00:00:00:04 - 00:00:06:20 Chris Alaska Airlines just had a historic moment, their first ever flight to London, and Katie was there to experience it. 00:00:06:21 - 00:00:11:23 Katie That's right. I flew to London in Alaska's new business class suites, and I'm here to tell you all about it. 00:00:11:23 - 00:00:18:05 Chris But first, we have some theme park and hotel news that you don't want to miss, especially if you have travel plans this summer. 00:00:18:09 - 00:00:32:20 Katie And I'll share my experience at two different Seattle airport lounges and what I thought of the redesigned American Airlines Premium Economy product. 00:00:32:22 - 00:00:35:19 Chris Hey, I'm Chris, welcome to the upgraded points. 00:00:35:21 - 00:00:56:22 Katie And I'm Katie. And today we have some theme park and hotel news. And I'm going to tell you all about my experience on Alaska Airlines new international business class. Before we jump into that, we're asking that you head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review telling us about your favorite episode of the show so far. We'll take a look and share some of the fan favorites next week. 00:00:56:23 - 00:01:02:08 Katie So let's jump right into the news. Chris, what's going on with New Resort? 00:01:02:10 - 00:01:25:08 Chris Universal is opening a brand new theme park on July 1st. Yes I know, no, it's not Epic Universe. It is Universal Kids Resort and it's in Frisco, Texas. It's a small resort. It's only 20 acres, but it has seven lands that include Jurassic Park and Shrek and Minions as a 300 room hotel right on property as well. And tickets start at $55 a day. 00:01:25:08 - 00:01:39:15 Chris So this is going to be a fun, little family friendly universal resort, so it's a nice option for those in the Dallas-Fort worth area with young kids then don't want to trek across the country. So that's opening July 1st and looks really fun. 00:01:39:17 - 00:01:42:01 Katie Yeah, nice. Great for for little ones. 00:01:42:04 - 00:02:07:05 Chris Yeah. Moving over to some hotel news, Kimpton just announced its social password for the summer. And so if you check in any time between now and August 31st, and you say very casually to the front desk in bloom and out of office, you may walk away with a little, little surprise there. We've seen people receive complimentary parking and breakfast and upgrades, amenities and goodies. 00:02:07:05 - 00:02:25:14 Chris It's a fun little bonus. I know we talked about this before. It could be a little awkward, you know, trying to trying to sneak that into a into the conversation. But now the front desk, they know they know all about this. And I mentioned this before. When I was in Australia, we stayed at a property in Sydney and they gave us a little beach bag with, you know, sunscreen and some goodies there. 00:02:25:14 - 00:02:29:07 Chris So it's it's really nice. Nice little bonus that costs nothing. 00:02:29:08 - 00:02:37:13 Katie Okay. I have a Kimpton stay coming up in August and like I want to do it, but it's so awkward. 00:02:37:15 - 00:02:43:07 Chris Don't know man out of office. Yeah. That you sneak that into a conversation. 00:02:43:09 - 00:02:53:00 Katie Yeah, I don't I hope I can convince someone else I'm traveling with to say it. Like, I get to send my daughter up there and, like, give her, like, five bucks to say it. 00:02:53:01 - 00:02:54:00 Chris There you go. I like. 00:02:54:00 - 00:03:02:09 Katie That, yeah. So we'll see. I'll report back in August to see if if I get anything good. Do you have any plans for captains anytime soon? Are you going to try this? 00:03:02:10 - 00:03:26:08 Chris Well, so I was actually looking at some hotels in New York City, and there are a few Kimpton and, you know, was just debating on, you know, how many points I wanted to spend. But with this little perk, I mean, I would choose if it was close 5000 points or whatever, I would choose a Kimpton. Just so I could say this, because if you get free, free breakfast or parking or an upgrade, that is huge, especially in New York City. 00:03:26:10 - 00:03:35:17 Katie Okay, here's your assignment, Chris. Have colony tape you video record you doing this because I want to see it for the podcast I need footage of. 00:03:35:19 - 00:03:40:17 Chris That's a good call. All right. So I'm going to do it then I'll do it for for research purposes. 00:03:40:17 - 00:03:47:15 Katie There you go. There you go. Awesome, awesome. So I was in London last weekend. That was super fun. 00:03:47:17 - 00:03:48:13 Chris On Instagram. 