Frequent Flier Bargains at American

Planning A 2020 Trip Using Points? 
Here's How to Score Bargain Redemptions


Update 3-10-20

Coronavirus issues have taken their toll on travel with passengers cancelling out right and left. So here's the deal....

With planes now seeing loads fall, the normally difficult flights to redeem Frequent Flier miles are now a featuring redemption values that are almost absurd. 

I just tested into booking a long weekend flight to London (maybe catch some west end shows?) and found tickets on the Phoenix to London non-stop readily available for 17M frequent flier miles each way.

Let me repeat that, 17M miles for a non-stop flight to London. 

You get 60K just for signing up for the Barclay Aviator Master Card. Just sayin.....

 

Normally I report the latest diabolical way airline and hotel chains have found to erode the value of our hard earned frequent flier points. For my last blog post for 2019 I am happy to report on American's new "Web Special"  redemption bargains. 

The bargain seats I've found recently have all been coach class seats on long haul flights. So, for those seeking a "Milesaver" business class seat on American, I wish you the best, but those remain as illusive as water in the desert.

Here's Roadboy's Advice:

1. AA's frequent flier redemption awards offered differ between AA's website and AA's app.  For example, Premium Economy redemption shows up only on AA's app (go figure?). So plan to shop at both before you make a final selection on any flight.


2. Never select "All Airlines" when making searching. Fees charged for flights on codeshare flights can be 10 times higher than flights all operated by AA.

3. Keep on checking. If the new "Web Special" redemption isn't there today. check back in a week.

4. Try to be flexible on flight dates. Search a few days before and after your ideal travel window.  Personally, I figure I'll have no trouble finding something to do with a few extra days in Paris, Rome or Madrid!

5. Plan ahead. Trips 8-12 months out seem to offer you the best chances to find a web special.

6. Consider alternative destinations. Maybe instead of London Heathrow, you might consider Manchester, Dublin or Gatwick instead.

7. Consider an open jaw flight: fly into one city and out of another. No matter where I'm headed in Europe, I frequently fly in via Madrid. It is a great airport with direct Metro service. I can enjoy a day or two sightseeing in one of my favorite cities (think Prado and some tapas!). I get some jet lag sorted and then take a cheap hop (frequently $50-80) to Paris or Rome or wherever my original destination was.

And, no matter where I fly in, I always check on flights home via Dublin, Ireland. I catch a cheap Ryanair hop to Dublin, spend another day or two sightseeing and then zip through Dublin Airport's US customs! With this service there is no trip through customs upon arrival in the US! 

Happy Hunting!

Roadboy's Travels © 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

So Much to Be Grateful For!

Roadboy's heart goes out to those of you who will participate in the busiest travel week of the year. 

Living in Phoenix, this is precisely the time I stay home. Happily, my family will be home for the holidays. Our turkey will soon hit a bucket of brine!

As 2019 draws to a close it has certainly been a busy travel year for me. With major trips to Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Provence and Paris. Seemingly all during a year marked with lots of civil strife and travel industry upheaval. 

But, hey, road warriors just evolve. 

We are staying in more shared housing. 

We are using more ride shares as traditional cabs fade away. 

Our beloved little bottles of hotel shampoo will soon disappear.  

Our new hotel rooms seem to resemble IKEA showcases. 

Air travel continues to suffer from the loss of Boeing's 737 Max. 

And we all endure the increasing chaos of flight schedules affected by earth's increasingly dynamic weather cycles.

As for me I am taking this time of the year to plan my 2020 travel!  

2020 for me will start with a spring visit to Holland for tulip time. That trip will go on with a return to one of my favorite cities, Vienna.

In July a group of biking chums will converge on California for a cycling event. We will pedal through the wine country, along the Pacific coast near Bodega Bay and finish up with a couple of days riding through the redwoods.

In August I'll be joined by a friend from Austin to spend a few days in Seattle. She has never been to the Pacific Northwest and I once lived there (and have returned for work nearly every year for 30 plus years). So I'm excited to introduce her to my beloved Emerald City.

In September I'll be returning to Spain for a second cycling adventure. I'll join my friend Beth for a few days of sightseeing and dining in majestic Madrid. IMHO Madrid is one of Europe's most underrated big cities. I return there as often as possible. It is a city rich in history, culture and delicious jamon!

From Madrid we travel to San Sebastian to start cycling. We'll tour the Riojas wine country, Pamplona, Brisas finishing up in Bilbao where I can finally see Gehry's Guggenheim museum. Thank God for e-bikes!  

In Sum, it is time to hug loved ones. And, in this increasingly tribal nation, maybe it is time to hug some not so loved ones! While it is easy to get distracted by division, remember we are all traveling through space together aboard the same fragile planet.

