Posts

Business Class to Kathmandu for the Price of Economy

-
Image
Booked 11 months ago at end of schedule, I paid only $155 + 187,500 Air Canada Aeroplan points (which transfer 1:1 from American Express , Chase , and Capital One ) to fly from Newark to Kathmandu in business class on Air India.   If you're interested in leveraging points/miles for a trip like this, shoot me a message at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com and keep reading for a full review of the flight. As part of Skyteam, Air India uses SAS's lounge in Newark, which was a nice respite away from the gate, with a light breakfast before our noon flight.  Onboard our A350-900, we were greeted with fully enclosed business class suites.  This aircraft was originally ordered by Aeroflot but never delivered due to sanctions. As opposed to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner which features Electrochromic windows, this airbus features dimming AND blackout electronically operated window shades. This was much appreciated on a daytime flight to minimize glare during meals and maximize sleep in a...
Read more

Marriott Baku: 5 nights for 92,000 points with a sea-view upgrade

-
Image
Located only 3/4 of a mile from our seats, this was an ideal location for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.   Originally booked in a standard room for 92,000 points, we were upgraded to a sea view on arrival thanks to my Marriott Platinum status.  Additionally, I requested a family room with the 5 nightly upgrade awards I received as my annual choice gift for earning Platinum status last year.  Luckily, an upgrade was available, so my friend and I each ended up with our own (connecting) room. More status perks:  this hotel has a beautifully renovated club lounge with a roof deck overlooking the city with incredible views at night and a great complimentary happy hour spread. Last but not least, my favorite part of any hotel, the pool, and this property did not disappoint and I didn't need much motivation to work out every day of vacation! Looking for help maximizing points to attend popular events?  Reach out at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com!
Read more

JFK to Baku for 100,000 points + $700

-
Image
For only 100,000 ANA miles transferred from American Express and $668.21, I was able to fly 13 hours in comfort on Turkish Airlines' business class via Istanbul to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. For the first time on an international flight, I was able to check in entirely online and bypassed physical check-in entirely since I wasn't checking any bags. Having spent the night prior at the Hyatt Regency, we arrived at the airport too early to enter the Turkish Airlines lounge, but I was able to come back later and board directly from the lounge. In the meantime, we headed down to the primeclass lounge which I was able to access thanks to Priority Pass which is included with the newly re-vamped American Express Platinum Card  and Chase Sapphire Reserve  cards. As we were the first guests of the day, we had the lounge to ourselves for a while but it filled up by lunchtime.   Breakfast was delicious and as I was leaving to head to my gate, they were setting up lunch ...
Read more

24 hours in Helsinki

-
Image
Despite having sworn to stay away from JFK, a deal like this was too good to pass up and a fun way to spend my birthday in the air while also revisiting a city I really enjoyed 11 years ago.   I booked with American Airlines AAdvantage program which cost 115,000 miles and $48.60 taxes/fees round trip for lie flat business class.   Unfortunately my outbound direct flight was cancelled due to pilot strikes at Finnair and I was originally re-booked in American Airlines economy with a layover in London, but after a quick call, customer service was able to get everything sorted. After spending an hour covering the last 18 miles of the Van Wyck Expressway, I breezed through priority check-in to American Airlines' Greenwich Lounge.  I went straight to "The Bridge" which overlooks the terminal. There is a full service bar and as a bonus, I was sitting right next to Dean Norris from Breaking Bad!  I tried the chicken and waffle along with some deviled eggs, both of which...
Read more