00:03:48:14 - 00:04:08:21 Katie Yeah. So before I get into telling you all about my flight, I got I have to mention I was just walking along and I was by myself for two days. It was gorgeous out. It was like 80 degrees and sunny blue skies, like, yeah, in London. It was so unlike any other time I've been in London. It was just it was a beautiful weekend. 00:04:08:21 - 00:04:28:16 Katie Everyone was out, everyone was in a good mood. So I was just kind of walking around like, I've done all of the, the touristy stuff. And so that was really nice. I was just kind of wandering aimlessly, which is always kind of fun. And I was kind of going around a corner and I looked up and I saw a sign that said Waldorf Astoria, Admiralty Arch. 00:04:28:16 - 00:04:49:04 Katie And I'm like, wait, I know that. So that was the hotel that Brad Anderson mentioned and he is the VP of Hilton Honors. He was on the show a couple weeks ago, episode 58, and he had mentioned that as one of the most anticipated openings of the year. And I happened to just walk by it and like, he wasn't kidding. 00:04:49:04 - 00:05:12:22 Katie It's a spectacular building. It's got big arches, just like the name would say, just a gorgeous, imposing building and literally across from Buckingham Palace. So you're standing there, you're looking at this hotel, which is still under construction, but you turn and it's right across, you know, there's that in front of Buckingham Palace, I think they call it The Mall. 00:05:12:22 - 00:05:37:15 Katie It's sort of that big pedestrian walkway and you just turn around and literally facing it is Buckingham Palace. And I mean, it's not like it's not like right on top of each other. It is down the mole, but it's right there. The location was just stunning. So like, if you're a Hilton fan and have plans to go to London, save your points and get some free night certs, because that looks like it's going to be a really, really cool property. 00:05:37:17 - 00:05:52:13 Chris Yeah. As soon as he mentioned that, I went and looked and I was like, okay, I could easily use one of my friends certificates here because, you know, that's going to be expensive when it opens. He said this summer, right. Do we did it look close? I mean, I could tell from the outside. 00:05:52:17 - 00:06:15:15 Katie Remember what he said, maybe the summer I don't remember. It was hard to tell. There was construction on the outside. So I mean, it wasn't going to open tomorrow. Who knows? Keep an eye on it. But just the location was just phenomenal. And that area is so close to other stuff to in addition to just Buckingham Palace. But it was just it was really cool to just happen to walk by it and I wasn't planning on it. 00:06:15:15 - 00:06:23:10 Katie So. So that was fun. I think I actually stopped in my tracks and was like, oh my gosh, we talked about this on the podcast. So that was fun. 00:06:23:12 - 00:06:40:03 Chris That's fun. Yeah. All right. Well, let's take a break. And when we come back, we want to hear all about the Alaska Airlines new flight to London. 00:06:40:05 - 00:06:46:20 Chris Hey, real quick before we jump back in, if you're listening to this podcast, you're exactly the kind of person we build our free newsletter for. 00:06:46:21 - 00:06:57:00 Katie We break down the best credit card offers, transfer bonuses, award alerts, and travel news that actually matters. No fluff, no spam, just the stuff we text a friend if something big dropped. 00:06:57:01 - 00:07:01:22 Chris A lot of the deals we talk about on the show don't last long. The newsletter is where we flag those fast. 00:07:01:23 - 00:07:14:06 Katie It's totally free and you can sign up at upgrade points. 00:07:14:08 - 00:07:29:08 Chris Okay. Welcome back. Katie just flew Alaska Airlines to London, so you don't have to, but you should. Actually looked really good. Yeah. Katie, tell us all about it from when you started to. When you. Linda, we want everything. 00:07:29:09 - 00:07:50:16 Katie Okay. So I flew the flight. The inaugural flight was from Seattle, and I do not live in Seattle, so I actually flew out to Seattle that morning, which landed me in the Seattle airport, like, all day. So I headed for the Centurion Lounge, and I had never been to this Centurion Lounge before, and it is hands down my favorite now. 00:07:50:20 - 00:07:51:17 Katie It was. 00:07:51:18 - 00:07:52:21 Chris It's new right? 00:07:52:23 - 00:07:56:05 Katie It's new ish. I don't remember when it opened. 00:07:56:10 - 00:07:58:00 Chris Maybe I'm confusing myself. 