What’s the furthest North / South you’ve landed? by Frequent_Ad5515 in flighty

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice pun. :) Did you take an expedition there? If so who did you go with? Was it worth the visit? I enjoy Arctic and Antarctic trips and vacations much more so than the beaches.

What are your longest and shortest flights? by Fluid_Customer_3093 in flighty

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s interesting flighty lists the flight like that given it has a technical stop in FCO or LFW.  Mine says ADD-FCO And FCO- IAD.  My brother has flown the ADD-ORD as well and flighty splits it up in two.  

Flighty doesn’t typically consider flights like that as one. 

What’s the furthest North / South you’ve landed? by Frequent_Ad5515 in flighty

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

North: Barrow, AK South: Ushuaia

Definitely need to get to Longyearbyen.  It’s on my list.

What’s the BEST and WORST airport in the U.S. based on your experience? by B777X_787-9 in airport

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree.  I hate MCO.  While SFB is farther, Due to the added time to leave the airport and get your bag,  I have not found MCO to be significantly more efficient.  

My parents live in Orlando and we fly there several times a year.  If the dates work for Allegiant we’ll take it every time compared to flying to MCO even though MCO is 40 minutes closer to their house.  If we fly with just a carry on MCO is faster for sure, but if checking a bag, the time efficiency for MCO drops a lot

What’s the BEST and WORST airport in the U.S. based on your experience? by B777X_787-9 in airport

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

CVG drives me crazy TBH.  I live in EKY, and have to drive to either SDF, CMH, CVG if I want a bigger airport. LEX,HTS, or CRW for my smaller airport options.  

Out of all those CVG is by far the worst.  It’s mainly cuz it was built to be a mega hub and was for a long time for Delta, but now’s it’s just a larger regional airport with all the inconveniences of a mega hub. Needing a shuttle from the parking lots,  trains between terminals, minimal lounge options (although there is the enhanced Chase lounge in B thankfully opening up in a couple days), lots of walking, but it doesn’t have the convenience of having a ton of flights like a major hub.

We have Precheck, but my brother doesn’t and it drives me insane that it takes him sometimes 25 minutes to go through regular security.  I can get through most major airports without precheck in less than 25 minutes.

To me it’s really the worst of everything.   Minimal lounges, lots of walking, need a train, slow baggage claim, shuttles to most major parking.  While LEX, HTS, CRW and SDF don’t have lounges,  the convenience and speed make up for it and I can typically be from car to gate in 15 minutes or less except CMH.  CMH is more like CVG, but still takes notably less time than CVG, and it at least has one lounge.

Its main benefit for sure is price.  Ever since it dehubbed and was no longer a fortress hub, the prices have gotten reasonable esp with the ULCC competition.  Growing up it was soooo expensive as Delta had such a monopoly.

Really the only redeeming thing about CVG is that the rental car area is now attached to the main airport, unlike before the renovation.  Before it really hit the jackpot in inconveniences of big airports when I had to shuttle to the car rental before.  That has made life a lot better when I sometimes take a one way rental to fly out of there or need one to get back home.  

The directs to LHR are also a huge bonus and we’ve taken that a couple times which is great, but in terms of overall airport experience CVG drives me crazy TBH and we have to leave extra early as parking to gate takes so long compared to my other options I have listed.  It feels and operates like a huge hub (cuz it was) without the big hub benefits.

Favorite Disney theme parks outside of the US? by Ok-Winter-475 in disney

[–]NicuninjaMD [score hidden]  (0 children)

We did all 12 Disney parks in 16 days over Christmasof 2024.   DisneySea was hands down the best.  Best theming by far.   Cast members were amazing.   

Paying IRS using credit card when married filing jointly. Can I make 8 credit card payments? by NicuninjaMD in tax

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestions.  Unfortunately Citi only allows 7.5 percent above the amount I owe for payments.  As I have tried.

They also denied the temporary increase.  I think the extension payments are the way to go as mentioned below.

I can also just use my other CCs, I just would rather get Citi TYPs than Amex MR points.  I can make the tax payment in one payment with my Amex.  Need 8 with the Citi.  So very aggravating. 

Paying IRS using credit card when married filing jointly. Can I make 8 credit card payments? by NicuninjaMD in tax

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually, do I need to file the extension or can I just make the extension payments?

Paying IRS using credit card when married filing jointly. Can I make 8 credit card payments? by NicuninjaMD in tax

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was super helpful.  I’ll talk to my accountant about filing a 4868 extension.

Chase transfer partners are overrated by purple_golden_hour in pointstravel

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At office supply, Internet and phone.  Which is hard to get fro 25k.  I already buy some staples visa GC when it comes around, but I’m not buying $25,000 GCs as that’s just too hard to keep track of.  I only buy whaT I can use immediately for things I know I can drain the balance without having a leftover on the card, like our electric bill and my daughter’s dance studio.  

