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TravelStories Episode 44: Lufthansa First Class with JT Genter
Saturday, November 2, 2024 • Duration 55:03
Episode 44: Show Notes.
Lufthansa’s First Class is revered as one of the more aspirational airline products to flight; Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal (FCT) is among the top 3 airline lounge experiences, and Trevor and Thomas both agree. Miles and Points expert and writer JT Genter joins us to share about himself, and to discuss his first Lufthansa First Class experience. JT and his wife, Katie, are digital nomads, and our conversation begins with a brief look at their recent jam-packed travel schedule. After JT details his approach to living as a digital nomad, he offers some advice, recommendations, and strategies for life on the road. JT's retelling of his LH F experience begins with how he met Trevor at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, before moving on to his arrival and overall impressions of the Lufthansa FCT. He then describes how he felt about the food, drinks, and service aboard Lufthansa’s Retro livery, and why he can’t wait for his next LH F experience. Somewhere in between, we discuss the degradation of travel apps like ExpertFlyer and why this loss of value is a common industry trend, and to end, JT describes his roles and responsibilities as a travel blogger and as the Editor-In-Chief at AwardWallet, and how he would fix common industry pain points to give miles and points a better future.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:20] JT Genter details his professional history and how he entered travel.
[04:03] A quick look at his recent (and extensive!) travel log.
[05:26] JT’s approach to living as a digital nomad.
[10:03] His experience of traveling to Calala Island, and where Hyatt and Hilton fit in.
[11:05] JT’s advice and recommendations for life as a digital nomad.
[14:42] How Trevor and JT ran into each other in Germany.
[17:02] JT’s first-ever Lufthansa First Class (drinking game trigger word!) experience.
[20:50] Why many flight apps like ExpertFlyer are rapidly decreasing in value.
[25:18] Getting back to JT’s first-class experience as he walks us through his airport arrival.
[39:40] How he felt about the food, drinks, and onboard service.
[43:18] His final thoughts on flying Lufthansa First Class for the first time.
[44:33] Shifting gears as JT explains his role and responsibilities at AwardWallet.
[45:42] Our guest shares his perspective on the future of miles and points, with some suggestions for fixing common industry pain points.
[53:02] How to connect with JT.
Quotes:
“It’s now been seven years [that] we’ve been full-time digital nomads. – We want to slow down, but we’re not anywhere close to settling down.” — @JTGenter[03:51]
“The crew was very welcoming once we got on board. We had an incredible crew, probably some of the nicest flight attendants we’ve ever had, which seems to be par for the course with Lufthansa.” — @JTGenter[37:25]
“The whole Park Hyatt motto of ‘luxury is personal’ is so true. Not one size fits all.” — @JTGenter[39:04]
“I can’t wait to [fly Lufthansa First Class] again!” — @JTGenter[43:27]
Longer Quotes:
“The people who are writing about points and miles choose not to write about [the best travel hacks] because they don’t want to kill it off, or they don’t go through the experience themselves. There are a lot of people in the miles and points community who write about it but don’t really live it.” — @JTGenter[47:32]
As we wave goodbye to summer, Thomas and Trevor walk us through their most recent end-of-season trips: A Carnival cruise and a forgettable Cap Cana experience. We begin with Thomas and his trip aboard the Carnival Mardi Gras, where he explains why he chose Carnival over his trusted Royal Caribbean. Thomas details his itinerary and vacation experience, why the casual dining options were better than expected, how the floating casino and overall entertainment could be improved, and the perils of getting sick on the open sea. Next, Trevor picks up the baton and explains why his most recent Cap Cana trip may be his last. We discover how his previous visits to the resort influenced his most recent one and the stress of traveling out of Punta Cana. To end, Thomas unpacks his experience at the 14th Annual Chicago Seminars for miles and points.
Key Points From This Episode:
[00:00] How Thomas cheated on Royal Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Lines.
[04:30] Diving deeper into his itinerary and vacation experience aboard Carnival Mardi Gras.
[07:45] Exploring the food, cabin layout, and onboard entertainment on Carnival Mardi Gras.
[13:55] The value of having great casual dining options on a cruise ship.
[15:43] Floating gambling on Labor Day and some tips for a better experience.
[21:32] Getting sick on the open sea.
[22:50] What Thomas thinks about Carnival overall after his experience.
[23:59] Why Trevor’s Cap Cana days may be coming to an end.
[29:08] Dining gems that give Cap Cana a lifeline and make it a destination worth returning to.
[32:04] How Trevor’s previous trips to Cap Cana influenced his most recent experience.
[34:18] Why it’s rare to find high-quality all-inclusive land packages.
[35:45] Trevor details the challenges of traveling from Punta Cana.
[38:10] The ins and outs of the 14th Annual Chicago Seminars attended by Thomas.
[43:04] Why big travel events are on the decline to make room for smaller ones.