00:07:58:01 - 00:08:24:19 Katie Lake city? No, I think it is new ish. Like in the last year or two. Yeah, it's newish, but it's located in the main terminal. Right. There's like a central area with all the shops and restaurants, and it's on that second floor right above that. It was open to the terminal. And usually, like you would think, that's not really desirable in a lounge because usually in a lounge you kind of want to be away from the the hustle and bustle of the terminal. 00:08:24:21 - 00:08:49:00 Katie But the way it was done was just really neat. They have a music program in this airport, so there was a couple people down in the main area playing like acoustic guitar, and it was just really chill and like really nice. So I sat the first part of the day. I sat in sort of the area that was all open to the terminal, had an excellent breakfast. 00:08:49:00 - 00:09:10:10 Katie The food was the best food I've ever had at Centurion Lounges, and it was the biggest selection because, you know, sometimes Centurion lounges, they have like one meal. Basically they're going to have some kind of a stewed chicken, some kind of a rice and like, that's it. And they actually had multiple things to choose from. The food was excellent. 00:09:10:11 - 00:09:26:05 Katie There was a coffee bar, and you might know that is one of the ways to my heart is a coffee bar. There was a shower suite, so I was able to shower in the middle of the day because I had gotten in early and my flight was until late. So after I worked and ate, I went and took a shower. 00:09:26:05 - 00:09:54:19 Katie So I felt refreshed. And then on the walls is is artwork that lets you know you're in Seattle. So it's Seattle sports figures and iconic saddle bands. So like, I'm sitting there between a poster of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder and my 90s grunge girl heart was full like. Perfect. Perfect as far as I'm concerned. So it was just it was a great spot if you have to spend the day at the airport, I loved it. 00:09:54:22 - 00:10:01:19 Chris Okay, so wait, so you got there in the morning and your flight wasn't until when? How long? How long are you in the lounge? And don't lie. 00:10:01:21 - 00:10:04:11 Katie I was there probably like 8 or 9 hours. 00:10:04:14 - 00:10:10:03 Chris Oh my God. So you're the reason that they're going to change the rules? 00:10:10:05 - 00:10:29:11 Katie Yeah. So I was really happy because I wasn't sure before this, I couldn't remember when those rules were changing. And just so everyone is aware of what we're talking about on July 8th, Centurion is changing some of their rules, and it's limiting access on layovers to five hours. And then you can't bring in guests who are flying on another flight. 00:10:29:11 - 00:10:51:12 Katie But the The Layover rule was the one I was worried about. Thankfully, that didn't apply here, so I was able to sit around for nine hours. But this summer you won't be able to do that. So it worked out. Yes, it's still good, but like in this instance, I would just be sitting in the, you know, terminal having to buy my own food and not have that coffee bar. 00:10:51:12 - 00:10:55:23 Chris So just sitting outside smelling it. 00:10:56:00 - 00:11:16:16 Katie But it was it was a really good experience. Highly recommend that lounge. So that's not the first lounge or not the only lounge that I stayed at during that trip. So after that, I wanted to head over to check out the Alaska Airlines lounge. So I actually exited to go back through security because at Seattle there is a new check in lounge. 00:11:16:16 - 00:11:38:20 Katie There's actually two special areas. There's one area for Alaska silver, gold and platinum elites. And then there is a separate area for Atmos Titanium and Alaska Airlines suites passengers. And so that's what I wanted to try out. Since I was writing about this, I figured I should have the whole experience. Yeah, and it was great. It's a separate area. 00:11:38:20 - 00:12:01:02 Katie You walk up, they, you know, check your ticket. I was already checked in, but they just double checked, you know, my passport. If you want to check bags, they can do that for you. There. They offered me water. It's all in a private area. And as soon as, like, you're ready to go, they whisk you through this, like, tunnel, which is kind of cool right into a a separate security line that had clear gates. 