We bring you the new Radisson Rewards, show you how Basic Economy sucks, get you a free Mobile Passport, go on a Pakistan Trip, get CSR car rental insurance, say goodbye to Points Nerd, we learn about a crazy Chinese plane, a billionaire who gave it all away, learn about food allergies, we travel to a remote Greek island and more for you freeeeeeee!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
Support TBB by applying for CREDIT CARDS, shopping with our AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK & clicking our REFERRAL LINKS
I finally did a comprehensive update of the Best Offer cards available with my links. Please let me know if I have any mistakes and thanks for your support!
As reported here first, Club Carlson is proceeding to rebrand under the Radisson name. Introducing Radisson Rewards. Not sure luxury comes to mind whenever I see the name Radisson but hey, to each their own I guess. We can now all have water when checking in, hooray! The elite qualification changes went from beyond ridiculous to just ridiculous #positive. Tiny reduction in Elite earning points #negative. Now if that Club Carlson Visa comes with a free night for $10k spend (up to 3 nights for a total of $30k) and you can use the nights in one of the ridiculously low number of properties in the US that are eligible…I guess it is a positive. If US Bank had credit card affiliate links you would be hearing A LOT more about it. It’s about sales incentives in this blogging crowd you guys. Be careful out there!
Since we are on the subject, this is a great post to learn more about this company: Every One of Radisson’s 8 Hotel Brands, Explained. I don’t cut and paste every detail like other blogs do. I direct you to the original article. I know you can read and don’t need pics and arrows 😉 But a few things that stood out to me:
-Thank God about 10% of the worst Radisson properties will be gone and hopefully this goes a long way for the brand to…start to come back. The company’s President calls it “tarnished image”. I should agree with that lol.
-The Radisson Collection has a tiny footprint, who cares! And the nice Blu properties are almost non existent in North America, hello?
-Radisson RED reminds me of whorehouses. Just too much red! I could go on…but lets move on. Read the original piece if you were interested. Did you know the Park Plazas were in the upscale category? Me neither!
When I want to read an analysis of an aviation feature I read Boarding Area blogs The Cranky Flier. So, if you want to lean more about what is happening with Basic Economy fares, this is it! As Basic Economy Expands Across the Atlantic, the Message Gets Muddled. Amazing how the airlines are screwing this up trying to compete against the low cost airlines, wow! Or maybe the strategy is to confuse the hell out of passengers and trick them?
If you do not have Global Entry, you should have Mobile Passport. It is free. I am going to spare you all the credit card links that you can get in my site to get GE for freeeeeeee! More details here. Note it does not spare you the Customs line.
Okay, I admit it, this is likely never going to happen. But it is still cool to ponder and look at it! China’s hypersonic aircraft would fly from Beijing to New York in two hours.
If you are interested to learn more about food allergies, this post is is great: Why do food allergies, including peanuts, so plague the U.S.? Yeah, why? I developed a severe allergy to shrimp in my mid 40’s. Came out of nowhere. I have a few pics how I looked. So scary I could have been an extra in a zombie film without any makeup! The article ends with some hopeful news on peanut allergies…
Do you know about Chuck Feeney? Who you may ask like I did! Chuck Feeney: the billionaire who gave it all away. I love to hear inspiring stories and, believe it or not, one of the missions of my blog I operate out of my basement is to inspire!
I asked Chuck more than once why he decided to give it all away. Never one for introspection he replied simply: “It was the right thing to do.”
Lets stick with inspiring content for now. I could be posting about hideous shit like that but I don’t! Chen Si, the ‘Angel of Nanjing’, has saved more than 330 people from suicide. Wow! I want to see this film!
Amazing photography series by Jonathan Higbee titled “Coincidences”.
You don’t see trip reports from Pakistan too often. So, here is one from Expedition Everywhere. So refreshing to read something different than so many sterilized trip “reports” from bloggers that are expertly written to trick newbies to apply for credit cards for the fat sales commissions, sad!
Half an hour after we have landed (where local time is still 6:00 because there is a half hour time difference between Sri Lanka and Pakistan) I am in a taxi at a check point just outside the airport. The driver’s name is Ali and by now he has already offered me hotel rooms, hookers and marriage with his younger sister. In the dark outside the car window, a military guard stands with an AK47 and abruptly orders me to hand him my passport.
Greece has MANY islands. There is one named Arkoi. Which I had never heard of. And that island has just one 8-year-old student. And the pictures are just wonderful!
