The Thai Airways Business Class Experience

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I am not a person who would normally ever aspire to travel in business class.  I’ve always considered myself lucky to even have the chance to travel the world in economy, something that very few people in the world get to do.  Although I would never spend cash to buy a business class ticket or upgrade a paid economy when I have enough miles for a free ticket, sometimes the airlines dish up promos that are so generous that we can earn a large amount of miles quickly and cheaply.  This is what happened in 2008-2011 when US Airways was running their Grand Slam promo.  I was able to max out the 100k bonuses on both my account and my husband’s, topping mine off with the 2009 shopping promo and a few credit card bonuses.

I like to ensure that we have enough miles for the next 3 years’ planned trips in economy, then if we get extra miles we can redeem for business class tickets.  This is the situation we have been in for the last couple years!  So this award was booked using US Airways miles.

It was our first time using Thai Airways’ product and we loved it!  The seats were very comfortable, the service was excellent and we enjoyed the big screen entertainment.  The seats were angled lie flat but with the help of my Somidem (Ambien) prescription, I slept very well!

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The ground experience at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was amazing!  Our business class tickets entitled us to a free half hour massage in the spa which we really enjoyed.  It was more a relaxing massage than a deep tissue muscle massage.

 

IMG_8829 IMG_8830 IMG_8831 IMG_8832The airport is massive and it can be close to a kilometre walk to get from terminal E to C past the lengthy terminal D.

IMG_8834After the massage, we checked out the buffet in the Royal Silk Lounge and waited for the flight to Seoul.

IMG_8835 IMG_8836 IMG_8837 IMG_8838We had to take a bus to the plane, not sure why they don’t use the air bridges.

IMG_8839The food was great, even though we weren’t that hungry given the hour of night!

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Targeting Central American Parrot Species

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Central America has some of the best birding in the world.  There are so many bird species, it would be impossible to see all of them or even visit all the national parks and regions where birds are easily seen.  It is better to make a list of your priority species, find out where they can be seen and cross-reference the different regions to maximize possible species.  Since I am obsessed with Parrots, I gave them priority when I decided which regions and national parks I would visit.  I knew that many other fascinating bird species would also be seen such as the Resplendent Quetzal, various Toucans and Aracaris, many gorgeous little Tanagers and Woodpeckers and lots of other birds.

After using several resources such as the bird lists found on national park websites, the book Parrots of the World by Joseph Forshaw and recommendations from friends, I came up with the following spreadsheet.  A black X indicates the bird has been seen in that area.  A green X indicates the birds I actually saw when I was there.  The “captive” Yellow-naped Amazon seen near Montverde was originally a wild parrot whose wings have been clipped so he can’t fly and is forced to hang around a certain restaurant/gift shop.  There will be more details on future blogs.  The bright yellow shading indicated parrots I was successful in seeing, the white rows are the 3 species I didn’t find-the Barred Parakeet and the 2 Parrotlets.

Parrots of Central America

Central American Adventure – Choosing Accommodation

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With an eco-tourism trip, the highlight is going to be the eco-lodges so you need to choose wisely.  You will need to research the species you are hoping to see and find national parks with lodges in those areas.  Although airline miles are of use to everyone, hotel points will only be useful for stays near airports to accommodate early morning flights.  There is one exception as you will see below.  Also, this itinerary is unusual in that I organized a stopover in Hawaii on the way back to Australia so I could burn some hotel points and celebrate my birthday!  If you are USA or Europe based, this won’t be an option.  Here are my choices, how I booked them and my reasons for choosing them.  Detailed reviews on each will be forthcoming in future blogs.

BELIZE

Crooked Tree Lodge: booked direct by email (don’t use aggregators), paid cash.  Chosen because the area is known for Yellow-headed Parrots, Red-lored Parrots and White-fronted Parrots and they have a good local guide.

Parrot’s Nest, San Ignacio: booked direct by email, don’t use aggregators, paid by Visa on checkout.  Chosen because there are parrots in the area sporadically but primarily for the experience of sleeping in a treehouse.

GUATEMALA

Tikal Inn: booked direct by email, don’t use aggregators, paid by Amex on checkout.  Chosen because it’s in the Tikal National Park, there are parrots and other birds in the grounds and they have a pool.  Also they offer a free sunset/sunrise tour and some of the guides are familiar with the local birds.

Radisson, Guatemala City:  booked online with Club Carlson points.  Chosen because of proximity to airport, free shuttle and cheap points redemption.

COSTA RICA

Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiqui:  booked online at Hotels.com.  Used 10% promo code and Ultimate Rewards Mall.  Chosen because of excellent guides and known for being home to Great Green Macaws and many other birds.

Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, Boca Tapada:  Booked on Pointshound for UA miles.  Chosen because of recommendation by friend who was just there and area is extremely rich in birdlife.

