Wishing everyone a wonderful 2013 full of exotic adventures!
3…2…1…Happy New Year!
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Monthly Archives: December 2012
My Top Twenty Parrot Sightings Of 2012
These are not being chosen because of the amazing image quality, rather that they represent the top twenty parrot sightings I had during 2012 over trips to the Cook Islands and Brazil. Some of them like the Golden Conures, Hyacinth Macaws and Rimatara Lorikeets are very rare and endangered, most of them are secure at present and we hope they stay that way! I saw a lot more parrots than these, some of them such as Kawall’s Amazon and Hawk-headed Parrot escaped before I could get a photo. They all made a unique impression on me, especially the Golden Conures!
They are being presented in chronological order of when I first saw them.
1. Tahitian Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana) – seen on Aitutaki, Cook Islands, April 2012
Tahitian Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana)
2. Rimatara Lorikeet (Vini kuhlii) – seen on Atiu, Cook Islands, April 2012
Rimatara Lorikeet (Vini kuhlii)
3. Blue-throated Conure (Pyrrhura cruentata) – seen at Rio Doce, Linhares, Brazil; Sept 2012 Unfortunately, he took off before I could get a better shot.
Blue-throated Conure (Pyrrhura cruentata)
4. White-eared Conure (Pyrrhura leucotis) – seen at Rio Doce, Linhares, Brazil; Sept 2012
White-eared Conure (Pyrrhura leucotis)
5. Monk Parakeet/Quaker (Mylopsitta monachus) and Peach-fronted Conure (Aratinga aurea) – seen in the Pantanal, Brazil; Sept 2012
Monk Parakeet/Quaker (Mylopsitta monachus) and Peach-fronted Conure (Aratinga aurea)
6. Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhyncus hyacinthius) – seen in the Pantanal, Brazil; Sept 2012
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhyncus hyacinthius)
7. Yellow-chevron Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri) – seen in the Pantanal, Brazil; Sept 2012
Yellow-chevron Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)
8. Hahn’s Macaw/Red-shouldered Macaw (Ara nobilis) – seen in Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil; Sept 2012
Hahn’s Macaw/Red-shouldered Macaw (Ara nobilis)
9. Illiger’s Macaw/Blue-winged Macaw (Primolius maracana) – seen in Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil; Sept 2012
Illiger’s Macaw/Blue-winged Macaw (Primolius maracana)
10. Blue and Gold Macaw (Ara ararauna) – seen in Cristalino, Brazil; Sept 2012
Blue and Gold Macaw (Ara ararauna)
11. Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) – seen in Cristalino, Brazil; Sept 2012
Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus)
12. Madeira Parakeet (Pyrrhura snethlage) – seen in Cristalino, Brazil; Sept 2012
Madeira Parakeet (Pyrrhura snethlage)
13. White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster) – seen in Cristalino, Brazil; Sept 2012
White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster)
14. Blue-winged Parrolet (Forpus xanthopterygius) – seen in Cristalino, Brazil; Sept 2012
Blue-winged Parrolet (Forpus xanthopterygius)
15. Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilata) – seen in Alta Floresta, Brazil; Sept 2012
Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilata)
16. Crimson-bellied Conure (Pyrrhura perlata) – seen at Alta Floresta, Brazil; Sept 2012
Crimson-bellied Conure (Pyrrhura perlata)
17. Santarem Conure (Pyrrhura amazonum) – seen at Amazonia National Park, Brazil; Sept 2012
Santarem Conure (Pyrrhura amazonum)
18. Golden Conures (Guarouba guarouba) – seen at Amazonia National Park, Brazil; Sept 2012
Golden Conures (Guarouba guarouba)
19. White-eyed Conure (Aratinga leucophthalmus) – seen at Amazonia National Park, Brazil; Sept 2012
White-eyed Conure (Aratinga leucophthalmus)
20. Orange-winged Amazons (Amazona amazonica) – seen at Parrot Island near Belem, Brazil; Sept 2012
Orange-winged Amazons (Amazona amazonica)
Top 8 Frequent Flyer Programs For Eco-Travelers
*** UPDATED FOR 2016 ***
It’s always good to be diversified but then not TOO diversified that you end up with tiny amounts in too many programs. Everyone, no matter where you live should join these programs right now and be ready for the New Year in case bonuses and promos are released. It’s also a good idea to make your own spreadsheet and track your miles in each program and set up a special email folder to put all emails that come from these airlines. Throughout the year, I will be blogging about any promos that come up but will concentrate on these programs as I feel they offer the best award opportunities for eco-travelers in particular. You will be on your way to a free eco-tourism adventure in no time at all!
1. United Airlines Mileage Plus – Star Alliance member, very easy for Americans to get LOTS of miles via Chase’s Ultimate Rewards (see reference tab at top), especially strong for Central America with partners Copa and Taca, but can get you to Asia pretty easily on Singapore or Thai. Has an excellent online award booking engine and allows one ways at half round trip for extra flexibility.
2. American Airlines AAdvantage – One World member, has more options between USA and Australia on Qantas, Air Pacific or Air Tahiti Nui, also great for LAN or AA to South America. Can book several of their partners online with AA planning to add more as they go along. One way awards at half round trip rates.
3. US Airways Dividend Miles – Star Alliance member, noted for great promos in the past such as Grand Slam (between me and my husband, we got over half a million miles in 3 years with this promo). Good option for non-USA residents as they offer frequent discounted buy/share miles promos throughout the year. Same redemption opportunities as UA but no one-ways and you must call them to book so they lose points for inflexibility. They have recently started to enforce MPM (maximum permitted mileage) on award tickets so booking Australia to/from USA via Asia may or may not work.
