Think twice before swimming with dolphins

Dolphin

Swimming with dolphins is portrayed as a family friendly activity.  Dolphins are social and smart animals.  Hell, they are the only animals besides humans that have sex for fun!  What’s not to like?

While observing dolphins in their natural habitat at sea from the beach or even a boat is a non-invasive way to learn about these creatures, swimming with them is not.  Particularly problematic are resorts or amusement parks that keep dolphins in captivity and allow guests to pay to swim with them.

If you have seen Blackfish, you probably already know where this is going.

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5,000 Free Alaska Airlines Miles for Self-Tag Online

Free Alaska Airlines Miles

Here is an easy way to get 5,000 free Alaska Airlines miles just by printing out your baggage tag at home.

EDIT: The promotion is over.  If you would like to sign up for an Alaska Airlines Visa card you can get 25,000 miles upon approval.  LINK Full disclosure: if you are approved I also get a bonus of 2,500 miles. You may also be able to find an offer with a $100 credit by starting to purchase a ticket at Alaska’s website and then looking for a credit card sign up link before payment.

If you have status with Alaska or American you can check a bag for free.  So even if you normally carry on a bag, this makes it worth your time to check it!  This deal is good from today (April 20, 2015) through October 20, 2015.  You get 1,000 miles for each flight, up to a total of 5,000 miles during this promo.

You can even request a free tag holder here:  http://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/self-tag-express.aspx

Note that you DO need to have a Mileage Plan number and it must be attached to your reservation.  Here are the full details of the offer:

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New MacBook Retina Travel Size Laptop

Screen Shot 2015-04-19 at 10.16.02 PM

This weekend I picked up the brand new MacBook Retina with 12″ display, or what I call the MacBook Retina Travel Size.  This is the smallest Apple computer ever and barely larger than my iPad.  The MacBook will replace my four year old MacBook Pro 15″ that is too bulky for travel and my iPad Air that is too cumbersome to type anything of length.

There are many reviewers out there that will give you the ins and outs of the new MacBook Retina, but here are my thoughts on why it may be the perfect travel companion.

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Best Credit Cards for Single Travelers

Credit Cards

I should put a couple of big asterisks after the title: Best Credit Cards for Single Travelers*****  These are actually just the credit cards that are currently in my wallet.  And they work for me, some better than others.  Please take these with a grain of salt, I am not a financial expert.  I do not get paid if you get one of these — no referral links here.  You’ll have to just google them if you want to sign up.  And of course, if you don’t have good financial history or you don’t trust yourself with a credit card, then don’t get these.

With that said, here is what is currently in my wallet and why I find them useful.

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Hyatt The Pike Long Beach Review

Hyatt The Pike Long Beach

After spending three nights at the Disneyland Hotel with my family, I rented a car and drove north.  I spent a night at the Hyatt The Pike Long Beach by myself for some non-Disney relaxation.  I love Disney and I love my family, but it was great to have some solo time before heading back home and to work.

Hyatt The Pike Long Beach is one of the non-conformist properties; it is simply a “Hyatt”, and not a member of any of the Hyatt sub-brands (although many compare it to an Andaz).  In this light it is similar to Hyatt Olive 8.  This is expected to change soon as Hyatt The Pike Long Beach gets rebranded as a Hyatt Centric when the new sub-brand launches this summer.

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King Bed or Queen Beds in a Hotel Room

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As a solo traveler, I prefer a single king bed in my hotel room.  I like having a bigger bed to stretch out in and more usable space in my room.  Having an extra bed in the room doesn’t benefit me.  So what goes into the decision to have a king bed or queen beds in a hotel room?

In the the book Hotel Design, Planning, and Development (Penner, Adams, Robson), which for the record I have not read from cover to cover, the authors break down hotel guests into the following groups (I am paraphrasing here):

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Mileage Run Dubai in First Class on British Airways

Boeing 777-236ER - British Airways (G-VIID)

Last week there was some buzz over a (possible) mistake fare from Dubai (DXB) to Austin, Texas (AUS) on British Airways and partner airlines, all in First Class.