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff.
For Best Offers credit cards, click HERE
If you use the CSR for car rentals and you have a claim, this is a good post about the whole process: My Experience Using Chase Sapphire Reserve Rental Car Insurance.
The whole card churning hobby is being killed gradually and steadily. Don’t expect it to get better any time soon:
This is probably the first and last link to The Points Nerd I am featuring. Let me know if I am wrong on that please. It is a Canadian blog with a decent following from what I can tell. I am no expert in Canadian blogs by any means! Anyway, it looks like the blogger got hired by Air Canada in the loyalty space. Which, we find out, it was a dream so congrats. But they have a problem with the blog. Which is of course understandable. But wait, the blog will live on. But without the blogger founder. Instead we are introduced to mystery writer named Chao (really?) who apparently has been helping friends and family how to travel for free too for a long time! On top of that, Chao is a very nice person too! Then we are told the blog intends to build a community…without the founder. Phucking A! And, you guys, the blog will be even better than before we are told. Not sure how that sums up the quality of the founder but hey!
Stick around. It’s gonna be great! [Maybe now that you founder are out of the way…maybe!]
Okay, my blog reviews the miles/points blog scene. Sarcasm is in my DNA. No harm intended and wish all the best to the founder. Putting up 275 posts is no easy feat! And all the best to “Chao”!
No pic today with the credit card pimping…so many I am tired. I am now saving all the Kardashian like posts on Feedly and I am feeling a mega rant building inside of me. Stay tuned…it will be hell unleashed! FIGHT DANGEROUS BULLSHIT!
And I leave you with this…Lets go fishing!
TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Follow TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2
You can subscribe to TBB below, winners only!
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Dealer, bot me!
Good morning DML and Robo Scott Castle! 🙂
Good morning to you both!
It is 8.57 am and I have not been hit yet by a “shocking” video…It is still early…
You will read about some “news” out of Lufthansa. Yawn…
When everyone knows that starting tariffs is bad…our phucking moron President just does not get it…what’s new?
Was there ever a time when the name Radisson had a positive connotation? I’m 43 and Radissons have always been inferior quality in general. I even remember as a kid my parents shying away from Radissons on road trips, saying they were dumpy.
I was going to try out Mobile Passport on my last trip and then forgot even though I had it downloaded and set up. Going to make it a point to use it next time. Seems like a good alternative to GE. While we have some CCs that reimburse GE, wife and I just haven’t felt like taking to time to go through the whole application and interview process. We travel international about 3 trips per year so it’s not like a ton of wait time altogether.
I would guess Radisson probably never had a non-dumpy association with it? Any very old timers here?
I have told both wife and son to go for Global Entry for free…and both just did not want to bother to do the legwork. Oh well, let them stay in line. Smh.
If you ever travel with them, reconsider forcing them to do it (as nicely as you can).
Because, if you travel with them, when they wait in line, you will wait too.
Yeah, I know!
The rise and increase of food allergies have always fascinated me. I’ve often wondered, was it like this when I was young (current age 34)… I don’t think it was. I don’t remember having a single friend carrying around medicine, or running away from peanuts like they were the anti-christ. I have a friend who claims to be allergic to cilantro, I am personally convinced she is simply a bitter taster, but for some, she insists on still going to Mexican restaurants rather frequently I avoid these dinners like the plague. I feel bad for the wait staff and just can’t handle hearing the word cilantro 20 times over a single meal.
I think we have become way too soft and we are eating too much junk food…
I used to love shrimp, sad!
Im calling bullshit on this one. Americans have been eating junk food in mass quantities for 40-50 yrs
Got a better explanation? Lifestyle and junk food, I think, must be factors causing this.
Most likely reason why allergies in general (including food) are more common today:
Historically, living in a “dirty” society our immune system was constantly busy (think attacking ring worms etc). And for thousands of generations our immune system and response adapted to the dirty environment. We are only a few generations into the Victorian era of cleanliness. Our immune system has yet to adapt to a less “stressful” environment. To keep itself busy, the system is more likely to attack antigens (food, environmental allegens) rather than historical enemies such as ring worms.
Immunotherapy can train your immune system to better deal with the allergen.
Call bullshit all you want, but don’t assume that effects of food are immediate or can be seen within one generation. So any bad choices I made growing up may impact my son or future generations more than me. Also, high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners are more the last 20-30 years. 40-50 years ago, junk food was at least real food.
