Explorer cancellation

[Gray Eagle02]

I have never made a TFL claim but we did have a friend who, while on a cruise, was hospitalized in Italy. TFL did reimburse him for the costs. I carry all of the Tricare overseas numbers (Europe, Pacific, Latin America and Canada) in my phone should I need them while traveling. While I believe we are eligible for the military medivac system, you must be in a military hospital to qualify and this would only be space available. I never travel without substantial medical and medical evacuation coverage, despite my TFL coverage. That being said, when my husband and I were active duty ( we're both retired USN) I never gave travel insurance a thought as I knew the military and/or US Embassy would always take care of us in the event of any medical problems.

[WesW]

We are insuring our next three cruises (November, February, May) and an annual Italian Dolomite hiking trip (Sept. 2017) with an annual travel insurance plan (Geo Blue Trekker Choice) as recommended by Steve of the trip insurance store. This annual plan saves us some coin when we other wise would have purchased separate travel insurance (only from wheels up to wheels down) for each trip. Tho, being both retired Soldiers and having Tricare Prime--we get added peace of mind by insuring our yearly travel plans with another highly recommended travel insurance company.

 

Rachel, we also enjoy taking advantage of the American Express Platinum Card Cruise Benefit. You can pay with more than one AMX-P card as long as the card is the AMX-Platinum (e.g. for Voyager Singapore to Hong Kong Febraury cruise that George, you and we are on) we paid for this voyage using an American Express Platinum Mercedes Benz card and a American Express Platinum Schwab card

Edited October 30, 2016 by WesW

[Eager2Travel]

Hi Wes. As usual you are coming up with some innovating ideas. What is the advantage of splitting the payment between two different Am Ex Platinum cards?

[mrlevin]

Hi Wes. As usual you are coming up with some innovating ideas. What is the advantage of splitting the payment between two different Am Ex Platinum cards?

 

I also use multiple Amex cards. I put at least $50K annually on DL Amex for MQM but, as long as you have the real Amex Platinum in the record (even if no dollars are charged to it), you get cruise benefits.

 

Marc

[WesW]

Hi Ann (and Shel), Ida and I are always looking for ways to earn more American Express Membership Reward points. So, even tho the annual fee is $450 for the Amx-P (Schwab) or Amx-P Mercedes Benz cards; we don't mind paying the fee (initially, then cancel the card when the annual fee is due (except the Schwab AMX-P card)because once we meet the spend ($3K to $5k) we earn 50K to 75k membership reward points. Wonderful to transfer these points to Singapore Krisflyer miles (which we did so we will fly First class back from Honk Kong this March). Ann, the Schwab Amx-P is even more lucrative if you have an equity account with Schwab. Depending on the scale of your equity account you will get a $100 or $200 statement credit at the beginning of each calendar year, in addition to the cruise bennies. Moreover, with any AMX-P card you get an $200 airline fee credit (AA, United, Southwest, et. al) every calendar year. Hope this helps.

Edited October 31, 2016 by WesW

[Travelcat2]

Have to give you credit Wes, I cannot imagine how much time it takes to do what you do. We have over 500,000 unused points with Amex. The only thing that we ever purchased with them was a computer. The cost (in points) is outrageous. While I understand and admire what you do, getting included Business Class air on our favorite airlines through Regent makes us happy. Unfortunately, things are not like they were in the late '80's when we went around the world on TWA and Qantas - Business Class - for 125,000 miles (plus they gave jus 50% off on hotels like Hyatt). Talk about the good old days!

[Suite Travels]

Wes, how do you get F on SQ so far in advance? We have plenty of Kris miles but the F seats are capacity controlled and not usually released so far in advance. We use Emirates a lot and those F seats are like gold tough to get in advance as well. Amex at one time would check availability for those seats and transfer the miles. Now they will only transfer the miles and you do the booking. We are Centurion and that is how it works for us.

[Caroldoll]

and they have told me that because I didn't sign up for travel insurance many, many years ago, I do not have travel insurance. I use my Chase Platinum for the lower cost cruises as they cover $10,000 each person and I charge the whole cruise to them. On the higher priced cruises I purchase travel insurance. My travel insurance company said that medical evacuation is included in my price up to $50,000. He felt that was enough. This insurance thing gets very expensive the older you get.

[WesW]

Jackie, thanks--the key to our miles/points hobby is similar to your Regent cruise critic passion--devoting daily time (about an hour daily) to read the most relevant miles/points blogs that bring the newest deals that are available to readers. With your 1/2million+ AMX miles you could book Singapore FC suites from to/from Asia since Singapore Kris Flyer miles in an AMX airline transfer partner.

