How To Register For AA Double Miles Promotion

• You can register through this link

Promotion Details

• Earn double American Airlines miles on Hilton stays from January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012
• Select American Airlines as your preferred Double Dip® Points & Miles Partner in your HHonors profile
• Select the Hilton double dip fixed miles option for 500 miles per stay

10 HHonors Base points per eligible U.S. dollar spent + 500 miles per stay (100 miles per stay at Hampton Inn^®, Hampton Inn & Suites^® and Homewood Suites^®)

• You should receive 500 x 2 = 1,000 AA miles per stay
• Participating properties
• No limit to the amount of miles you can earn

Bottom Line

The way to maximize this promotion is to bounce between Hilton hotels for short 1 night stays. You’ll earn 1,000 miles plus 10 base Hilton points per stay.

Example

• Assume you spend 4 nights a week on the road from now until March 31, 2012
• Total 7 weeks or 28 nights would convert to 28,000 American Airlines miles
• In addition, you’d earn 10 points per dollar at Hilton
• Not a bad rake

Combine this with the Hilton More Points promotion to earn an additional 1,000 points per week night and 5,000 points per weekend stay.

Free Gogo Flight Pass

All you have to do to enter for the free Gogo Flight pass is to do one of the following by end of the day Friday, 2/3/12. The pass is good for a free flight pass through 12/31/12.

1. Re-tweet this post on twitter
2. Like this post on Facebook
3. Leave a comment in this post

Still Time For AA Admirals Club Pass

Also, don’t forget there is still time to win a free AA Admirals club pass by leaving a comment in this post (note: there is no limit to the number of entries)

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.

Free Breakfast – two eggs, hash browns, toast and bacon or sausage plus coffee or juice

The new policy has been rolled out. I recently stayed at this property as a Diamond member and was very surprised by the Diamond breakfast amenity.

Hyatt 48 Lex

New Policy

For each night of your stay you will receive a $25 hotel gift card.

• $25 USD PER PERSON, PER NIGHT of your stay
• Example: 2 registered guests on a 2 nights stay will receive 4 $25 certificates good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks
• Designed to include tax and gratuity on full american breakfast orders for each registered guest, per day
• Must be redeemed in Lexington Brass, not valid for in-room dining or 2nd floor lexicon lounge
• Please announce Diamond member status with server
• Valid for 1 year from date of issue
• May be used for breakfast, drinks or appetizers

I was pleasantly surprised by the $25 gift card. It reminded me of when I stayed at the W Montreal and received a $20 drink ticket for every night of my stay. In addition to the gift card they have a lounge with pastries, coffee AND juice in the morning. In the evening they serve crackers and cheese with drinks available for purchase.

Bottom Line

While I prefer the full breakfast, like we enjoyed at the Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires, I think this option could work for a single in a New York hotel on a business trip. I’ll have a full trip report up in the next few days.

Give Away

Guess what I used my $25 certificate for by leaving a comment in this post and I’ll select one lucky winner tomorrow. The winner will receive the remaining balance on my gift card (they didn’t say they weren’t transferable).

How To Register

• You can register for the promotion through this link

Promotion Details

• Earn up to 44,000 points by staying at Hyatt from February 1, 2012 through April 30th, 2012
• Earn a bonus for every four nights at a Hyatt
• Stay 4 earn 4,000 points
• Stay 8 earn 8,000 points
• Stay 12 earn 12,000 points
• Stay 16 earn 20,000 points
• Must register by March 31, 2012

Bottom Line

The promotion is not faster free nights, but I’m glad Hyatt finally introduced a promotion for 2012.

See related promotions:

Hilton More Points Promotion

Marriott Mega Bonus Promotion

Starwood Better By The Night Promotion

Detailed terms and conditions

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.

Fast forward a few weeks later, when I checked my Hyatt balance through Award Wallet, I noticed that I was missing 2 nights worth of points for the award redeposit had not shown up.

The only way I know to get the points put back in the account is to call the Hyatt Diamond desk to request the points be added back to the account.

Has anyone else encountered this Hyatt bug and is there a work around?

Bottom Line

Watch your points and miles like a hawk. If you can’t find the time to frequently log into each of your accounts the easier way is to create an award wallet account and they will send you automated emails every time your account balance changes or a notification when an expiration date is approaching.

Award Wallet's Notification Of Hyatt's Suite Certificates Expiration Date

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.

Please consider using my Award Wallet link in this post if you are looking to sign up for an Award Wallet account. I use the service myself and will be awarded a small number of bonus points for each reader who signs up with Award Wallet through my link. Feel free to post your award wallet link in the comments as a way to pay it forward.