00:12:01:02 - 00:12:22:21 Katie So I basically walked right through. I mean, I was I was through in a couple minutes. It was really, really nice. So then I was in at that point I was in the or the lounge was in the North Satellite terminal. And to get between the main terminal and the satellite terminal, it was just a quick one stop on there tram super easy a couple minutes. 00:12:23:01 - 00:12:48:01 Katie And so I walked into the Alaska Airlines lounge and it really felt more like a hotel lobby or a really cool restaurant. There were wooden beams all over the ceilings and the walls. There were floor to ceiling windows, a really big fireplace, kind of centrally located, with sort of curved couches around the fireplace that then you could look out onto the tarmac. 00:12:48:05 - 00:13:08:05 Katie Just a really cool vibe. It was really crowded. This was a Thursday night. I'm sure there were a number of international flights heading out. So it was. It was hopping. On one side there's the buffet and the bar. It's a really large space. I didn't stay for that long because I had planned to eat on the flight, so I didn't actually eat. 00:13:08:05 - 00:13:19:08 Katie I just kind of, you know, checked it out, got some photos and then headed to the gate. But it's a really nice space and I hope I get to check it out again, because the fireplace area was really cool. I really enjoyed that. 00:13:19:08 - 00:13:41:07 Chris Nice and Alaska. They also just announced a new global lounge that is going to be opening next year, in late 2027. Yes, they said it's going to spend 41,000ft², provide seating for 700 people across two levels. So that's going to be in the new renovated concourse C. So that should that should help. 00:13:41:10 - 00:14:01:22 Katie Yeah. And I think I read that that was going to be the biggest lounge in the airport. So that's going to be a huge addition next year. So that'll be really cool. Okay. So I after the lounge I headed down to the gate and flying on an inaugural is really fun. They a lot of times will have, you know, festivities or treats or something. 00:14:01:22 - 00:14:26:02 Katie And this was no different. They had like a four piece string quartet playing music. You know, a lot of British. There's some Beatles and some British, you know, type music. They had photo ops, they had a cart with British treats, you know, scones and tea. And it was just a really fun and festive atmosphere. This this year for Alaska Airlines is huge. 00:14:26:04 - 00:14:47:08 Katie A month before, actually not even a month like three weeks before this flight, Alaska launched their very first ever flight to Europe, and that was to Rome. Then there was this flight to London, and then a week after this flight, they flew to Iceland for the first time. So I know within, you know what, five weeks or so they went from no European destinations to three. 00:14:47:08 - 00:15:15:03 Katie And they told me that their their goal is to have 12 long haul international destinations, leaving out of Seattle by 2030. So and you felt that energy at this little inaugural celebration. And anytime I spoke to someone from Alaska, there is just that kind of it felt like a turning point, like this is really where they're turning in from, you know, a niche West Coast airline to really one of the big boys with these new with these new routes. 00:15:15:03 - 00:15:33:22 Katie So it was just a really it was a fun, fun vibe. And all of this is because they were able to acquire a Hawaiian. What was that 20 couple of years? 24, something like that a couple of years ago, very recently. And that gave them access to these wide body planes, which is what is allowing them to now fly to Europe. 00:15:33:22 - 00:16:04:12 Katie So I flew on the seven eight, seven nine Dreamliner, and this is one of their new wide bodies. And they are featuring their new suites product. So their business class seats are full suites with privacy doors. I'm like I mean I love it. You know, anytime you can have a door on an airplane, it's just mine. No matter how many times you fly business class, having that door just is really cool. 00:16:04:12 - 00:16:32:03 Katie That's cool. Yeah. So I mean, the plane looked really nice. Every seat had a mattress pad, which is so helpful when you need to sleep. It's just a, you know, that added bit of comfort. A really nice plush duvet cover, two different or a duvet blanket, two pillows, slippers and an amenity kit all branded in partnership with Filson, which is a Seattle based brand. 