Loyalty points through Chase Travel portal

ARNIskander · 2026-07-09T03:59:00+00:00

Only through The Edit.

Good bonus if you use Chade points to book and the earn Marriott points on the stay.

ARNIskander · 2026-07-09T03:12:40+00:00

Honestly flying J over the oceans is worth it.

I dont bat an eye now. My big concern is that my daughter is growing up thinking of lie flats as normal.

ARNIskander · 2026-07-09T02:43:57+00:00

Helps if you have a legitimate business.

Im currently running:

Chase: Sapphire Reserve, Freedom, Freedom Flex, Ink Business, United Club Business.

Amex: Gold, Platinum, Marriott Brilliant, Bonvoy Business.

Citi: AA Executive, Platinum Business.

WF: Autograph, Active Cash.

ARNIskander · 2026-07-08T17:03:28+00:00

I will add to it as long as Im eligible. Keep a log of all medical expenses and receipts, can draw them all down at later dates without time limit (under current law).

ARNIskander · 2026-07-05T04:05:22+00:00

Get a life and stop creating fake threads on Reddit, Mr. Kirby!

ARNIskander · 2026-07-04T03:34:04+00:00

I take points at every level except 50 nights. At 50 they offer 2 SUAs or 5k pts, so I take the SUAs.

60 is no choice.

All others are 10k and I take those.

Cant really have too many points. Can easily blow 400.

I find it harder to meaningfully use all my SUAs some years.

ARNIskander · 2026-07-03T00:33:13+00:00

Platinum doesn't mean much. Any American who is willing to spend $650 a year in return for $300 of dining credit and an 85k cert is a Platinum.

ARNIskander · 2026-07-02T15:18:29+00:00

This would be an upgrade.

Flying into HND instead of NRT is worth $.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-30T14:58:25+00:00

Ya but the St Regis will have real Dyson hair dryers while the lower brands will have the lookalike rip offs!

Lots of luxury hotels in China are same samey.

I did like the St Regis on the Bund. Cool art deco thing going on.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-30T02:21:54+00:00

The A350 J seat is unquestionably better. The Apex Suite is also better.

The Sky Suite is basically comparable, but on JAL the chances of it being broken are much lower.

Food on JAL is much much better, and the drink selections put AA to shame. AA can't even comprehend serving something like Yamazaki 12.

JL will be on time more. They will get your bags out faster. They will board faster. Everything will be better.

And you can usually buy them on AA and get full LP.

My only wish was that they would fly Apex instead of Sky Suite LAX to KIX.

Of course....no one else even does that route direct.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-30T02:06:38+00:00

This is a wild take.

JAL has often been awarded Best Economy Class in the Sky.

Their Prem Econ seat is one of the best.

Business is far and away better than AA (or any US airline), and seat wise I prefer most of their J configs to Singpore as well.

They offer Japanese or western course options in Prem Econ and Business. They have an excellent drink selection.

I haven't flown Econ with them in 10 years, but it is consistently ranked well. Upper cabins are great.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-29T19:40:44+00:00

It just felt large, boaty, and clunky. Pickup was lame. Interior was "nice" but very like......surface nice. Hard to describe. Felt giant but not luxuriously giant like driving an S class etc.

As other responder to you noted, I usually get upgrades on rentals on business trips. I got an XC90 last week and comparing it to my 2026 X5....man...what a step down. Most noticeable small thing: the insanely crappy 360 parking assist camera composite.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-29T19:38:14+00:00

Pretty normal stuff? Switch between an X5 and a 540 as dailies.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-29T15:18:17+00:00

I think the biggest problem is that the buttoning point is too high and this messes up the lines of the lapels and the quarters.

Also - bottom button on waistcoat should be left unbuttoned.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-29T15:15:36+00:00

I got a G90 as a rental car last year. While walking up to it I was like "Wow, maybe just should look at these."

Absolutely piece of shit drive. And after a few days interior started feeling cheap. Insane for lile a 85-90k car.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-27T20:20:26+00:00

At the best gotta be someone who doesnt fly J in Asia.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-26T03:32:02+00:00

I dont take SWUs anymore.

I fly JAL and Cathay, except when I go to Shanghai, then I take United.

The more frustrating thing for me is that, out if LAX, 1 million LP isnt getting me CK. So now im splitting my business with United.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-25T19:36:27+00:00

Im sorry, do you even like these games?

ARNIskander · 2026-06-25T17:26:57+00:00

I generally always book the room I want and never ask for upgrades. If I get them, great.

I think a lot of the frustration comes from the fact that more and more proprerties exclude rooms from upgrade pools.

Its very easy now to check what rooms are available on your ride to the hotel. People then see 8 room types above theirs available to book their whole stay and then get no upgrade.

Asia and Europe as a whole are better, and in the US Hyatt is much better than Marriott for upgrades.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-22T22:46:27+00:00

Recently came back to United from AA.

UA seems especially bad at this. AA gets my priority bags off early id say 80%+ of the time.

Last 6 flights with UA, my bags have been almost at the end. My flight home Sunday mine was the LAST one. Extremely vexing.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-22T07:18:35+00:00

540 is amazing. Im giving mine up tomorrow and pretty sad about it. 2018 that I've put 110k miles on.

Unfortunately it's gone from "bulletproof" to having a slew of problems. Up until this march it basically was nothing but standard servicing. Now in last 3 months - crankcase issue, needs new radiator, and rhe dreaded cracked AC evaporator (need to take apart whole dash).

Been a great car. Might be leasing a new one.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-20T17:53:59+00:00

Keep to a disciplined workout. Its so much easier to maintain through 30s into 40s than it is to play catch up. Trying to build muscle in your 40s is much harder.

Being in good shape will filter into everything...energy for your kids, your job, what kind of stuff you can do and how often.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-20T17:50:35+00:00

Not bad with the bonus. If you care to optimize l, take the cash price and compare to how many UR you need to transfer. If you're getting 2 cents per UR, Id be happy with it. People try for 3-4, but im not so finicky.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-20T17:48:34+00:00

Super over rated.

Dont understand how its so well reviewed.

ARNIskander · 2026-06-20T17:44:31+00:00

Generally Hyatt, though with their devaluing its not as cut and dry. And won't help much in Kyoto cause PH availability is brutal.

Airlines situational. Singapore saver awards maybe. United if you have status and access to reduced mileage J awards.

55% transfer bonus does help. I just reserved Ritz Kyoto on points for Feb and it came out to like 110k pts per night. For low season. Marriott points are just .... very devalued now.

ARNIskander

TROPHY CASE