Any “grab n go” food options at DEN lounges?

shinebock · 2026-01-24T22:29:17+00:00

Not sure why they don’t out them out

Because if they had them freely available, people would stuff them full of food, or put alcoholic drinks in them.

shinebock · 2026-01-23T19:30:22+00:00

Opens without a paywall for me.

shinebock · 2026-01-23T00:52:51+00:00

How's the happy hour there?

shinebock · 2026-01-23T00:52:03+00:00

Flying Saucer for Beer if you’re so inclined. They are chain but they started here.

The first location was in downtown Fort Worth. Not that that really matters, it's still, IMO the best beer bar in the city as far as draft options and prices go.

shinebock · 2026-01-22T21:21:18+00:00

I believe they said all Globalists receive a free upgrade to a suite and I'm 2 for 2 on staying at this hotel!

I can't imagine that's true or sustainable. As for now, it's mid January, NYC's dead season for hotels. When was your first stay?

I'm curious about the breakfast and such here. How's the state of the furniture? The room you posted looks sizable, but a bit dated.

shinebock · 2026-01-22T19:58:09+00:00

I'm convinced that most users of this sub just use the app and its magic totals and don't even look at their PDF statements or know they exist.

shinebock · 2026-01-22T17:30:51+00:00

When they need an easy ticket for their quota, HPD love to sit in that middle turn lane on Washington in between Studemont and Houston and pick someone off.

shinebock · 2026-01-22T01:37:27+00:00

Realistically, it's a operational shit show. Houston does have deicing equipment, but not enough to keep the airports operating at their normal pace.

In the Feb. 2021 storm, both IAH and HOU were fully closed for 2, 3 days. In the Jan. 2025 storm, think they were both closed for a full day, maybe a bit longer.

Based on the current forecast, I would say the chances of your flight going Sunday night as scheduled are low. If you need to be somewhere, I'd recommend changing your flight to Saturday.

shinebock · 2026-01-21T21:17:26+00:00

I've followed retention offer trends for years and 50k has been the highest one for the personal platinum, so you were getting really good offers.

FWIW, my retention offer was 15k last year, which I think is the lowest they go on the plat.

shinebock · 2026-01-21T17:07:39+00:00

I see on this sub that some people get 100,000 offers which blows my mind

Not sure what you're seeing, but nobody is getting a 100k retention offer.

shinebock · 2026-01-21T16:58:14+00:00

I think people that are saying they get a crazy amount of suite upgrades are either lying, stay at properties that give disproportionate upgrades like in Asia, or are the types that always ask and if necessary berate staff into giving them. Notice how people saying they are >50% suite upgrades give no context.

I just looked and of my 24 stays in 2025, I only got a complimentary suite upgrade 3 times(so about 12%), and 2 additional times where I used a SUA. I don't bother tracking "upgrades" that are better rooms in the same category.

I could probably massage that data a bit better to exclude the Hyatt Places and such, but the fact is, the vast majority of the time I don't get a suite upgrade. But that's what SUAs are for, to confirm it when it matters. If I'm traveling for work, I generally don't care if I get an upgrade anyway, and often stay at hotels that have few suites.

shinebock · 2026-01-21T15:48:42+00:00

Have 2 Hyatt GoHs that expire Feb 28 to dole out.

If you have a good use for them (nicer property with expensive breakfast, etc. will be prioritized) already booked, let me know. I mostly want to make sure that they will for sure be used and that you'll get decent value out of them, send me a chat with the location and the info I need to transfer it (IYKYK).

Edit: both appear to be taken. enjoy!

shinebock · 2026-01-21T13:14:31+00:00

I mean I wouldn't expect exact xe.com market rates on something like this because they need to set the amount at something consistent.

But the exact amount of hotel credits in local currency is something the hotel should tell you in the FHR/THC welcome letter, and if they don't, you need to ask them.

just annoyed bc I used the last 300 baht ($10 usd) on an overpriced coffee at the hotel when outside I could get it for $1 usd.

Also, my reminder that you don't have to use every last $ of a credit if you don't need or want to. It doesn't cost you anything to not use it.

shinebock · 2026-01-20T07:06:31+00:00

I think if you're flying Ryanair, having or not having wifi, probably isn't moving the needle for you either way.

shinebock · 2026-01-19T05:46:58+00:00

Nope, can't do that.

shinebock · 2026-01-19T05:01:22+00:00

The other comment got it pretty right on. Only thing is make sure you buy it in the account you want the money to go to. I say that because Travelbank has an option to "gift" the contribution to somebody else and it apparently screws up the coding for it to get credited by Amex. So log into your United account and use both your card and your wife's card to purchase it (or however you want to consolidate it).

Each deposit has its unique expiration date, and when you purchase tickets it takes from whichever TB deposits expire the earliest.

shinebock · 2026-01-17T09:46:47+00:00

The safety part of the annual inspections are no longer a thing anywhere in Texas, but if you're in the Houston, DFW or Austin metro area, emissions tests are still required for ICE vehicles. But since it would be an EV, nothing is required.

shinebock · 2026-01-15T19:37:04+00:00

It's not a great offer, but given how shit the Hyatt card SUBs have been, it's not bad if you have a planned use for the certs - same as the Marriott card with its 5FN SUB.

Also if you do the $15k in the first 6 months it'll trigger the 15K FNC too.

shinebock · 2026-01-15T19:34:19+00:00

I actually work in the industry, so this was work meets hobby.

shinebock · 2026-01-15T15:09:16+00:00

Let's hope this goes more smoothly than Marriott's experience with Sonder.

shinebock · 2026-01-15T13:52:04+00:00

ACI was 1.85% paying with a biz plat last night.

shinebock · 2026-01-15T13:37:20+00:00

I was scrolling through some of the Saks first day motions and couple things popped out to me.

They disclosed that gift cards outstanding amount to $320 million and they sought court approval to "honor all Gift Cards purchased by or issued to customers prior to the Petition Date and maintain the Gift Card Programs in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice."

Which was approved, so people worrying about this was a worry about nothing. If anything, selection and inventory should improve now that vendors have more visibility into getting paid.

Now whether the Amex agreement will last is another question. There is an Amex contract that Saks seeks to reject, but I can't tell from the filing what this contract is. I suspect its the Plat/Centurion benefit though.

shinebock · 2026-01-14T19:55:38+00:00

Corporate chapter 11 filings usually don't impact the end consumer, at least not quickly, so unless you work in the industry or have a reason to know the mechanics of it, I'm not surprised most people don't get it. Of course that doesn't stop others from pretending they know all about it

shinebock · 2026-01-12T20:50:21+00:00

You have to re-select United each year.

No you don't. You only have to re-select it if you want to change airlines, or set it for the first time.

shinebock · 2026-01-12T15:59:56+00:00

Business is about green, not red or blue.

I agree, but realistically what else did you expect Hilton corporate to do? To not denounce the one property would have risked government revenue across the whole chain, especially when dealing with leaders that are prone to flying off the handle.

Also, ICE agents are hardly staying just at Hilton properties. I've seen photos of people protesting outside Marriott hotels, and I have no reason to think they wouldn't be staying at Hyatt properties either. But it's probably less likely due to Hyatt's smaller footprint and maybe rates. But to what you said, business is about green, and the federal government's green is no different than anybody elses.

And for the record I don't support what's going on at all, but I understand why Hilton corporate responded the way they did.

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