00:16:32:03 - 00:17:00:10 Katie And the amenity kit had salt and stone products, hand hand lotion, a face mask and a lip balm. Anytime you have a face mist and an amenity kit, you know it's going to be wonderful. No one gets me. And then they had refillable aluminum water bottles waiting for you, which was really nice. And actually, those are the kind that that like aluminum bottle is really great for travel because they're so lightweight. 00:17:00:10 - 00:17:13:06 Katie So I always keep those and use them for when I'm traveling. And then also because we were on the inaugural everyone and not just business class, everyone got a special bag and you can kind of see it right there. It's this blue one. 00:17:13:07 - 00:17:14:11 Chris Oh yeah. 00:17:14:12 - 00:17:28:02 Katie And it had a couple extra goodies in it. There was a a luggage tag that had the in all the inaugural information on it and a really cool I mask. And then I have to show you this tiny little insulated espresso cup. 00:17:28:08 - 00:17:30:09 Chris Oh it's so cute. 00:17:30:11 - 00:17:41:03 Katie This is the cutest thing I've ever seen. I collect coffee mugs, and lately I've been really into little coffee mugs. So I saw this. And like, I died, like, this is adorable. 00:17:41:04 - 00:17:41:19 Chris That's great. 00:17:41:19 - 00:18:03:00 Katie So this was one of the little things they gave us for being on the inaugural. And you can fly on inaugural just as a passenger. Like you don't have to be media to fly on an inaugural. I think Christine wrote a post a while ago about just why you might want to book one of these, and they really are fun, because you get to take part in the festivities and you get all the little goodies and stuff. 00:18:03:00 - 00:18:04:01 Katie So that. 00:18:04:01 - 00:18:21:05 Chris Is by mistake one. Once I was on another flight, I had no idea until I walked up to the gate. Yeah, it was the Rio to New York. It wasn't a real inaugural, but they had brought it back after canceling during the pandemic. So they had balloons and some New York music. But it was fun. Yeah. 00:18:21:06 - 00:18:24:14 Katie Yeah, I'm sure a lot of those passengers had no idea. And they showed up to the gate. 00:18:24:14 - 00:18:24:23 Chris And it's. 00:18:24:23 - 00:18:49:14 Katie Like, wait, what's going on? Yeah. So anyways, it was just great vibes. The cabin is lovely. Each seat has an 18 inch screen and, you know, you've got the full lay flat seat, so it's just super comfortable. Dinner service started with their signature cheese and fruit platter. And then there was a soup and salad, like an asparagus soup with this, like mixed berry salad. 00:18:49:14 - 00:19:11:07 Katie It was just it was delicious. And then I preordered my dinner. So I had a chicken cottage pie with this, like flaky pastry crust on it, and it had carrots and green beans that were actually cooked really well, which I was not expecting because they never seemed to get cooked right on an airplane. No matter how good the business class product is, it just never seems to get it done. 00:19:11:07 - 00:19:31:06 Katie But the food was great. So it was. It was a late flight. We left. We were supposed to leave at 940 and there was a lot of congestion at the airport. So we ended up leaving a little bit later. And as you might realize, I had been up already. I flew from the east coast to the West coast, spent 12 hours in the airport, and then this flight was, you know, ten ish. 00:19:31:08 - 00:19:47:21 Katie I forget what time it was by the time we actually got up and they started food service. So if I was just flying to London for fun, I would have absolutely skipped dinner and shut my door and gone to sleep. Yeah. I was like, you know what? I'm reviewing this. I need to actually experience it all. And I really wanted to. 00:19:47:23 - 00:20:08:00 Katie I wanted dessert so bad I just couldn't do it. They have these salt and straw ice cream sundae like, I think they bring it by on a cart. And it was supposed to be really good, but I was, I was done, I experienced dinner, and I was like, I can't, I have to get some sleep. So I do regret my decision now. 00:20:08:00 - 00:20:28:02 Katie I should have tried the ice cream Sundays and I'm just going to have to fly Alaska Airlines again. So I did skip dessert, but I got a really solid like four hour nap. I slept really well. The door is just it's great. And they've got like little, like dots of light on the ceiling. So it kind of looks like stars. 