As you’ve no doubt noticed, my posting activity has trailed off and I want to tell you why. Long story short, I have taken a new job. It’s not a small promotion and it will require my full attention. That’s nothing new as all jobs require our full attenion, but the truth is that it is the kind of job that will find me frequently interacting with airlines, and not just as a passenger. This has been coming for a while, and I won’t pretend that it hasn’t played a role in the steady drop in the number of posts in the last few months. In short, I can no longer avoid working with airlines in my “real life” and it just would not be appropriate for me to continue writing about the things I like to write about when it comes to air transportation. Ironically, I’ll also be traveling a bit more.

I looked at a lot of options for continuing to blog, and after some consultation with the great folks at BoardingArea, I really think that moving to Travel Update is the best thing to do. First, I can continue to post about the things I can write about. Second, it maintains 10 years worth of content. Third, I’ll still have my own identity within Travel Update. Finally, if the world demands a hotel and cruise blog or things change in my day job, I can re-emerge from Travel Update as a standalone operation again at some point in the future.

In the meantime, the MJ on Travel team will begin transitioning into the new job and preparing our Atlanta home for sale. The other piece of this is that we will be relocating back to Washington, DC. Between needing to take some time off to transition into the new job and move, this really feels like the best thing to do.

Sunset at Sea – © 2015 by Marshall Jackson

In closing, I really don’t know what to say. I can’t say enough good things about Randy Petersen and the folks at BoardingArea. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for tolerating me as long as they have and for working with me to find a way forward. Most of all, I thank you for reading! Stick around, there’s more to come at Travel Update.

-MJ, September 29, 2016

The post A Final Thought for Now: Miles, Points, and Change appeared first on MJ on Travel.

First, I use one of my credit cards for nearly all purchases when I’m traveling. Of course, I earn rewards, and that’s really the point of it all, but it also prevents someone with less than honest intentions from having direct access to my checking account via debit card. I recognize that debit cards do have fraud protection, but why subject yourself to the hassle of getting your money back in your checking account, even if it does happen within 24 hours like many banks promise.

Second, I never use public wi-fi to view my financial accounts. Instead, I connect to a personal hotspot via my cell phone or use a VPN to connect. I have no idea if what I am doing is really that much more secure, but it feels like it is. I use public wi-fi frequently for general web surfing, but never for accessing financial accounts.

Third, while I do use my debit card for some purchases, it never leaves my sight. I don’t use it at restaurants where servers take it away, and I try to only use it at merchants that I have some reasonably longstanding knowledge of, and preferably, only if they accept chip cards.

Finally, I sometimes consult the www.emvacceptedhere.com website for information on merchants that accept chip cards. If one reasonably convenient merchant who is selling something I want accepts chip cards while another does not, the chip card accepting merchant will get my business. Frankly, that applies on the road and at home too. Granted, restaurants that accept chip cards in the USA are relatively rare at the moment, they do exist, and I expect that chip card acceptance at restaurants will rise over the next few years.

As I said, these are my rules and I know others will feel differently. Do you take extra steps to protect your financial information when traveling? Share your ideas in the comments.

-MJ, September 15, 2016

The post Protecting Your Financial Information on the Road appeared first on MJ on Travel.

Originally posted on September 11, 2009.

Nine years ago today, my morning began much like any other early fall day.  I was roaming the airport in search of coffee and a bagel, mentally celebrating a successful morning launch of kick-off flights at Washington National Airport (DCA) on September 11, 2001.  I was one of the Customer Service Managers at DCA on duty for American Airlines that day.

During a visit with our operations agent, I heard a radio call from our first inbound flight of the day.  The crew had a question, “had we heard anything about an incident in New York involving a United flight?”  The operations agent and I both looked at each other in agreement that we had not, but I immediately got on the nearest computer to find cnn.com.  I’ll never forget the picture of smoke billowing from the first tower, and the caption “Aircraft Hits World Trade Center.  Details to Follow.”  I immediately went to our conference room where I knew I would find access to a television.  By the time I arrived there, the second tower had been struck, and the newscasters were spinning replays of the aircraft striking each tower.

By this time phones were ringing and my boss, the station general manager had arrived in the conference room.  He took a call, while other managers from flight, flight service and maintenance began to gather.  Upon hanging up the phone, he stated that they think 77 from Dulles is involved.  And with that, things got real.  I immediately returned to operations where our ops agent informed me that two flights that had just pushed were returning to the gate.  He’d just gotten off the phone with dispatch, and learned that American was grounding all of its flights and that we may have had an airplane involved in New York.