Stick around Mileage Update and you can learn a lot around here like me!
Thanks guys!
Your basements must be really nice 🙂
I aint learning nothing
I also got a shrimp allergy in my 20s. I can eat breaded/fried fine but exposed is a no-go. The immune system is marvelous!
Hmmm, maybe I can try breaded/fried too..
I used to love shrimp!
My father developed a severe allergy to zomething in his late 50’s…and never managed to find out to what, crazy!
Genetics is part of it…I think but mother and brother have no symptoms whatsoever!
I thought u were still in your 20’s! 🙂
I haven’t seen the blogs so dead of worthy content in a long time…Can we thin the herd a bit you guys thanks!
I am going to my basement now…
9.48 am….All is good you guys:
Will San Francisco Airport Get a New Sex Shop? – View From The Wing
No shocking video included…so, don’t bother lol.
So, here is who wrote about the Lufthansa new policy I mentioned early this am:
One Mile at a Time
Mommy Points
Live and Let’s Fly
Lucky and Matthew HT’ed a press release in German. LOL.
Mommy HT’ed no one, apparently she reads German LOL.
Or they all read Lufthansa Flyer blog and did not bother to HT. What do you think? 🙂
All those hotel brands have my head spinning. Who are the people that really care about the “lively interiors” anyways?
For me, it comes down to this:
1) Is there a chance that it is a franchise owned by people named Patel? I’m not prejudiced but, c’mon, if you’ve ever smelled curry as you are checking in at reception, it’s NOT a good sign of things to come.
2) Are the walls paper thin? You wont know this until after you check in, but, if the hotel brand has a 6 or 8 in the name, they probably didnt spend a lot on insulation.
3) Breakfast at Holiday Inn Express: you know EXACTLY what it’s gonna be so the question is whether or not you can eat that again….
After that, I ask myself if it is cheap, can I do it on points, is the location okay, and what do the good/honest/never-touting people on TripAdvisor have to say about it?
Who really cares about the room design, unless you are a millennial flush with cash, are gay or have a keen interest in fashion (or both), or are trying to impress your Stormy Daniels date?
Was just looking up the latest on Stormy, what a coincidence! Can you imagine if DT did not sign? WTF!
Funny review, do more! Patel…LOL
Full disclosure: I LOVE curry food…but I avoid it in hotels 🙂
You know how I know you’re racist? Cause you say things like, “I’m not prejudiced but, c’mon.”
The only time I’ve heard such crap was from racist ex-friends and ex-family in the South.
Please. Just STFU.
Relax dude…
I bet your basement is not nice at all!
I should have written “*In general*, I’m not prejudiced but”.
There. Now I can sleep better know Anonymous’ blood pressure will go down.
Bur, Anonymous, did you disagree with anything else I wrote? Qui Tacet Consentire Viditur.
Thanks to the reader who got theCiti Thank You Premier card for 50k ThankYou points. I feel very safe knowing you guys can handle this as, despite what Ingy thinks, your credit scores are much higher than FTG readers 🙂
And thanks son for the SPG business credit card, good luck with the side IT consulting!
So many conversions left behind Ingy, so many, sad!
The troll does not come here because he is outnumbered and outwitted by us Basement boys and girls…
But, make no mistake, he never stops trolling, sad!
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/external-miles-points-resources/1857367-frugal-travel-guy-5.html
I hold you personally responsible for not being able to summon him here to engage.
I promise to try harder
70’s dinner party is a pretty good Twitter account: https://twitter.com/70s_party
wild
Milenomics…looks like the resuscitation was only temporary. TBB, your longevity is a marvel
Yeah…I don’t know what happened there…Looks like they reached their own breakage ratio #badjoke
Maybe they felt so guilty for that MMS interview and heartbroken I took the blog down from the Like list.
Yeah…longevity. Out of all the things that I have accomplished from my cold dark basement…that one may be the one I am most proud of.
Just got off a call where an amex representative essentially blamed Mr. TPG for all of their new anti-gaming policies. I’ve been waiting for my 60k bonus from the delta business card to post since November, and she said for people who open a lot of cards or cancel after receiving the bonus, they’ll hold for the maximum time possible, or just claw them back and cancel accounts.
Seriously? Wow!
It could have been FTG but sold so so early, sad!
She claimed to call in every favor possible to get the miles to me with the next transfer rather than letting the investigation go on…