Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as how to retire without regrets, the best Thailand beaches, Marathon addiction, the 2025 Extraordinary Travel Festival, talk about retirement spending, fraudsters buy yachts, amazing Jupiter photography, Francis Ford Coppola the entrepreneur, phantom islands, see how Qatar Airways prepares 200,000 meals every day and of course always all of the most important developments in the crazy world of miles and points. See you next next week from Hua Hin, Thailand, enjoy the weekend!
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This blog started way back in 2012 focusing on my crazy hobby addiction of traveling with frequent flyer miles, hotel and bank points. It has since evolved to curated posts featuring the best web content along with my commentary.
This is a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it while it lasts.
BLOG HOUSEKEEPING
Hello from Bangkok, Thailand! I am here attending the 2025 Extraordinary Travel Festival and I don’t know if I will have time to do this again next week. I guess we shall see, maybe I should take a break from this blog and recharge in a way. I think I lost one subscriber last week because the last post went into politics. So, in a true non commercially stubborn way you have become accustomed to around here, I am adding some more post election articles I would like to share with you at the bottom of this post. And that would wrap up the politics. Because it is so exhausting! #Developting
This post was mostly prepared back in Michigan and while traveling to Bangkok. With a full conference schedule ahead, 12+ hour time differences, all family joining me next week we will see what happens next week. Bangkok is great. I don’t like to visit places twice because there is so much to see around the world but, for some strange reason, Bangkok feels like…home.
PERSONAL FINANCE
If you are behind in saving for your retirement: A new supersize limit for some 401(k) contributions hits in 2025: What you need to know.
A substantially higher “catch-up” contribution for 401(k) plans applies for savers aged 60, 61, 62 and 63 who participate in these plans at work beginning in 2025.
More clients are looking into retirement. Way ahead of the originally planned date. The legendary bull market run may have something to do with it. We are getting into some deeper discussions lately. Key is to Retire Without Regrets. When the $$$s are taken care of, it is the personal stuff that goes along with it that is way more critical:
For anyone who has established a meaningful professional identity over a decades-long career, retirement represents a huge—and potentially wrenching—transition. While some people navigate it well, many struggle. [Bold font added for emphasis]
…satisfied retirees demonstrate four key behaviors throughout the phases: alignment between what psychologists refer to as “the self” and “the life structure”; awareness of the interplay between the two; agency in making changes in the self or life structure or both; and adaptability in the face of events or circumstances out of their control.
Is this a special “Retirement” post or what? Let’s stick with it: We Need to Talk About Your Retirement ‘Spending’. Big inheritances can be a sign of underconsumption and suboptimal planning. I am so onboard with this with my own clients. Most will never spend it all. Getting them to spend is becoming one of the biggest issues we face in the wealth management industry. The struggle is real lol. Anyway, sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it? Help your kids now that they need it and not let them inherit it all when they don’t need it. And do the things you want while you physically can, tomorrow may be altered by a health event or, heaven forbid, the unthinkable. Maybe I should take my own advice!
SCAMS/CRYPTO/AI/TECH
I don’t know…but maybe you may want to reconsider your choice of a financial advisor when they obtain a yacht? This phucking guy: Investment Firm Executive Lindberg Admits $2 Billion Fraud.
Prosecutors said Lindberg used some of the money to pay for personal expenses like his credit cards and mortgages and a 214-foot yacht. He also paid an investigation firm to do research on women in his life and another firm to conduct surveillance of them, according to a February 2023 indictment…
He has eight children under the age of 7 who live with him, and his fiancée lives in Spain without a US visa. [What????]
This blog is not going to blog itself. I rely on my readers helping it grow as I don’t have time to do any promotion/marketing. Which leaves the content clean of intrusive sponsoring posts and stupid ads and stuff like that.
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ODDZ & ENDZ
I am a former runner. I have been dealing with some feet issues for more than a year now. I miss running so much. I hope one day I can get back to it. For now, I am getting used to orthotics and I must admit I like them! Anyway, I really felt what this writer had to say in this: What I Learned From Destroying Myself at the NYC Marathon. The NYC marathon was in my plans that are…postponed at this time.
