The Chase MileagePlus Explorer card is a card I have kept for six years running. Initially, I kept the card mainly to avoid the checked bag fee, especially as our family continued to grow with little ones, and checking in bags became unavoidable. Some benefits have remained in place, such as two United Lounge passes that Chase gives yearly upon renewing the card and priority boarding. These perks have further appeal in the realm of basic economy, and having an airline credit card assures you of being allowed to carry a bag that can be checked in or carried on (if you book a basic economy fare). What happens if you don’t have an airline-branded credit card and book the basic economy fare? You can only bring a bag that can fit under your seat. Anything that goes into the overhead bins would have to be paid for, and airlines are starting to enforce this policy at the gate.
Many airline credit cards are popular for churning. This means you sign up and get approved for the card, rack up the bonus miles after hitting the minimum spend threshold, and cancel the card within a year. Then you can apply those miles to that destination you’ve been saving up for. Since I find myself traveling between Chicago and the East Coast several times a year, I’ve held on to the United MileagePlus Explorer card as well as the Citi American AAdvantage Platinum to save on baggage fees and for the convenience of priority boarding (on super busy routes such as LGA to ORD, it assures overhead bin space). If there was only one credit card you wanted to pay an annual fee for, I wouldn’t recommend an airline-branded card since you’re married to that one airline if you want to reap the benefits. A credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve would be the better option since you have multiple airlines whose frequent flier programs you can utilize via transfer. But if you’re willing to pay for two cards and you live near a United hub (Chicago, D.C., Houston, Denver, San Francisco, Newark/NYC, and Los Angeles), the United MileagePlus Explorer credit card might be one of the most appealing airline-branded credit cards available. In addition to the benefits I outlined above, United offers exclusive mileage redemptions to card members only.
I used an example itinerary from Chicago (ORD) to Cancun from July 29th to August 4th. In both instances, we’re going to use award redemptions. The first example is the redemption available to Chase United MileagePlus credit card holders.
This is the segment from Chicago to Cancun. Two non-stop options, worth 17.5k miles, are available exclusively with the MileagePlus credit card.These are the options for the return. Three non-stop options if you hold the credit card. 35k miles for the roundtrip for one passenger.
Now let’s look at redemption availability if you want to book this same trip using United Miles, but don’t hold the United MileagePlus Explorer credit card:
If you want the non-stop option, it will cost 25k miles rather than the 17.5k miles seen above.
They have one 17.5k redemption to get to Cancun, but look at that disgusting itinerary. Not only are you departing at 6 a.m., but you have to switch airports in D.C. By the time you’re in Cancun, you’re spent.The return trip to Chicago would cost 25k miles. There is no 17.5k option available for the return.
As you can see in the example above, having the Chase MileagePlus Explorer card means you’re using only 35k miles (plus the applicable taxes) with the benefit of having a non-stop flight on both legs of the journey. Without it, you’re using, at a minimum, 42.5k miles, and likely 50k miles if you want to have a non-stop each way and a productive first day in Cancun. How much is that 15k miles savings worth? The Points Guy values each United mile at 1.5 cents. 1.5 x 15k = $225. This is just an estimate, but even if you value it a bit lower, it becomes obvious that the miles you saved by having the card are worth far more than the annual fee of $95 you’d be paying to keep the card. Again, this card isn’t for everyone; travelers who live near a United hub would benefit the most. If you are a Chase Sapphire Preferred/Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder and find yourself transferring Ultimate Rewards points into United often, pairing the MileagePlus Explorer card with either of them only enhances their value.
Kauai was the second island my wife and I visited during our last trip to Hawaii. We started in Maui (you can read that itinerary here) and took a one-way flight from Maui to Kaui on Hawaiian Airlines via JetBlue miles. Kauai is known as the Garden Isle for its lush tropical landscape. Based on my experience, Kauai offers more seclusion than Maui and Oahu and more lush greenery than Big Island. The islands are special in their own way, so I’d recommend experiencing all four. Here’s a rundown of what we did during our four days in Kauai.
Day One: Arrival
My wife and I stayed at Mariott’s Kauai Beach Club Hotel during our stay in Kauai. Great property that wasn’t expensive and located right on the beach, just 10 minutes from the airport. We rented a car in both Maui and Kauai and if you want to make the most of your time there, I’d recommend doing the same. We arrived in the late afternoon from Maui, so we spent the evening at Kalapaki Beach, right in front of our hotel, and took in the live entertainment that was offered by Marriott.
View of the beach from our balcony
Day Two: Poipu Beach
We spent almost the entire day at Poipu Beach on the second day. Of all the beaches I’ve been to in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai (I’ve been to many), this was my favorite in Hawaii. Plenty of space, clean, an abundance of marine wildlife, and a perfect place to snorkel. If you’re in Kauai, this beach is a must-see. You also get spectacular sunsets if you stick around until the late evening.
I was very fortunate to swim alongside a green sea turtle. If you snorkel in Hawaiian waters, get a GoPro or underwater camera. You’ll see some cool wildlife, and it’s worth getting on video.
Day Three: Waimea Canyon State Park
Waimea Canyon State Park is another must-see place in Kauai. From our hotel near the airport, it was about 32 miles to the entrance and took about 45 minutes. You can also take a 3.4-mile hike to the bottom of the canyon, which will take about 3 hours round-trip. The cool thing about Waimea Canyon is that the surrounding area looks like Sedona, Arizona. You’ll find red clay, orangish water, and a landscape that almost seems out of place for Hawaii.