4. Avianca-Taca LifeMiles – Star Alliance member, has frequent buy share promos so good chance for worldwide members to get discounted tickets. Has online booking of partner awards but the real benefit to eco-travelers is the great rates on their own flights within Central America and Peru.
My analysis of Avianca-Taca LifeMiles
5. British Airways Avios and Iberia Avios– One World members, same Avios currency but you need to join both BA and IB’s versions to maximize it. Pretty easy to earn Avios via E-Rewards and can also credit stays at Accor hotels to Iberia’s program and transfer easily between BA and IB. Americans can get lucrative credit card bonuses. Not a program for long haul or itineraries needing connections but excellent for short haul within South America on partner LAN or within Australia on partner Qantas.
FOR AUSSIES ONLY
6. Qantas Frequent Flyer – One World member – Join at Woolies via Everyday Rewards and get points from your weekly grocery shopping and Optus phone/internet. Various credit cards to get more points. Use for domestic Australia or short-haul to NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
7. Virgin Velocity – Not in an alliance. Good for credit card bonuses, transfers from Amex and short-haul to New Zealand and Pacific islands.
8. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer– Star Alliance member. Don’t keep miles in here if you can’t use them within 3 year because they expire whether you have activity or not. Good for redemptions on NZ between Australia and Pacific islands.
Travel Promo Year In Review 2012
The quest for free or very cheap airline miles and hotel points is always filled with intrigue and drama! Here are a few of the most memorable promos of 2012.
1. Huge credit card signup bonuses – lucky Americans got to collect hundreds of thousands of free miles via credit card signup bonuses. I have a few of them in my series here if you missed out. Remember to “learn how to fish” and check out each deal before you sign up for it. Aussies have a few credit cards too but not as lucrative as the Americans.
2. Discover America promos in April and May delivered a nice bonanza to those who were quick on the draw. I am not sure if this will happen next year but I will blog about it if it does. Meanwhile, read up on it via FlyerTalk.
3. United’s 4 mile redemptions to Asia. This was a mistake fare that only a few VERY quick people who were prepared to travel straight away actually got in on. Many people tried, but when UA discovered the mistake, they cancelled all bookings of people who hadn’t traveled yet. A few threatened to sue so it got really crazy! Grab your popcorn and see this FlyerTalk thread!
4. Club Carlson’s Big Night Giveaway. What made this one special was that it was available worldwide. Many people did “mattress runs” to cheaper hotels nearby to get the bonus miles which they could then redeem at an expensive hotel on a future trip or transfer to airline miles. Lots of fun as most people got in on it!
5. 50% Bonus on Hotel Points converted to Dividend Miles. Nice way to get rid of extra hotel points or make a huge profit on Starwood SPG points!
6. The rise and fall of Bluebirds and Vanilla Reloads. No, I don’t mean THIS bluebird! I mean the frenzy of people seeking cheap Ultimate Rewards via Office Depot and various reload card options.
7. Wyndham Rewards Phantom Phrenzy. It was supposed to be a targeted promo but somehow a link got out and people were booking cheap Wyndham hotels and not even showing up to stay in them just to get the 16,000 point bonus. I didn’t do it as I am wary of mistake promos as sometimes they are honored, sometimes they aren’t and this one you had to fork out for the rooms in advance without knowing if you would get the bonus or not. It turns out they did get it after LOTS of complaints back and forth to Wyndham.
8. Cartera Online Mall Mania. Cartera is dodgy at best about giving you miles for your click-through purchases. Unfortunately, they operate most of the airline’s affiliate shopping malls so you can’t really escape them. Sometimes they stuff up and offer ridiculous bonuses that are obviously a mistake but people will try to get them honored. This Flyertalk thread has one of the best ones that carried over from last year and had most people getting a “goodwill” bonus instead of the cheap miles they had hoped for.
9. LifeMiles 250 miles per purchase bonus. New kid on the block, Avianca Taca’s LifeMiles opened an online shopping mall and sent out emails to all members offering 250 bonus miles per purchase. Of course savvy miles collectors wasted no time in finding the cheapest way to rack up the miles. Those of us who are eco-friendly opted for online automatic transactions such as e-books, donations to puppies and e-gift certificates. The worst of the bunch were ordering $1 shampoo bottles, each of which were packaged separately and shipped individually until the drugstore cancelled the unfilled remaining orders and withdrew from the online mall. So far, no one has gotten their bonus miles but you can read all about it here.
10. The demise of US Airways Grand Slam promo that had been going for 4 years previously. This was the one we all waited for with breathless anticipation of cheap miles to be spent on exotic destinations all over the world. The more experienced Grand Slammers would start saving a year in advance for hotel points and other “hits” to be used in September each year for this extremely lucrative promotion. Last year, FlyerTalk had a whole forum dedicated to the Grand Slam! In August, we eagerly started following US on Twitter, playing with URLs looking for a hint of the 2012 Grand Slam…………….all for nought! It didn’t happen! Most people blame it on several beginner oriented bloggers who spell out the tricks and loopholes in such detail a two year old could do it and it no longer required finesse and intelligence to maximize the promo. It would have been unsustainable for US to hand out so many miles to so many people. In October, they did throw us a bone with a Share Miles promo that wasn’t nearly as good as the Grand Slam had been but allowed us to top up our accounts at a discounted rate.
What does 2013 have in store? Of course no one knows, but if you follow this blog by rss feed or subscription (use the form in the sidebar to the right), we will be right on top of the new promos that come up so you can get to those wonderful ecotourism hotspots you are all dreaming about!
Birding In Indonesia
INDONESIA’S BIRDING HOTSPOTS
From Crowned-Pigeons and Birds-of-Paradise, to endemic Pheasants and Pittas, not to mention a wide variety of parrots such as Cockatoos, Lories, Fig Parrots, Eclectus and more – Indonesia has some of the world’s best birdwatching. Spanning two continents and home to over 1,600 species (including almost 400 endemics) there are plenty of reasons to come birding in Indonesia, then come again and again.