Quotes:
“If I were doing my fun-match again, I would definitely recommend that you pick one of these newer ships, because I think that’s going to give you your best foot forward for Carnival.” —
TravelStories Episode 38: Exploring the French and Italian Rivieras with Family
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 • Duration 01:26:32
Episode 38: Show Notes
Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the stunning coastlines and towns of the French and Italian Rivieras? In this episode, we dive into Trevor’s recent adventure to these iconic Mediterranean destinations. From the highs and lows of traveling with family to insightful travel recommendations, Trevor provides his takeaways from his trip. In our conversation, we discuss his reasons for the trip, the logistics and planning aspects behind it, and what he thought of the hotels and Apartment rentals. Explore why multi-generational travel complicates logistics and learn why cruise ships are the best option for older travel partners. Hear about what Europe gets right about children's play parks, Zurich airport’s sky deck, dining in a French vineyard, making an authentic pizza with his family, and a memorable cheese tour. Trevor also shares his thoughts on why one hotel made his list of the worst places to stay, what he enjoyed most about flying home on Swiss Airlines, and much more. Join us and get inspired to plan your own Riviera family adventure! Tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
[0:00:36] A catch-up with Thomas and Trevor and an overview of today’s topic.
[0:03:50] Reasons for the trip, details about his itinerary, and what the trip entailed.
[0:10:12] Break down of the miles used for flights, hotel stays, and overall cost.
[0:13:14] The apartments he booked and why they tested his tolerance.
[0:21:40] Complications of traveling with family and his British Airways lounge experience.
[0:29:50] Multi-generational travel, finding play parks for your kids, and plane spotting.
[0:37:35] Hear about the trip's fun and interesting dining experiences.
[0:48:17] Highlights of the French and Italian Rivieras and what he would do differently.
[0:58:41] How one hotel on the trip made Trevor’s list of the worst hotels to stay at.
[1:04:12] Funny and unexpected moments from the trip and driving in France and Italy.
[1:13:52] Flying home on Swiss Airlines and what he enjoyed most about it.
Quotes:
Episode 31: The Hotel Status Loyalty Trap
Episode 31
Friday, August 2, 2019 • Duration 41:50
0:42 Bank of America $300 Personal Checking Bonus (HT DoC)
Requires $4,000 Direct Deposit in 3 months
You need to have a checking account with BofA to quality for their Preferred Rewards program (which provides up to 75% uplift for spending on certain personal BofA credit cards)
Episode 28: Award Travel Questions From Those Just Starting Out
Episode 28
Saturday, June 15, 2019 • Duration 32:16
Today we’re answering questions posed by ‘future’ listeners of this very podcast. These are questions from those of you new to points & miles, and maybe you haven’t yet found this site. Along with these 4 questions we tackle the news and of course an entertaining look at the world of points & miles.
News
0:30 [Targeted] Amex Business Platinum 50,000 Upgrade Offer (link DoC)
Need to have existing Green or Gold Business Amex MR charge card
“Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.Offer is available for first-time upgrades to the new Business Platinum Card® only and for one Card account only.”
[Robert] AT&T Access More 3x Online Retail, crazy good retention bonuses
[Sam] CNB Crystal
[Robert] Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite ($395-$450 annual fee but you get a $300 air incidental each year, Ritz Club Lounge access on paid stays, 50,000 night certificate each year
[Sam] Hilton Aspire
Episode 26: AA Mobile Award Space, New MR Transfer Partner, Historic Delta Sign Up Bonuses, Speedway, Safeway & Stop & Shop Deals
Episode 26
Friday, May 31, 2019 • Duration 21:51
News
0:35 [Sam] AA Showing More Award Space on Mobile? (link)
Seems to be that there’s a new search interface and a legacy one
“This was the only cruise I’ve ever been on where I’ve been woken up at 1:30 in the morning with an abandon ship alarm. — We did actually have a false alarm go off in the middle of the night, people were quite distressed.” — @TktweetsKim[19:58]
“It’s hard to go on vacation and have it be so frictionless on your way home. You do your best in planning to make that happen, but I think the reality is you’re always going to have some grating experience trying to get from the resort back to your home.” — @TktweetsKim[37:42]
“There’s always something nice about being able to get up in front of a bunch of people and talk about something that you love.” — @tmount[39:52]
“I would say don’t split up [at the airport] because you just end up giving yourself more anxiety than you really need.” — @TktweetsKim[25:12]
“[My family and I] tend to do multi-generational travel a lot, but it is usually cruise ship related, and that has a lot of things that help buffer those restriction points.” — @TktweetsKim[30:03]
“When you have to deal with the old, the young, and the in-between, it does complicate the logistics quite a bit.” — @TktweetsKim [30:24]
“My focus of late has been really trying to get more unique [travel] experiences.” — @Tmount [40:45]
“The trip was incredible, everybody was very happy, and everyone was really happy with their seats on the way home too.” — @Tmount [1:16:58]
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