The landscape on the periphery of Waimea Canyon
The main lookout at Waimea Canyon
Once you’re at the main lookout point at Waimea Canyon, you’ll find local farmers selling delicious local produce such as mangos, star-fruits, and papayas. If you purchase the fruits, you’ll support locals.
Day Four: Napali Coast State Park
No trip to Kauai is complete without seeing Napali Coast State Park. This was one of the settings for Jurassic Park; the minute you get to the entrance, it will look familiar. My wife and I were dead set on doing the hike, and we did about 3/4 of it until park rangers told us we couldn’t go any further due to flooding from heavy rainfall the previous night. The hike is challenging, particularly the first quarter mile, where there is a lot of steep uphill climbing. Bring some solid hiking shoes, plenty of water, and a couple of granola bars if you do the hike. I saw a few people with flip-flops, and they were getting killed by mud and wet rocks. Please don’t do this hike with flip-flops or sneakers. You don’t need expensive hiking shoes; a $60 pair would do the job. I’d also bring a light raincoat since this part of Kauai gets a lot of rain, and the weather can change from hour to hour. Other options for seeing the cliffs are by boat or helicopter. I have heard the helicopter takes four people and that if you’re one of the two sitting in the rear, you’re kind of blocked off from the views compared to those sitting in the front. Just something to be aware of.
Overcast skies on our way to Napali Coast.
The weather on this part of the island changes from hour to hour. If you open any weather app on your smartphone and see rain for the entire day, take that with a grain of salt. On our drive there, we had mostly overcast skies with drizzle here and there. When we started the hike, the clouds cleared up and gave way to sunshine. Don’t be disappointed if you see overcast skies while driving there. Just wait it out, and hopefully, the sun will appear.
A view from the hiking trail. The skies cleared up about 40 minutes after we started hiking.The majestic cliffs and a rainbow from a distance
So this was Kauai in a nutshell. A special place and a beautiful island home to my favorite trail among the ones I have hiked in Hawaii. I wish we had an extra day here, and I know I’d be saying the same thing even if we did. If you visit Hawaii, try including Kauai in your itinerary. But only if you can do the three must-see places above. If you want to read about our most recent trip to Hawaii (Big Island), you can do that here. As always, thanks for reading.
I’ll review our itinerary to Argentina and Chile and the miles/points we used on different segments. I’ll review what we did well about planning while touching upon the aspects we could have done differently. Everyone’s purpose for a trip is different, but my wife and I had one main goal: To make the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile our priority. We had six full days in Argentina, so our goal was to make the most of it. Here is a recap of our memorable trip to this beautiful part of the world:
Getting There:
Non-stop flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina, depart from NYC, Newark, Miami, Dallas, and Houston. We traveled during the busy holiday season and would not use cash to book this ticket. Round trip airfare was at least $1,300 a person on American, United, and Latam Airlines. United Airlines was charging 70k miles one way from Newark or Houston for this trip. American Airlines was charging over 70k miles from JFK, Miami, and Dallas (DFW). We caught a huge break when we searched for a one-way trip from Miami on British Airways. They only charged 25k miles per person from Miami to Buenos Aires via American Airlines. Since they are One World partners with American Airlines, we used British Airways Avios (BA’s mileage currency) to fly on American. Since neither my wife nor I had ever visited Miami, we figured we’d use our JetBlue miles to fly from Albany to Ft. Lauderdale and escape the ensuing blizzard that was en route to Albany, NY. This allowed us to spend two days there and enjoy the city. The flight to Buenos Aires departed on the 24th from Miami during the evening. A one-way ticket on the same flight would have cost us over $1,900 per person (!). We got significant value on this redemption, possibly one of our best ever. British Airways is a transfer partner of several credit card companies (Chase, AMEX, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Citi, Bilt, etc), so it’s one of the easier mileage currencies to accrue.
The damage had we booked using cash. Insane.
Day One: Buenos Aires
Our flight landed at 6:45 am, and this would be our only full day in Buenos Aires. I tried to sleep as much as possible, but anyone who travels economy class knows you can’t sleep well when sitting for that long. My wife and I were both tired and our hotel, Dazzler Polo (part of the Wyndham portfolio of hotels) was all the way on the other side of town. We just hoped that even if the hotel didn’t let us check in early, they would at least hold our bags until the 2 pm check-in time. Once we got our luggage, we hailed an Uber (more on this later) and took the nearly 1-hour ride to the other side of town. By the time we got to the hotel, it was 9 am. I walked to the front desk and told the lady we just arrived from Miami and kindly asked her if there was any possible way she would let us check in early. She quickly checked her computer and said a room was available and she would give it to us. This was a HUGE deal. It allowed us to take a much-needed 2-3 hour nap and still have the entire day to explore the city. Since it was summer in South America, sunset was not until 8:10 pm. So, a massive shout out to the lady at Dazzler Polo for helping us salvage that day. The hotel itself was fantastic, and I booked it using a hotels.com gift card that I redeemed using Ibotta (you can read about that app here).
Front Entrance to the Dazzler Polo Hotel
Hotel Room
The complimentary breakfast was far better than what you would get at American hotels.
This hotel is located in the northwest part of Buenos Aires, in the neighborhood of Palermo. We took the subway and got off at the last stop (Catedral) to visit some of the main sites near the city center. The subway system is straightforward to use, and if you need help, the employees will gladly assist you.