Any time you saw someone wearing a medal (and we were all wearing our medals the whole time), you pointed at them, and they pointed at you, and two of you just knew. One of the many wonderful things about the New York City Marathon is one of the many wonderful things about New York itself: People come from all over the world to be part of it, and everyone ends up mingling with everyone else. Late in the evening, as I dragged myself, post-nightcap, back to my hotel, I saw two people wearing their medals while eating with their families and friends outside a Greek restaurant. One was speaking French; the other, wearing a Pakistani team jacket I saw several times during the race, was speaking Urdu. They both saw me and my medal, stopped what they were saying, and waved. I waved back as if I’d come across a long-lost friend. Which, I guess, I had. [Yes, yes, yes!]
Ok, I am a big Francis Ford Coppola fan. And I totally loved this deep dive into his career and looking at the financial aspects of it: Francis Ford Coppola: The Entrepreneur. The guy made his money in wine, not from movies, it is a wild story. Investing wise, definitely not recommended!
The new Jupiter images are amazing! Check Out the Stunning New Images of Jupiter From NASA’s Juno Spacecraft.
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TRAVEL
This is very cool. Or weird. Definitely interesting: Phantom Islands – A Sonic Atlas.
I am here to keep checking them out: 14 Best Beaches in Thailand.
As I am typing this, I am about to fly this airline: How Qatar Airways Prepares 200,000 Meals From Scratch Every Day. Wow, so interesting.
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This blog started with a focus on miles and points and travel. It has evolved since then. Everything below deals with the hobby of collecting frequent flyer miles and points and maximizing your travel experiences. If you are not interested, you can stop here, thank you.
We have a lot to cover, fasten your seat belts!
Typing this from the Air France lounge in Boston airport and I can assure you that this lounge will never ever make a Best of anything list lol: 15 Best Priority Pass Lounges Around the World.
There are so many now. And several are in it to push credit card affiliate links of course, the engine that is relentless in pushing plastic on everyone’s face: 10 of the Best Award Search Tools to Use Your Points & Miles.
I have two Cat 4 night award certs and one Cat 7 night award cert coming after I leave Thailand. So, for some strange reason, I always scramble to use them: Help! My Hyatt Free Night Cert Is Expiring, What Are My Options?
Well, since I am staying at nice Hyatt properties in Thailand and Malaysia in this trip, here is a recap of the Best Hyatt Milestone Award Choice at Each Level. Yeah, I know, I blew one to get a $50 FIND credit, my bad, it won’t happen again. Looking forward to cross 50, 60 and I think 70 nights in 2024.
The bloggers finally killed this too smh: Wyndham Status From Credit Card to no Longer Match to Caesars.
We have a new credit card out there. That could be a game changer. If you have at least $100k to park in US Bank that is. It has no annual fee and, more importantly, you can earn 4% cash back unlimited. With mileage programs continuing to get devalued and bank restrictions keep getting applied to earning more from applying more, cough, frequently than normal people…I think a lot of us, as we are getting older, we value simplicity and good old cash baby! As one day going all cash back. As long as domestic banks keep competing and throwing us juicy signup bonuses that day is not on the horizon…yet? So here cones the US Bank Smartly Card, earn up to 4%, open for application! Am I going for it? Nope, no signup bonus at all, come on! I also think this is not sustainable. Here is the application, not an affiliate or referral link ok?
Sadly, the new US Bank Smartly card meant the end of the US Bank Altitude Reserve Card. Which was a great card for earning 3% in mobile wallet spending.
We are in a period of sucky/low credit card signup bonuses. Anything that stands out? Not really. Despite what bloggers enthusiastically scream about to get you to sign up for them so they can get paid. A few notable new signup bonuses are:
Capital One Spark Cash: For some reason, Capital One keeps messing with the brands they deploy. This one was dead only to come back, without the “Plus” at the end. It does not get more straightforward than this card. Business card with a $95 annual fee. Signup bonus is a juicy $750 (or 75,000 miles if you have a mileage earning CO card like the awesome Venture X) after a $7.5k minimum spend in the first three months. Earns a flat 2% on everything and 5x on some travel booked at the CO travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. I guess if you are really bored, this bank likes you a lot and you don’t mind getting dinged on with credit card bureau inquiries, go ahead.
If there are two constants in this space is that the Southwest Companion Pass will continue to exist. And that the signup bonuses Chase offers on its Southwest cards will always continue to change. And this is a new one on its three personal Southwest cards now offering 40,000 Southwest points AND a $400 statement credit after a $3k minimum spend in the first four months. Available from my favorite bank HERE.