Volcano Lodge, Arenal:  Booked on Pointshound for UA miles.  Chosen because of volcano views, garden, pool and it being a nice place to relax after full-on birding.

Cala Lodge, Monteverde:  Booked on Pointshound for UA miles.  Chosen because near town for easy meals/shopping and easy to get taxi to Monteverde Cloud Forest for Respendant Quetzals.

Villa Lapas, Tarcoles:  Booked on their website, don’t use aggregators.  Chosen because it is adjacent to Carara National Park for Scarlet Macaws and other birds.

Savegre Mountain Lodge:  Booked on their webiste, don’t use aggregators.  Chosen based on recommendation by friend who had been there recently, excellent guides and ease of finding Resplendant Quetzals.

Park Inn, San Jose:  Booked using Club Carlson points on their website.  Chosen because of cheap mistake rate of 5000 points, otherwise would have stayed closer to the airport.  Easy enough to get Alajuela bus to airport in the morning.

PANAMA

Radisson Summit:  Booked using Club Carlson points on their website.  Chosen because easy 15 minute drive to Soberania National Park and also because some rooms have spectacular view of the rainforest.

Courtyard by Marriott, Panama City:  Booked using Marriott points on their website.  Chosen because I wanted to burn my last 10k points and it was near the airport.

USA

Holiday Inn (Desert Inn), Las Vegas:  Used Chase free night certificate.  Chosen because I had to use the cert or lose it and they wouldn’t give me Venetian or Palazzo on Labor Day weekend.

Four Points Sheraton, LAX:  Got BRG with 2000 SPG point bonus.  Chosen because of this deal and free airport shuttle.

Maui Seaside Inn:  Booked on Hotels.com using free night after 10 stays and this one was the closest to the value I had on my free night.  Chosen because we wanted to stay in Kahului for easy access to Road to Hana and Haleakala.  Also rumours of Mitred Parakeets in nearby area.

Hyatt Regency Maui:  Used Chase Ultimate Rewards sent to Hyatt to book free nights.  Chosen because of resort facilities and a great place to spend my birthday!

Sheraton Waikiki:  Used SPG cash & points.  Chosen in hopes of an ocean view upgrade (got one!) and infinity pool.

Royal Hawaiian:  Used SPG cash & points.  Chosen because I have wanted to stay in the “pink palace” since I was a kid and never thought I could afford it!

 

 

 

Central American Adventure – Putting It All Together

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This was a pretty complicated itinerary that required several different air mile programs to complete.  You can find my guide to using miles to get to Central America here.   I used miles from my Top 8 recommended programs.  Simply put, we flew from Brisbane to Belize, overland to Flores, flew Flores via Guatemala City to San Jose, Costa Rica; and another short hop to Panama.  From there we flew Panama to Las Vegas, rental car to LAX, flew to Maui, then a short hop to Honolulu.  The final return was Honolulu-Brisbane.  Now let’s break it down into individual airline awards.

1.  US AIRWAYS – South Pacific-Central America award in business class – 120,000 each.  This was the hardest one to get as it was in August when availability trans-Pacific is at a premium.  The other challenge I had to deal with was that US was starting to enforce maximum permitted mileage though there were still some agents who didn’t seem to have  a clue.  My first suggested itinerary used ANA via Tokyo on a 787 to Seattle but for some reason US agents couldn’t see that space even though I could see it easily on UA’s tool.  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as there were problems with 787 aircraft leading to many cancellations.  We finally booked the open jaw using Thai from Brisbane – Bangkok – Seoul, Air Canada from Seoul – Vancouver, then United (only had economy seats available) from Vancouver – Houston – Belize.  BNE-BKK-ICN-YVR-IAH-BZE.  The return was easier, a simple Honolulu – Seoul – Bangkok on Asiana, then a tight connection to Thai for the final flight to Brisbane.  HNL-ICN-BKK-BNE.  We used miles earned from the Grand Slam promo held annually from 2008-2011.

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2.  UNITED AIRLINES – Central America award Flores – Guatemala City – San Jose, Costa Rica.  Easily booked online at United for 7500 miles each using flights operated by Aviateca and Lacsa as part of TACA.  Miles earned from credit card sign-ups.

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3.  AVIANCA-TACA LIFEMILES award San Jose – Panama in economy for 7000 miles each.  Original flight was on Lacsa but when this flight was cancelled I got them to put us on Copa.  Miles sourced from Lifemiles Visa sign-up.

4.  LIFEMILES award on Copa, Panama – Las Vegas, 15,000 miles each.  I specifically chose Vegas as our point of entry to the USA after research showed there were very few international flights to LAS so customs would be easier.  I was right, it was a breeze!  Miles sourced from Lifemiles Visa sign-up, the shopping promo from Oct 2012 and needed to top up some miles & cash.

