We were recently planning to visit Hong Kong for a couple nights on our way to Phuket, Thailand. I initially hoped the political protests in Hong Kong would be unlikely to disrupt our short visit. But as our trip drew closer I could compare scheduled protests with our plans, and it become clear we’d be […]
Why I Bailed on the BofA Better Balance Rewards
The Bank of America Better Balance Rewards card is no longer available for signups, and no longer available for product changes. But I bet a lot of people still have the card for its unique rewards structure. I recently discovered my Better Balance Rewards card not working in that I wasn’t getting the quarterly bonus. […]
Does Upgrading an Amex Card Reset Referral Capacity?
In this post we’ll explore whether upgrading or downgrading an Amex card resets its annual referral capacity. Quick Answer: No, it does not. Background One great thing about Amex is their referral program whereby you can earn a bonus for referring friends and family who in turn are approved for Amex cards. The referral bonus […]
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Diplomat Suite Review
On our way back from Thailand we were transiting through AUH on a stopover between midnight and 10:30a. Rather than get a place in or near the airport I wanted to check out the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. The hotel opened in 2011 and has 306 rooms, suites and villas in a resort setting on […]
Best Tour Ever: Kayaking Phang Nga Bay with Two Sea Tour
In this review of Two Sea Tour I’ll cover why I think it’s not only the #1 boat tour in Phuket on TripAdvisor, but the best tour I’ve ever taken anywhere. I’ll describe what the tour entails, compare it to other options for experiencing Thailand’s Andaman Sea, and describe how Two Sea Tour is different […]
Amanpuri Review, Phuket Thailand
The main focus of our trip to Thailand was seeing rock formations in the Andaman Sea and staying at the Amanpuri resort in Phuket (pronounced Poo-ket). This post is an Amanpuri review. I cover a great tour of the Andaman Sea in this post. Here’s a quick 2 minute promotional video from Amanpuri that sums […]
Park Hyatt Bangkok Review
We’re just back from a week in Thailand that started off with two nights in Bangkok. In this Park Hyatt Bangkok review we’ll go over the stay overall, and explore whether the hotel is a good value. The property opened in 2017 and has 222 rooms. It is situated on top of the ambitiously upscale […]
Episode 31: The Hotel Status Loyalty Trap
0:42 Bank of America $300 Personal Checking Bonus (HT DoC) Requires $4,000 Direct Deposit in 3 months You need to have a checking account with BofA to quality for their Preferred Rewards program (which provides up to 75% uplift for spending on certain personal BofA credit cards) 1:30 Banco Popular Avianca Vuela Visa 60,000 Offer […]