In addition, Chase is increasing the signup bonus offers by 10,000 miles in its personal United credit cards. We now have United offering 60,000 miles, United Quest at 70,000 United miles, United Club Infinite at up to 95,000 miles and United Gateway at 30,000 miles. Why would you go for these when you can earn more with its cards earning more flexible Ultimate Rewards points? But if you decide you want more United miles, please go ahead and check them out from my favorite bank HERE.
And sadly this is out in the open as the data points became too numerous to ignore I guess: (Reports) Chase Tightens Up Approvals On Business Card Applications. This hurts.
This is what THE Points Guy has been up to while his main site implodes as it keeps losing staff it appears. The Points Guy Takes on Airbnb With Loyalty Program for Home Rentals. Oh, the power of marketing when you are an expert at it. Selling to newbie types who get easily impressed. Same old playbook. In case you missed it, Brian sold TPG to Bankrate for $20 million back in the day. It’s all how you market folks. Something I have no clue how to do here. And I don’t want to talk about it lol.
A few things I would like to single out:
…hopes to leverage the program for a more lucrative product: a new credit card for frequent travelers, with airline partners and all. [Shocking! #notreally]
Redemption stays will be priced dynamically, rising and falling in proportion to a property’s nightly rates, starting from 10,000 points per night. [Bold font for emphasis, it means you are NOT going to get what these guys will be selling you!]
…he’s vetting new prospects himself—digitally, without physical site inspections [digitally?? Send some awesome pics to list your place here too lol]
Drawing that kind of audience is what Kelly does best. [Oh, he sure does. I don’t think Wells Fargo will fall for it this time, maybe Synchrony Bank lol]
And that hair, wow!
And I bet you the one who wrote the press release probably worked at Delta Airlines smh. This post is too long already, I need to move on.
I get into my action items below after this from your sponsor, just kidding! Don’t give up reading now, there is more below.
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I am SHOCKED Capital One has kept this 75k Venture X offer for so long, there is no way in hell this will survive in 2025, hurry!
The 75K CAPITAL ONE Venture X card has a minimum spend of $4k in the first three months. If you like simplicity and looking for one (premium) card, I highly recommend this card (and yes, I have it myself!). It has an annual fee of $395 but it comes with an easy $300 statement credit for travel booked on its own travel portal, essentially turning it into a $95 annual fee card. But wait, there is more! On each card anniversary you earn 10,000 points essentially making it FREE! Every dollar of spend earns 2 points and flights booked on the travel portal earn 5 points per dollar. You get access to Capital One and Plaza Premium airport lounges and a Priority Pass Select lounge membership and, this is important, you can add FOUR authorized users FOR FREE who can also have their own Priority Pass Select airline lounge membership and, this is BIG, they can bring in unlimited guests with their FREE Priority Pass card! You can transfer your Capital One points to up to 18 Transfer Partners. No foreign transaction fees. Free Hertz President’s Circle rental car top elite status. Cell phone protection and PRIMARY rental car coverage. Awesome seats at baseball stadiums for just 5k points each. And lots more.
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I intentionally booked a very long layover at BOSton Logan airport in between my JetBlue flight from Detroit and continuing on Qatar Airways to Doha (and then on to Bangkok). The reason was that I wanted to visit the Chase Sapphire Lounge. We get one free visit per year per Priority Pass card (I have two now, one from Amex Business Platinum and another from the Capital One Venture X). We all know that airport lounges these days usually limit access no earlier than three hours before departure. But not when you are connecting. Used this recently while connecting to enter Amex Centurion lounges without an issue. But the Chase Sapphire lounge nazi at the door told me to take a hike, no exceptions allowed, 3 hours is 3 hours no matter what, unbelievable! Not the first impression you want to have with them new Sapphire lounges! I then proceeded to be told to take a hike at The Lounge as well. Thankfully, I talked my way into the Air France lounge which is disappointing but the wifi worked fine and set up myself to do some last day of work stuff before leaving the continent.
I really enjoyed my Qatar Airways flight from Boston to Doha. I had secured an exit row seat which came in so handy and I slept pretty good, it definitely did not feel like 11+ hrs. Great service, excellent food. I unplugged and read a book which is amazing, I miss the good old days when I used to catch up on all my reading on the planes. The Al Maha lounge in Doha is nothing special. Took a nice shower, refreshed, etc.
I did manage to post an Instagram update about the Boston Chase Sapphire Lounge HERE. And another one of my flights to Bangkok. And then I hit a wall with jet lag, too many conference sessions and parties and my own work that feeds my family. We’ll see what happens here. Oh, and Bangkok is great.
