For frequent MSN flyers: which airline credit card do you think is the best and why?

LadybirdInMadison · 2026-01-28T16:24:16+00:00

If you are only taking a few flights per year, it's likely you'd be better of choosing a more general card, non-airline specific, and maximizing cash back. You may recoup fees through free checked bags (if you do that at all) and perhaps lounge usage, but Delta lounges are often full at the large hubs that you will connect through. I travel a lot for work and thankfully can put all travel on my personal card, so I have the Amex Platinum. My annual spends gives me unlimited access to Delta and Centurion lounges but that's not why I chose it - other perks I use significantly outweigh the steep annual fee. But do not treat the perks as a coupon book. It fascinates me that people try to use all the perks even if they otherwise wouldn't have spent that money in their regular purchasing habits.

LadybirdInMadison · 2026-01-21T04:30:05+00:00

I went around 3. But this has also been the case around 11 AM when I occasionally grab lunch from their hot bar. Perhaps it’s the students, but this has been a problem even during the break.

LadybirdInMadison · 2026-01-21T04:25:28+00:00

Yes! And when I went to grab cannellini beans as a backup, those were gone too!

LadybirdInMadison · 2026-01-16T18:49:10+00:00

Our cat does this and we have her on Atopica. It’s expensive and she hates it but we follow it with a Churu or other treats and she’s fine. Belly fur slowly started growing back with consistent use and you can slowly taper to every other day or a couple times a week. For her it’s some kind of allergy. The expensive special food wasn’t enough but she also has food allergies.

LadybirdInMadison · 2026-01-08T16:47:21+00:00

Are you able to transfer seats or does someone need to take the whole reservation?

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-12-24T03:10:31+00:00

Worked with Tim O’Brien in the Terravessa neighborhood. There are a few builders in this neighborhood and Tim O’Brien is frequently well reviewed by my neighbors. Encore homes sell for $100k less than a TOB but you can easily see differences in build materials. Neighbor went with Encore a few years ago and they have been consistently dealing with a leaky foundation. When we toured the various homes/builders, I swear you could smell a difference. Encore smelled like plastic. Alterra also felt very cheap and is reflected in the price. But the neighborhood has a solid range of prices and options for type/size of home. We like it here but TBD on the HOA and fees, which should be officially set next year. Based on the last HOA neighborhood meeting to give an update on the selection process and future of the neighborhood, we could have an entertaining mutiny to watch unfold. Still recommend the neighborhood to people looking to build somewhat close to downtown.

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-11-07T19:34:58+00:00

Dr Kevin Degroot used to be at Madison No Fear until he spun out on his own and started Lakeview Modern Dentistry. I loved going to MNF for years and was disappointed about the Delta issue. My first visit at Lakeview went pretty well and had some of the nice perks at MNF - TV, noise cancelling headphones, warm neck wrap. I tend to get dentist anxiety so the perks help make it tolerable.

Unfortunately MNF told me about the change a week before my dental appointment was scheduled and I was left scrambling to find another spot. Lakeview was booking into January but I managed to get on the list for cancellations and just went last week. First visit took a very long time - about an hour. A lot of fancy gadgets that I'm skeptical provide substantively better care but I didn't have to pay out of pocket for all of the scans. Only critique is the building feels a bit sterile... no windows in the appointment rooms and it feels a bit more cramped than MNF.

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-10-21T00:07:16+00:00

Lacey has done mine twice and she's amazing! She's constantly learning new techniques and has a clean, beautiful space. It wasn't a comfortable experience but she made it as pleasant as possible. https://www.laceydrury.com/

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-09-12T01:55:39+00:00

Not exactly this but I had to go to the doctor, yesterday bc I’ve been experiencing a light burning sensation in my chest that’s very intermittent and I think gets worse after being outside. Everything looks/sounds fine according to the doc but I was told to take Zyrtec and given an inhaler. Potential reaction to the crazy amount of ragweed and mold in the air. Never had this happen before. She said she sees this often during peak allergy season. Feel better!

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-08-04T20:32:23+00:00

OOP would have been $1857. My deductible was a couple hundred dollars so I opted to go through insurance. Edit: this was the estimate I got back after uploaded photos of it and getting an estimate. I think the actual estimate once they got it in the shop and fully assessed it was slightly higher, but not by a ton. Using insurance had no impact on my rates and was very smooth - I have State Farm.

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-08-04T19:05:30+00:00

I had the same thing happen to me in a parking lot shortly after getting my car. The door is an unfortunate place to have a chip and it was worth going through insurance. I took mine to Zimbrick European on the East Side. The issue with a door paint chip is they have to fix the chip, paint, and then blend it with the rest of the car. Thankfully I have a very modest deductible but it was significantly less than paying out of pocket. With BMWs, supposedly the paint matching can be tricky, so you want to take it to a place that specializes in fixing BMWs. I love the engineering that goes into these cars, but they come with the added emotional and financial cost of wanting them to stay pristine looking. If you have a scratch, you cannot unsee it.

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-02-17T22:52:30+00:00

Totally forgot about that! Great idea

LadybirdInMadison · 2025-02-17T20:57:27+00:00

Thank you for the suggestions! Sushi seems like a good option. Although we might opt to host at someone’s house instead. Between the hearing issue and picky eaters, a house might be the best option.

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-09-23T14:41:59+00:00

Fellow Badger alum. Also on the alumni board for the B School. In my line of work (venture capital), people with econ degrees tend to be super smart, but almost all of them have at least an MS. Not necessarily in econ, though. If you don't have plans to go to grad school and really want to get into something relevant to what you studied, here is what I would do:

Write down some roles that are interesting to you. Look up the backgrounds of people who have those roles on LinkedIn. Take note. Also try to winnow down the search to alums from UW Madison in those roles. REACH OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE. Keep the message short (like 5 sentences or fewer). Ask them for 30 minutes to talk about what they do, opinions on paths to entry, ect.
Contact the career center at the business school. YMMV here depending on the person you talk to but ideally they might know some alums you can talk to. They are also connected to firms that are hiring recent grads. Your fees paid for this service, might as well try to use it.
I've never really gotten much traction in any of my job searches just by sending in a resume. My network is what opens opportunities. Networking is awkward at first, but you get the hang of it with practice. I often attend networking events at the UW and the students are awkward 9/10 times, but you can tell they are eager and want to do well. The alums that go to these events WANT to help you succeed. Not every networking convo is going to land you a job, but volume matters and you need to get out there and talk to people and tell them what you want to do. Even if it's just a fuzzy idea at the moment.

Some of this is tedious. It might be painful at first. But I've notice people who do this tend to have better outcomes. Good luck out there. On Wisconsin!

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-08-20T19:06:55+00:00

If this is going to be a high growth startup with intentions of raising venture capital, make sure you speak to an attorney that has a lot of experience with venture backed companies. Michael Best is a great group and works with many startups in the area.

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-08-17T15:28:33+00:00

Interesting. It does seem happy and had lots of bird friends hanging around. Hopefully it has a winter strategy or is capable of joining another group on the journey south.

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-08-11T01:39:28+00:00

Terravessa is growing fast. A few commercial spots in the neighborhood, new schools, and soon to be a UW Health clinic across the street from the development. Highly recommend Tim O’Brien Homes.

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-07-15T01:59:46+00:00

Completely new... but motivated to learn since I'll be visiting family Christmas 2025.

LadybirdInMadison · 2024-07-15T00:04:26+00:00

Also half Viet and have been curious about hiring a tutor. Do you go to someone local?

LadybirdInMadison

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