Airline/Hotel Loyalty Programs

[Bo Diddley]

Pelado, your creative flight itinerary and use of rewards points is commendable. The airlines really screw you on the points required for the domestic legs of an international business class trip so I've often resorted to similar tactics. Based on my experience, your assumption that you will have to retrieve and recheck baggage for every separately booked flight is correct.

Yes, I've done this once or twice as well. You will have to recheck your bags. I like to book a back-up flight through SWA if the connection is tight. For example, we had a direct flight from LGW to LAX. We booked a return (LAX to SLC) first class using points on Alaska. The flight from London was delayed a little late. We had to book it from the international terminal to T6 after waiting for our luggage to unload. It was tight but we made it because the Alaska flight was also delayed. Our luggage even made the flight. But we had a later flight booked through SWA that I cancelled and got our points redeposited.

By the way, I much prefer to use a backpack and carry on all my luggage. The missus doesn't. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.

[Pelado]

Pelado, your creative flight itinerary and use of rewards points is commendable. The airlines really screw you on the points required for the domestic legs of an international business class trip so I've often resorted to similar tactics. Based on my experience, your assumption that you will have to retrieve and recheck baggage for every separately booked flight is correct. My only critique is that you should have checked SFO, LAX, and SEA - those are all a short flight from Boise and all offer non-stop routes to LON with Seattle being the fastest at 9.5 hours. SFO is a United hub and United has 3 non-stops a day out of SFO so you may have been able to use your United miles more efficiently through there. Maybe you checked all those and just didn't note it?

Another trick I often use going is Air Canada flying either out of Vancouver or Toronto. Depending on the destination, they fly non-stop up over the top of globe so Vancouver to, say, Delhi is a great non-stop flight. Ttheir business class is just fine (basically the same as Delta One and United Polaris), their prices are pretty good, and they are Star Alliance so you can earn/redeem United miles.

I can handle any flight in the continental US in Economy class but I'm too tall, too fat, too old, and too grumpy to fly across an ocean without going Business class.

I did consider Seattle and San Francisco. I examined several options that included them, but did not do extensive research on them because I didn't want to backtrack. There were also several options routing through Toronto or Montreal on Air Canada, but those tended to cost a few more miles than I wanted to part with. Also, I wasn't sure if the business class experience would be up to par.

I, too, am too fat/old/tall for comfortable travel in economy. I was originally planning to suffer through it for this trip but, thankfully, Covid restrictions delayed it enough that I could accumulate enough points to avoid suffering through it.

[Pelado]

My only critique is that you should have checked SFO, LAX, and SEA - those are all a short flight from Boise and all offer non-stop routes to LON with Seattle being the fastest at 9.5 hours. SFO is a United hub and United has 3 non-stops a day out of SFO so you may have been able to use your United miles more efficiently through there.

I did consider Seattle and San Francisco. I examined several options that included them, but did not do extensive research on them because I didn't want to backtrack. There were also several options routing through Toronto or Montreal on Air Canada, but those tended to cost a few more miles than I wanted to part with. Also, I wasn't sure if the business class experience would be up to par.

I, too, am too fat/old/tall for comfortable travel in economy. I was originally planning to suffer through it for this trip but, thankfully, Covid restrictions delayed it enough that I could accumulate enough points to avoid suffering through it.

I just did a quick check on Seattle and San Francisco options. If there are any direct flights available for reward travel, then they're charging a lot more than 60k miles per person each way (which is the pricing I got through Chicago). The cheapest option through Seattle costs about 181k miles more than my Chicago itinerary, takes longer, and a greater proportion of the trip is economy rather than business class. It also resulted in a shorter-than-ideal time frame for the travel. The cheapest options out of SFO were about 167k worse than my Chicago itinerary and suffered the same other problems as the Seattle options. In fact, the SFO itinerary routes through Chicago and Denver before going back to SFO. My plan already has us returning through Chicago and Denver, but then we get to go Denver -> Boise instead of Denver -> SFO -> Boise.