I have found the Burung Nusantara website a tremendous resource for planning my own trip to West Papua in the near future. They also have comprehensive guides on how to get to the birding hotspots, what species to look for and how to organize guides. Some places where birders flock to such as the Arfak Mountains and Raja Ampat don’t have email or cell phones so it can be very difficult to get ahold of guides or book things in advance. In the low season, it should be feasible to just show up and ask for a guide, preferably one of the recommended guides on this site as they have good experience and skills. In the busy season, you will probably need to find some way to book in advance, otherwise you may find that the best guides are already booked by major birding tour operators.
Here’s a selection of recommended birding hotspots and where you can read more about them. In future posts, I will take each one in more detail as to how to get there and organize the birding in that area and how you can reach Indonesia from your country using your frequent flyer miles.
SERAM
Key bird species:
Forsten’s Scrubfowl; Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk; Meyer’s Goshawk; ‘Seram’ (Long-tailed) Mountain-Pigeon; Salmon-crested Cockatoo; Red Lory; Blue-eared Lory; Purple-naped Lory; Moluccan King-Parrot; Moluccan Scops-Owl; Moluccan Boobook; Lesser Masked-Owl; Lazuli Kingfisher; ‘Seram’ Swiftlet; Olive Honeyeater; Seram Honeyeater; Seram Myzomela; Wakolo Myzomela; Seram Friarbird; Moluccan Cuckoo-shrike; Pale-gray Cuckoo-shrike; Black-chinned Monarch; ‘Seram’ Golden Bulbul; Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher; Seram Thrush; Streaky-breasted Fantail; Drab Whistler; Seram White-eye; Rufescent White-eye; Gray-hooded White-eye; Seram Oriole; Moluccan Starling; Long-crested Myna.
ARFAK
Key species:
Magnificent Bird-or-Paradise; Black Sicklebill; Long-tailed Paradigalla; Arfak Astrapia; Arfak Bowerbird; Lesser Bird-of-Paradise; Superb Bird-of-Paradise; New Guinea Eagle; Feline Owlet-Nightjar; Mountain Owlet-Nightjar; Spotted Jewel-Babbler; Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler Spotted Catbird; Flame Bowerbird; Magnificent Riflebird; Buff-tailed Sicklebill.
RAJA AMPAT
Key species:
Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise; Red Bird-of-Pardise; King Bird-of-Paradise; Northern Cassowary; Western Crowned-pigeon; Pheasant Pigeon; Black Lory; Beach Kingfisher; Bruijn’s Brush-turkey.
NIMBOKRANG
Key species:
Northern Cassowary; Pale-billed Sicklebill; Blue-and-Black Kingfisher; Brown Lory; Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise; Shovel-billed Kingfisher; Victoria Crowned Pigeon; King Bird-of-Paradise; Blue Jewel Babbler; Brown-necked Crow; Hook-billed Kingfisher; Vulturine Parrot; Papuan Hawk-owl; Lesser Bird-of-Paradise; Brown-collared Brush-turkey; Greater Black Coucal; Papuan Nightjar; Grey Crow; Black-sided Robin; Lowland Peltops; White-eared Catbird; Wompoo Fruit-Dove; Coroneted Fruit-Dove.
BIAK AND NUMFOR
Key species:
Long-tailed Starling, Biak Black Flycatcher; Biak Paradise-kingfisher; Biak Lory; Geelvink Pygmy-parrot; Biak Scops-owl; Biak Monarch; Biak Coucal; Biak Scrubfowl; Biak Gerygone; Biak White-eye; Numfor Paradise-kingfisher.
LORE LINDU
Key bird species:
Small Sparrowhawk; Bare-faced Rail; Sulawesi Woodcock; Metallic Pigeon; Ornate Lorikeet; Yellow-and-green Lorikeet; Ochre-bellied Hawk-Owl; Cinnabar Hawk-Owl; Speckled Hawk-Owl; Diabolical Nightjar; Scaly Kingfisher; Purple-bearded Bee-eater; Cerulean Cuckoo-shrike; Pygmy Cuckoo-shrike; Chestnut-backed Bush-Warbler; Blue-fronted Flycatcher; Sulawesi Blue-Flycatcher; Geomalia; Sulawesi Thrush; Great Shortwing; Olive-flanked Whistler; Maroon-backed Whistler; Malia; White-backed Woodswallow; Sulawesi Myna; Fiery-browed Myna; Mountain Serin
BALI BARAT
Key bird species:
Beach Thick-knee; Orange-breasted Pigeon; Javan Cuckoo-shrike; Black-winged Starling; Banded Pitta; Bali Starling (Myna); Java Sparrow
Guest Post: Angela’s Story Of Tambopata
A few days ago, when I blogged about Dream Trips; a friend of mine posted this story as a comment. I thought it was such an amazing, heartfelt story that it deserved its own post. The one thing I wish I had done before settling down was volunteer on a conservation project such as Tambopata Research Centre and Angela was fortunate enough to have done this. Her relationship with George the Macaw is so heartwarming, you will want to grab a box of tissues before you read this.
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Words and photography by Angela Cancilla Herschel
I wrote this after just getting home from Tambopata, Peru , Novemember 2004
Talk about culture shock….boy oh boy….warm showers? ..now how weird is that!
No bugs…..
ahhh…what planet am I on anyway?
Looked and looked ..spoke to the Shaman’s right hand man..spoke to X trappers ( now guides)…spoke to the riverboat workers….spoke to EVERYONE!..
They tell me no one has ever seen a plucked or even a pluck”eed” bird…in fact their eyes glaze over when I ask them about it…..there just is no such creature in the rainforest they tell me …. what they don’t realize they are saying is that there is ..no such creature busy flying and free …I could show them …. sigh….. always one can be found boarding in any parrot store anywhere.