I use the term “mileage run” in the title of this post, but really it is hardly a milage run for two reasons:

  1. It was $1500 and
  2. It was only one way

Mileage runs are usually cheaper (this one, for me at least, worked out to be 7.4 cents per mile).  And having a one way from the middle east is not super helpful.

I learned about the deal while in Disneyland with my nephew and other family members and only had my iPad available to work on the itinerary.  I booked through the devil OTA because by the time I was ready to pull the trigger, BA.com had already caught the mistake fare and removed it (but Expedia was still live).  I wanted to make sure that all my segments were in First Class (some BA flights from LHR to US cities do not have a First Class, only Business).  My ticket has been confirmed and I even was able to choose my seat.  Others in the Flyer Talk forum have not been as lucky, no clue why mine ticketed while others have not yet.

Here is why I decided to book this deal:  

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Solo Travel to Cambodia

One way to approach solo travel is to plan a trip to a location where a friend lives.  This way you can experience the best of both worlds; having a connection to base your travels off of while at the same time getting to explore in your own way.  This is how I approached my solo travel to Cambodia.

Solo Trave to Cambodia
Angkor Wat Temple

A friend of mine moved to Cambodia in 2010 to teach English to college students.  I had been to Vietnam (on a group trip) a few years before and was interested in seeing Cambodia.  Visiting my friend was a win/win — I was able to spend some time with her while also being able to stay at her apartment and have her show me some of the country.

I planned a two week trip.  The first week was over her school break and the second week was while she was working.  My plan was to spend the first week with her; seeing Phnom Penh with an ex-pat local.  The next week I would do some travels on my own while she was back at work — including a trip to Siem Reap to see the Temple of Angkor Wat.

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Free weekend rental with Avis

Here is an easy way to get a free weekend rental with Avis good for a two-day, full size rental. In the past I wrote about how easy it is to get free status with rental car companies if you have a MasterCard World Elite, including the popular Arrival + … Read more

Grand Hyatt or Olive 8 – Battle in Seattle

Grand Hyatt or Olive 8 – Battle in Seattle In Seattle, like any large city, you can find a hotel by just about every chain as well as some great independent hotels.  Hyatt offers one of the best loyalty programs and many frequent travelers book a room at Hyatt when they … Read more

Wynn Las Vegas Review

While I had visited the casino and buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, my first stay wasn’t until I received an offer for $219/night on the weekend with a free night if I came back in 3 months. I liked the casino and buffet at Wynn Las Vegas, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out the hotel.  My previous stays in Vegas were usually at Mlife properties so I was excited to try a new location.

Check In: Everything from booking the rooms to check in went smooth; I checked in on a Friday night and only waited perhaps 5 minutes. My room was on the 34th floor in a Panorama room.  There was a bit of a walk from check in to the elevators; having to walk through most of the casino.  A security guard was stationed at the elevators to check to make sure guests had a room card.

Wynn Las Vegas

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Grand Hyatt Seattle Review

Grand Hyatt Seattle

Last week I reviewed the Hyatt Olive 8, this week I review the other downtown Hyatt option in Seattle, the Grand Hyatt Seattle.

These two main Hyatt properties are half a block away from each other and both centrally located near the Washington State Convention Center.  The Grand Hyatt Seattle may have a slightly better location as there are multiple restaurants and a Starbucks that you can access without leaving the hotel.

Check In: I was checking in to the Grand Hyatt Seattle on a Sunday evening just after a large convention was wrapping up from the weekend.  I was impressed that the wait was less than a minute.  The front desk clerk that helped me was very professional; the usual acknowledgement of my Platinum status, notifying me of the amenities, and offering me a choice of newspapers.

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Water conservation in hotels

Water conservation in hotelsOften in hotel bathrooms you will find a sign reminding you of the water conservation in hotels.  Usually what they explain is that towels on the floor will be replaced while towels hung up will not.  It does make sense; at home I wash my towels once a week so fresh towels every day does seem a bit unnecessary.  I have found, however, that often even when you hang up your towels they end up getting replaced.  Plus, to be honest, when I am staying in hotels I do like the luxury of fresh linens.

I have often wondered if this was truly about the environment or the hotel’s bottom line.  Or the hotel’s image as being eco friendly.

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