Once we got off the subway at the Catedral station, everything we wanted to see was a short walk away. Plaza de Mayo is a beautiful central plaza with a pink building called Casa Rosada, the statue of San Martin, and the Catedral Metropolitana. Many picture opportunities will present themselves here. Walking further into the hip and trendy Puerto Madera neighborhood, you’ll find the Puente De La Mujer or Women’s Bridge. This neighborhood also has many restaurants and brunch spots and is lively at night. We happened to be there during Christmas, so most places were closed.
The best way to explore any city is by walking. Could you get around between some of these sites using a taxi or Uber? Sure you can. Speaking of Uber, I prefer using it for long distances in Buenos Aires. A taxi was also an option, but with Uber, you’re locked into a fare, and you know approximately how much you will be paying before you step into the car. With a taxi, there’s always that chance that we might be taken advantage of as foreigners. The app worked seamlessly; a one-hour ride from one side of the town to the other cost about $25 USD. The taxi company quoted me double that price. But most of the time, we walked around and saw many of the sites we wanted. We loved Buenos Aires, and now it was time to get back to the hotel and prepare for the flight to El Calafate the following day.
Day Two: Buenos Aires to El Calafate
I booked this flight using Chase Ultimate Rewards points on Aerolineas Argentinas. El Calafate is the gateway city to the Patagonia region of Argentina. Had I used cash, the flight would have cost $450 round trip per person. Again, I was set on not paying cash airfare. As a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holder, I got 1.5 cents per point for booking flights. This cost us 30k points per person for this roundtrip from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. This trip was taken from Buenos Aires’ other airport, Jorge Newbery International Airport, located on the north end of Buenos Aires, about 1.5 miles from the Dazzler Polo. It’s much smaller than their main airport, and I chose it because of the cheaper fares to El Calafate. The total flight time was about 2 hours 45 minutes. Once we got there, we booked a round-trip transfer with VES. It’s a smaller bus that took us to our hotel and dropped us off at the airport while flying out of El Calafate. The total for two people was 480 pesos, or about USD 26. This was far more cost-effective than taking a taxi, and Uber did not offer service here. Here’s a tip: Request a window seat and sit on the plane’s right side (Any seat that is F). This will give you spectacular photo opportunities as you land in El Calafate. You can see an example below.
I booked a hotel named Picos Del Sur for our stay at El Calafate. For $56 a night, this hotel offered complimentary breakfast and free WiFi and was just a quarter mile from the city center, where all the shops, restaurants, and cafes are located. The staff was fantastic and super friendly, and the premises were adequate. The breakfast was okay, as most of their offerings were high-carb items such as sweet croissants, muffins, toast, cereal, etc. Most of these hotel stays were paid via hotels.com gift card via Ibotta (I love that app).
Day Three: El Calafate
For any of you who might travel to Patagonia in the future, let me give you some advice: Throw the weather forecast out the window. This is one of those places where you can try to plan around the weather, which means absolutely nothing. We saw days where torrential downpours were forecasted only to see clear skies (much to our delight). The weather here changes hourly because the Atlantic and Pacific coasts are separated by just a few hours’ drive. On this day, we decided to stay in El Calafate and explore the town and nearby places. One gem we encountered was the Laguna Nimez Reserve. This place is a sanctuary for flamingos, owls, birds of prey, and other unusual birds I had never seen anywhere else. The entrance fee was 150 Argentinean pesos or roughly $8. The entire circle around the sanctuary takes about 90 minutes to walk and offers fantastic views of Lago Argentino and the mountains in the background. If you’re in El Calafate, I highly recommend it. For the second half of the day, we walked around the city center and checked out the town vibes. El Calafate has many lovely boutique shops that are worth checking out.
Day Four: Perito Moreno Glacier
We booked a tour to Perito Moreno Glacier on this day with Hielo & Aventura. You can visit their website and see everything they offer right here. They picked us up from the hotel at 7:30am, and we went on the 90-minute journey to Parque Nacional Las Glaciares. The first stop was a scenic overlook for about 10 minutes. This spot provided a glimpse of the awe-inspiring scenery yet to come. The second stop took us to the multiple viewing decks before the glacier. We saw a few smaller chunks of glacier calve off into the lake, which was incredible. The third thing on the agenda was the boat ride to the southern face of the glacier so we could actually hike on it. If you’re coming to Patagonia, I highly recommend doing this activity. For you Game of Thrones fans, it felt like we were north of the wall in wildling territory. The scenery is incredible and unlike anything I have ever witnessed. The ice has a lovely shade of blue, and even the water in certain crevasses seems to have a deep blue color. This activity costs about $180 per person, including pickup and drop-off from your hotel. As a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holder, I applied my $300 annual travel credit for 2018 for this excursion, effectively bringing our cost down to about $60 combined for two people. That’s a hell of a way to use the travel credit. Something to keep in mind: There is an entrance fee to Perito Moreno that is separate from the tour cost. It’s 500 Argentinean Pesos (equivalent to about $27 USD). The park ranger will collect that fee at the park entrance, and from what I remember, they don’t accept any other currency. Be sure to exchange your currency before you get there. My wife and I booked the 90-minute hike for this trip rather than the 6-8 hour hike. In retrospect, this is one of the things we wish we had done differently. It wasn’t as challenging as we initially thought, and if you’re physically fit and have done longer hikes before, the longer hike might be of interest to you. Just be sure to dress in layers for either one you may choose. Even though they give you snow clamps, it’s still important you have a decent pair of hiking shoes for this trek. Merrell, Keen, Columbia, etc would all suffice. They also require gloves so you don’t cut yourself on the jagged ice if you fall. Sunglasses are a great idea if you’re there on a sunny day since the glare reflecting off the glacier can sometimes be blinding.