I appreciate a back link to my blog from a blog that I recommend, Miles Earn And Burn. Be nice to old timers ok?
POST ELECTION AFTERMATH BLUES
I have no sponsors, this is my blog and I can blog whatever I want. I still need to say a few words about the election. Ok, I am not going to say anything, it only creates problems. And there will be no more dedicated sections on politics, we all need to move on.
I found this the best article explaining why Trump won: Why Does No One Understand the Real Reason Trump Won?
He is not wrong on most of these points: What America Just Voted Against.
Yep: This Place Is All Phucked Up. That last paragraph…
Let’s bring it back to travel, shall we? A cruise company is offering a 4-year journey to escape Donald Trump’s presidency.
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MILES & POINTS
HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS: 75k CHASE Ink Business Cash, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture X, 75k CHASE United Business, 75k CHASE Ink Business Unlimited, 150k AMEX Business Platinum, 200k CAPITAL ONE Spark Cash Plus, 150k CAPITAL ONE Venture X Business, $1,000 Cash Back CHASE Ink Business Premier, 80k CHASE Southwest Performance Business, 15k AMEX Blue Business Plus and many more!
Learn How To Apply HERE to support the blog. Or email me if you have any questions about any cards, I’m happy to help, thank you!
As of today, I have burned 1,927,404 miles/points year to date (1,148,286 in 2023) and have 4,296,348 miles/points in the bank.
Remember, you are NOT allowed to ever carry a credit card balance!
Let me leave you with this:
Some of the links are behind a paywall. You can try to read them using Archive.is.
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Feel free to contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com, all feedback is very appreciated.
George
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Remember the great prizes we used to imagine we’d get if we were the 1st to comment on TBB?
TBB has implemented deep cuts that parallel TPG’s cuts!
It is 9.30 pm here and 9.30 am back in the US and am back with my laptop. This 12 hr difference is the main negative imho in Thailand, everything else here is great.
“Imagine”? I used to get 10,000 TBBpoints for every “first!”
With all due respect that new Republic article about why Trump won was stupid. Inflation was real and it was spectacular and all the “ayckshually if you look at the economy THIS way” type arguments won’t change that. Another counterpoint here: https://www.ft.com/content/73a1836d-0faa-4c84-b973-554e2ca3a227?segmentId=b385c2ad-87ed-d8ff-aaec-0f8435cd42d9
I said back in 2020 that whoever wins the election would have a tough time. I’m saying the same thing now as there is no good way out of our debt/deficit issues. The bond market vigilantes are coming! And so is more inflation.
“Reagan proved deficits don’t matter”.
Dick Cheney, 2003
Party on, Garth
We obviously disagree, it’s ok.
If Trump had Biden’s economic record he would be all over taking credit every time he opened his mouth.
Hearing the mantra “this can’t go on, the deficit, the national debt, tough choices are here now, inflation and blah blah blah”. Same old, same old. One day maybe this side wins…I am with the other side to still stay positive, have an investment plan, diversify, rebalance, keep costs and taxes lower and carry on.
If you look up graphs of the US debt to GDP ratio, it was actually going down after covid. Inflation was doing its thing. But then we hiked rates and it started going up again because we had to pay out a lot more interest.
And to your point George: yeah, people have been saying for pretty much my entire life but I’m going out on a limb and saying This Time Is Different. Something has to give in the next decade.
Of course deficits matter. And they’ll matter to everyone about 3 days after people quit buying treauries.
Been retired 16.5 years now and not one regret, EVER! Hope you have a wonderful time over there, George! Thanks for the good reading, again!
Sounds great to me.
Thanks for the great links today! That four year (!) cruise looks like a bargain …
Hope you are having a great time … and you have time for one of the wonderful
trip reports.
Bargain for people who buy yachts!
No time for those trip reports. Maybe AI could help me out but those are incredibly unbelievably time intensive. And when I look at the revenue the blog brings….no way, just too much effort, sorry.
Trip report type posts now come sporadically at IG. Ladies and gents, I present to you the best breakfast at a Hyatt Place of all places:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCacysSS4hr/?igsh=MWVlazBrZ2U3c3Z4YQ==
Now THAT is a breakfast. WOW.
