Alaska – Your Mileage May Vary

The Airline That’s Shrinking The Size Of Carry-On Bags They Allow On Board

Full disclosure…this wasn’t one of those “Holy cow, who would have EVER thought they were going to do something like this???” proclamations. In fact, if you ask me, it was really only a matter of time.

Anyway, it was announced last week that starting on Monday, June 4th, Alaska Airlines will decrease the carry-on bag size limit from 24″ x 17″ x 10″ to the limits of what nearly every other U.S.-based airline has, 22″ x 14″ x 9″.

Continue reading “The Airline That’s Shrinking The Size Of Carry-On Bags They Allow On Board”

It’s Possible To Upgrade An Award Ticket To First Class With Cash

I’m always reading about travel hacks online. Ways to work the quirks in the system to your advantage. I was interested when I saw an article on One Mile at a Time that gave instructions on how to buy an upgrade to first class on Alaska Airlines when checking in for your flight. I read this shortly after I booked a one way ticket from Seattle to Orlando on Alaska Airlines using my British Airways Avios.

You can book Alaska Airlines flights using British Airways Avios
I don’t know why British Airways calls their miles/points “Avios”.
To book with Avios, there needs to be saver space available on the Alaska Airlines flight (you can search on the Alaska Airlines or American Airlines websites)
You need to call British Airways to book the award ticket

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American Airlines Is Tracking Complainers, The Sex Toy That Went Through TSA Screening & More…

Hi friends! Here are the articles we’ve recently seen, written by others, that we learned from, made us think or maybe made us chuckle a little bit. We hope you enjoy them!

We like to read about what items people bring with them on vacation as we’ll occasionally pick up a hint here and there.
Fixed value points can come in handy when booking a cheap flight/hotel but you don’t want to put cash out of pocket.
Are overwater bungalow worth the extra money? As the article says, the water is beautiful from your bungalow, the beach, the restaurant and the lobby so why pay 3x as much for a room?
Alaska Airlines continues to boost its “Most West Coast” efforts, expanding its Wine Flies Free program to cover the entire region. It’s a great program, as it’s both customer and local business friendly.
United Airlines finally has started a WiFi subscription program on its fleet. I don’t fly enough for this to make sense for me but I’ve had about the same luck as Ed from Pizza in Motion of getting the Wifi on the plane to work.
Sharon’s found her dream job. Too bad about them wanting someone with experience.
Once you sign up for Global Entry (or PreCheck), it’s important to let the airlines know your KTN (Known Traveler Number). Here’s a step by step breakdown on how to do it for the major US airlines.
American Airline employees can now give you compensation if you complain about a real problem. Of course, employees are worried that people will abuse the system because “customers suck.” Not to worry says management – they are tracking “constant complainers” and will flag them in the reservation and onboard system. Does this make you afraid to complain even if you have a legitimate concern?
And finally…the source of the clickybait title that I could couldn’t resist…a father pranked his son by putting a sex toy in his carry on before he went through TSA screening. Because of course he did. 🙂

Like this post? We have plenty more just like it and would love if you decided to hang around and clicked the button on the top (if you’re on your computer) or the bottom (if you’re on your phone/tablet) of this page to follow our blog and get emailed notifications of when we post (it’s usually just once or twice a day). Whether you’ve read our posts before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

Points & Bitcoin, A New Lounge in Reno, Don’t Miss Out on LOTS of Points, + More!

Hi friends! Here are the articles we saw last week, written by other travel bloggers, that we learned from, made us think or maybe made us chuckle a little bit. We hope you enjoy them!

While The Points Guy website tells you how to use points for Coachella, we managed to get the Holiday Inn Express in Palm Desert during Desert Trip for 20,000 points a night using alerts from Hotel Hustle.
Following American Express, Mastercard and Discover’s lead, Visa will no longer require signatures for transactions.
Tiffany at One Mile At A Time broke her own rule about dealing with call center representatives….
…While Ben (also at One Mile At A Time) shared what he thinks is the cutest W Hotel he’s ever stayed at.
Do you have to show your AAA card when you book with a discount? Some say no (and don’t even have one to begin with). I would never suggest this.
The 2nd Avenue subway is open and is not like your usual subway experience.
The similarity between points and bitcoin is that both can devalue overnight.
I love looking at people’s best pictures list because there’s a story behind every picture.
Having spent time in the Reno Airport before, a decent lounge is a nice addition. However, if it was there before I never would have won over $500 on a Star Wars slot machine while waiting for my flight.
Alaska Airlines still has customer friendly policies. Forgetting them can cost you a bunch of points.

Did you read anything travel-related this week that you thought was interesting? Please share!

Where’s Your Happy Place?

Your happy place is where you just feel right. It may be somewhere you visit often or somewhere you’ve only been once. It’s a place that envelops you and covers you in a feeling of happiness and joy. It’s a place where you’re sad when you have to leave and all you can think about is how and when you’re going to get back.

Before Guinan shows up and reminds me that I’m stealing the description of the Nexus from Star Trek: Generations, let me explain.

A happy place means something different to everyone. Continue reading “Where’s Your Happy Place?”

Why You Should Diversify Your Points & Miles, The TSA’s Recommendations for Traveling During the Holiday + More!

Happy Saturday-before-Christmas, friends! If you need a break from last-minute holiday happenings, here’s a quick recap of the posts we wrote this week:

This week Joe wrote about:
•    How planning for intra-Europe flights was an OCD nightmare come true.
•    What to do if you get sick while at Universal Orlando.
•    When we stayed up the road from an active volcano.
•    The bonus points system Hilton Hotels will have in early 2018.
•    Why you need to diversify your miles and points portfolio.

Sharon wrote about:
•    Google Maps’ latest enhancement, a public toilet indicator app.
•    An airline doing good in a time of travel tragedy.
•    The new water park that’s coming to Central Florida.
•    The TSA’s recommendations for flying during the holidays – and it’s FUNNY!
•    Her report on Bagrider: the carry-on bag that doubles as a baby stroller.

Like this post? We have plenty more just like it and would love if you decided to hang around and clicked the button on the top of this page to follow our blog and get emailed notifications of when we post (it’s usually just once or twice a day). Whether you’ve read our posts before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

An Airline Doing Good In A Time of Travel Tragedy

I’m sure you’ve heard about the derailment of the Amtrak train in Washington State that happened yesterday morning. While making its inaugural trip from Seattle to Portland, train No. 501 was going too quickly and, while on a curve, ran off its track. The accident involved thirteen train cars that fell from the bridge they were on, which then hit 5 cars and 2 trucks on the I-5 freeway below. At last report, there were, tragically, at least 3 confirmed fatalities as well as several dozen people who needed to be hospitalized.

The accident completely blocked off all lanes of Interstate 5, a major north-south route. In response to that, one airline is providing an alternative for holiday travelers on that normally busy stretch of highway, at deeply discounted rates.

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