The boat ride to the glacier is also incredible; you can view it for yourself. It does get windy, and there will probably be rain at some point, so it’s best to wear waterproof clothing and a raincoat.
Day Five: El Chalten
On day five, we did a day trip to El Chalten, about 3 hours north of El Calafate. El Chalten is known for its hiking, scenery, and Mt. Fitz Roy. Unfortunately, Fitz Roy was hidden by clouds for the entire day we were there. But we still didn’t pass up the opportunity to hike a few trails. Some of the trails are moderately challenging and require much steep climbing. You will get wet, muddy, and messy, which might be painful if you’re not physically fit. But on a clear day, the reward at the end is majestic postcard-worthy views of Fitz Roy. The best thing about El Chalten? It’s one of the few places to access the trails without paying an entrance fee. If you’re into camping, it’s a very popular spot to set up camp.
A viewpoint from one of the trails at El ChaltenThe viewpoint at the end of the Mirador trail
Day Six: Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
A trip to Patagonia is not complete without a visit to Torres Del Paine National Park on the Chilean side. This entire day’s journey costs about $250 per person (including pickup and drop off from the hotel). Luckily for us, my wife is also a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holder, and we were able to apply her $300 travel credit for 2018 to this excursion. This brought the excursion down to a reasonable $100 per person. The tour bus picked us up at 7am, and off we were. The drive from El Calafate to the Chilean border was about two hours. Once there, you must get off the bus twice before crossing into Chile to be checked by Argentinean authorities and again when you’re in Chile. Once there, you get your passport stamped by Chilean border patrol and declare anything that must be declared (don’t be that person). Our tour group had about 30 people, and crossing into Chile took about 45 minutes. Once we were cleared, the journey to Torres Del Paine took about 90 minutes. We were fortunate to have a mostly clear day when we arrived. If you have a clear day, you can see the famous towers. We stopped at the first four viewpoints for pictures before stopping at another point for lunch. They provide lunch, but unfortunately, they don’t offer vegetarian options. This was the biggest issue with this tour operator, and I conveyed to them that it was unacceptable, given the exorbitant cost of the tour itself. Luckily, we bought plenty of granola bars and Gatorade, which was sufficient. After lunch, we stopped at a few more viewpoints for spectacular photo opportunities. Anywhere you stop in the park, there will be an opportunity for a fantastic picture. The last stop was a 90-minute hike (very easy and straightforward) that gave us panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. We also saw guanacos, a species related to the camel and llama. I took a video of the hike, which you can view below.
The towers of Torres Del Paine were visible on this day.
Day Seven: Flight Back to Buenos Aires and New York City.
This was the conclusion of our memorable trip to Patagonia. Our flight back to Buenos Aires departed at 11:35 am and arrived at around 2:10 pm. To get back to Buenos Aires, we flew Aerolinas Argentinas as we did when we arrived. For the flight to New York City, we redeemed American Airlines miles for seats on American Airlines. The redemption was 57.5k miles per person, and although it wasn’t a great redemption value, it was better than United, Delta, and other options we had. We grabbed steak at Al Rawshe, near the smaller airport where we had landed. Argentina’s number one exports are beef and steak, which they do well. And trust me, the steak at Al Rawshe was phenomenal. We then took an Uber to their larger airport and headed back home. Another tip when flying out of El Calafate: Sit on the right side of the plane just as you would when you fly into El Calafate. You get incredible views of the turquoise-blue Lago Argentina upon takeoff and ascent. You can view the video below.
Should I take my kids to Patagonia?
If your kids are interested in the outdoors and can hike moderately challenging trails, I recommend bringing them to Patagonia. You could also carve out a trip for toddlers, but I would not recommend certain activities or excursions for children under eight. Being on a bus from El Calafate to Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile for nearly the entire day would probably make most toddlers impatient. If you want to bring toddlers to Torres Del Paine, you will be better served staying on the Chilean side of Patagonia in the town of Puerto Natales. From there, it is about a two-hour drive to Torres Del Paine, and you don’t have to deal with passport control.
Where can I see Penguins in Patagonia?
If you’re staying in southern Patagonia or near the town of Ushuaia
While we didn’t get to visit areas of Patagonia that have penguin colonies, there are a couple of places that you can visit to see them. If you’re staying in southern Patagonia or near the town of Ushuaia, Isla Martillo is one of the top spots for an up-close encounter with penguins. Situated in the Beagle Channel, this island is easily accessible from Ushuaia, Argentina. Travelers heading to Antarctica should take advantage of the opportunity to visit this thriving colony at the southern tip of Patagonia.
Home to thousands of Gentoo and Magellanic penguins, Martillo offers a chance to observe these unique birds in their natural habitat—nesting on rocky ridges, waddling along the shore, and diving into the water in search of anchovies and sardines. If you’re lucky enough, you might even spot an Emperor penguin that has wandered up from Antarctica.
If you’re staying in Punta Arenas, Chile, or Chilean Patagonia
Twenty kilometers off the coast of Punta Arenas, in the Strait of Magellan, lies Isla Magdalena—home to Chile’s largest penguin colony and one of Patagonia’s most significant Magellanic penguin rookeries. This island hosts over 120,000 tuxedoed residents who migrate from Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru each summer to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. They are very inquisitive, people-friendly, and will approach humans in a laid-back manner. As a friendly reminder, do not touch the penguins or any wildlife during your stay in Patagonia.
