Author Topic: Planing a trip  (Read 9897 times)

Offline Yoko

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Planing a trip
« on: July 06, 2010, 08:04:44 PM »
Looking to go away with the wife for the week of August 15-20 (Sun-Thur.)
I have 118K spg points & 307k MR points

I would like to fly & stay for free & dont have any preferance on where we want to go.

If we can find a nice deal on a trip to Europe I would go for a little longer.

Can one of you guys that are good with these points/miles conversions work with me to try to set up a nice trip?

Thanks in advance.

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2010, 01:53:36 AM »
That's a tad to general.

First of all, where are you starting from?
Secondly, when you say fly, do you mean first class, business or economy, or you don't have a preference?
And by saying that you have all those points do you mean that you don't mind using all of them?

Offline Yoko

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2010, 09:41:08 AM »
I'm starting off from NJ, I don't have to fly business or first as i would rather use the points to get free flights and hotel. On a trip to Europe, I would use it all but on a trip in the US I'd rather not.

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2010, 10:01:59 AM »
US Airways has a 50% bonus on points transferred from spg. However, it can take some time for the miles to post and it's a risk when looking for availability. MR points post instantly (most of the time) so if you find availability you can book the tickets. You would probably want to use the MR for flights so you can use your *points for hotels.
What type of hotel are you looking at?
Category 1: 2,000 points weekends, 3,000 points weekdays.
Category 2: 3,000 points weekends, 4,000 points weekdays.
Category 3: 7,000 points, 5th night free.
Category 4: 10,000 points, 5th night free.
Category 5: 12,000 points, 5th night free.
Category 6: 20,000 points, 5th night free.
Category 7: 30,000 points, 5th night free.

Offline Mikeoracle

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2010, 10:57:10 AM »

What type of hotel are you looking at?

It would also help if you give us some ideas of what type of activities you enjoy. You are a little too vague with what type of vacation you are looking for.
Beaches, watersports, mountain climbing, skiing, nature, city, architecture, museums, cultural, resorts.... the list is endles...
Is kosher food and/or minyan a requirement...

Offline Yoko

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2010, 06:33:36 PM »
If we're talking about a trip to Europe then we don't need all this fun stuff, it's basically site-seeing.
A trip in the US, i would like a resort type of vacation with beaches etc.. In the US, kosher restaurants aren't that important. Walmart & Costco are fine.

Thanks

Offline chuchem

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2010, 06:57:49 AM »
I am looking to go anywere, please tell me what to do with my life! Come on, be a little specific. Make up your mind, were you want to go. Read some tripreports on places were guys have been. Once you know what you want, guys here will lead you on the right path, but you also have to make some effort!! I dont think such a request is fair. Most of your posts on DD are, can someone help with me with x. So you dont help others, at least make an effort when you want some help. Sorry, it might sound a little rough, but come on!

Offline chuchem

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2010, 07:00:00 AM »

Can one of you guys that are good with these points/miles conversions work with me to try to set up a nice trip?



work with you and not for you!

Offline Avid Reader

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2010, 10:05:48 AM »
How about sending him to the next pace you want to check out and have him post back how it went? He does seem ready to go anywhere :)

I am looking to go anywere, please tell me what to do with my life! Come on, be a little specific. Make up your mind, were you want to go. Read some tripreports on places were guys have been. Once you know what you want, guys here will lead you on the right path, but you also have to make some effort!! I dont think such a request is fair. Most of your posts on DD are, can someone help with me with x. So you dont help others, at least make an effort when you want some help. Sorry, it might sound a little rough, but come on!

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2010, 10:12:07 AM »
How about sending him to the next pace you want to check out and have him post back how it went? He does seem ready to go anywhere :)

Bora Bora looks nice, he says he doesn't mind using all his miles.
Only issue is that you can't redeem miles to get from Tahiti there.

Offline chuchem

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2010, 10:45:08 AM »
How about sending him to the next pace you want to check out and have him post back how it went? He does seem ready to go anywhere :)


If I would have any hope that he would post maybe, with his track record, not going to happen.


Offline Dan

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2010, 11:09:45 AM »
Bora Bora looks nice, he says he doesn't mind using all his miles.
Only issue is that you can't redeem miles to get from Tahiti there.
;D

You can always use AMEX points for the PPT-BOB flight.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline leibima

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2010, 02:18:31 PM »
Save your miles and take a boat from Papeete to Moorea, way more private and some say even more beautiful - I am talking from experience. I have been there and it was awesome. Like I wrote in a trip report, there is not much of a beach there but you step in the water and it is breathtaking. You can go snorkeling just steps from some hotels (like the Moorea Pearl Beach resort). Try using your miles for an overwater bungalow, they come with a little window in the floor where you can see amazing sea life. If you can't use points at the hotel, try selling the points to someone and then using the cash for whichever hotel and room you like.

I just did that with my trip to Mexico and I got a better deal that way. I did it with Sell Your Miles Now which advertises on Dansdeals home page. He is very trustworthy and sent out the money straight away.