In this post I’ll share how the American Airlines 500 upgrade policy works and comment on a recent upgrade experience with American Airlines. There positives and negatives, but one thing for sure is you have a little more control over the process when you would like an upgrade.

Free Admirals Club Pass

Also, don’t forget to leave your best tip for a new American Airline flyer in this post. By doing so you will have a chance to win a free Admirals Club pass and coupon for $100 off an Admirals Club membership.

How It Works

The 500 mile upgrade policy allows a member to upgrade from coach to the next level of service. For example, a coach ticket on a two class flight would upgrade you to first class but on a three class flight would upgrade you to business class. The policy has several eligibility and restrictions so it is important to pay close attention.

1. Check to make sure you have 500 mile upgrades in your account

• AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Gold members earn four 500-mile upgrades for every 10,000 qualifying miles flown
• You can purchase them at a discounted rate on AA.com and at the airport Self-Service Check-In machine during flight check-in ($30 online or at kiosk and $35 through an agent)
• AAdvantage elite-status members may buy upgrades with AAdvantage miles at a rate of 35,000 miles for eight (8) upgrades

2. Request an upgrade when making your flight reservations on AA.com, on your mobile device, through an American Airlines agent, or your travel agent.

3. Your upgrade request will be processed automatically if upgrade seating is available based on the applicable upgrade window:

• Executive Platinum at 100 hours prior to departure
• Platinum at 72 hours prior to departure
• Gold at 24 hours prior to departure
• Non-elite member at 24 hours prior to departure

4. Confirmation of upgrade will be sent via email or voicemail

5. If upgrade was not processed at check-in you will automatically be placed on the gate lottery upgrade list

Make sure you request your upgrade as early as possible since the requests are prioritized within the elite member levels. Y and B fares trump all requests within an elite member level followed by the order in which the request is placed.

Eligibility

• Regular members (non-status) are eligible to upgrade from a full fare coach ticket (Y, B)
• Elite members are eligible to upgrade on any paid coach ticket
• Only Elite members may request an upgrade for themselves and a one companion on a coach ticket

But it gets better:

• Platinum and Gold members receive complimentary upgrades on full fare coach tickets (Y, B)
• Executive Platinum members receive complimentary upgrades on all coach tickets

Restrictions

Several restrictions exist around the use of 500 mile upgrades.

• One upgrade unit is required for every 500 miles of travel
• Travel must be within and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Bermuda
• Or between the U.S. and Central America

Bottom Line

I really like having more control over the upgrade process. This gives a little hope for a lowly Gold to use a 500 mile upgrade and secure that first class seat.

For example, I recently flew on American Airlines and wanted to try out their first class regional jet product to report back the difference in upgrade policy with Delta. Purchasing 500 mile upgrades online was easy. I decided to use 35,000 miles to purchase 8 upgrades at 4,375 miles a piece. The flight required 2 upgrades so I essentially upgraded one way for 8,750. The upgrade cleared at the 24 hour window, since I’m gold, and off to first class I went. The seats were as comfortable as the Delta regional jet first class seats. I did notice the head rest sides, when pulled out, really support your head for sleeping.

So what do you think about AA’s upgrade policy when compared to Delta’s?

First Class Seat

View at Landing

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.

 Good start to 2012

Now I just need to figure out if I call the AAdvatange  general member customer service line and ask for Executive Platinum for nine years or be less greedy and request 4.5 years of Concierge Key.

Hot Nuts
Domestic first class flights on American Airlines offer the traditional hot nuts.

Cold Nuts
While I have always preferred my nuts to be warm, American Airlines offered a refreshing change with a cold nut mix on the OWMD flight. The main difference from what I could tell is the cold mix also has crasinets along with the usual assortment.

I’m not sure when the cold nuts will be served system wide or if they are only for international flights. But I prefer the cold nuts.

What is your preference, hot or cold nuts?

Getting Status has a good round up of the coach nut service in his recent post.

Trip Report

1. Introduction
2. American Airlines Flight and Marriott Kauai Resort
3. Exploring Lihue
4. St Regis Princeville
5. Exploring Kauai’s North Coast

Food in Hawaii

Hawaii is one of my very favorite places on earth.  That being said, I do not consider it a foodie destination.  In my five or so trips here, I can’t remember a single meal or restaurant that really stood out.  In general, I expect a relatively bloated price  (and rightfully so given we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean) and a pretty average meal.  This trend changed when I found a restaurant named 22 North in Lihue on the island of Kauai.