So …. NEVER… nada …zip… ziltch……. no where…do you ever see a feather picker or plucked feathered bird this is non existent…. and I mean …they don’t do it and die off .. and so therefore are not seen ….I mean they DON’T exist in the first place…..it is NEVER ….EVER seen!
Tambopata is like seeing a miracle…you know …to see macaws , amazons, conures and Pi’s all flying free in breathtakingly IT’S UNBELIEVABLE!! .. You know they never ever I mean EVER go on the ground … they even drink water from the treetop rainwater “pools”…and they eat lots of greens ..and nuts and seeds and sort of green seeds ( so yep fresh sprouts are great!) and not a lot of fruits …(nope) but again lots of GREENS some fruits from the ornamental palms we often see here in California and other mild winter areas ..you know many of the “fig fruits” that are date like and often turn yellow as they age….take a look and if you can you might start to notice them … The macaws even eat the seed bell pods from the fern leaf blue flowering Jacaranda tree (that I was worried might be poisonous and over my aviary) …that I found growing every where in the Tambopata rainforest and is ..I still can’t belive my luck when I built the aviary right under this tree ….it’s from their natural homeland!
You didn’t need an alarm clock or wake up …at a little after 4:00AM the sound of the Howler monkey greeted you to every morning ….sort of like a giant wind tunnel next to a huge jaguar!! How in the world does he make that sound anyway?
I was there helping log nest and clay lick data for Dr. Don Brightsmith so here is more information :
http://www.duke.edu/~djb4
There was a special thing I had to do in the rainforest…. while there I was to leave a part of George a scarlet macaw the spokesbird for the rescue fund raiser held every year by Parrot Festival in Houston,TX ..I wanted a part of “George” to return to the Peruvian rainforest, the land of his birth.
George came to live with Festival Director Brenda Adams and Brenda wrote this about him:
“In 2000, he was asked to be the Rescue Awareness Spokesbird for The National Parrot Rescue & Preservation Foundation. It was at our annual educational conference, Parrot Festival, that he made friends with Chris Davis. She shared his story with people all over the world when she wrote a beautiful article about him in the August 2000 issue of Bird Talk. Since then, she had kept readers updated on George through her column.
There was something about George that drew people to him. I have known a lot of very special birds, but never one quite like George. When people met him, they never forgot him. He had a way of looking at you that made you realize how deep the spirit lies in these beautiful creatures. His story has been an inspiration to many, helping people to see that hardships can be overcome. But there is no doubt that seeing his picture, or actually meeting him, had a more profound effect. One of his good friends once made the observation ‘I can see the rainforest in his face.’ In a way, that said it all.”
George found happiness again when he came to live with Brenda at last. One has to wonder at what his life was like for the first half of it …while free , when he was a prince of the rainforest.”
Knowing there are 3 main subspecies of scarlet macaws and that the subspecies George belonged to can be found only in the Peruvian Amazon by the famous clay lick near the great Tambopata river (a tributary of the mighty Amazon river). It was easy to know the area of Peru that “George” originally had been taken from ……….and…so here is my story:
It is Tuesday November the 16th, 2004. I have been on the second shift, since 11:30AM, filing data here at the claylick with my team member Terry…viewing and recording how many macaws are on the clay lick every 5 minutes (how many blue and yellows ( blue and golds) how many red and greens ( greenwings), how many scarlets, amazons and others etc. Just saw a mated pair fly over my head of the extremely rare blue headed macaw ( they are the size of a severe …aka chestut fronted )….incredible to see ….sigh.
And then I see him again.
Same gorgeous “magenta” dragon fly ..”no kidding magenta!”……it is three times now and he keeps coming right in front of me hovering in my eyes, very, very still in mid air…he is magical… “It is time,” he says. …”It is time.” And so it dawns on me …. he is telling me that there in front of the ancient clay lick once long ago a special scarlet macaw many of us have come to know of as “George” came to this very clay lick with his mate.
And that is how it came to pass that at 12:35 PM , Peruvian time, on Tuesday November the 16th in the year 2004…..
I got up and walked over and released the brilliant red chest feathers of that wonderful wild caught old scarlet macaw …..that so many loved…and in doing so a part of “George”, could touch the soil of his beloved old home once again…..and that the Tambopata clay lick .. was the one place for sure that wonderful old bird would have visited …..long ago,when he was free and proud and a prince of the rainforest.
George is no longer crippled in one wing or blind in one eye (caused by his capture so very long ago ) …he is now back with his old mate flying from tree to celestial tree….screaming at the top of his lungs….he is a prince once again.
George, left our Earth over a year ago due to old age….but his feathers and my footprints are still there
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Notes from Tara:
If this story inspires you to visit Tambopata for yourself, please see my series on how to get to Peru and out to Tambopata, step by step. It starts here and there are links to the other posts in the series.
If you would like to apply as a volunteer at Tambopata Research Centre, please visit their website.
Virgin Velocity Has 30% Discount On Most Flights, Booking Until 6 Jan
Great chance to book your trips for next year at a greatly reduced rate! On sale between 26 December 2012 till 06 January 2013, unless sold out sooner. Travel must be between 26 December 2012 and 30 September 2013 inclusive.
***T&C below***
Here are some of the best options for eco-travelers!
COOK ISLANDS
Would you like to see this beauty or this one? Book this routing!
TASMANIA
Or how about a flight to Tassie to see this rare parrot?
Fiji has several islands like Kadavu and Vanua Levu that offer great birding so why not save 30% on your flights?
BALI
Ever-popular Bali is a real bargain! Say “Selamat Datang” to the Bali Starling or use Bali as a jumping off point to the birders’ paradises of West Papua and Seram.