00:20:28:02 - 00:21:00:11 Katie So if you look up, you do feel kind of like, yeah, it feels very cozy, very conducive for sleeping. So after I slept, I actually felt pretty good when I woke up. They like the timing was wonderful. They were coming by with mixed berry smoothies, which was great. It was very refreshing, just what I needed. And then the only thing that I would say I was disappointed in on the flight was the second meal service, which was breakfast, and the choice was like an overnight oats or an English breakfast. 00:21:00:13 - 00:21:20:17 Katie And the guy before me got the last overnight oats. And so and I don't like English breakfast is not my jam at all. So that kind of sucked. But like that happens. It's happened before. It's going to happen again. The flight attendants were so apologetic. They were saying like, you know, we're so sorry. We'll make a note of that. 00:21:20:17 - 00:21:26:21 Katie And, you know, this is our first flight, so we'll make sure we have a different ratio of breakfast because I guess everyone was getting the overnight oats. 00:21:26:23 - 00:21:28:22 Chris Yeah. I guess depending on which way you're going maybe. 00:21:28:23 - 00:21:50:02 Katie Yeah. So but it was like, whatever. No big deal. Like that's not you know, it sucks but whatever. Like no big deal. So so yeah. And then we, we landed in London. It was so cool. As we were driving up, all of the ground crews were taking pictures of the flight. And because this was the first time in Alaska flight had ever landed in the UK. 00:21:50:03 - 00:21:50:09 Chris Yeah. 00:21:50:11 - 00:21:51:19 Katie So it was it was just. 00:21:51:19 - 00:21:53:06 Chris A cannon salute, right? 00:21:53:07 - 00:22:15:08 Katie Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, that was cool. Although I had my, like video up and they stopped like before, like the plane actually went all the way through. So my video was like one second it's raining. Yeah. But but it was, it was a great flight. I looked up prices just because I was curious because I'm going to want to absolutely book this again. 00:22:15:09 - 00:22:34:20 Katie If although I mean, for the East Coast to go to Seattle, then to go to London or Rome or wherever is not ideal. But I really did like it. And for the right price, you never know. And they also fly to Tokyo and Seoul. Maybe, maybe I should have looked that up. They have like two destinations in Asia. 00:22:34:22 - 00:22:45:19 Katie 30,000 points. Atlas points right now for economy, which is solid. The business class right now is pricing at like 150,000 Atlas points, which is a little steep. 00:22:45:20 - 00:22:46:19 Chris Yeah. 00:22:46:21 - 00:23:02:02 Katie But it just started. So we keep an eye on it. You never know. A lot of times you can get really great prices through the Atlas programs. It's something I'm going to keep an eye on. And if that dips to a reasonable price I would absolutely recommend their business class product. I was I was really happy with it. 00:23:02:02 - 00:23:05:16 Chris And then how long have you in London? Where did you stay? 00:23:05:22 - 00:23:16:19 Katie I was only there for the weekend, so it was like three nights, but it felt shorter because by the time we got to the hotel, it was 6 p.m. on Friday night and I had left Thursday morning. 00:23:16:20 - 00:23:17:20 Chris I mean, yeah. 00:23:17:21 - 00:23:40:11 Katie So we stayed at the one Aldwych Hotel and it is in Covent Garden. Great location. It was like right in the theater district. So my room actually looked out onto the theater where The Lion King was. So if you want to do some theater, that's a great location. It's right by Covent Garden, like all the little the shopping area right there. 00:23:40:14 - 00:24:05:01 Katie And it is not part of like a marriott Hilton any of that, but it is bookable through Chase the edit. So if you are going to London and have some of those Chase credits, it would definitely be a good one to look at. The room itself was was absolutely gorgeous, super comfortable. They had a complimentary minibar with really good like gummy candies and shortbread cookies and chips and all kinds of stuff. 00:24:05:03 - 00:24:10:09 Katie Heated floors in the bathroom. Oh yeah. I love a heated floor. 00:24:10:11 - 00:24:10:19 Chris Yeah. 00:24:10:20 - 00:24:33:08 Katie Yeah, it was just it was a very comfortable, nice hotel. Would absolutely be happy to stay there again. Didn't do much. Like I said, I walked around and did a little bit of shopping, and I attended an event hosted by the team at Alaska at the Tower of London, which was kind of cool. And this is something I believe you can book on your own, but it is something you have to look at books up. 00:24:33:08 - 00:24:54:23 Katie It's it's a very small number of people who can do it every night. But you get a private tour of the Tower of London and then you go to the the Yeoman Warders Club, which is the private bar for the Yeoman Warders there. And then you do the ceremony of the keys. So it's the ceremony where they, like, lock the Tower of London every night. 