changed my United award flight to Athens from flying coach all the way through IAD and ZRH to the old reliable Business class routing Detroit to Frankfurt (on to Dusseldorf) to Thessaloniki flying Lufthansa and Aegean. I had to pay the extra miles of course (70,000 total instead of 30,000) and a change fee of $125 (and a small difference in taxes). Mega mistake but I need to get some work done Monday morning and save me a much longer bus ride to my hometown. I mysteriously received 40,000 UR points and just transferred them out right away to United 🙂
Miles and Points burned year to date now stand at 901,500.
Amex’s Plenti program appears to be on life support. Going to stick my neck out and predict Plenti dies in 2018 🙂
How to book award travel with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
Can Doctor of Credit go a roundup type post without linking to View From The Wing? Everyone he sends there can also read amazingly deep articles such as the following (did not add the credit card pumping posts of course):
DJ Mustard and Companion Caught With Loaded Gun at LAX Security Checkpoint
Woman Kicked Out of Lounge for Wearing Uggs and the Happiest Airports
Crazy Tarmac Dancer is Back Guiding Planes and Busting Moves
Flight Attendant Spilled Burning Coffee on Woman, Rushed Her Topless to the Lavatory
I thought that I had seen everything with this troll. I guess I was wrong again. Please do not spend any time on Friday and Saturday nights stepping away from your family and friends to keep refreshing my blog page to see if I had responded so you can, well, troll again because if you have nothing good to say you…should comment it here in my blog. Smh #wow. Excuse me while I go to my safe space now LOL.
And I leave you with this…
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Start of a new, great week.
I better start packing soon…
After I leave my safe space in the basement 😉
Required reading today for me:
https://www.kitces.com/blog/final-gop-tax-plan-summary-tcja-2017-individual-tax-brackets-pass-through-strategies/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=final-gop-tax-plan-summary-tcja-2017-individual-tax-brackets-pass-through-strategies
The tax planning ahead looks really complicated! Everyone becomes a corporation?
That 20% deduction thingie has all tax accountants and tax lawyers becoming Trump fans. I can see potential for gaming it that may be like “you won’t believe this, it will shock you”. Waiting for articles by MMS and TPG to tell us how the CSP and CSR cards can help with the new tax law lol.
RAMSEY, I AM CURIOUS, WHAT IS THE FAVORITE AIRPLANE OF MOST AIRLINE CREW MEMBERS?
thank you in advance for your response, Atfa
Wow, a question for me, good thing i checked in to TBB today. I have been boycotting the site.
That is a great question Afta, and the simple answer is, Lockheed L-1011. Everyone absolutely loved this aircraft….the Pilots, Flight Attendants and the passengers. We flew it on Transcons and flights from JFK to Western Europe. Similar in size to the more famous DC-10, but better built.
FYI, the least favorite plane in our fleet, again for everyone, was the DC-9/MD-80. Pilots hated to fly and land it (especially when it was light weighted) , passengers and F/A’s hated it as claustrophobic. The exception being the B-717 derivative, that was like flying in Justin Beiber’s private jet.
Afta, feel free to ask anytime, I will be glad to tell the unfiltered, perhaps politically incorrect info and insight to the industry. Also if you are thinking of getting a job there, I still have great connections and would be glad to guide you.
sorry I got your name wrong above, ATFA
Welcome back. I remember the L-1011. Good memories.
A few more paragraphs and I already see a chapter in the book “Former TWA FA reveals all, what happens in the skies will shock you” book. I will Amazon link it to death lol.
Hello from the Detroit Lufthansa senator lounge. Sick of the food here, I better stop hehe
I flew the TWA 717 once to STL. The L – 1011 was big and spacious. My first 2 aisle plane.
George, 901,000 mIles would wipe me out.
Happy Greek Orthodox Christmas on January 7th.
Adeeo.
Dan