By the way, I went to Tahiti as a stop on the way back from New Zealand. If you want a great deal, get a mileage ticket to New Zealand (which is probably the most beautiful country in the world) and on the way back stop in Tahiti. Just remember, it is winter in New Zealand and it can get quite cold in some places, especially on the south island which is the more beautiful island. ENJOY!!!!



Offline Dan

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2010, 02:20:15 PM »
Save your miles and take a boat from Papeete to Moorea, way more private and some say even more beautiful - I am talking from experience. I have been there and it was awesome. Like I wrote in a trip report, there is not much of a beach there but you step in the water and it is breathtaking. You can go snorkeling just steps from some hotels (like the Moorea Pearl Beach resort). Try using your miles for an overwater bungalow, they come with a little window in the floor where you can see amazing sea life. If you can't use points at the hotel, try selling the points to someone and then using the cash for whichever hotel and room you like.

I just did that with my trip to Mexico and I got a better deal that way. I did it with Sell Your Miles Now which advertises on Dansdeals home page. He is very trustworthy and sent out the money straight away.

By the way, I went to Tahiti as a stop on the way back from New Zealand. If you want a great deal, get a mileage ticket to New Zealand (which is probably the most beautiful country in the world) and on the way back stop in Tahiti. Just remember, it is winter in New Zealand and it can get quite cold in some places, especially on the south island which is the more beautiful island. ENJOY!!!!



Have you been to Bora Bora?
The main issue is no SPG's in Moorea anymore and overwater bungalow's cost $$$$
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline steve2

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2010, 02:33:29 PM »
Have you been to Bora Bora?
The main issue is no SPG's in Moorea anymore and overwater bungalow's cost $$$$

 some websites have trading threads such as FT, why not trade SPG or whatever for Hilton pts, I believe those Hotels that were *W are  now Hiltons. Now getting an overwater bungalow might require alot of pts but better then shelling out the $$$ in most cases

Offline leibima

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2010, 02:36:41 PM »
No, I have not been to Bora Bora, but when we were in Papeete and talking to the locals about maybe checking out Bora Bora they told us that it was not worth it, better go to Moorea. We were very glad that we had already booked hotels in moorea, even though we did not know this information before.

I think it boils down to how busy of a place you want to stay at. Bora Bora is busy as far as tourists, Moorea is not. And the scenery is much nicer in moorea

Offline Dan

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2010, 02:41:04 PM »
some websites have trading threads such as FT, why not trade SPG or whatever for Hilton pts, I believe those Hotels that were *W are  now Hiltons. Now getting an overwater bungalow might require alot of pts but better then shelling out the $$$ in most cases
I'm not very knowledgeable about the HH program, but I thought that (unlike with SPG/Hyattt) you could only redeem points for the base room and that you would have to lay out cold hard cash to get an upgrade to something like an OWB in Moorea even after shelling out 50K points per night for the base room.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Dan

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2010, 02:44:05 PM »
No, I have not been to Bora Bora, but when we were in Papeete and talking to the locals about maybe checking out Bora Bora they told us that it was not worth it, better go to Moorea. We were very glad that we had already booked hotels in moorea, even though we did not know this information before.

I think it boils down to how busy of a place you want to stay at. Bora Bora is busy as far as tourists, Moorea is not. And the scenery is much nicer in moorea
Everything I've read says that Bora Bora is one of the singular most beautiful places on earth and FT'ers who had been to the former SPG hotel on Moorea and the St. Regis on Bora Bora generally said that Bora Bora was incomparably nicer.

No offense, but unless someone who has been to both can tell me Moorea is better than Bora Bora I'm not about to believe it.  And when I do make it out to Tahiti I would feel terrible to miss Bora Bora by a couple hundred miles...
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Offline steve2

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2010, 02:53:18 PM »
I'm not very knowledgeable about the HH program, but I thought that (unlike with SPG/Hyattt) you could only redeem points for the base room and that you would have to lay out cold hard cash to get an upgrade to something like an OWB in Moorea even after shelling out 50K points per night for the base room.

 The Diamond desk said they know people have contacted the hotel directly and were able to work something out but didnt know if that was using $$ or Pts. Also the 50k per night is when making a res for 1-3 nights once you stay somewhere for at least 4 nights there are some promos that will reduce the amount of pts needed.

the basic Award rooms are the Garden Bungalows and not Over the water

Offline leibima

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Re: Planing a trip
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2010, 02:59:59 PM »
Everything I've read says that Bora Bora is one of the singular most beautiful places on earth and FT'ers who had been to the former SPG hotel on Moorea and the St. Regis on Bora Bora generally said that Bora Bora was incomparably nicer.

No offense, but unless someone who has been to both can tell me Moorea is better than Bora Bora I'm not about to believe it.  And when I do make it out to Tahiti I would feel terrible to miss Bora Bora by a couple hundred miles...

Basically, this is an argument that is going on for years and you can search all the travel websites and you will come out more confused than when you started. Ideally, split your time between both islands if you are there for more than a week.

Oh, and Dan - make sure you get there soon because it truly is one of the most amazing places in the world. Can't wait for that trip report. Sorry, no kosher food in Bora Bora though in Tahiti there is a Shul with a minyan on Shabbos