George, time to forget the election, might be something far more important brewing. I sniff something is happening at Hyatt. We have just clicked over 120 nights for the year so my nights on the ground are telling me the winds of change are blowing. Noticed recent calls to the call centre are no longer answered in Australia but diverted to Philippines where a simple 2 minute task now takes 10 as comprehension is rather fluid. Those free breakfasts that have always been good quality, I’m noticing watered down carrot juice and no top ups of the smoked salmon when it runs low. And our old favorite Adz Munich, after 60+ nights past 3 years we won’t return as they went from giving a full fridge in the suites to Globalist to nothing our past stay. Note my fridge complaint is more because of what it represents because as a non drinker of alcohol and sodas we rarely touched the contents. Plus the vibe was off at that place, something significant was brewing.
Reading this while having breakfast in the Bangkok Hyatt Place and smiling hoping you are wrong:-) Because this is by fat the best HP breakfast I ever had!
Looking at the cutting of free breakfast in US HPs…I think you are right and the next annual update of the program will leave us very disappointed…
Meanwhile, time for another plate lol.
If free food in Hyatts was not part of my life I would be skinnier!
Here’s a trip report a little different from the usual: “Walking Japan from Fukuoka to Nagasaki”
https://walkingtheworld.substack.com/p/walking-japan-again-from-fukuoka
Interesting trip report, thanks
Good evening Buzz,
Thank you for this awesome post which is very timely for me. Lots of great links.
How do you like the location of the HP in Bangkok btw?
The election? I’m over it now and can only laugh. It is hilarious and sadly devastating at the same time. The laughter helps. What else can one do in the face of a potential cabinet full of grifters and rapists. Yes I’m exaggerating again, but WTF?
Maybe I’m not over it…
I have been a resident alien in the US for about 40 years, and seeing the changes in American society as of late has been a sobering experience. I can’t even vote in this country, and don’t plan on it being my home country for much longer, but the dysfunction is difficult to come to terms with.
I’m not ragging on the US, It’s been very good to me in many ways. My kids were born here, I started my own business here and have many close friends. I was always drawn to the USA as a kid growing up in the frozen country of Canada. Yes, we have hockey, the CFL, curling and poutine, but the US has something called sunshine hours and you actually count them here. You have the Thundering Herd, the Horned Frogs, the Fighting Irish, The Fighting Ducks, The Fighting Barnacles, the Green Wave and Bobby Orr played for the Bruins. What’s not to like?
Still, it is hard to reconcile.
Have a great time on your trip and a great time with your family, I think you have more than earned it Buzz. I’m a bit jealous as I was hoping to attend the conference as well and check out SE Asia for the first time. Maybe next year.
Thank you again Buzz!
Restaurant tip since your staying at the Hyatt Place – Rung Rueang Pork Noodle on Soi 26. Really good pork noodle soup (or dry) and cheap! Easy walk from HP – walk on the L side of the Hilton, then cut through the DT Hilton, hang a L then boom. There’s actually 2 restaurants side by side and another across the street, all similar. Aroi mak!
The location of the HP is great on Soi 24. It is not as loud/hectic as near Nana and Asok areas. It is the next BTS Sky train over. It is a short walk to the Phrom Pong BTS station, maybe 5 mins or so. And off the BTS is the M District, it has three nice shopping malls. I mean, everything you can get is within walking distance. And a short BTS ride to anywhere.
I can’t laugh about the election. We are about to go through 4 years of absolute batshit crazy. You can see that from the first picks for the incoming administration. Brace yourselves! We voted for this, elections have consequences. It boggles the mind that the Trump voters really thought that they will be better off with these bozos running the asylum.
Last day of the conference. There are some super travel nuts here…I feel so inadequate among them.
The above comment was a reply to David.
@Mo: Thanks for that tip. It was on my list and since now I have yr recommendation as well I will make sure I try it, thanks!
My wife just got approved for the Spark Cash Plus card through your links. Small victories. When I applied through the same a couple of months ago I didn’t realize that my Venture X business card would preclude me getting it. Live and learn.
Thank you Christian. Typing this from the breakfast area in the BKK Hyatt Place. I need to focus on putting the Friday blog post together for you guys. Bangkok is great, I love it here.
And thanks for the data point on these CO cardsl
I have been posting some updates from Bangkok here:
https://www.instagram.com/travelbloggerbuzz/
There will be a TBB post this Friday, I may publish it sooner to account for the 12 hr difference. Which is really difficult to be based here. Other than that, the vibrancy of this city is amazing. And addictive.