I proceeded out to the gates to assist as our flights returned.  The first passengers were coming off and I was immediately stopped by one of them who wanted to know about the possibility of getting rebooked on another airline.  No, I’m not making that up!  She was nice enough about it, but wasn’t interested in giving me a minute to figure out what was going on.  As we stood there discussing the situation at DCA’s gate 28, she happened to glance out towards the north, and immediately asked “what’s that?”  I turned to see the strangest color of smoke rising just above the tree line in the direction of the Pentagon.  I responded that I wasn’t sure, but that I thought that it might be a good idea to leave.  Within seconds, an announcement was made throughout the terminal to evacuate the building.  I didn’t know it at the time, but our flight 77 had just crashed into the Pentagon.

I could tell you a lot more about that day, and the weeks that followed.  The mass exodus from the airport on foot as F-16s criss-crossed the skies above, and the sick smell of burning jet fuel wafting through the air.  I was certain more aircraft would follow at this point, and half expected to see one plow into the Washington Monument, the Capitol or for that matter, our airport at any minute.  I could tell you about taking a team of airport agents to Dulles to stand in while the folks at Dulles grieved for the loss of one of their beloved colleagues, a 45 year AA employee, not to mention the shock of being the origin of flight 77.  I could also talk about walking through an empty National Airport terminal at 5:30am a few weeks later.  It was an eerie place with most of the lights turned off and none of the escalators running, the silence only broken by the sound of my shoes hitting the floor as I walked through on my way to pick up the lay off packages I would have to deliver to people that didn’t deserve it.  I could say a lot, but I won’t.  I think I’ve made my point.

I remember.

The post 15 Septembers Later appeared first on MJ on Travel.

Kimpton has added a link to details about the issue on its home page. The information appears to have been updated yesterday (August 31, 2016). Here’s an excerpt.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants received a report on July 15, 2016 of unauthorized charges occurring on payment cards after they had been used by guests at the restaurant in one of our hotels.  We immediately began to investigate the report and hired leading cyber security firms to examine our payment card processing system. Findings from the investigation show that malware was installed on servers that processed payment cards used at the restaurants and front desks of some of our hotels.  The malware searched for track data read from the magnetic stripe (emphasis mine) of a payment card as it was being routed through the affected server.  The malware primarily found track data that contained the card number, expiration date, and internal verification code, but in a small number of instances it may have found the track that also contains the cardholder name.  

You can read the information in its entirety on their website. Kimpton did something else that prompted to me to write this post. They actually provided a list of the properties that were impacted and the date ranges involved.

My Take

First, kudos to Kimpton for getting this information out there. Kimpton’s guests can make informed decisions based on their past stays. Personally, I stayed at three of the affected hotels. I’m not “worried” about it, but I will keep an eye on my card account to see if any unauthorized charges show up. My primary business travel card has already been swapped out once this year. Hopefully that won’t need to happen again, but it is what it is.

Most importantly, I have to wonder just how many more of these kinds of incidents have to happen before hotels and restaurants upgrade their card payment systems to accept EMV chip cards and contactless payments. I’m sure contactless might be a challenge, but apparently Marriott is working on accepting Apple Pay and perhaps other contactless payments. As for credit cards, while no solution is perfect, I can’t help but think that EMV chip card acceptance might have made this situation less of a problem. In my personal experience, EMV chip card acceptance is finally starting to catch on to the point that a noticeable number of my card transactions are chip-based. The big exception here in the USA – restaurants and hotels. That needs to change.

The bottom line – while the best thing is for these kinds of fraud issues to be prevented, I like Kimpton’s approach to getting information on what happened to its guests. If you’ve stayed at one of the impacted properties, it is a good idea to keep an eye your card statements and report any suspicious charges immediately.

I’ll be back on the road next week, and yes, I’ll be staying with Kimpton.

-MJ, September 1, 2016

The post I Like Kimpton’s Approach on Card Fraud Issue appeared first on MJ on Travel.

Next on my list of cards: The Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express. I’ve dithered with the idea of keeping this card. I do appreciate the utility of SPG points, but limited earning potential coupled with Starwood stays becoming a relative rarity for me made this the most likely card to go.

Amex Retention Call: The Results

I dutifully rang up American Express. While I really wanted to cancel the card, I’ll always entertain a retention bonus if it’s offered. The end result: it wasn’t. While I’m fully aware that I could have pressed “0” to talk to a representative, the Amex phone system never even bothered to patch me through to a human being. I told the robot what I was calling for, and it walked me through the process without any human intervention….at all.