When is the best time to visit Patagonia?
December through February are the peak summer months in Patagonia and the southern hemisphere. The average high in El Calafate is in the mid-60s Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius), and it can go as high as the mid-70s. Temperatures during the night can dip into the 30s.
What should I bring to Patagonia?
A robust pair of hiking boots (Merrell, Keen, Columbia, etc.), waterproof windbreaker, and a thicker jacket that can insulate you from wind and temperatures in the ’30s but is versatile enough to wear while hiking ( think Northface, Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Columbia, Nike, Lululemon, etc.). I would also bring waterproof pants that have a built-in thermal layer. If you aren’t going to be in elevation, getting one or two hiking shorts is also advisable during the summer months. We packed plenty of granola bars so we wouldn’t have to shop for them in Patagonia, but it goes without saying that on any hike, you should carry plenty of protein bars or granola bars. Also, bring several bottles of water on the hike. It is always better to have more than not have enough. Since you will be in one of the world’s most beautiful areas, I strongly recommend bringing a nice camera.
During the second week of July, my wife, 9-month-old son, and I took a trip to Grand Cayman Island. Rather than do a separate hotel review, I will combine everything into one post since there are a few relevant details that many of you may benefit from. We chose Grand Cayman Island for a few reasons. First of all, it’s about a 3.5-hour flight from Chicago, and that’s approximately the maximum time my son will be confined to an airline cabin before he really starts getting restless. When he was five months old, we took him on an 8-hour flight to Hawaii, and he was perfectly fine. Once he hit the 7-month mark, even a 2-hour flight wasn’t easy. So, with those considerations in mind, Europe, Asia, and Hawaii were out of the question. The second reason we chose Grand Cayman is that its beaches have been spared from the seaweed problem (sargassum) that has plagued destinations such as Cancun, Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Florida. Most of these destinations do their best to remove it every morning, but despite their efforts, it’s still noticeable. The third reason we chose Grand Cayman is that it is infant/toddler/kid-friendly.
Booking
For this trip, I found saver-level award tickets (tickets that require the least number of miles for a given route) on American Airlines for 30k miles per person round trip. Since my son is a lap infant, his ticket was free. The cash price for a round-trip flight from Chicago to Grand Cayman was $455 per person. Redeeming 60k miles for $910 worth of airfare was a decent redemption.
Owen Roberts International Airport does not have jet bridges, so you must walk down the stairs and onto the tarmac before entering the terminal. The minute you land, you’re greeted by a musical band playing local music. It’s a perfect way to get the vacation vibes going.
Sunshine Suites Resort
We stayed in a boutique hotel called Sunshine Suites Resort. It’s a 3.5-star hotel that is clean, comfortable, and very reasonably priced (usually between $140-$180/night). I saw its 4.5-star rating on Trip Advisor, with over 2,000 reviews, which was good enough for me. If you need luxury accommodations with an ocean view, this hotel is not for you. The main reason I booked this hotel is we got to use all the amenities of the 5-star Westin Hotel, which is a 5-minute walk down the street. Their pool, beach, beach towels, lounge chairs, gym, and access to its restaurants and bars are all included in the mandatory $35/day resort fee. The nightly price of the Westin was 3x the price of the Sunshine Suites. Since we would be out at the beach for most of the day anyway, we needed a comfortable place to sleep, shower, and get dressed. Sunshine Suites provided all that and more, including complimentary breakfast. You can click on the video below to get an idea of the rooms and the property. FYI, if you don’t want to walk to the Westin, you can go to the front desk at Sunshine Suites and request a driver to drop you off in their golf cart. It works the same way if you want to return from the Westin. Just let the front desk at the Westin know in that case.
Sunshine Suites at night
The pool at Sunshine Suites at night
The breakfast offerings were decent. There was a nice variety of pastries, pancakes, cereal, parfait, boiled eggs, toast, oatmeal, bananas, muffins, coffee, tea, orange juice, and apple juice. Sunshine Suites also had a restaurant called Sunshine Grill, which served lunch and dinner. This is not complimentary and does not come as part of an “all-inclusive” package. The fish tacos they served were delicious. I would have fish tacos if I could return and have one meal in Grand Cayman.
The Westin Hotel
Since we had access to all the amenities of the Westin, we would have breakfast and make our way there for most of the day.
If you don’t want to walk here from Sunshine Suites, go to the front desk and request to be dropped off via a golf cart. This was a very convenient way to move around with our son.The pool and swim-up bar at the WestinThe Westin LobbyView of The Westin from the beach areaThe pool has a pedestrian bridge that crosses over to the beach. You can swim underneath to get to either side.
First pool experience for Zayn
Seven Mile Beach
Once you cross over the pool to the beach area, you will be greeted by Westin employees who direct you to lounge chairs and open the umbrellas if you choose to have them open. Towels are available to the right of the pool and must be checked out with your last name and room number of the property you’re staying at. Seven Mile Beach is simply amazing. I would rank it right behind the Maldives for water clarity among all the beaches I have visited. There is no seaweed or litter; it’s perfectly maintained, and the waves are calm for water activities.
The lounge chairs get occupied pretty quickly. The earlier you claim one in the morning the better.
