Miles and Points, Dorms and Dreams

1. SimplyCash Business card from American Express has an increased bonus of $250 after spending $5,000 in the first 6 months. Obviously, there are better bonuses available, but this could be of interest to some. Be aware, my husband got a targeted offer in the mail for $300 cash back. More info in my list of best business cards. Pays me commission.

2. Get  10% bonus on Avios transfers from SPG, made before September 30th.  

Remember, you already get a 5,000 mile bonus per each 20,000 mile transfer. If you have specific plans for your Avios (British Airways miles), this could be  a good deal. Otherwise, I would save  SPG points till better opportunity presents itself. (h/t LoyaltyLobby)

3. Korean Air has decreased the price of economy award ticket to Hawaii, and now the cost is only 25,000 miles roundtrip. They partner with Delta, and the miles transfer from Ultimate Rewards. Read more on it on Million Mile Secrets blog.

The problem with Delta is that they have very poor availability to Hawaii, and the awards through Korean Air have to be roundtrip. Still, this could be useful to some, since currently this is the cheapest way to fly to Hawaii from the East coast.

4. My reader Cheapblackdad mentioned something to me. Apparently, if you plan to redeem points from Capital One Venture Rewards Card ( read more on it in my list of best bonuses), and your purchase isn’t coded as travel, you can call customer service and request to redeem manually. Keep that in mind, if you make a purchase from obscure travel website.

On my mind

My last post mentioned prince William, and it made me think of his mother, Diana. I didn’t really know much about her back in the day, but I clearly remember where I was the day she died.  I was sitting in my university dorm room, all alone in the entire building.

In my usual quirky way, I arrived 4 days before you were supposed to move in. Somehow I messed up on the dates. They let me settle in anyway. So, I was basically alone in a 12-story  building (unless you count a creepy male superintendent), with nothing but  a radio to entertain me. That’s how I heard about Diana’s crash.

In a typical Soviet-style absurdity, the dorm was located across from the vodka plant. In fact, you could smell it in the air. They wanted to get students hooked early, gotta keep that lowest lifespan in Europe going strong! Interestingly, after a few weeks, you got used to the smell and couldn’t tell anymore.

I’ll never forget how I was coming back from my classes one day and there was a guy standing in the middle of the road with a puzzled look on his face. He said loudly:  “Is it  me or does it smell like vodka around here?” Must be  new to this neck of the woods.

During those few days all by myself in an old depressing dorm, I had a lot of time to think and dream. Most of it had to do with writing the next great Russian novel.  I was going to break new ground and change the world.

Here I am, many years later, and one of my main ambitions is just to be a good mom. Well, that and to take down The Points Guy. I’m too ADD to write a novel (hence this blog), and who needs another novel anyway? There are plenty of those. But I only get one shot with my kids, and it’s depressing to think of all the missed opportunities, all the failures I’ve had so far.

My kids are my great novel, and our travel as a family is just one of the many chapters.