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5. AVIOS redemption on American Airlines, LAX – Maui, 12,500 Avios each.  Easily booked online for the morning flight 10 months in advance.  Miles sourced from Chase BA Visa sign-up.

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6.  HAWAIIAN AIRLINES cash ticket from Maui – Honolulu.  I found a cheap deal for $60 each so decided not to waste miles on this one.

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I had been planning this trip several years in advance and knew which credit cards to get and which promos to use to make it happen.  I have no idea how much cash we would have needed for 2 people to actually pay for all these flights but my total outlay for taxes and cash components was somewhere around $1000-1200 max.  Without strategic use of miles, we never would have been able to do this trip!

Tomorrow, I will discuss how hotel points saved us more money which made us able to spend more on the independent eco-lodges.  I will also give reviews on the airlines involved and airports we visited.

Turn Two Dines Into 3,000 United Miles

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This was emailed to me yesterday, nice little bonus if you like to eat out!   Sorry I can’t give the link as it is personal to me but check your emails for a similar offer!

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Terms and conditions:
*This bonus offer is open to new MileagePlus Dining members or existing members without a dining profile at the time of registration. A dining profile includes creating a web login and opting in and remaining opted in to receive emails from MileagePlus Dining with a valid, deliverable email address. To qualify, your profile must originate through one of the links on this page. You must register by October 31, 2013 to qualify for this bonus. You must continue to satisfy other Online and/or VIP Member level criteria to earn this bonus.

To earn this bonus, you must spend at least $40 (including tax and tip) in one dine at a participating restaurant, bar or club within 40 days of registering for the bonus, but no later than October 31, 2013. You must also complete your post-dine review within 30 days of your dine. Please note that activity that occurred prior to registration will not be eligible for this bonus. In addition, the dine must occur during a valid reward period and be paid for with a credit or debit card registered in MileagePlus Dining. Member may earn the 3,000 Reasons to Dine Bonus up to two times for a total reward amount of 3,000 bonus miles (consisting of two $40 dines) per member. Offer is not combinable with other MileagePlus Dining bonuses. Please allow 6-8 weeks from the date of your qualifying dine for any bonus miles to post to your MileagePlus® account. All account inquiries related to this bonus must be received by December 31, 2013.

Please note that some restaurants offer rewards only on certain days of the week or up to a maximum spending amount per month. For complete program Terms and Conditions, guidelines and restrictions, and the latest rewards calendar, visit united.com/dining. Other limitations may apply.

Advanced registration is required. Please note that activity that occurred prior to registration will not be eligible for this bonus. Other terms and conditions apply. See Web site for details.

Miles accrued, awards, and benefits issued are subject to change and are subject to the rules of the United MileagePlus program, including without limitation the Premier® program (the “MileagePlus Program”), which are expressly incorporated herein. Please allow 6-8 weeks after completed qualifying activity for miles to post to your account. United may change the MileagePlus Program including, but not limited to, rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers or terminate the MileagePlus Program at any time and without notice. United and its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any products or services of other participating companies and partners. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the member. Bonus award miles, award miles and any other miles earned through non-flight activity do not count toward qualification for Premier status unless expressly stated otherwise. The accumulation of mileage or Premier status or any other status does not entitle members to any vested rights with respect to the MileagePlus Program. All calculations made in connection with the MileagePlus Program, including without limitation with respect to the accumulation of mileage and the satisfaction of the qualification requirements for Premier status, will be made by United Airlines and MileagePlus in their discretion and such calculations will be considered final. Information in this communication that relates to the MileagePlus Program does not purport to be complete or comprehensive and may not include all of the information that a member may believe is important, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to all of the information on the united.com website and the MileagePlus Program rules. United and MileagePlus are registered service marks. For complete details about the MileagePlus Program, go to united.com.

See additional MileagePlus terms and conditions.

 

Just Returned From Epic Birding Trip To Central America

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I have to fess up to auto-blogging for the last month.  I pre-wrote some blogs and had them auto-post once per day as I was away in remote areas with either no internet or very slow internet.  Although the posts were on topic for this blog, there were a few filler posts in there as well so I hope you weren’t too bored by them.

A lot happened while I was away.  The AA/US merger is being challenged and on hold.  I am not thrilled as I was looking forward to my US miles becoming AA miles as I need one way awards for most of my trips.

There may have been some technical issues with comments and the blog appearing in Feedly.  While I was away, WordPress had several updates which I didn’t do as I was afraid that something may go wrong while I was unable to fix it.  I do apologize to those whose comments got held up in the spam blocker which also had updates I didn’t do until I got home.

I saw some amazing birds in Central America and one amazing bird in the USA – the  famous Bluebird who feeds on ice cream and beans!  I did an app-o-rama, probably my last as I have run out of credit cards that work for my travel patterns and got to indulge in some manufactured spending to meet the minimum spends, something which can only be done at certain pharmacies in the USA so out of reach for most expats.