Seven Mile Beach’s water clarity makes it perfect for snorkeling, so bring an underwater camera and snorkeling gear. You can also rent the gear from the hotel. Seven Mile Beach faces west, and if the horizon is clear, you will be treated to some spectacular sunsets. Even if the horizon isn’t 100% clear, the sun reflecting off the clouds will make for a beautiful and colorful sky.
If you’re reading this, a point of interest that might be worth visiting is Stingray City. It wasn’t age-appropriate for a 9-month-old, but if you have kids who are a bit older or you want to experience swimming with stingrays, it’s only a 10-minute drive away. Keep in mind that when driving in the Cayman Islands, you drive on the left side of the road as it is a British territory.
Some of you have asked if the food, water, and snacks are expensive, and for the most part, they are costly. If you purchase from the hotel or even convenience stores right next to the hotel, it will cost you three to four times what you are used to paying for bottled water. I asked a local where I could purchase a case of water, and he directed me to a large wholesale club called ‘Cost U Less,’ which was just a 7-minute walk away. If you’re familiar with BJ’s Wholesale Club on the East Coast, this was their sister store. It even had the Wellsley Farms brand, the store label for BJ’s. You don’t need a membership, and while the prices aren’t U.S. wholesale club prices, they are far cheaper than any other place you will find on the island. If you’re staying at an Airbnb and decide to cook rather than eat out, this is a perfect place to shop for your ingredients since they also carry fresh produce, seafood, and meat.
Concluding Thoughts
We had a great time at Grand Cayman Island, and the service and hospitality at the Sunshine Suites and Westin were top-notch. I’ve never seen two hotels so well coordinated when transporting passengers between the two properties and accommodating each other’s guests at their respective restaurants. If there is one other essential tip you take from this, BRING MOSQUITO REPELLANT and bathe yourself in it. They are relentless, and if any parts of your body don’t have the repellant touching it, they will find it, guaranteed. As always, thanks for reading.
Rum Point, Grand Cayman Island, as seen from the ascent on American Airlines.
My wife and I got to experience this beautiful property courtesy of our AMEX free weekend night certificates. Unfortunately, the American Express Hilton Honors Ascend Card no longer has this benefit on the cardmember anniversary. You have to spend $15,000 in a given year to get the free night, and I don’t think it’s worth forgoing points with Chase or AMEX Platinum/Gold to pursue a free night with Hilton in most instances. Since my wife and I have the AMEX Hilton Honors Ascend Card, we combined our free nights into a weekend stay. The nightly rate for our room was $450, so we got $900 worth of value plus $50 credit toward dining for the annual fee we paid for both cards ($95 per card).
Check-In
Walking into the hotel, take the elevator to the third floor. There is no second floor; the third floor is where the check-in desk, lounge, restaurant, and lobby are located. Upon checking in, the receptionist verified our Hilton Gold status, courtesy of the AMEX card, and upgraded us to a room on the 9th floor. We could choose 1,000 Hilton points or a $50 dining credit as Hilton Gold members. We took the dining credit (I don’t recommend taking the points in this scenario). The receptionist was kind enough to give us a mini-tour of the hotel, Estuary restaurant, and some of the amenities this hotel offers.
The circular lamp changes color each hour.
My first impression when walking in was that this hotel did not have many 90-degree angles. The architect made a concerted effort to make the interior as curvy as possible. The lobby was beautiful, and since the hotel was only 45 days old when we stayed, it still had that brand-new scent.
Looking down from the 10th floor to the lobby below.
Room
Our room was on the 9th floor, with a nice view of New York Street below. Keeping up with the theme, the room was curvy but spacious and very comfortable.
Coffee and snacks
As an avid coffee drinker, I always appreciate it when a hotel provides a Keurig-type machine with pods. The coffee was complimentary, per usual, but the snacks were completely overpriced. If you need snacks, there is a CVS across the street where you can get the same offerings for 1/4 of the price.
The bathroom provided two sinks and a separate blurred door to the toilet so two people could use the bathroom simultaneously while still having some privacy.
The toiletries were Shanghai Tang, and the scent was very nice—not too overpowering but not too light either. The room also provided slippers, a safe, laundry bag, iron, and bathrobes.
Estuary and Estuary Bar
Estuary is the restaurant on the premises on the 3rd floor. We went there for breakfast on Saturday morning and ordered a custom-made omelet and buttermilk pancakes. Both were delicious, albeit smaller in portion than your typical brunch diner.
The Estuary Bar area was spacious, and seating was plentiful during the day. If an event is going on at the hotel, it’ll likely get packed in the evening and into the late night.
Third Floor Terrace and Rooftop Bar
Since the hotel was only 45 days old during our stay, the Rooftop Bar was not officially open to guests, so I could only take pictures from behind the glass door. The 3rd-floor terrace was open for use.
View from the Rooftop BarThe Terrace on the 3rd-floor
Fitness Center
The fitness center was one of the better ones I had seen at a hotel. Upon entering, guests are greeted with towels, earphones, and apples.
There are multiple treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikesIf you’re into lifting, they have that covered as well.
Concluding Thoughts
Although I forgot to measure the internet speed, I had no speed or Wi-Fi connectivity issues. If you plan to park your car at the Conrad, parking in their garage is $36 a day. I used the ParkWhiz app and found a garage two blocks away, allowing me to park for $14. There is also metered parking on the street, but it has a three-hour time limit during business hours and is free overnight. One of the most appealing aspects of staying at Conrad DC is that the National Mall, White House, Capitol building, Smithsonian, and many other points of interest are only 10-15 minutes away by walking. I also want to acknowledge the receptionists on the 3rd floor who always gave us complimentary bottles of water whenever we walked by. The staff made an excellent stay that much better.