EAST COAST TO WEST COAST AND VV AUSTRALIA DOMESTIC
Even those longer Aussie flights such as Perth to the east coast like BNE or SYD are a great bargain and no matter which direction you fly in, cockatoos, lorikeets, kookaburras and more are waiting to be photographed!
***Terms and Conditions
~ On sale between 26 December 2012 till 06 January 2013, unless sold out sooner. Travel must be between 26 December 2012 and 30 September 2013 inclusive. This offer only applies to Reward Seats. Any Seat redemptions are not eligible for this offer. Prices are subject to Reward Seat availability and to the Velocity Membership Terms and Conditions. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Any pay component is not eligible for Points earn and is not subject to the 30% discount. Name changes and refunds are not permitted. Credit/Debit card charges will apply: a fee of $7.70 per person per booking for Virgin Australia domestic flights or $10 per person per booking for Virgin Australia international short haul flights will apply. Additional baggage charges apply for Virgin Australia Domestic and International Short Haul flights. For Virgin Australia Domestic flights, pre-pay from $15 or from $40 at the airport, per person, per flight for a 23kg one piece allowance. For Virgin Australia Short Haul International flights to and from New Zealand (excluding Perth) and Pacific Islands pre-pay from $25 or from $60 at the airport, per person, per flight. For Virgin Australia Short Haul International flights between Perth and New Zealand pre-pay from $30. Or for Virgin Australia Short Haul International flights to and from Asia pre-pay from $30 or from $60 at the airport, per person, per flight. Fees are chargeable at the time of purchase please click here for a schedule of current fees. Fees will be incurred for excess baggage. Complimentary baggage allowances apply for Silver, Gold and Platinum Velocity members and guests travelling on Flexi, Premium Economy and Business Class Fares. Conditions and travel restrictions apply for all fares. For full details please visit virginaustralia.com/velocity.
* Fares quoted are departing Sydney. Checked baggage charges apply to all Saver Fares. For domestic flights, pre-pay $15 for flights online for 1 piece of checked baggage of up to 23kg per person per one way flight, or pay $40 at the airport for the same allowance. For international short-haul flights, pre-pay $25 online for 1 piece of checked baggage of up to 23kg per person per one way flight or pay $80 at the airport for the same allowance. For more information please go to the ‘Checked Baggage’ section on our website. Checked baggage charges not payable by Velocity Platinum, Gold and Silver Members. Baggage limits and excess baggage fees apply. Visit www.virginaustralia.com for more information. Change/cancel fees apply. The applicable change or cancel fee will be the fee published on our website on the date you request the change. Name changes and refunds are not permitted. All fares quoted are internet fares. A Booking and Service fee applies when paid by credit card, debit card or PayPal. $7.70 per person per booking for all domestic flights, $10 per person per booking for all short haul international flights, and $30 per person per booking for all International long haul flights. When booking by phone fares are $15 more for domestic flights, $20 more for international short-haul flights and $50 more for international long-haul flights. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Fares are correct as at 25 December 2012 and are subject to change. Fares are on sale from until 3 January 2013 unless sold out prior. Domestic fares are for travel 16 January 2013 to 27 March 2013. International short-haul fares are for travel 23 January 2013 to 22 March 2013. International long-haul fares for North America are for travel 1 February 2013 to 31 March 2013, 21 April 2013 to 16 June 2013 and 18 July 2013 to 31 August 2013. Flights from Australia to Los Angeles are operated by Virgin Australia International or Delta Air Lines. Connecting flights between Australian domestic ports are operated by Virgin Australia. Fares may vary until ticketed due to currency fluctuations. Conditions and travel restrictions apply for all fares. Visit www.virginaustralia.com for full terms and conditions.
Flexible Point Earning Credit Cards USA Edition And Best Uses For Eco-Travelers
This is the 3rd part in my reference guide series of USA based credit cards and the best uses for eco-travelers. Please see my other two guides for more details.
Airline Mileage earning credit cards (and some basic info and a glossary)
Hotel Point earning credit cards
FLEXIBLE POINT EARNING CREDIT CARDS
There are several options for Americans to earn flexible points that will transfer to a variety of airline and hotel programs, but the main two of interest to eco-travelers will be Chase’s Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards. Amex also has a similar program in Australia so if you live there, please visit this post. Of the USA based programs, I feel that Ultimate Rewards have the best options for eco-travelers so I will start there.
CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS
These come in personal version (Sapphire and Freedom) and the business versions (Ink series). Chase cards are usually not churnable for the same product but you can get one of each card as long as you can convince Chase to give you a sufficient credit limit to qualify for the card. The screenshots below are from Chase’s website and may not represent the best offer on the market. You should always check the Flyertalk MileBuzz forum as new deals get posted there pretty quickly when they come out. The Ultimate Rewards points are only transferable to airlines and hotels with the Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus and Ink Bold cards. The other cards earn you points that you can spend for travel in the Ultimate Rewards Mall. Transfer partners are United Airlines, British Airways, Korean Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hyatt Hotels, Priority Club Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Ritz Carlton Hotels and Amtrak.
Of these, the best options are United Airlines for Star Alliance Awards and British Airways for short-haul Avios awards. More details can be found on this page as to redemption ideas.
AMERICAN EXPRESS MEMBERSHIP REWARDS
Like Chase’s cards, Amex cards also come in personal and business versions. They have a wide range of products and it is best to see their website for the latest offers and features of each card. Amex’s website is very detailed and too long to screenshot the whole thing so I will provide the main details on the personal cards and direct you to their website to see Amex Business Cards. Flyertalk has extensive information about these cards in their own forum and new deals also tend to be posted in MileBuzz so always check there before applying for a card. Also be on the lookout for transfer bonuses such as the recent 30% bonus to British Airways Avios.