Roadboy's Travel © 2019

Paris in Chains

Enjoying the City of Lights Through The Pain

I love Paris. Full stop. Exit stage.

My love of this city is manifest in a strong desire to return over and over. Although parts of Paris never change, it seems to be different (usually more wonderful) each time.  This year I returned the last week of September in the company of long time friends who were also first time visitors.

As we arrived it occurred to me that I was there the very same week last year. So comparisons between the Paris of last year and the Paris of this year were jarring.

This year Paris was edgy. We noticed it from our first interaction with a nasty rideshare driver. And, while although it is an American obsession to slam "rude" Parisians, my overall experience is quite the contrary. I am always stunned how professional and gracious most Parisians are in sharing their very crowded and treasured city. Last year, traveling with a friend using a cane, people always scrambled to provide him a seat on every crowded Metro train we boarded. It is amazing how far a smile and a heartfelt "bonjour" and "merci" goes here.

This years Paris felt decidedly sad and gloomy. From the burned out hulk of Notre Dame looming at the very heart of the city, to the police presence seemingly everywhere. Paris in its response to the ongoing yellow jacket protests, now displays open class warfare. 

In department stores on the Boulevard Haussmann affluent shoppers queued behind ropes to await turns to enter its high dollar boutiques for a chance to buy $10,000 handbags. Yet, just a few blocks away, protesters about to lose their promised pensions are being hauled off to jail.

The "us vs. them" discrepancy is impossible to miss.

As our Uber approached our right bank hotel it became apparent how troubled Paris is. Many blocks from our hotel we found each street fully barricaded and guarded by 3-4 police officers in full riot gear. 

Whole Sections of Paris Were Barricaded

We quickly grew tired of our surly Uber driver who grunted, grumbled and circling aimlessly. We demanded he just drop us at the nearest Metro stop. And there we learned that many Metro lines serving the right bank near our hotel were all shut down.

Translation, we walked a lot. 

When we finally arrived at the street our hotel was on, we entered into negotiations with a trio of armor clad, AK 47 carrying, gendarmes who were not inclined to let a bunch of AARP members with rolling suitcases walk to our hotel.

After we each produced passports and proof of hotel reservations, we were accompanied by another officer all the way to our hotel. He stayed to observe our full check-in and departed with an adieu only after the desk clerk took our credit cards.

During this visit evenings were punctuated by the "wee-ah wee-ah" of police transports moving officers one direction and paddy wagons hauling protestors the other.

 Seemingly Thousands of Police Were Everywhere

As a result we added extra travel time and never left the hotel without our ID, hotel room keys and multiple plans how we were going to get from one destination to the next.

No Visits to the Place de la Concorde today

Once we had determined the portions of the city under lockdown, we began touring the city elsewhere. We took a rainy, but wonderful foodie tour in the San Germain des Pres and went on to visit the Musee d'Orsay to see the Van Gogh's we'd learned about in San Remy.

Wine and Cheese Tasting With Nick on the Foodie Tour

Positively Radiant Produce in a Local Market

Full of wine, cheese and chocolate, we decided to visit the Musee d'Orsay where the rain successfully reduced the number of visitors willing to wait in line for tickets. 

The Musee d'Orsay

Inside we sought the Van Gogh's our guide Mathilde in San Remy had described to us a few days earlier.

Starry Night Over the Rhone 1888

Van Gogh's Asylum in San Remy (1889)

Van Gogh's 1890 Painting of Doctor Paul Gachet

As I wandered through the the description of another painting brought home how far back the history of class warfare goes in Paris.

The Floor Scrapers

Gustave Caillebotte 1875

Submitted to the Paris Salon in 1875, Caillebotte's masterpiece "The Floor Scrapers" was rejected and condemned for its realism by the jury who felt its focus on ordinary workmen was "vulger".  

 A Rainy Day View of Sacre Coeur From the d'Orsay Clock

The next morning we awakened to glorious sunshine and decided to make our way to the dome of Sacre Coeur in Montmarte.

The Dome of Sacre Coeur

After touring the basilica we made our way to the stairs leading to the dome. And after 300+ steps up we were rewarded with the best view in Paris. 

360° of Amazing Views

Gargoyles and the Eiffel Tower 

After the same 300+ steps down we were pretty hungry and followed our nose to a deli where they cut big rounds of brie in half and then heated them to the point the cheese is soupy. It is then ladled onto fresh baguettes filled with ham and this American began to swoon.

An Amazing Cheese Sandwich 

Grenouilles in Montmarte

Montmarte Windmill

The rest of our day was just spent strolling Montmarte's streets and alleys, where the street art changes daily.

