Credit Card Questions

What card should I pick up? I'm torn between the Fairmont, Sapphire, and Alaska Airlines cards. You can only pick one up ever 3 or 4 months, so I need to use this strategically. The Alaska card has no minimum spend requirement while the other cards are $3,000 and $4,000.

I Would Use Alaska Miles For BA or AF Travel

Fun Photo

Slow start to the year at work, so no travel in the coming weeks.

One Can Dream

Fairmont Card From Chase

Note: I am NOT compensated for this post.

With Fairmont being absorbed by Accor Hotels, the Fairmont card from Chase is only viable for a short while longer, but I am tempted to get one. I have until Jan 31, 2016 to decide.

Pros:

• 2 free nights at any Fairmont location after spending $3,000 in 3 months.
• No annual fee in the first year, and presumably only year, of card membership.
• Fairmont status boost to the middle level.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Cons:

• Though not officially impossible, don't plan to enjoy a free night at The Plaza or The Savoy.
• Chase's Fairmont points program is separate from Fairmont's President Club program. The Chase points must be redeemed through Chase. The award chart is miserable too. Expect a $25 gift card.  Free nights start at $25,000 in spending.

Twists:

• If your +1 gets the card too, then you have 4 nights and that could make for a nice long weekend in Barbados, Europe, or Canada.
• The merger hasn't been approved by regulators, but this is much less risky than the SPG-Marriott union.

I Don't Have Any Hotel Pictures

2015 - Year In Review

I easily reached my hotel goals in 2015, but then Starwood and Marriott announced a merger. My longer term goal (2 years away) of lifetime SPG Platinum status is now in jeopardy. I made United platinum even with limited work travel, including flights on Delta. This is better than expected and will be hard to maintain. 2015 also saw American and US Airways merge with little drama. Major award programs devalued their programs; since they all did it, I'm still a loyal and frustrated United flyer. 2016 will be a tough year with limited business travel more award program devaluations. I used my American miles to book a RTW trip in the spring, so there will be some fun from the miles game.

2015 Paid Travel - gcmap.com

2015 Total Travel - gcmap.com

Here's some highlights from 2015:

• My DUB-LHR flight was delayed 4 hours and I chatted with the pilots in the cockpit for most of that time. I love the idea of the future pilot program, but my career plan needs an adjustment first.
• While in England I enjoyed plane spotting at London City. I also had horrible food poisoning and didn't want to venture too far from my hotel. The UK forbids personal scanner use, so Channel 9 wasn't available.
• Thanks to a Sheraton free nights promotion, I had a great long weekend in Hawaii. There was a $32 resort fee, so it wan't really free, but low marginal cost.
• New Aircraft - Boeing 787-800.
• New Airports - Dublin (DUB), London City (LCY), Edinburgh (EDI), Omaha (OMA), and JFK.
• Favorite photos of the past year:

Dublin Morning Traffic

View From The Room - Sheraton Waikiki

Morning Flight from DEN to SFO

Runway 18 Center at CLT

EWR Doesn't Always Look Miserable

Fun Photo

I'm grounded until 2016, so enjoy a fun picture from earlier this year.

CRJ at MCI

White Christmas

Here's hoping there isn't a white Christmas for everyone flying this weekend.

Good Luck With Clear Runways

Happy Protest Season

There's no better way to win people over to a cause than to add stress to their holiday travels by impeding access to MSP.  Good going guys!

Sorry Delta Flyers