Hal Phillips is Managing Director of Mandarin Media, a multi-media/PR/IT firm with offices and clientele in North America and Southeast Asia. Based in Maine but in Asia-Pacific 3-4 times a year, his preferred method of managing these long flights (and the 12-hour time differences) is “two Ambien and a glass of wine.” Here's what's in Hal's wallet:
When TravelSort invited me to participate in its “What’s in Your Wallet?” feature (brand-sapping apologies to Alec Baldwin and his friends at Capital One), I attempted to politely demure. Yes, I travel a fair amount, mainly long haul to Southeast Asia from my home base in Maine, but I’m not a points-hoarder. Accordingly, I don’t boast nearly the critical mass of plastic that many do, including Hilary Stockton apparently. Indeed, my main point of pride is the size of my wallet. It’s really just a billfold, an effort toward simplified living I adopted when we lived in sweltering Ho Chi Minh City (I wanted something that slipped easily into the back pocket of my shorts). It worked so well, and I missed so little the bulging Costanzaesque model it replaced, I’ve never gone back. Most of the items therein were utterly needless after all, multiple nods to my pack-rat tendencies. And who needs space for all those family photos with an iPhone (in the other pocket)? In any case, here’s the meager roll call:
1. American Express Starwood Preferred Guest
Picked this up in 2008 and never looked back. The points accrued yield free or discounted rooms across the Starwood family of hotels (Westin, St. Regis, W, Le Meridien, etc.), though I mainly redeem them for family travel, i.e. stuff I cannot otherwise write off. I buy most big-ticket items with the AmEx SPG (plane tickets, refrigerators), in addition to day-to-day things that add up: groceries and gas.
TravelSort Note: Now is a good time to sign up for this card, since you get a 30,000 point bonus instead of the usual 25,000 points. If you have the card, refer your partner or friend to receive 5000 points for referring them.
2. Key Bank MasterCard
Nothing special here. It’s the business checking account I use when traveling on business, and the online transaction record comes in handy when doing expense reports. Upon forming this account, I let the bank folks know they shouldn’t be surprised to see charges emanating from Jakarta or Kota Kinabalu. I’d been lax about this in the past: One bank kept shutting the card down, as a precaution, when exotic charges came through — sensible, but not a welcome occurrence when on the road.
3. Chase United Mileage Plus Club Visa
My only other “points” credit card, and I’ve got mixed feelings about it. I’ve cast my lot with United Airlines, which has the best routes and prices to Asia, generally. But United has made it damned near impossible to redeem points for upgrades. I buy big-ticket items with this, too, if AmEx isn’t accepted. My family has benefited from several Frequent Flyer-enabled trips (again, I generally don’t redeem them for business travel), but my brain is stuck in the 1990s when all my miles and Premier Executive status meant a lot more to United Airlines, apparently. Just the other day I received a massive, bound Mileage Plus Club catalogue of goodies that I can buy with all my miles. This, to me, speaks volumes re. the ever-diminishing travel utility of all these cursed miles; one may as well buy a flat-screen TV with them (which I did a couple years back). The card itself is interesting: It’s thicker and more rigid than anything else in my wallet. Retailers seem oddly intrigued by it.
4. United Club Card
Provides access to United Club lounges and most Star Alliance lounges worldwide (though not the one in Jakarta, sadly). A real godsend when you’ve got four hours to kill in Tokyo. But again, I mourn the passing of both the Red Carpet Club (replaced upon the merger of United and Continental) and the overall United experience I remember from 1996. The service delivered today pales in comparison, especially in North America.
5. United MileagePlus Membership Card
Not sure why I even need this card, but I do carry it as proof of my Premier Silver status. Maybe I’d have less to complain about United if I were Premier Gold, or Platinum (if such an exalted standing indeed exists).
6. Maine Driver’s License
Not much good when traveling abroad, but you do need it domestically to rent cars and such. I value it because it was issued in 2007, when a goodly portion of my hair was still dark. But I’m probably thinner these days… So it’s a wash.
7. Insurance cards
My family was self-insured for years so proof of health and dental benefits — along with reliable reference for complicated group and ID numbers — seems solid grounds for inclusion in the billfold.
8. BAM
We shop for books and such at Amazon.com and other online vendors, but here in Maine, where not every national chain is represented conveniently, Books•A•Million is the place we shop in person, after BAM bought out Borders. Hence the BAM discount/awards card. I also like to write and say, “BAM”.
9. Dragon Pilot Frequent Flyer Card
The only paper item in my wallet, other than cash (which is actually made of cloth, I’m told) and business cards. Nine punches and the 10th round of disc golf at nearby Dragon Field is free.
TravelSort Notes:
- It's often easier to book outright business and first class awards rather than upgrades, and the awards could be on other Star Alliance partners such as Singapore Airlines, rather than United. See Why Award Tickets are Better Deals Than Upgrades
- To boost United miles in order to redeem for awards, I'd recommend earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, since they transfer 1:1 to United Airlines.
- The Sapphire Preferred (2X points for all dining and travel, no foreign transaction fees) is the best all-around travel card.
- The Ink Bold or Ink Plus business cards offer 5X for telephony and cable services and office supply store spend, including refills for the AMEX Prepaid card, another great travel card since it has no foreign transaction fees and effectively gives you 5 Ultimate Rewards points = 5 United miles for every $1 spent (less the cost of the refill cards).
- The Chase Freedom is valuable for its 5X rotating category bonuses and for small purchases when used in conjunction with a checking account/Chase Exclusives bonuses.
- While American unfortunately doesn't serve Portland, Maine, it could still be worthwhile on occasion to use points or a cheap revenue ticket to get to JFK and redeem AAdvantage miles from Citi AAdvantage card bonuses to fly Cathay Pacific business class or first class to Asia via Hong Kong. See Best Travel Credit Cards for Citi AAdvantage card application links.
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