00:24:54:23 - 00:25:13:12 Katie And it's been happening like every single night for, I think they said like 700 years or something every single night without fail. So it was very, you know, I mean, it didn't last long, but it was one of those ceremonies they take very seriously, and it was just really cool to see. Yeah. So that was a fun little thing. 00:25:13:13 - 00:25:16:14 Katie Did some shopping and then I came home. 00:25:16:16 - 00:25:20:03 Chris All right. How'd you get home? Yeah, it was a business class. No. 00:25:20:08 - 00:25:47:13 Katie No, I, I didn't want to fly again through Seattle. Coming home, I was like, so thankfully I was able to get on American Airlines and I flew there. Premium economy from London to New York. I have flown American premium economy a number of times before, and I actually have plans to fly them again this summer. I was thrilled that when I got on, I realized I was on their new 787 that had the redesigned cabin. 00:25:47:13 - 00:26:10:10 Katie So it had the business class suites, which I've never flown on American, and it had the redesigned premium economy, which looked fantastic. It looked fresh and modern and comfortable and elevated. I didn't see the actual economy, so I don't know if that design still went through back to the to the back of the plane, but the premium economy section looked fantastic. 00:26:10:11 - 00:26:14:09 Katie I was able to get a bulkhead seat, which I was so excited about. 00:26:14:10 - 00:26:14:21 Chris Okay. 00:26:14:22 - 00:26:20:03 Katie We usually don't get those because my husband doesn't like them because he can't stretch out. 00:26:20:05 - 00:26:22:19 Chris But he's very tall for our listeners. Yeah. 00:26:23:00 - 00:26:31:09 Katie But most bulkheads in premium economy will have the little. Instead of just the footrest, they'll have the leg rest to kind of like the La-Z-Boy action. 00:26:31:10 - 00:26:31:17 Chris Yeah. 00:26:31:18 - 00:26:51:14 Katie And as a shorty that is really comfortable for me. So I was able to book the bulkhead and I booked a window seat because I had planned to work the whole time. It was so comfortable. I was actually. I ended up laying back for a small nap, and I was able to stretch out completely. Like, not lie flat, but I was straight. 00:26:51:16 - 00:26:54:17 Katie So if you're a shorty, book the bulkhead and you. 00:26:54:17 - 00:26:55:17 Chris Are good. 00:26:55:19 - 00:27:23:09 Katie Yeah, it's like business class for short girls. Like it was. It was really comfortable. They gave us a great pillow that had like little wings on it. So it was really comfortable. A blanket, a little amenity kit. It was premium economy, I think especially on a daytime flight like that is is such a sweet spot. I have to tell you though, before we're done here about the weird lighting situation and I don't know if this is a new thing. 00:27:23:09 - 00:27:47:08 Katie I've never experienced it if it was a fluke or what. So if anyone out there has had the same experience, let me know because I was so weird. So I this was a daytime flight, left at 10:30 a.m., landed in New York. I don't know, like 2 p.m. or something. The entire time in the middle of the day, I had booked a window seat so I could keep the window open so I could work, keep the light on me. 00:27:47:08 - 00:28:08:23 Katie I wanted to make sure I stayed awake to readjust back to East Coast, and after the meal, they turned all of the lights out in the cabin. But then we were on the newer plane that doesn't have the manual shade. It has the little button and they stopped like they turned off the ability to adjust your own window shade. 00:28:09:00 - 00:28:11:06 Katie Has this happened to you? Have you seen this? Is this. 00:28:11:06 - 00:28:26:18 Chris A thing? No, but I've seen a lot of complaints, and it's just. I don't know. Know why? I don't think it's a, you know, a corporate mandate by American Airlines, but I think maybe just some flight attendants just would prefer to everyone to just be quiet and go to bed. 00:28:26:19 - 00:28:48:13 Katie I mean, I'm sure they would, but I was so annoyed. It was so dark and it makes it so hard to work. I mean, I get that on an overnight flight or even like, but like the fact that I couldn't control my own window shade. And I'm sitting in a dark plane in the middle of the day when I had planned to work that whole time because it's a it was a Monday. 