See the Membership Rewards page for a complete overview of the program and these pages for a complete list of transfer partners. Page 1, Page 2.
The best options for eco-travelers would be Delta for use on Skyteam awards or British Airways for use on short-haul Avios. Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic can also be useful for redeeming on Virgin Australia. Qantas is a partner but the award cost is higher than using Delta to Australia. Be careful when transferring to any of the European and Asian airlines as they often have huge fuel surcharges even when redeeming on partner airlines. Singapore Airlines is good for Air New Zealand redemptions between Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands such as Rarotonga. 
OTHER TYPES OF CREDIT CARDS – BANK REWARD POINTS AND CASH BACK
There are some credit cards that earn points that you spend within the bank’s program on travel. You can’t transfer them to airline miles or hotel points but you can use them to purchase travel from their affiliated travel agent. These are not usually a great value unless there is a huge signup bonus. If you have exhausted all the mileage earning cards and flexible point cards and are looking for somewhere to put your everyday spend, you may want to consider a 2% cash back card. Many of these have no annual fee but there may be restrictions on how you get your cash back so be sure to read the T&Cs of the program. Here are a few links to look at, but as always, check on FlyerTalk for any special deals that may be posted.
SUMMARY
This is just a VERY brief summary of what’s available. Signup offers change very quickly so you always need to do your homework to make sure you get the best offer. Take into account your ability to meet the minimum spend to get the bonus miles. The odds are you will see some credit card offers in my advertising sidebar that will be directed to you based on your physical location. I have no control over what ads you see. Clicking on them helps me and the blog and a purchase or credit application is not required for me to get credit. Please feel free to ask me any questions here in the comments of this post.
Hotel Point Earning Credit Cards USA Edition And Best Uses for Eco-Travelers
This is a continuation of the Mileage Earning Credit Card post. General advice for Americans about credit cards can be found there.
BEST HOTEL POINT EARNING CREDIT CARDS FOR ECO-TRAVELERS
Generally speaking, hotel point earning credit cards will be less valuable for eco-travelers than for mainstream tourists looking for elite status and 5 star accommodations. The eco-lodges we are seeking won’t be affiliated with any of these programs. There are a couple of good uses of hotel points.
- Stays at gateway hotels in your departure city or the gateway city from where you will travel on to the rainforest, savannah or other habitat.
- Hotel points can be converted into airline miles to top up your accounts so you can get a free ticket faster and signup bonuses really speed this along.
Here are my recommendations:
1. Club Carlson Visa (blogged about here): Issued by US Bank, several versions so choose the one that suits you best and you could get at least 2 free nights at any Club Carlson hotel. My main interest in this card is the 50k after any first spend and second award night free so I will probably go for the Visa Signature in my next app-o-rama. They have fairly decent transfer rates to airline miles and you can choose from 20 airline programs. The best ones for eco-travelers are AA, BA, DL, UA and US.
| 2,000 points | 250 miles |
| 50,000 points | 8,000 miles |
| 100,000 points | 18,000 miles |
2. Priority Club Visa: Issued by Chase, signup bonus is currently 60k after $1000 spend. Historically, it’s gone as high as 80k with no minimum spend but all the Chase cards seem to have at least a $1000 in 3 month spend these days. Annual fee of $49 is waived the first year but you get a free night certificate each year starting on your first anniversary so this card is well worth keeping. I’m into my 3rd year with this card and have redeemed my free night at hotels that range between $160 and $230 a night. Transfer rates to airlines are a flat 10k PC = 2k airline miles and their partners include AA, BA, DL, QF, SQ, US, UA, and DJ.
3. SPG American Express: Issued by American Express, signup bonus is usually 25k of which you get 10k after first spend and 15k after spending $5000 within 6 months. They occasionally have specials where you get a total of 30k of which 20k requires the 5k spend. Annual fee $65, waived first year. Best values are Cash and Points redemptions which give a huge savings on regular hotel rates with fewer points than an outright free night redemption. SPG has an amazing transfer program which is usually 1 SPG = 1 airline mile but if you transfer 20k, you get a bonus of 5k. LOTS of partners but best ones for eco-travelers are AA, BA, DL, SQ and US. In this case, UA is not a good option as the rate is only 2 SPG = 1 UA.
4. Hilton Honors (several cards): Hilton has cards issued by Citibank and Amex. The Citicards have free night certificates or 40k sign up bonus and come in $95 annual fee/no annual fee versions. The Amex cards give you 40k signup bonus and come in $75 annual fee/no annual fee. Minimum spends are between $750-$3000 in 3 months so you really need to compare all the cards on their site. Transfer rates to airlines are very poor: 10k HH = 850 airline so only get these cards if you want to use them for hotel rooms.
5. Marriott Rewards Visa: Reviewed by me and I can get you a nice bonus if you let me refer you to join Marriott Rewards. See details on this post. Issued by Chase, signup bonus 50k and one free night at Cat 1-4 after $1000 spend in 3 months. Historical high 70k. Annual fee $85 waived first year, and you receive an anniversary bonus of one free night stay at a Category
1-5 hotel every year. Transfer rates to airlines is somewhat complicated so best to see it on their site. AA is not a partner but eco-travelers may be interested in BA, UA, US, GOL (Brazil domestic flights), Avianca-Taca, LAN, Qantas.
6. Hyatt Gold Passport Visa: Issued by Chase, signup bonus is 2 free nights at any Hyatt worldwide after $1000 spend in 3 months. People seem to find the best value in either Sydney or various European properties so limited usefulness to eco-travelers. You get free night certificates, not points so you can’t use this signup bonus to transfer to airlines.
