I Burned Up My Priority Club Points Rather Quickly

I started this year with 166,000 Priority Club points.  I haven't earned points from a stay in about two years (just a few thousand here and there for opting into emails), but was feeling comfortable with my balance   The last time I used Priority Club points was for my trip to Santiago, Chile and a stay at the pathetic Intercontinental Santiago.  I booked it with a Points Break award, so it only cost 5,000 points a night.  I was planning on using my balance on Points Break hotels or cheap roadside Holiday Inn Expresses.  The math in my head worked out that my balance would buy 33 Points Break nights or 15 or so HIE nights.  Two to four weeks of hotel stays is a comfortable balance.  

SWISS Avro RJ100

It turns out my balance only buys five nights.  I'm taking a trip to Geneva next month for the EBACE aviation trade show and need five nights in the area (the trade show is three days, but a short notice miles booking required a slightly longer stay).  Three nights at the Intercontinental Geneva, one at the airport Holiday Inn, and one at a TBD hotel (all IHG hotels are booked on one night, so I'm waiting for a late cancellation).  After those reservations, I have only 11,000 points left.

Waiting For The Next Adventure

I'm fine with a small balance.  Priority Club points exist for when you travel somewhere without a Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Fairmont, or Startwood hotel.  Priority Club also does not require hotels to recognize elite benefits on award stays (contact the hotel in advance to see if they will honor your benefits, the Crowne Plaza Helsinki did), so points stays can make for a disappointing vacation.  I see it as a last resort currency only preferential to spending money and went two years without needing any points. You can also buy points from them at a rate of $60 per 10,000. It might be a while before I need to acquire more points.

Airline Club Etiquette: Cell Phone Use

I was in the United Club at PHX today and an older man was talking very loudly into his cell phone while seated in the general seating area.  It was so loud, and he was being rude to a United call center rep too, that I asked him to keep it down.  He didn't.  I later told him his 2.5 hour delay last week due to an equipment change was an operations decision and that was it.  At one point he said "hijacked my plane."  Don't say that in an airport!  

United Airlines 737

The lesson today is to talk softly or excuse yourself to an empty area and to watch what you say.  Everyone was uncomfortable because of one person too wrapped up in his moot problems to care about those around him.  

American Airlines' Reservation System Fails, Grounds Airline

American Airlines grounded their fleet today because of a computer system failure.  This happens to United every two or three years, so I won't make any jokes.  Re-booking and cancellation fees are waived, so it is a positive for a very small number of passengers. 

AA MD-80

Every Airport Code United Airlines and United Express Serves

I spent some time with the United Airlines timetable and pulled a list of all the airport codes for United and United Express (current as of March 30, 2013).  These are especially useful for finding mileage runs with ITA Matrix.  My goal is to make 1 million United miles soon, so I am spending a little more to fly United rather than US Airways (upgrades help too).  

United Airlines 737 and 777

ABE, ABI, ABQ, ABR, ABX, ABY, ACA, ACK, ACT, ACV, AEX, AGS, AGU, ALB, AMA, AMS, ANC, ANU, AOO, APN, ARN, ASE, ATL, ATW, AUA, AUS, AVL, AVP, AZO, BAH, BCN, BDA, BDL, BFL, BFS, BGM, BGR, BHM, BHX, BIL, BIS, BJI, BJX, BKK, BKW, BMI, BNA, BNE, BOG, BOI, BOM, BON, BOS, BPT, BQK, BQN, BRD, BRO, BRU, BTM, BTR, BTV, BUF, BUR, BWI, BZE, BZN, CAE, CAK, CBR, CCS, CDC, CDG, CHA, CHO, CHS, CIC, CID, CKB, CLD, CLE, CLL, CLT, CME, CMH, CMX, CNS, COD, COS, CPR, CRP, CRW, CSG, CTS, CUN, CUU, CVG, CWA, CZM, DAB, DAL, DAY, DCA, DEL, DEN, DFW, DGO, DHN, DLH, DNA, DOH, DRO, DRT, DSM, DTW, DUB, DUJ, DXB, EAU, EDI, EGE, EKO, ELH, ELM, ELP, EMD, ERI, EUG, EVV, EWN, EWR, EYW, EZE, FAI, FAR, FAT, FAY, FCA, FCO, FKL, FLL, FNT, FPO, FRA, FSD, FSM, FUK, FWA, GDL, GDV, GEG, GFK, GGT, GGW, GHB, GIG, GLA, GLH, GLT, GNV, GPT, GRB, GRK, GRR, GRU, GSO, GSP, GTF, GTR, GUA, GUC, GUM, GVA, HAM, HDN, HIB, HIJ, HKG, HLN, HNL, HOB, HOU, HPN, HRL, HSV, HUX, HVR, IAD, ICT, IDA, IMT, IND, INL, IPL, IST, ITH, ITO, IYK, JAC, JAN, JAX, JFK, KIJ, KIX, KOA, KWA, KWI, LAN, LAS, LAW, LAX, LBB, LCH, LEX, LFT, LGA, LHR, LIH, LIM, LIR, LIS, LIT, LMT, LNK, LOS, LRD, LSE, LWS, LWT, MAD, MAF, MAJ, MAN, MBJ, MBS, MCI, MCO, MDT, MEI, MEL, MEM, MEX, MFE, MFR, MGA, MGM, MHT, MIA, MID, MKC, MKE, MKG, MLB, MLI, MLM, MLS, MLU, MNL, MOB, MOD, MOT, MRY, MSL, MSN, MSO, MSP, MSY, MTJ, MTY, MUC, MXP, MYR, NAS, NBW, NGO, NRT, OAK, OAX, OGG, OKC, OKJ, OLF, OMA, ONT, ORD, ORF, OSL, OTH, PAH, PAP, PBC, PBI, PDX, PHL, PHX, PIA, PIB, PIH, PIT, PKB, PLN, PNS, PQQ, PSC, PSP, PTY, PVD, PVR, PWM, QRO, RAP, RDD, RDM, RDU, RHI, RIC, RNO, ROA, ROC, ROK, ROR, RST, RSW, RTB, SAL, SAN, SAP, SAT, SAV, SBA, SBN, SBP, SCE, SDF, SDJ, SDY, SEA, SFO, SGF, SGU, SHV, SIN, SJC, SJD, SJO, SJT, SJU, SLC, SLP, SLW, SMF, SMX, SNA, SNN, SPI, SRQ, STL, STR, SWO, SYD, SYR, TAM, TCB, TCL, TGU, TLH, TLV, TPA, TPE, TRC, TRI, TUL, TUP, TUS, TVC, TXK, TXL, TYR, TYS, UIO, UOX, VER, VLD, VPS, VSA, XNA, YAP, YEG, YHZ, YLW, YMM, YOW, YQB, YQM, YQR, YQT, YUL, YUM, YVR, YWG, YXE, YXU, YYC, YYJ, YYT, YYZ, ZIH, ZLO, ZRH

Another Fun Picture

Here's another fun picture.

United 737-800

Here's A Picture I Like

It's snowing in Denver, but this picture has me dreaming of a trip on Singapore Airlines.  

Rear View of Singapore 777

Happy Spring

Bike riders are clogging the roads, Home Depot has a full parking lot, and the de-icing trucks are stowed at DEN.  Spring has arrived and delays shouldn't be very bad for a while.  It's time to fly.

No More Pictures Like This For a Few Months

Update 4/8:  Maybe not.  Denver could get 6-12 inches tomorrow.  http://denver.cbslocal.com/guide/colorado-denver-weather-forecast-rain-snow-storm/