Thai Village and how it can benefit you

I'm not usually a person that will write about giving strategies, since I tend to let that kind of thing be a personal choice.

But in this case, I wanted to highlight a non-profit that was founded by a former classmate if you're interested in finding a new charity to benefit.

Thai Village

Thai Village Handmade Crafts is a wonderful site and has many fun products.  I have yet to get to Thailand to visit Liz, but I've always supported her efforts there and I think you'll agree that their products are fun!

If you're curious about their mission statement:

New airport in Doha!

I'm sure I will have fond memories (like others) about flying into Doha International Airport - my first trip to the Middle East happened through there, and meeting up with my group in the long immigration line was something to remember.  So were the crammed small shops and small eating places above the gates. Oh, and the shuttle buses that had to drive you to your plane all around the runways.

For a more pictoral view of things you may miss (or not miss), check this out:

http://dohanews.co/5-things-well-miss-doha-intl-airport-5-things-wont/

I can't wait to transit the new Hamad International Airport, hopefully on my next trip to Doha to do research.  It looks to be a fun experience!

Singapore joins Chase Ultimate Rewards!

I've written on numerous occasions about the tremendous value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points - having the Sapphire Preferred card is one of the easiest ways to earn them.

And now UR has a new partner - Singapore Airlines Krisflyer!

Available as a 1:1 transfer partner, you now have the opportunity to fly on one of the best airlines in the world - and their award options are fairly numerous:

You can check out the entire chart here.  Remember that mileage bookings directly from Singapore's site get you a 15% discount.

Make sure to sign up for an account so that you can access their system and price out itineraries.  They have quite a bit of availability generally in business and first class - suites!

If you've never visited San Diego...

...then this video might be for you!

San Diego T Video

Thought it did a great job highlighting so many great things about the city.  (besides the weather)

SDSU Commencement activities

For those of you unable to travel and make SDSU's Commencement exercises this weekend, we are streaming the ceremonies via Mediasite. 

The link can be found here.

Congratulations to all graduates!

AA/BA Fly to Europe Promotion

You may have already received emails from AA and British Airways detailing a promotion for flying multiple times to Europe.  Bonus miles are earned for each round trip you take, and can be crediting to either airline providing you've successful registered for the promotion ahead of time.  I always sign up for these promos even if I'm not sure whether I'll be flying - you never know when plans change and it's better than forgetting!

My only gripe is that you really have to look at the fine print to get the miles.  You'll notice that for this particular run, you'll need to make sure you're flying in one of the premium cabins in order to get the miles (low-fare economy won't get you anything).  And with fares to Europe looking pretty high for this summer, it won't be cheap to take part in this deal.

Anyone making plans to get these miles? 

Daily Getaways is back!

This time of year is always busy with end of semester events and other graduation formalities.  But it's also the time of year to look forward to travel deals for the fall and a seemingly recurring event called the "Daily Getaways", sponsored by American Express and the US Travel Association.  And I'm happy to report that Daily Getaways is back!

You can reach the site to see each of the weekly deals here: https://dailygetaways.ustravel.org/Default.aspx

I've been able to get in successfully on past Hyatt deals, and was able to score points that I used during my last stay at the Park Hyatt Zurich (which happens to be my favorite property when transiting Europe and Switzerland).  The larger point offers tend to be limited in quantity so some clicking is involved.  And if you use an American Express card to pay for the deal, you get another 10% off the price!

Are you planning to get in on this years giveaways?

Expanding my travel search options

I was recently made aware of two new sites to add to my portfolio for flight and travel searching.  I've long been a chief proponent of using Kayak as well as the ITA search engine for most of my travel needs, but I'm always open to exploring new tools that could aid in the process.

Momondo

This site is very sleek - doing some test searches yielded a variety of options tied to a specific calendar range.  But what really stood out to me: when searching for flights in Europe for connections, it also includes most low-cost carriers!  A sample search from London to Zurich included Easyjet:

Very handy if you're looking to mix your options or find low cost alternatives.

Rome2Rio

During most of my European travels, especially through Switzerland, I always make use of the trains.  They're fast, efficient, and on time, every time.  This site takes that into account, and includes trains, buses, and other transportation mediums along with flight options.  You can choose whichever route makes the most sense to you.  Want to get from Paris to Prague?  You have many choices!

Not sure if I'd do the bus route, but at least you can cost compare.

Have you used either of these sites?  Please sure your experiences!

US Airways Buy/Share/Gift Promo is back - up to 50k miles!

I'm thinking I might have to partake in this go around with the US Airways offer - buy or gift up to 50k miles!

It boils down to under 2 cents a mile, so it's not terrible.

Are you getting in on the deal?

Update: Thanks to Lucky for the clarification - buy or gift is part of this promo only.

Base jumping from the Burj? Yike

I'm not sure this would be for me...

...but having visited there and noted how amazing it was to view and experience Dubai from (near) the top, I thought I would share.

Enjoy!