cove

We are unable to pay GST on a credit card as each month we receive a refund - can you imagine the ATO sending us money
each month ? Hard to believe but it happens !!!
We are off to the US on Sat for a couple of weeks ski-ing before we get too old - all on points of course - on SIA.
I think that you might have to stop giving clues, Cove, as I notice that on our return from SFO the F Cabin is Full for the first time for some years ! and its only happened since you started your Blog. However Mrs Toff and I will have a Dom or Verve if you prefer
and salute your good advice.

Well Tired Old Flyer we are going on Friday to Los Angeles and we are using the 98 seat all J A340-500 to go SIN-LAX.
Really pleased to see you getting out and about in the class you deserve.
We have our US Amex dumping points into our Kris account and a 28 Degrees card in credit to allow us to get cash at a great exchange rate. I may even use my Nordstrom card again.
Enjoy the flights!

It is a Dodge Charger from Thrifty this time thru Arguscarhire Gold as the hire car this time for about $38 AUST a day including insurance and a tank of fuel. Hire cars get a shock as I fill up with the best grade fuel going and apparently no-one else does that. When you hire an ordinary car you have to give it a treat.
No skis for me as I will be working but of course I can be envious of others.
Hmm a tax refund......the one I received came due to an error so I had to send a six figure amount back to the fiscal fiend as it wasn't mine.

Rented a Jeep from Alamo at Denver through the consolidator "Car Rental 8" - close to half the price of booking through Alamo direct - paid with Amex of Course - worked out cheaper than two airfares DEN to ASP.
We are working as well - only ski-ing between seminar sessions (have to have an ATO deduction to cover the SIA fees !)
Pity to miss in Singapore by one day, could have shared a bottle of Singapores finest and talked about the game !
Be interested in what you think of the one class flight. Enjoy.

We just did the flight SIN-LAX with 33 on board a 100 seat A340-500 all business class flight.
Very quiet and smooth and great service. It may have been slow due to Chinese New Year . On the weekend the plane returning to SIN is more heavily loaded.
All very nice and quiet with champagne,a lovely French red ,lobster and duck as well as their satay starter. It was pork ribs for the main course.

[QUOTE=cove;bt1072]We just did the flight SIN-LAX with 33 on board a 100 seat A340-500 all business class flight.
Very quiet and smooth and great service. It may have been slow due to Chinese New Year . On the weekend the plane returning to SIN is more heavily loaded.
All very nice and quiet with champagne,a lovely French red ,lobster and duck as well as their satay starter. It was pork ribs for the main course.[/QUOTE

definitely up for that one one day

Went to Costco in my neighborhood and prices go like this in US dollars. Champagne Piper $26 and Moët $36 and beer $19 for 30 cans of Bud? Used a US American Express as that is the card Costco prefer and that suits me fine as there is no exchange 3 or 4 per cent ripped out. I am impressed with getting 1.06 as the exchange rate currently.
There are heaps of half price bargains at retailers and outlets here in Los Angeles compared to Australian merchandise.
The strategy of having a bag inside a bag out of Australia works as you are generally allowed 2 bags getting back home to Oz.

Never ever think you know much and stay open to new ideas.
This time I paid 3 eastern states payroll tax monthly amounts to produce about 12,000 points for about $40 in fees.
That tip was posted in the ATO thread that JS started so long ago.
For me payroll tax is every month so that was about 150,000 points a year tip for about $600.
We are all quietly learning!

Just booked on Kris Flyer points into First for SIN-LHR-SIN and all 8 seats were available just 3 weeks out on SQ.
The best part of having Kris points is being able to redeem them on an airline that has won so many international awards.

Were they F Savers to LHR or still Standard?

The F were Standard.
Each ticket for the whole trip cost $2,600 including $1,100 of taxes to go PER-SIN-LHR-SIN-PER.
I was happy with the connection times in Singapore.
There were no First Savers on my dates I needed and I am happy with the cost.

To keep some $25 notes in your pocket you can buy $500,$250 or $100 gift cards to use at Woolworths,BigW and Woolworths Caltex by going on line to RACWA and RACQ. Basically you get 5% off and pay for the card on your favourite Visa or MasterCard and they mail you the discounted card. I think those in other States can become associate members of RACWA for a modest cost.
I hope this works for Woolies customers!

My warehousing of Citi points for the past several months is about to end even though I don't look forward to calling them. Warehousing or storing points is an important part of avoiding a 3 year expiry over in Kris Flyer. Maybe the back office is improving.
Our stack of Kris points needs replenishment as I like to hold enough points in the account for our six nominees to be able to travel immediately.
By the way the associate membership at RACWA is only $29 to start a Woolworths and Big W 5% saving.

Cove, l totally understand your views on Citibank. I just had to deal with them, OMG, what a mess.
I never thought it would be this hard to get a simple account balance on a pre-paid gift card (which l got from Braun, applied for in January, turns up yesterday). As they say, better late than never...
Follow instructions on Citi Prepaid Services Letter.
Activate Card (done)
Log on....Fail
Card is stuffed...
Call Citi (get routed to the Philippines)
...eventually get balance

My last calls to Citi have been the reverse of what you have described but I went down that road (twice) to get our 2 cards working in the first place.
On account of what we pay my Citi card has become a real favourite and I have had two Aussies handle my phone calls recently so I can say they did it really well for me.
Because we are travelling shortly I have zeroed all the credit cards and I have the 28 degree card in credit to get us fair exchange rates in London.

TiredOldFlyer thank you for your post on Kris Flyer redemptions improving under their new deal...... I checked and found many more Saver opportunities including the A340-500 from Singapore to New York.....WOW!!

Originally Posted by cove

TiredOldFlyer thank you for your post on Kris Flyer redemptions improving under their new deal...... I checked and found many more Saver opportunities including the A340-500 from Singapore to New York.....WOW!!

Thought you might get some fun out of it Cove = I cant wait until Thus - if it happens as we hope does this mean we can have twice as
many trips for the same points as previously
I am not sure that my ageing body will cope - but I will try !!!!

The evening lights are twinkling over the Thames and east London seeing it is yesterday over here and very pretty as well as cool.
Citi Select credit card has given us 0.6715 exchange rate so I am very happy with that rate which is around the 28 degrees rate but give 3.333 points per dollar in Kris Flyer points.
Catching up with Myrna , KPC and Flashware has added a very pleasant piece to our short London visit.

Going SQ SINGAPORE- LONDON HEATHROW we scored 2 seats each in First on the 777 so one seat for movies and eating and the window seats for sleeping....but on the way home the whole 8 seat cabin was taken. I had a really good sleep after the Krug and the French red so I handled the one seat very well.
Great food and drinks so the 777 really works a treat for us.
If you get that on Saver that would be a real treat!

Oneworldplus2 has developed a guide on inexpensive travelling around the world in Business and First Class by using the Star Alliance member US Airways system. The deal is on now if you have one or a few folks to move in style.
Offer is valid until April 15th.
Bravo Oneworldplus2 !!