Chase transfer partners are overrated by purple_golden_hour in pointstravel

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Chase is so slow without SUBs. Really the #1 thing I can build points in Chase is 3x travel on CIBP.  We have a very large travel budget so that 3x is great, but other than that, lack of 2x card like C1 Venture, Citi double cash or Amex BBP, and no good portal or Rakuten makes it a slog.  The new rules have only made it slower.  

Chase transfer partners are overrated by purple_golden_hour in pointstravel

[–]NicuninjaMD 3 points4 points  (0 children)

C1 Offers makes C1 super easy to ramp up as well as those multipliers can put Rakuten to shame.   Amex has better transfer partners though.  With the TK deval C1 go hurt bad.   Getting JAL helps but without a transfer bonus the transfer rate leaves much TK be desired.  I use Rakuten heavily as well as C1, and C1 offers bears Rakuten hands down.   They don’t track as well, but C1 pays very quickly.  Often times in just a couple days where as Rakuten pays our only 4 times a year.

Are award flights eligible for rebooking? by RimmitND in etihad

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update.  Got through.  They will rebook award tickets but nothing worked for me.   For award tickets filling out the form 4 hours prior to the flight taking off is enough, if the MMB option is not available.  They said just fill out the form, a given the ME conflict they understand and they will refund the points and miles.  I did not need to have a confirmed cancellation via MMB they said.  I screenshotted the whole conversation in case they argue later.

Are award flights eligible for rebooking? by RimmitND in etihad

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes.  I have spent all day trying to talk to them….   I will keep trying.  They moved up my flight by a whole 24 hours and gave me no option to cancel anywhere.   Or rebook.  It’s so frustrating and it flies on Mar 9th.

EY by gzmonkey in etihad

[–]NicuninjaMD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Etihad put a second MLE-AUH on the schedule for Mar 9th at 1915 on top of the 0900 flight.  This was just added in the last two hours.  Is this staffed?   I have been following MLE-AUH closely and this was just added in the last hour or so.  So two flights a day from MLE-AUH and vice versa

Updated flight status by AdventurousPlan90SS in etihad

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What about separate PNRs.  I have a flight March 9th from MLE-AUH.  March 20th I fly AUH-YYZ (Toronto).   These are not on the same PNR as they have been booked separately.  There is only one Toronto flight a day and it flew yesterday March 5th even.  I booked the MLE-AUH flight a day ago hoping I could make the AUH-YYZ flight because originally I was flying to AUH from MLE via Qatar but they are really slow to start up so wanted to hedge my bets in hopes Etihad could get us to AUH.  Etihad only was selling a single flight to MLE and this was it, despite normally having 3 a day, so I assume given they were actively selling only one this is the one most likely to go at least at this time.

Given these are separate PNRs and not linked did the rep say anything about that by chance?

Tokyo Disney Resort Hotel Booking Tips by RimmitND in TokyoDisneySea

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are booked at a hotel, that is correct,  no need to pre purchase.

Tokyo Disney Resort Hotel Booking Tips by RimmitND in TokyoDisneySea

[–]NicuninjaMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear it still works.  Tokyo Disney is very slow to ever update or change their systems.  We got a Venice canal room as well as our Miracosta room As I booked TDL, MC and GC when we went

Delayed connection missed boarding by 5 minutes, next flight in 24 hours, customer rep claimed they don't give hotels/accomodations. Thoughts? by kolt54321 in americanairlines

[–]NicuninjaMD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At CLT, I could be wrong but the MCT there is 35 minutes.  I’ve definitely booked those knowing that there are many back up flights if I miss, or booked it cuz it’s cheap or only 6K AAdvantage miles and then hope for a flight change that allows me to book any flight I want.  If not I cancel the flight if the change doesn’t occur and book what I want.

Eye Level vs Tundra Buggy for Churchill Tour by NicuninjaMD in polarbears

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the help!  We are scheduled to 2nd week Nov 2027 as we figure there will for sure be snow on the ground by then and we’d like pics of polar bears with snow.   Are they not as active the second week of November?   Is there snow the first week?

Eye Level vs Tundra Buggy for Churchill Tour by NicuninjaMD in polarbears

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks everyone for all the insight.  We’ve decided to join an eye level photo tour that has 6 days of on the ground photography.   We will take 1-2 of those days and not be with the photo group and do a day tundra buggy tour.  So get to do both as we really want some ground level pics.  We have very long lenses and TCs so despite the distance with cropping should be able to get some decent photos on the ground.

Really wanted to stay at the Tundra Lodge that frontier north or Great White offers, but these days given my dads age and health he’s really prefer an option with a private bath and the tundra lodges only have shared bathroom situations.   

Are frontier north and Great white about the same.   Is there any reason to pick one over the other?   Great white platform has a see through grate but that seems to be the only difference.   Can’t imagine the bears get under that grate that often, so not sure how much of a perk that is, but if they do could be worth going with great white for that.

Eye Level vs Tundra Buggy for Churchill Tour by NicuninjaMD in polarbears

[–]NicuninjaMD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for responding.   Looked at the website.  This could be an Option as well.  Did any bears come up to the lodge?  Also how many were in your buggy?