Yelp.com is an extremely powerful tool for frequent travelers.  When dropped into a new city I am unfamiliar with, my first order of business is to pull out my Yelp app and go to work.  Yelp collects peer reviews of restaurants and I can attest, they don’t miss their mark.  As I searched for a lunch location for the family in Lihue, a restaurant named 22 North popped up at the top of the list.  The decision was made.

22 North Restaurant

Just a few blocks outside the main shopping center in Lihue is 22 North, named after the latitude line of Hawaii.  This is a relatively new restaurant tucked in an old plantation along with other shops and the Koloa Rum Tasting factory.  Two birds with one stone!  As you drive into the plantation you pass horses, pony’s, and approximately 10 million roosters roaming the grounds.  You also pass an old sugarcane train of which you can ride as a tourist activity.  Obviously, we were only interested in the food and Rum tasting.

Feral Chicken on the move

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating.  The menu is seasonal and they focus on farm-to-table cuisine.  Check out the menu, I can guarantee it will make your mouth water. The modest prices for the high quality of food rival what I expect to see in cities like Chicago and Denver, not the middle of the ocean!  As seen in my previous post, I spent two nights in Lihue.  Without question, a return visit was in order.  Seven days later, the menu had changed.  In demanding a taste of everyone’s dish, I was able to try 5-7 dishes.  Every single dish is amazing!

Traveler tip:  When you go here, check-in ( or just say you are checking in) on Yelp to receive a free bag of homemade donuts for your table.  I had never checked in on Yelp before but I can assure you the dessert is well worth the (zero) effort.  The waitress stated it was their most popular dessert.

Koloa Rum Tasting

After a completely satisfying meal, we made a quick stop next door at the Koloa Rum Factory.  They provide FREE Rum tastings that run every half hour.  You get to try several varieties of their Rums along with their Rum cake.  As the ‘Tasting Leads’ pointed out, Rum Cake is a great way to get a buzz on an airplane without TSA confiscating it.  The ambiance is delightful, the tasting leads are hilarious, the Rum is FREE! What more do you need to know?

Soften the Financial Blow

Kauai is expensive.  Most itineraries will involve a trip to the North Shore, which is even more expensive.  Lihue is a great place to grab some necessities from the Costco or Walmart to soften to blow.  Given we had seven people dining each night,  we most certainly needed to pick up some less expensive dry items especially some Granola Bars for hiking the North Coast.

Load up on trail food before you go out hiking

The Bottom Line

The next time you are in Kauai, check out 22 North and the FREE Rum Tasting at Koloa Rum Factory.  You will not be disappointed and they are right next to each other.  In fact, you may even come back twice to both like I did!

Stay tuned for more on the St. Regis Princeville Resort and the breathtaking Na Pali Coast.

Caipirinha

How To Make A Caipirinha

• Cachaca
• Sugar Cane
• Lime
• Poured over crushed ice in an Old Fashioned glass

Bottom Line

Early flights make Monday’s a tough day, but a nice cocktail can make it better.

If you have a libation to share, please drop me an email and a picture at theweeklyflyer@gmail.com

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.

I never thought I would say this but here it goes Delta. I…I’m…I’m seeing someone else.

We’ve been flying together for a long time so this may come as a surprise. I will never forget the time we’ve spent together. We’ve stuck together through very exciting times like the flights to Seychelles, Bora Bora, and even some difficult moments.

I do feel a little guilty. I haven’t been completely open with you for a while. Please don’t get upset when I tell you what I’m about to say….

Change In Primary Airline Partner

I’ve reconnected with an old friend that I met over ten years ago, but just a friend and nothing more. Ok, so it is a little more than an old friend, I earned over 440,000 miles flying American Airlines and by spending on my American Airlines credit card over the last 10 years.

When It Started

It all started when we snuck off with AA to Buenos Aires last year for a romantic long weekend. And just this past weekend I slipped away to the OneWorldMegaDo (here, here, here and here) with AA to support the Komen Fly for the Cure.

I really enjoyed the MegaDo with AA and it is time I come clean, I”ll be spending more time flying with AA.

We’re On A Break

Delta, I still hope we can be friends and fly together from time to time. AA is new and exciting right now with what lies ahead. There are still a lot of questions but I look forward to the chAAllenge. Lets just see where this takes us for now.

(satire off)

As most of you know I’ve been a loyal Delta Diamond flyer but I’ve decided to work on a status challenge with American Airlines. I have a lot to learn about American Airlines and look forward to bringing all of you, pointsmilesandmartinis readers, along for the ride.

If you haven’t already done so, consider signing up for my RSS Feed to have blog posts sent directly to your email, or consider joining me on Twitter or Facebook.