Words to Live By

The day ended with another stop at the Food Hall at Galleries Lafayette. In Paris food is art and art is food.

Sadly, it was now time to transfer to our airport hotels to enable easy departures in the morning. As it turned out the decision to transfer the evening before was especially good with the announcement that a one day rail strike would take place the next day. Another protest of yet another of Macron's efforts to strip earned pensions.

So there you have it. I still say go. Lean into any fears. Paris is always worth the effort. But know before you go. Until the things settle down I'd avoid selecting a hotel anywhere near Elysee Palace.  

Plan on touring Montmarte, the Marais, the Bastille, San Germain des Pres and rive gauche sites. Head out to Versailles. Just plan to avoid the Champs Elysee. Which, incidentally, is my least favorite part of the Paris anyway.

Raodboy's Travels © 2019

Roadboy Cycles in Provence - Day 5-6

The Lirac Wine Country and on to Avignon

We began Day 5 with a great breakfast at our hotel La Magnaneraie (the silkworms). Before setting out for our daily ride.

 La Magnaneraie

Our ride today was kind of wonderful. We cycled across the wide Rhone and through lush vineyards in full harvest. There were some some crews picking grapes by hand by day although we were soon to learn that most of the harvest is done from 3 am to sunrise using large harvesting machines. Harvesting in the cool of the morning delivers grapes that are chilled preserving crispness and avoiding premature fermentation.  

Our first stop was at a local Tavel winery for a walk in a vineyard accompanied by a lesson on the Avignon vineyards including the famous local appellation Chateauneuf-du-Pape. the walk was  followed by a tasting of the winery's renowned light dry rose wines. 

The Rhone Valley vineyards were a passion of the Avignon Popes as early as 1308 with many featuring the use of the large smooth quartzite galets (pebbles) in the northern vineyards that cover the clay soil. The "pebbles" collect heat during the day, releasing it at night hastening the ripening of the grapes. They also retain moisture in the soil during the dry summer months when the local Mistral winds would otherwise over dry the land.    

 Tavel Vineyard Tour

After our wine tasting we were treated to picnic lunch at the winery. Sated, it was time to continue our ride up into the higher elevations through vineyards filled with pebbles. 

Vineyards Using Galets "Pebbles" to Cover the Soil

The ride ended on a hill with a spectacular view of the Popes palace and Castle St. Andre. The separation of power is evidence as each is on one side of the Rhone from the other. One side was controlled by the church and the other by the king. The French Revolution ultimately took all of the churches and ended the monarchy using the guillotine.

Upon arriving at the hotel we decided to venture to a nearby cafe for a dinner of crepes. My savory dinner crepe was filled with scallops and cheese. The desert crepe was a sweet liquor infused delight I could not really translate right. But, who cares. it was great.

A View of Avignon's Papal Palace (left) and Villenueve's Castle St. Andre (right)

Having glimpsed Avignon from the hills, our last day of cycling took us past the famous "Broken Bridge" and directly into Avignon itself for a walking tour of the Papal City followed by lunch at Avignon's Les Halles Market. 

Avignon was pretty crowded as it is an extremely popular stop to passengers on the various river cruise lines, and the city was a focus for students participating in the global warming protest. We quickly realized how overrun it Avignon can be and continued our ride through the large adjoining parks and on to Castle St, Andre in Villeneuve.

Avignon and the "Broken" Bridge

St. Joan of Arc in Eglise St. Pierre

Walking the Walls at Villeneuve's Castle St. Andre

Abbey of St. Andre

A perfect final day of cycling. The final night was a time to dress for a farewell dinner and sing around our guide Thibault who sat down at the hotel's grand piano.

Time to pack for our morning TGV train to Paris.


Roadboy's Travels © 2019

 

 

Roadboy Cycles in Provence - Days 4-5

Van Gogh in St. Remy
A Visit to Eygalieres and the Pont Du Gard

The next two days of cycling were jam packed full of scenery and pure cycling bliss.

Cycling in Heaven

We began Day 4 with another amazing breakfast and then all strolled to the market square in front of the St. Remy's Hotel de Ville (City Hall). At the market we all assembled makings for our picnic lunches. 

The Olive Merchant St. Remy

Now, while I can find almost no more joyful activity than perusing fresh fruit and produce, olives and cheese at an open air market, the experience underscored how tragic America's diet is. The French buy small quantities of clean gmo-free food and eat fresh. Americans jump in a Tahoe and shop at Costco (where we blow the wheels off those giant shopping carts). 

They buy fresh. 

We load up the freezer. 

Ugh.

Now it was off to ride to the picturesque village of Eygalieres. Here we stopped to enjoy its galleries and eat lunch. After lunch we cycled up a pass through the "heart" of the Alpilles (little alps). Along the way we stopped to admire some painters at work. And, after a long climb we sailed down a long downhill glide back to St. Remy.
 