I’ve heard retention offers are a relative rarity with this card, so I can’t say I’m surprised. That’s two responses in a row from American Express that mirror each other, though one was at least delivered by a person. “Your account is now closed.” Can’t say I’m surprised given how little I’ve spent on the card recently.

One more business card on my list, and I’m likely done with account closures. I realize what I’m doing is probably the antithesis of what a “miles and points” hobbyist should be doing, but it is something I had to do to get my financial house back in order. So far, I’ve seen no impact on my credit score from my decisions. Still sitting at just over 800.

-MJ, August 25, 2016

The post My Latest Amex Retention Call: Talked to a Computer appeared first on MJ on Travel.

• 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 3X Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining purchases, and 1X points on all others.
• A $300 annual travel credit.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. ($100 value every 4 years)
• Airport lounge access through the Priority Pass Select program.
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver.
• Emergency evacuation & transportation coverage.
• Trip delay reimbursement.

All of this (and I haven’t listed every benefit) makes the card well worth its $450 annual fee. The $300 travel credit effectively brings the annual fee to $150. This coupled with the impressive 100,000 point bonus and 3X points earning for travel and dining expenses  and superior travel protections make this one of the best, if not the absolute best, credit cards for travelers I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I think it’s that good, yet I am not applying for it.

Wait. What?

You read that right. I am not applying for the best credit card for travelers ever. If you’ve read me before, you might remember that I’m in a year of financial conditioning and card cleansing. I’ve been more focused on keeping my expenses in check and cleaning up my balance sheet than on flipping credit cards. That hasn’t changed. I’m almost where I want to be, and frankly, I’m close enough that in a normal year I would probably go ahead and apply for this card, yet I am not going to.

Why on earth not? If you’re Facebook friends with me, you already know this, but I haven’t announced it here until now. MJ has a new job and the MJ on Travel team is beginning the process of relocating to a new city. Along with relocation comes something else – a new mortgage. With a credit score of over 800 and no credit card debt, I’m not horribly concerned about my ability to get another mortgage. I have no idea if a new credit application at this time would really impact our new mortgage or not. I also know that I’m not one to take unnecessary chances, even for 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points that might still be available in a few months anyway. And if that incredible bonus points offer is gone by then, I’ll live. Something else will come along. I think it’s just best to wait. I’m fine with being the only person on earth who is not applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card this week.

-MJ, August 23, 2016

The post Why I Am Not Applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card appeared first on MJ on Travel.

Well, it appears that Royal Caribbean has heard the cries. According to this post on Cruise Critic, they have decided to put the changes on hold for now. Notably, postpone is not the same thing as cancel….but it does suggest the company is considering the viability of such a move after hearing an outcry from its most loyal cruisers.

The Bottom Line

It never hurts to make sure your voice is heard. We’ll see if the Royal Caribbean permanently backs away from this unpopular change or if it moves ahead at a later date.

The post Royal Caribbean Backs Off Loyalty Program Changes appeared first on MJ on Travel.

According to crew-center.com, Chinese tourist Wang Si went overboard on August 10.

“First to notice her disappearance was her family who informed the ships officers. All crew were engaged in an on board search operation, but they could not find the 32 year-old woman. Ship’s captain notified the Coast Guard, and search and rescue operation was initiated. After reviewing the recordings from the surveillance cameras, security officer noticed that the woman fell overboard.”

Fortunately for Ms. Si, she is apparently an accomplished swimmer because she was discovered by fishermen 38 hours later, and apparently no worse for wear.

“She was in a stable condition with minor injuries on her arms. Upon her rescue, the woman said she fell off the Mariner of the Seas while leaning over a 1.4-meter rail and gazing into the sea.”

My Take

First, I’m glad she’s OK. That said….. Don’t lean over the rails! Don’t climb on them. Don’t try to visit your friend’s stateroom by climbing from balcony to balcony. (Yes, that’s happened!) However, the fact that the ship’s security team eventually found evidence of the fall when reviewing security recordings makes me wonder how closes those security cameras are monitored. Man overboard detection technology exists. Maybe it’s time to take a look at how well it works and consider investing in it.

-MJ, August 16, 2016

The post How Do You Fall Off a Cruise Ship? appeared first on MJ on Travel.

Quantum of the Seas © 2014 – Marshall Jackson

The change was rolled out on a promotional flyer recently and reads:

“Encourage your clients to book now! As of September 1, 2016 balcony and suite discounts will only apply to sailings booked more than six months out.”

The balcony discount is one of the most valuable perks of being loyal to Royal, and it is disappointing to see it removed for cruises booked less than 6 months in advance.