7. Wyndham Rewards Visa: Issued by Barclays, sign up bonus currently 16k, historical high 30k, no minimum spend, just “first purchase”. Good transfer rates to airlines. Wyndham properties are usually reasonably priced so I would just pay for hotels and transfer these points to an airline. Rates are 8k Wyndham = 3200 airline, 17,500 Wyndham = 7000 airline, 30k Wyndham = 12k airline. Best partners for eco-travelers: AA, DL, UA, US.
8. Choice Privileges Visa: Issued by Barclays, sign up bonus 8k first spend, + 24k after using the card to pay for a stay at a Choice hotel. No annual fee. Transfers to airlines 5k Choice = 1k airline, partners include AA, DL, UA, US.
9. Best Western MasterCard: Issued by Barclays, signup bonus 16k after first spend, no annual fee. Transfers to airlines 5k Choice = 1k airline, partners include AA, DL, US and Avianca LifeMiles.
I have put these credit cards in roughly the order of which I think they have value to eco-travelers. People seeking elite status or stays at European and North American city properties would most likely prioritize cards in a different order. If the SPG card didn’t have such a high spend requirement, I would have put it first but $5000 could be a challenge. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below.
Mileage Earning Credit Cards USA Edition And Best Uses For Eco-Travelers
A GUIDE TO CREDIT CARD SIGNUP BONUSES
***Disclaimer: This is going to be a reference post about the many opportunities available for Americans. Due to the heavy competition between credit providers and airlines, Americans are blessed with unequaled chances to acquire huge amounts of frequent flyer miles and hotel points simply by applying for credit cards. I know there is a lot of controversy about referral links from bloggers so I want to assure you that I do not have any referral agreement with any credit provider. I do have Google ads down the right side and you may be presented with ads from credit providers at random which may be a good deal so I would suggest read the ad, compare it with all other offers for the same credit card, then if you are satisified the ad is the best deal, I would appreciate if you click through this site to apply for the card. I have no way of knowing which ads are provided as they will vary based on your physical location.
All links on this page go to the airline’s credit card information page. These may or may not be the best offer available. So learn how to fish! 
TEACHING YOU TO FISH
You’ve all heard the saying “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime”? Learning how to use credit card sign-up bonuses to get free or almost free airline tickets and hotel rooms is basically like learning to fish. You will need to know how to choose an airline based on your destination and be familiar with the credit cards they offer, then know where to look to get the best deal. You also need to know your credit score to see if you will qualify for these lucrative sign up bonuses. Before signing up for a credit card, you need to be a person who can manage credit and pay your bills on time and preferably the full amount so you don’t incur interest. Most people have enough daily expenses such as food, gas, utilities, travel expenses, clothing, etc that if they route everything through a mileage earning card, they can make the minimum spend requirements and continue to accrue miles every month. Always check the ever-changing master credit card thread on FlyerTalk for more recent information. Also see the Glossary at the bottom of this page for terms that you will encounter while applying for mileage earning credit cards.
***These offers are available only to US citizens or permanent residents with a Social Security Number (SSN) and excellent credit scores***
CREDIT SCORES
Use one or more of these options to get your credit score. Everyone has three credit scores, one from each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion.
Annual Credit Report – Free once every 12 months.
Credit Karma – Free, no credit card required, based on TransUnion.
Credit Sesame – Free, no credit card required, based on Experian.
Equifax Score card – $15.95 but you can get a free one with Annual Credit Report
MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – ONE WORLD AIRLINES
American Airlines – AAdvantage
Issued by Citibank
Sign-up bonuses from 30k-50k depending on product, historical high offer 75k
Annual fee $95 waived first year
Churnable after 18-26 months (varies)
Minimum spend $2500-3000 in 3 or 4 months depending on offer, varies so check carefully
Can get 2 Citibank cards at once using 2 Browser Method. Open Firefox and IE, click on 2 different cards-a Visa, Mastercard or Amex, fill out both applications but don’t send right away. Wait until you have both apps filled out completely, then VERY QUICKLY go to each browser and click the “Apply” button. If you are not instantly approved, you can call their reconsideration number and try to push it through. 1-866-606-2961
Best uses for Eco-travelers: (Round-trip awards but bookable as one-ways for half the amount) 80k USA to Australia or South Pacific; 35k USA to Central America, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador; 40k USA to Rest of South America, 90k USA to Indian subcontinent, 70k USA to Southeast Asia (such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia. Also good for long distance domestic Australian awards 10k for a one-way trip such as Perth to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Some good deals on LAN awards intra-South America too. Full award chart
British Airways Avios Visa
Issued by Chase
Signup bonuses from 50-100k, depending on levels of minimum spend, historical high 100k
Annual fee $95 not waived
Probably not churnable
Minimum Spend $1000 in 3 months for 1st 50k, additional 25k when you spend $10,000 in first year, an additional 25k after an additional spend of $10,000. I tend to look at this card as a 50k card because only the $1000 spend is easily reached for most people.
Possible retention bonus if you call them and say you want to cancel it before first year is up (done to avoid additional annual fee if you don’t want to keep the card)
Best uses for Eco-travelers: Short-haul one way trips within Australia and South America. Examples: Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo on LAN for 7500 Avios or Brisbane to Cairns on Qantas for 7500 Avios. Also bargains from West Coast USA to Hawaii on American or Alaskan for 12,500 Avios each way.
LAN-LanPass Visa
Issued by US Bank
Signup bonus – Up to 20,000 Bonus Miles with first use, Up to 4,000 Bonus Miles with annual renewal (Visa Signature)
Annual fee $25-75 depending on product, waived first year.
No minimum spend
No data on churnability
Best uses for Eco-travelers: Domestic one way flights within South American countries. Not amazing value but possibly worth it since there is no minimum spend on this card. See chart here. Brazil’s TAM is expected to merge with this program in the near future so possible intra-Brazil redemptions.
MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – STAR ALLIANCE AIRLINES
United Mileage Plus Visa
Issued by Chase
Signup bonus 30k-65k (some offers targeted), historical high 65k
Annual fee $95 waived first year
Probably not churnable
Minimum Spend $1000 in 3 months for most offers.
Possible retention bonus if you call them and say you want to cancel it before first year is up (done to avoid additional annual fee if you don’t want to keep the card)
Best uses for Eco-travelers: (Round-trip awards but bookable as one-ways for half the amount) 80k USA to Australia, South Pacific, Indian subcontinent; 65k USA to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc); 60k Brazil, 40k Peru, 35k Central America. Also good deals on Copa and Taca awards within Central America such as Flores (near Tikal, Guatemala) to San Jose, Costa Rica for 7500 miles one way.
US Airways Dividend Miles Mastercard
Issued by Barclays
Signup bonus 30-50k, offers vary widely. Some have 10k annual bonus on anniversary. Some only give the last 10k with balance tranfer so read the offer page carefully. Historical high 50k.
Annual fee $89 usually not waived.
Some people have churned it once or twice, bank may possibly be cracking down on this.
Usually no minimum spend to get signup bonus of 30-40k depending on offer, additional 10k which will be advertised in offer usually requires balance transfer from other credit card.
Credit card holders save 5000 miles on US Airways metal redemptions
Best uses for Eco-travelers: (Round-trip awards only) 80k USA to Australia, South Pacific, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, etc); 60k South America (35k for off-peak), 35k Central America.
Avianca Taca LifeMiles Visa
Issued by US Bank
Signup bonus – Up to 20,000 Bonus Miles with first use, Up to 6,000 Bonus Miles with annual renewal (Visa Signature)
Annual fee $25-75 depending on product, waived first year.
No minimum spend
No data on churnability
*** If you let me refer you, I can get a bonus of 5000 LifeMiles. This has no effect on your application, but it does help me out with future eco-trips. Once you have the card, you will also be able to refer people and earn your own bonuses. Please use the contact form to request a referral. ***
Best uses for Eco-travelers: Redemptions on Taca Peru or Taca Central America short haul flights. Example: Lima to Puerto Maldonado, Peru 3500 miles one way or San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) to Panama City, Panama (PTY) 7k miles one way. Good deals on Taca’s flights between USA and Central America such as LAX -SJO Round trip 24k. You can also travel between USA and Central America on Star Alliance carriers for 30k round trip.
MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – SKYTEAM AIRLINES
Delta Skymiles American Express
Issued by American Express
Signup bonus – 30k-45k (see Flyertalk thread) depending on product. Historical high 75k.
Annual fee $95 and up, sometimes waived so you need to check each offer
Minimum spend is all over the place! Sometimes 35k after $750 spend in 3 months, sometimes 30k after first use and an extra 20-25k after an extra specified spend.
Possibly churnable after 24 months
Best uses for Eco-travelers: (Based on round-trip, no one ways allowed) USA to Australia and Pacific 100k, USA to Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia or Africa 80k, Southern South America 60k, Northern South America 45k, Central America 35k. Full chart ex USA here. New possibilities when Garuda joins Skyteam for domestic Indonesia awards.
Korean Airlines Skypass Visa
Issued by US Bank
Signup Bonus 15k for Visa Signature, otherwise I wouldn’t bother.
Annual fee $80 not waived
No Minimum spend
Best uses for Eco-travelers: Not a whole lot, but they do partner with Garuda so the 15k gets you close to a round-trip Garuda domestic award for 20k.
MILEAGE EARNING CREDIT CARDS – NON-ALLIANCE AIRLINES
These will have very little use for eco-travelers, though they may have some use for mainstream tourism. I will just provide the links to the airlines’ pages and you can see for yourselves if any of them would suit you.
Hawaiian Airlines Visa (B of A)
Hawaiian Airlines Visa (B of H)
GLOSSARY
App-O-Rama – A term used by credit card churners to describe a behaviour of applying for different credit cards on the same day with different banks. This is usually done because enquiries (applications for credit) can lower your credit score making it more difficult to get the cards approved. If you do all your application on the same day within as little time possible, the banks won’t see the new enquiries on your credit report.
Churning – Applying for the same credit card you have already had to get the signup bonus again
Credit Line Shifting – This happens when you apply for a second card with the same bank but they are not willing to give you additional credit. They may be willing to shift credit from your existing card to the new card. Also, if you plan to close a card you no longer need, always shift the credit line to another card with the same bank if you have one. If they don’t, try to shift to a card with no annual fee to preserve the credit line.
Reconsideration Line – The bank’s credit department with the power to approve your application. You may need to call the reconsideration line if you don’t get an instant approval and are in a hurry or if you are denied credit and want a second chance.
- American Express – 866-314-0237
- Chase Personal – 888-245-0625
- Chase Business – 800-453-9719
- Citibank – 800-695-5171 or 800-763-9795
- Barclays – 866-408-4064
- US Bank – 800-947-1444
Retention bonus – Sometimes offered by banks to keep you as a customer after the first year has passed and your annual fee is due. Sometimes it is a credit on your account to offset the annual fee, sometimes it is a bonus of miles to your frequent flyer account but you have to pay the annual fee. There may be conditions of a minimum spend attached to the retention bonus. Usually you call the number on the back of your card, hint to the CSR that you may not want to keep the account and get them to transfer you to retention.
2BM (Two Browser Method) – Only works with Citibank cards. Open Firefox and IE, click on 2 different cards-a Visa, Mastercard or Amex, fill out both applications but don’t send right away. Wait until you have both apps filled out completely, then VERY QUICKLY go to each browser and click the “Apply” button. Do not try this with 2 tabs in the same browser as the cookies will over-ride each other and give you a duplicate application for the same card.
Hotel Point Earning Credit Cards