The Alpilles From Eygalieres

Fresh Tomatoes For Sale Eygalieres 

(guarded by a very sleepy kitty)

Landscape Painters Along the Way

Vineyards at the Base of the Alpilles

In the evening returning we met with Mathilde, St. Remy's expert on Van Gogh who walked us through the Saint Paul asylum where the artist committed himself for one year from May of 1889 to May 1890. It is here where he was arguably most prolific. Many of his paintings include his doctor, the asylum itself was a former abbey and includes views of gardens and the hillsides that surrounded it. While here he attempted suicide (by ingesting his own paint). Mathilde brought his story to life for us. His failed friendships with peers (including Paul Gauguin), the close relationship with his brother Theo and his short and tortured life before, during and after departing St. Remy.

 

 Mathilde Describes the Sites Van Gogh Painted

 

 Saint Paul Asylum in Saint Remy

 

 Ice Baths Were Used to Calm Patients at St. Paul

 

The Cloister at St. Paul

After Van Gogh departed St. Remy he journeyed to Paris for a visit Theo and his new wife for two days. He then left for Auvers-sur-Olse an artist commune north of Paris.

In Auvers he suffered a gunshot would to his chest (unknown as to whether the shooting was self-inflicted or if he was shot by someone else).

So, just two months after departing Saint Paul, Van Gogh was dead.

After our tour we walked to dinner at the home of a local master pastry chef named Odille.  The dinner and Odille's hospitality left us feeling as if we were part of her family for one lovely evening.

Day 5 was the longest ride of the trip (about 45 miles). We cycled past lush vineyards and up a long hill past the Stations of the Cross to the the hilltop Abbayes St. Michel de Frigolet (Frigolet Abbey). The abbey dates back to 960 and has passed through many hands (including being conscripted from the church after the French Revolution).

Angelic Details in the Chuch at Frigolet Abbey

The day concluded with by riding to the largest standing Roman aquaduct in France, the Pont Du Gard. The aquaduct, built to carry water to Nimes, stands as a tribute to Roman engineering. It was constructed in the first century AD and ranks as the highest aquaduct ever to be built by the Romans. The stone used in the aquaduct was cut and laid so precisely there was no need for grout. 

The Pont Du Gard

Mortar Free Stone Construction

After taking a cool dip in the Gardon River below the Pont, we surrendered our bikes and boarded a bus to transfer to our lovely new accommodations in Villeneuve-les-Avignon. 

Raodboys Travels © 2019

Roadboy Cycles in Provence - Days 1-3

Sunshine and Warmth

When someone speaks of the "South of France" it (at least in me) always conjures up images of regal sunny resorts clinging to cliffs along the Mediterranean Sea. It is James Bond in tails sitting at a Baccarat table staring down a bad guy.

I now realize that although the seaside villages in the south of France run the gamut from industrial to posh, it is the little villages of Provence that hold real allure. And that is exactly where our cycling adventure took us. 

We assembled in Paul Cezanne's beloved Aix-en-Provence (pronounced "X on Pro-vonce"), where we enjoyed exploring shops and our hotel spa. 

The following morning we relocated to St. Remy de Provence. We made it our home base for the first 3 days of cycling.

 Atelier de Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence

(with samples of his props)

Cezanne's Modest Studio

(with large north facing windows and a narrow door used to move oversized canvasses in / out) 

Market Abundance in Aix-en-Provnce

 

Buying Sunflowers

And while there we shopped for fresh produce in the markets, enjoyed a dinner in the home of a local chef, learned about Vincent Van Gogh's highly productive time spent here (at an asylum that still serves patients today). 

We rode up the mountain to Les Baux to see its amazing castle and the stunning Carriers de Lumieres light show. We learned about western Europe's largest river delta region; the Camargue. We tasted local foods and sampled the delicate olive oil produced here.

 Les Baux

Les Baux's Abandoned Limestone Quarry

(home of the Carrieres de Lumieres light show)

Click here for a video link with a preview of the Carrieres presentation (you'll first have to wait out the ad). Then go full screen, turn up the volume and enjoy.  

Carriere's Van Gogh Imagery

A Dazzling Immersive Experience 

A Japanese Themed Show Was Also Presented

Seafood of the day at Hostellerie de la Reine Jeanne

The Unique Olive Orchards

The region's olive orchards are unique. When a killing frost claimed nearly all of the regions olive trees in 1956 they were cut down to leave the stump at ground level. From these stumps multiple trees have sprouted hence the 3-4 trees clustered around the stump of each legacy tree.  

Roadboy's Travels © 2019