As part of our award redemption using United miles for a business class ticket to Lisbon, my wife and I had access to the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge during our 6-hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. At Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges and four Senator Lounges (first-class lounges). I chose The business class lounge after passport control near A26 since this was closest to our departure gate.
Upon entering the lounge, the receptionist scanned our boarding pass at the entrance and directed us to the lounge. Since Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges, I didn’t expect there to be much of a crowd at this one. About three-quarters filled when we arrived and became less crowded as the hours went by.
Most of the crowd was fixated on the TV’s and the World Cup match that was being played. The lounge itself isn’t huge by any stretch but has enough seating and excellent amenities.
The seating area right in front of the bar
There were a few different seating areas, and much like Polaris Lounge in Chicago, this one had seating areas with different ambiances. As much as I wanted to take pictures of every single area of the lounge, I tried not to take pictures of an area if there were people who might be looking right at the camera. I wish it was a bit easier to be discrete and thorough at the same time.
The business center was being utilized by only a few people and had relatively new PC’s.
The other half of the business center was completely empty, but having chairs without back support probably convinced everyone to stay away. The wifi connectivity at this lounge was excellent, among the fastest I had experienced at any lounge. Kudos to Lufthansa for really looking out for business travelers.
Like the Polaris Lounge, this lounge also had bedrooms available upon request. My wife wanted to take a nap, so they gladly unlocked a room for her and provided her with a blanket.
I wasn’t tired enough to reserve a room for myself, but she said the beds were very comfortable, and she slept for two solid hours. This lounge also had access to showers upon request. Next up was to check out the food offerings. Usually, this is among the first things I do at a lounge. Since I had breakfast on the plane only an hour prior, I wasn’t all that hungry, and I did not want to eat for the sake of eating. So I waited a few hours until hunger struck.
Bread basket
The bread was bread. Not terrible, but not great.
The potato salad was decent. Their regular salad was subpar and very dry.
SaladNoodles with cheese
The noodles with cheese were surprisingly good. It might not look good from the picture above, but trust me, it was good. Taking pictures of the food near the buffet area is also where I ran into a little bit of trouble. There was a far greater selection than what I could take a picture of. However, one of the employees responsible for replenishing the buffet told me in half English and half German that I was not allowed to take pictures of the food or buffet area. I had no idea why this was the case, but rather than challenge that assertion, I just took her word for it and stopped taking pictures of that area.
The caramel pudding was heavenly. This was so good I had to have it twice.
There’s nothing like having ginger ale where you can actually taste the ginger. The lounge had plenty of drinks, a solid espresso machine, and a well-stocked bar. Again, I did not want to challenge the lady and take a picture, but take my word for it. As for the bathrooms, Lufthansa did a great job maintaining the men’s room.
Mens Room
The L’Occitane soap and lotion that they provided was a very nice touch. Small details like that do not go unnoticed.
Final Thoughts
. This was a fantastic lounge that checked just about every box. Solid food options, high speed Wi-Fi connectivity, enough seating, and added amenities such as bedrooms and showers. Rather than construct two or three large lounges and risk capacity issues, I appreciate how Lufthansa built 7 smaller business-class lounges to spread out the crowd. This issue will come into play for my next review, the KLM Business Class Lounge at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. As for the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge, I would rate it a 4.6/5.
We had a layover in Boston during a recent trip from NYC to Chicago, so we decided to stop by The Lounge at Logan International Airport. It was rather convenient since we would depart from Terminal C, the same terminal where The Lounge is situated. This lounge is part of the Priority Pass network but also serves as a business class lounge for Aer Lingus and TAP Portugal as they depart from Terminal C. I didn’t have any issues getting in since it wasn’t full. Still, I have heard of incidents where Priority Pass cardholders were denied access when The Lounge expected a large influx of business class travelers flying on Aer Lingus or TAP Portugal. Since it is the only lounge in Terminal C, hours between 4 p.m.-8 p.m. are not sure for Priority Pass card holders.
Receptionist Desk at The Lounge
Upon entering, I showed my Priority Pass card, and the receptionist scanned it and told my wife and me we were good to go. The lounge was 3/4 full and filling up when we entered, which is unsurprising considering that we arrived on a Friday at 6 p.m.
If you’re a business traveler who needs a plug outlet, I highly recommend going to the back of the lounge. There, you’ll find outlets and a semi-partition that will give you privacy.
Once we got situated, I went to see the food offerings. I wasn’t hungry, but for the sake of the review, I helped myself with small portions of a few things. They had pasta salad, hummus with pita, a veggie sandwich that consisted of cream cheese and cucumbers, vegetables, salad, soup (clam chowder), and snacks. The pasta salad was ok but nothing special. The hummus was decent and might have been the best item they had out there. The veggie sandwich was simple but surprisingly not terrible. I didn’t have the turkey sandwich, so the jury is out. It seems like their benchmark was just good enough not to be bad. The refrigerator had no shortage of cold drinks, though. That was a big plus.
I don’t partake in drinking alcohol, but for those of you who do, the bar looked like it was stocked pretty well.