My Take

Disappointing, but there is some good news. If you’re booking less than 6 months out, you can now take advantage of other opportunities like the American Express Cruise Privileges program which may equal or exceed the value of the Crown & Anchor discount. In a bit of other good news for Royal’s most prolific cruisers, Pinnacle Club members, the discount is increasing by $25 starting August 15, 2016.

In the end, I’m not sure this is totally bad news for me as most of my sailings are booked more than 6 months in advance. Further, I can now take better advantage of the Amex Cruise Privileges program for those sailings I book a little closer in. However, for many Crown & Anchor members, especially those that live near ports and tend to book within shorter timeframes, it’s a problem…..and not a small one.

-MJ, August 11, 2016

The post Royal Caribbean Dropping Crown and Anchor Balcony Discount for Close-in Bookings appeared first on MJ on Travel.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. What can I possibly be talking about? Summer travel season, of course! It’s the best because it’s summer, and it’s time to play. It’s the worst because that means the cherubs are all heading for the airport at the same time the rest of us are there, and it can challenge your patience…big time! Throw a thunderstorm or hurricane into the mix, and you’ve got an instant cauldron of madness that can push even the calmest person you know over the edge. I have personally been on the receiving end of fire-tinged vitriol from upset customers whom I am certain were otherwise perfectly reasonable. That may be why I have no hair left! Many times, we (being my employer) were at fault, and other times, there was nothing anyone could do, and the customer was just a victim of something that no one or no company could prevent. So let’s start summer with a few tips from an ex-airline guy.

Fly early – This was the advice I offered in one of my very first blog posts, and it still holds true. Fly as early as you can possibly tolerate during the summer. Airlines are very focused on getting their morning launch out of the gate on time, and you are less likely to be impacted by thunderstorms.

Pack lightly, but do pack patience – If possible, try and travel with carry ons only. I have two carry on bags that I alternate between depending on trip length, a Samsonite 21″ spinner for longer trips, and a Kenneth Cole 20″ spinner for short trips. I supplement this with an Eagle Creek “Quirk” Travelpack, which I have found to carry an amazing amount of stuff and still fit underneath the seat in front of you. I managed to do three weeks in Europe with this combo. Yes, I had to do laundry during the trip, but it was worth it.

Sticking with carry ons will offer you an enormous amount of flexibility during your summer travels. The peace of mind of having your belongings with you when the inevitable summer storms roll and accompanying “off schedule operations” is priceless.

Now, about patience. Air travel during the summer months can be a test of anyone’s patience. Be nice to the airline staff, and they are more apt to help get you out of a bind. If you are stuck waiting for a flight, don’t visit the counter every 3 minutes to ask about the flight.

Patience is good, but don’t let that stop you from being proactive – It’s always good to be informed, but especially so during the summer months. Be proactive by checking the weather along your route of flight, and across the country really. It is entirely possible for a line of thunderstorms across Florida to impact your flight from Dallas to New York.  Take a minute to research possible back up plans if your flight is delayed or cancelled. Sometimes it can be helpful to have that back up plan in your pocket if you’re working with an airline agent to get rebooked. You may think of things they don’t.

If you’re flight is cancelled or delayed and you are standing in a long line of customers waiting to be rebooked, be proactive by calling the airline’s 1-800 number and working on alternative arrangements. By the time you get to the front of the line, you may already have everything worked out, and just need to pick up a new boarding pass. As a Delta flyer, I love @Delta for help with making alternative arrangements during a delay. They are awesome! If you’re on a flight with wi-fi, you can probably access your airline’s website for free. Start looking at your options before you land, and you may even find that you’ve already been taken care of for the next leg of your trip.

Consider a travel concierge – I consider myself an experienced traveler who has no problem navigating the landmines that summer travel can lay in your way. However, if you are not a routine traveler, and are taking a trip of a lifetime, or at least your very valuable annual vacation time, you might consider investing in a travel concierge to watch things for you. I have used the services of Cranky Concierge on important vacation trips before, and they are worth every penny.

Invest in a day pass to the airline lounge – If you aren’t a lounge member, or don’t carry a credit card product that grants access, the price of a day pass to the airline lounge may be worth the price of gold. Airline lounges are typically staffed with the most experienced agents who can help you get on your way sooner rather than later. If nothing else, you can at least wait for your delayed flight in comfort with access to beverages and snacks.

Be nice – Right up there with patience, is politeness. As frustrating as air travel delays can be, taking those frustrations out on airline personnel are not going to help you get home faster. And you don’t need the extra stress either.

The post Summer Travel Tips Work When Airline Computers Attack Too appeared first on MJ on Travel.