I do intend to make up for the auto-blogging with some amazing trip reports and advice on how you can visit some of Central America’s best birding locations using miles and points and staying in some fantastic eco-lodges!  I need the weekend to rest up, get de-jetlagged and go through 1000s of photos but stay tuned as trip reports and photos start on Monday!

Fuertes’s Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi)

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The Fuertes’s Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi), also known as Indigo-winged Parrot, is a critically endangered parrot which has a highly restricted range on the west slope of the Central Andes of Colombia.The Fuertes’s Parrot is about 24 cm longand is green with indigo wing feathers, red shoulders, and a blue crown. The bird’s pale ivory bill has chestnut feathers at the base.  It was rediscovered in 2002 after an absence of 91 years on the slopes of a volcano in Colombia.

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HELP THIS PARROT

For over 90 years, the Fuertes’s Parrot was thought to be extinct; it was the cause of great celebration when in 2002 a team of Colombian conservationists from Fundación ProAves, a WLT partner, rediscovered a small colony of 15 individuals clinging to existence on a small and highly fragmented patch of cloud forest habitat located above the town of Cajamarca in Central Colombia.

ProAves has worked tirelessly since then to save the species and in 2009 established the 361 acre Giles-Fuertes Nature Reserve to protect one of only two tiny surviving populations of parrot, as well as many other threatened birds and mammals that are dependent on these cloud forests.

It is now vitally important to protect a further 363 acres alongside Giles-Fuertes Nature Reserve. While the parrot’s core breeding colony is protected, the encroachment of pasturelands into the sensitive cloud forests surrounding the reserve threatens further fragmentation and destruction of key foraging and nesting areas for this magnificent parrot.

The Birds Of Africa, Volume 8: The Malagasy Region

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This brand new guidebook to the region is the eighth and final volume in the authoritative Birds of Africa  series. It covers the Malagasy region which comprises Madagascar and the various  islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles,  the Comoros, Mauritius and Réunion.
Every resident and migrant species is covered in full detail, comparable to other volumes in the series, and with a colour map for each species. Vagrants are treated in less detail. All species are illustrated on a beautiful series of 64 colour plates, with original artwork from John Gale and Brian Small.
This is a major work of reference on the birds of the region and will remain the standard text for many years to come.

*Disclaimer:  The link above contains an affiliate link and I will receive a small commission if you buy this or any other product on Amazon.com after clicking it.  As always, I appreciate your support, thank you!

The Thanks Again Program Allows You To Earn Bonus Rewards

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How it Works

The Thanks Again program allows you to earn Bonus Rewards in three easy ways –

  1. At the Airport – Earn extra miles or points when you Shop, Dine, or Park at more than 100 participating airports. Certain airports offer extra miles for Parking, some for Dining, and many offer all three!
  2. Neighborhood Businesses – Earn at thousands of Neighborhood Businesses. We allow you to earn bonus miles in places where miles traditionally have not been offered, such as your local dry cleaner.
  3. Local Attractions – Be a “tourist in your own town” to take advantage of bonus opportunities, as well as when you visit other cities. Check out our participating museums, resorts, sports venues, aquariums, zoos, theme parks, and other popular attractions.

Register any credit or debit card in your wallet to earn airline miles automatically when you use a registered credit or debit card at Airports, Neighborhood Businesses, and at Local Attractions throughout North America.

Check our Merchant Locator at www.thanksagain.com/locator for a list of participating Thanks Again locations.

Earn Up to 5 Miles per Dollar Spent!*

Be sure to choose your preferred partner to earn miles or points with.  You can choose from:

  • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
  • American AAdvantage
  • Delta SkyMiles
  • Frontier Early Returns
  • Hilton HHonors
  • United Mileage Plus
  • US Airways Dividend Miles

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As per the FAQ, you can double dip.  For example if you earn a bonus because your card is registered with a dining program or something like Ultimate Rewards, you will also get your Thanks Again miles.

What if I Already Earn Rewards with My Card?
If you register a reward card that already earns miles, points, or cash back, the rewards that you earn via Thanks Again will be awarded in addition to the rewards that you already may earn.

 

Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco

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Eco-tourism isn’t always about traveling overseas to exotic locations.  Sometimes it is very close to home, especially if you are lucky enough to live in San Francisco!

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL tells the true story of a bohemian St. Francis and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red and green parrots. Former street musician and San Francisco dharma bum Mark Bittner falls in with the flock as he searches for meaning in his life, unaware that the parrots (Cherry-headed Conures) will bring him everything he seeks.

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL premieres Tuesday, May 29 on Independent Lens, a weekly series airing on PBS. Hosted by Terrence Howard, the acclaimed series showcases powerful and innovative independent films. Presented by ITVS, Independent Lens is broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.