Bar area
My biggest gripe during my time here was this lounge’s lack of dedicated WiFi. You are forced to use Logan’s public WiFi, and the speed is painfully slow. It’s certainly not business traveler-friendly. The bathrooms were clean, which was a nice plus. I would rate this place a 3.2/5. If you happen to be in Terminal C, being at this lounge would still be sitting in the gate area. However, if you’re departing from a different terminal, I would not recommend visiting Terminal C just to visit this lounge.
Traveling using frequent flier miles and points certainly has many advantages, such as making business class travel attainable for the casual traveler, and regardless of the ticket class you purchased, you’re saving money compared to booking with cash. However, there are instances where you might book using points from one airline in getting to your destination and use points for a different airline during your return. As far as I can remember, I haven’t ever used miles for the same airline going and coming back. For example, I’ve flown on United miles going to Europe while flying on American miles coming back multiple times. I minimized the miles expenditure by planning my itinerary this way. The only issue? Booking international tickets one way will increase the likelihood of getting the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass. SSSS stands for secondary selective screening selection. For me, thebiggest giveaway that I’ll end up with SSSS on my boarding pass on the return trip is when I’m unable to check in for my flight 24 hours before takeoff. The mobile app will have some variation of the same message, “check-in unavailable,” or I’ll get an error message. For a traveler who is designated SSSS, the only way to check in is at the ticketing counter at the airport. When you receive your boarding pass at the airport, the capitalized SSSS will be highlighted by the ticketing agent. Once you are in line and the customs officer scans your boarding pass, a red light will flash, or there will be a beeping sound, alerting the agent of your SSSS designation. It’s also important to note that other factors may also be in play. Your name (someone with the same name or similar may be on the watch list), the region you are traveling to and from, and your citizenship status could all play a role.
My SSSS designation from Dubai to NYC last summer
Every country differs in its protocol for conducting secondary screening. In Reykjavik, Iceland, I was taken to a separate room, and all the contents of my carry-on bag were removed. All electronics were swabbed and scanned, and the procedure was completed in 10 minutes. The personnel were friendly and explained what they would do in advance. In San Jose, Costa Rica, the security personnel gave me a pat down and searched my bag right at the gate. I hated this experience since almost everyone on my Southwest flight headed to Baltimore was already in the waiting area. 170 pairs of eyeballs glaring at me as one agent thoroughly searched and swabbed my backpack and all its contents while the other gave me a thorough pat down.
There are also instances where you might get SSSS on your boarding pass when traveling domestically. This occurred in 2015 when my wife and I returned from Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul was deemed a high-risk travel area then, and anyone returning home from that area was getting SSSS on their boarding pass for the ensuing months. Upon returning, my wife and I had a domestic flight from Chicago (ORD) to NYC (LGA), a flight we had taken countless times. This time, we both received the SSSS on our boarding pass, much to our surprise. The TSA officer asked if we had been anywhere recently. I told him we were in Istanbul the prior week, and he explained that everyone returning from that region was being selected for secondary screening. He wasn’t wrong; even people with TSA Pre-check and Global Entry were flagged from secondary screening. In this instance, we were both given thorough pat downs (more like a massage) and had every electronic device swabbed and scanned. Our laptops had to be taken out and powered on. Even The Points Guy (Brian Kelly) had a similar experience upon returning from Turkey around that same time.If you get an SSSS on your ticket, be cooperative and understand that the security personnel are just following protocol and doing their jobs. It will make the process easier and quicker, and you’ll be on your way a lot sooner.
Over the last 10 days, I was fortunate to transit through two airports that feature a Centurion Lounge. You can read about the Centurion Lounge at Miami International Airport right here and the Centurion Lounge at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport right here.
Prior to my flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, I had some free time at Miami International Airport. I had heard many great things about the Centurion Lounge at MIA, so as an AMEX Platinum cardholder, I figured I might as well give it a visit.
This lounge can be found on the fourth floor of the north terminal near gate D12. If you have been to the Centurion Lounge in Dallas, this one offers some of the same services and amenities. It’s roomy, and there is plenty of space available. First thing I did (like I do at every lounge), I surveyed the food offerings. Since many people were in front and behind me, I didn’t want to act like a first timer and take pics (I’m really sorry). But the offerings were lamb, Indian-style chickpeas or chole, salad, brown rice, and apple crumble for the dessert. I sampled everything but the lamb and found everything to be delicious. Again, I wish I took pictures and perhaps next time I won’t care whether people are around me. The espresso machine had various offerings such as latte, cappuccino, espresso, etc.
If you are more of a tea person, they also have you covered.
As I mentioned above, there is plenty of seating available. Many of them give you access to USB and plug outlets. The cushioned seats are very comfortable if you must stay there for a few hours.
If you want to sit near a window and airplane watch, there is there is plenty of room for that.
Shower availability is convenient for those who have arrived from a far away destination and want to freshen up before a connection.
You can even get a manicure and pedicure done in the lounge.
I love the family room aspect of the lounge. Keeps the kids busy while the adults can adult. I wish more lounges would do this.
This was my one major issue with this lounge. The internet speed is unacceptable for a brand that touts itself as business-friendly. Those are some dial-up caliber speeds that I encountered, and in my two hours at the lounge, the speed only got worse.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’d rate this lounge a 4/5. It has just about all the comfort, food offerings, and amenities needed in a lounge. It’s also one of the few designed with kids in mind. If the slow Wi-Fi connectivity is addressed, this lounge would be a perfect 5.
Like the Polaris Lounge, this lounge also had bedrooms available upon request. My wife wanted to take a nap, so they gladly unlocked a room for her and provided her with a blanket.
Miles for places 