 

Miles, to book Singapore First Class award seats, please see our fav travel/awards blog below (general answer Miles is to try to book a year out, tho we snagged our seats HK to SFO eight months ago @ only 87K Krisflyer miles pp):

 

Finally, as much as we love AMX-Platinum--we also love the new Chase Sapphire Reserve card (spend $5k in 3 months earn 100K ulimtate reward points (multiple airline and hotel transfer partners) plus Chase gives you a $300 travel credit annually. So, let's say you have a cruise that costs $30K with final payment due in 30 days. If you get this card now you will get a $300 credit this year, and another $300 credit in 2017. Moreover, your travel expenses are 3X the $1 spend so a $30K cruise will earn 90K ultimate reward points (worth over 2 points per spend or a value of about $1800, please see this other popular travel blog post). Plus, you will get travel insurance when you purchase your cruise with this new CSR card.

 

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/10/october-2016-monthly-valuations/

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/12/22/singapore-suites-class-award/

Edited October 31, 2016 by WesW

[getiton]

Wes,

You have been missed from attendance at the ORD seminars.

Ray

[Travelcat2]

Thanks Wes - lots of good information!

[WesW]

Getiton/Ray, missed u @ The Chicago Seminars (3 days of lectures on tips to earn frequent flyer miles/hotel points put on by The Frugal Travel Guy team about the second week of October). Ray, was planning to attend but two days before the seminars last year a dear family friend passed--this year we were committed alas--maybe 2018.

 

Hope Arlene and you have a wonderful crossing on the Explorer in a few weeks. We board Silversea Silver Wind for a 17 day crossing in Barca on Nov 15th. We will miss y'all in Cartagena, and Malaga by two days (we get their before you do) and we will just miss you in Funchal (the Wind is docked all day Nov 21st, y'all arrive the next morning).

[Suite Travels]

Thanks Wes, we have accumulated so many miles on AMEX. Emirates is pretty easy but we did not know about SQ. Both f/c services are excellent. I do give a slight edge to Emirates for the two showers and bar on the A-380.

[gnomie1]

Jackie, thanks--the key to our miles/points hobby is similar to your Regent cruise critic passion--devoting daily time (about an hour daily) to read the most relevant miles/points blogs that bring the newest deals that are available to readers. With your 1/2million+ AMX miles you could book Singapore FC suites from to/from Asia since Singapore Kris Flyer miles in an AMX airline transfer partner.

 

Miles, to book Singapore First Class award seats, please see our fav travel/awards blog below (general answer Miles is to try to book a year out, tho we snagged our seats HK to SFO eight months ago @ only 87K Krisflyer miles pp):

 

Finally, as much as we love AMX-Platinum--we also love the new Chase Sapphire Reserve card (spend $5k in 3 months earn 100K ulimtate reward points (multiple airline and hotel transfer partners) plus Chase gives you a $300 travel credit annually. So, let's say you have a cruise that costs $30K with final payment due in 30 days. If you get this card now you will get a $300 credit this year, and another $300 credit in 2017. Moreover, your travel expenses are 3X the $1 spend so a $30K cruise will earn 90K ultimate reward points (worth over 2 points per spend or a value of about $1800, please see this other popular travel blog post). Plus, you will get travel insurance when you purchase your cruise with this new CSR card.

 

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/10/october-2016-monthly-valuations/

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/12/22/singapore-suites-class-award/

 

Wes:

 

You and I could be best friends - I am also a mileage junkie and whatever free time I have, is spent trying to accumulate the most miles - I haven't paid for a premium overseas plane ticket for myself or my parents in more than 15 years and I still have 2.5M miles in the bank! Back in the day when I did not have so many responsibilities, I was the Queen of the mileage runs - my best, 83,000 miles for a $294 ticket, unfortunately can't do those anymore with the new requirements.

 

I totally agree with you regarding the Chase Sapphire Reward - I recently participated in a focus group and it was easy to determine that Amex was trying to figure out what to do to stop the flow of people canceling their platinum card and running over to Chase - I am sure you are following the thread on FlyerTalk regarding the Sapphire card.

 

gnomie :)

[gnomie1]

Thanks Wes, we have accumulated so many miles on AMEX. Emirates is pretty easy but we did not know about SQ. Both f/c services are excellent. I do give a slight edge to Emirates for the two showers and bar on the A-380.

 

 

Send me an email and I will explain to you how to determine what award seats are available.

 

PS - I am traveling right now so it may be a few days before I get back on line.

 

gnomie :)

[getiton]

Wes,

Thanks for the kind wishes and the same to you and yours hope our paths

cross in near future.

Ray

[Suite Travels]

Send me an email and I will explain to you how to determine what award seats are available.

 

PS - I am traveling right now so it may be a few days before I get back on line.

 

gnomie :)

 

Thank you. E-mail sent.

[eliana]

This thread was originally about cancellation but drifted into insurance. Getting back to cancellation we were pleased to read that it might be possible to be credited with days for Regent Society. Does anyone have any experience of any other generosity from Regent?