[Pelado]

Early may is my favorite time in Normandy. You'll love it. Just bring a couple layers and an umbrella. The spring rain tends to come for one very short period of the day. So it'll rain like crazy for 15 minutes and the rest of the day will be nice. If you have the time, I'd recommend a full day tour wiht Overlord tours. We've used them several times and have recommended them to others and everyone has had a great experience. Also, if you can, take a day and drive to the mont saint michel. I promise you it'll be worth it. We actually stayed in a hotel on the island, which was fun since they kick everyone else out after a certain time.

My wife wasn't excited about visiting Normandy when I brought it up, but staying at Mont Saint Michel might sway her into thinking Normandy is a good idea.

Actually, looking at their site, I think she'd really like the room and/or experience except for climbing a bunch of stairs carrying luggage (even though I'd likely be doing most if not all of the luggage carrying).

[BigPiney]

My wife wasn't excited about visiting Normandy when I brought it up, but staying at Mont Saint Michel might sway her into thinking Normandy is a good idea.

Actually, looking at their site, I think she'd really like the room and/or experience except for climbing a bunch of stairs carrying luggage (even though I'd likely be doing most if not all of the luggage carrying).

the hotels hardly require any stairs. they are close to the gates. It is an amazing experience.

[Pelado]

the hotels hardly require any stairs. they are close to the gates. It is an amazing experience.

Good to know.

[Moliere]

the hotels hardly require any stairs. they are close to the gates. It is an amazing experience.

Correct. It’s uphill definitely but not too many stairs. You’ll hit a ton of stairs getting to the abbey entrance. If you spend the night there, be sure to watch the tide come in to surround the island.

[Pelado]

the hotels hardly require any stairs. they are close to the gates. It is an amazing experience.

Correct. It’s uphill definitely but not too many stairs. You’ll hit a ton of stairs getting to the abbey entrance. If you spend the night there, be sure to watch the tide come in to surround the island.

I watched a couple YouTube travelogue videos last night about it. I was thinking to get a rental car to explore the Normandy beaches and then head over to MSM for the night. Looks like we'll have to park on the continent and then take the shuttle bus (or walk) to the island. Is that right?

I need to check for how late they keep things open. Don't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the gates with a hotel reservation on the other side.

[Moliere]

I watched a couple YouTube travelogue videos last night about it. I was thinking to get a rental car to explore the Normandy beaches and then head over to MSM for the night. Looks like we'll have to park on the continent and then take the shuttle bus (or walk) to the island. Is that right?

I need to check for how late they keep things open. Don't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the gates with a hotel reservation on the other side.

Yes, you park in a very large parking lot and take the shuttle. If you get there in the afternoon you are going the opposite way of the people traffic so it should be a breeze. We've typically just walked from teh parking lot to the mont since there's always a line for the shuttle. It's about a mile walk if you go that route.

There are tons of hotels by the parking lot in case you get there too late . It is a tourist trap, after all. Renting a car is the best way to go in Normandy. You might even rent a car in Bayeux or Caen, both of which are easily accessible by train from Paris (Gare St. Lazare). We typically rent a car when we land and drive straight out to Normandy, leave the car in Rennes and take the bullet train back to Paris.

[Pelado]

Yes, you park in a very large parking lot and take the shuttle. If you get there in the afternoon you are going the opposite way of the people traffic so it should be a breeze. We've typically just walked from teh parking lot to the mont since there's always a line for the shuttle. It's about a mile walk if you go that route.

There are tons of hotels by the parking lot in case you get there too late . It is a tourist trap, after all. Renting a car is the best way to go in Normandy. You might even rent a car in Bayeux or Caen, both of which are easily accessible by train from Paris (Gare St. Lazare). We typically rent a car when we land and drive straight out to Normandy, leave the car in Rennes and take the bullet train back to Paris.

Where do you typically stay in Normandy? Paris? Anywhere to avoid?

Considering checking out the Loire valley, but I'm thinking combining that with Paris and Normandy might be too ambitious. Current plan is to be in France for almost exact 1 week.

[Pelado]

We're going to concentrate our Italy time in Florence and Tuscany. Any advise?

[Bo Diddley]

We're going to concentrate our Italy time in Florence and Tuscany. Any advise?

Skip Tuscany. There are NO places to rent there.

[Moliere]

We're going to concentrate our Italy time in Florence and Tuscany. Any advise?

Yeah, my advice is that sounds like a good plan. I’ll be in florence and Tuscany in three weeks. I’ll return and report.

[Northwestcoug]

We're going to concentrate our Italy time in Florence and Tuscany. Any advise?

If you want to start your Tuscany vacation right, stay at this place and make day trips from it:

https://www.villasandrea.com/villasandreaeng

Absolutely beautiful location, and does a great job of representing what everything thinks of Tuscany. I've stayed there twice. The first time was a pre-apostate NWC brothers' trip so we were tetotalling. The staff could never understand why we wouldn't sample the wines. But they also have an olive tree orchard and press, so you can still partake of the fruits of their labors. The staff were very helpful both times and gave us good advice on what to do there. Second time Mrs. NWC and I did a cooking class in nearby Tavarnalle val di Pesa which was really fun; sorry, can't remember exactly where. And the nearby towns are super interesting to just explore.

If you stayed there and are planning on renting a car, I would do one day trip to Lucca and Pisa. Lucca is the quintessential Renaissance-era walled town. You can rent bikes and ride the wall. Then spend a couple of hours just walking the streets. It's a lovely town. Pisa is a tourist trap but you gotta do it. I'd also consider another day trip traveling south, and maybe hitting San Gimignano (town that has dozens of medieval towers) and Siena (larger city but more medieval than Florence; different architecture).

Florence really can't be done in a day. But the must sees are the Duomo, at least one of the art galleries (I prefer the Uffizi but the Academia has Michelangelo's David), and the market. If you're spending more time there there's plenty of foodie or architecture tours; Mrs. NWC did one while I had a conference and she loved it.

[Pelado]

If you want to start your Tuscany vacation right, stay at this place and make day trips from it:

https://www.villasandrea.com/villasandreaeng

Absolutely beautiful location, and does a great job of representing what everything thinks of Tuscany. I've stayed there twice. The first time was a pre-apostate NWC brothers' trip so we were tetotalling. The staff could never understand why we wouldn't sample the wines. But they also have an olive tree orchard and press, so you can still partake of the fruits of their labors. The staff were very helpful both times and gave us good advice on what to do there. Second time Mrs. NWC and I did a cooking class in nearby Tavarnalle val di Pesa which was really fun; sorry, can't remember exactly where. And the nearby towns are super interesting to just explore.

If you stayed there and are planning on renting a car, I would do one day trip to Lucca and Pisa. Lucca is the quintessential Renaissance-era walled town. You can rent bikes and ride the wall. Then spend a couple of hours just walking the streets. It's a lovely town. Pisa is a tourist trap but you gotta do it. I'd also consider another day trip traveling south, and maybe hitting San Gimignano (town that has dozens of medieval towers) and Siena (larger city but more medieval than Florence; different architecture).

Florence really can't be done in a day. But the must sees are the Duomo, at least one of the art galleries (I prefer the Uffizi but the Academia has Michelangelo's David), and the market. If you're spending more time there there's plenty of foodie or architecture tours; Mrs. NWC did one while I had a conference and she loved it.

That place looks great.

I had been thinking of either staying a couple nights in Florence and then switching to an agriturismo location in the countryside, or going directly to an agriturismo and doing day trips to everything - including Florence. Staying for at least a couple days in Florence makes it easier to see everything in Florence. Staying in the countryside reduces the time and effort dedicated to switching locations. So many decisions!

How many days did you go into Florence on each trip?