00:28:48:18 - 00:29:10:12 Katie I need to get stuff done. It was weird and I was confused and I was not happy. And like, I guess it's not a big deal. But like when you do need to work on a daytime plane, I just, I don't know. Blew my mind. So that was weird. And I hope that that does not stick around. One reason to not be a fan of those shades which other. 00:29:10:13 - 00:29:11:16 Chris Otherwise are really cool. 00:29:11:22 - 00:29:12:06 Katie Yeah. 00:29:12:07 - 00:29:18:15 Chris They're cool. Yeah, I think the technology is cool. But that's the thing. Like, you can't sometimes you can't even control your own window. 00:29:18:17 - 00:29:37:04 Katie And I just felt weird. So anyways, that was my that was my one big complaint. But otherwise, like American Airlines premium economy, even the old was really nice and I hope I have to check. I hope my flights this summer are on the newer plane just so I can, you know, experience it in a different row and see if the if the rest of it is as good as the bulkhead. 00:29:37:04 - 00:29:50:17 Katie But it's great for those flights that, you know, either you don't need to sleep, you know, that aren't too long, or if you need to buy more tickets, or if you can't afford business class, it is such an upgrade from economy. So yeah, that was my trip. It was great. Yeah, absolutely. 00:29:50:20 - 00:30:02:07 Chris Come back and yeah, that's that's great. And I think that'll ask a flight that looks really nice. Those lie flat and the doors and the soft product the food everything looks so good. 00:30:02:08 - 00:30:09:21 Katie Yeah. And it's going to be a great way for East coasters to, to get to Europe to get to, you know, Rome, London or Iceland at. 00:30:09:21 - 00:30:10:14 Chris This point. 00:30:10:16 - 00:30:27:21 Katie West coasters. Did I see East Coast or. Sorry West coasters. Yeah. Just it's great to have that direct service from Seattle. So, so yeah, that was awesome. I asked them if they would have any, if they have any plans to add a business class from anywhere on the East Coast. And they were kind of like, no, don't hold your. 00:30:27:21 - 00:30:29:11 Chris Breath, not from Columbus. No. 00:30:29:12 - 00:30:34:20 Katie There is not going to be in Alaska flight from Columbus to anywhere in Europe, anywhere. 00:30:34:21 - 00:30:35:12 Chris Anyway. 00:30:35:16 - 00:30:38:12 Katie We we do have a direct to Seattle. So. 00:30:38:15 - 00:30:39:02 Chris Okay. 00:30:39:03 - 00:30:43:17 Katie And I did fly that and actually I'm flying it next week too. Okay. There you go. 00:30:43:22 - 00:30:48:08 Chris Does it lie flat though? It is not yet. 00:30:48:09 - 00:31:10:08 Katie It is. I did so I, I I'm flying with my husband and my daughter were in economy. I originally put in my American Airlines number to get because I have high enough status where you can do the main cabin extra equivalent at booking, but with Alaska you can't do that with three people, whereas American you can't. Yeah, you can only do it with two people. 00:31:10:10 - 00:31:11:06 Chris Oh. 00:31:11:08 - 00:31:26:12 Katie So I split our reservations, upgrade my daughter and I, and then I used the airline incidental credit on the platinum card to upgrade my husband then. So we're all in in the extra leg room, but it's, you know. 00:31:26:13 - 00:31:28:04 Chris It's it's nice work around. 00:31:28:05 - 00:31:32:21 Katie Yeah. Yeah, I thought so. I, I mean, it's annoying that you can't do that with three people. 00:31:33:00 - 00:31:34:03 Chris Yeah. Well stuff. 00:31:34:04 - 00:31:41:09 Katie All good. Yeah. I mean, I wish I could upgrade the, the the cost to upgrade that flight to first was silly. 00:31:41:15 - 00:31:42:08 Chris Not worth it. 00:31:42:09 - 00:32:01:13 Katie Not worth it, not worth it. But. Okay, well, that was enough about my trip. It was really good. I'm glad to be back though, and let's move on. We actually have a question this week. And again, this is one that's been sitting in our inbox for a while. So this is from JP and this came into our email inbox. 00:32:01:13 - 00:32:21:16 Katie And JP says super big fan of the podcast. I've learned so much and look forward to new episodes. Here's my question for you too. I used my points to book my flight and hotels for a trip I'm taking this October for the taxes and fees for the flight and the hotel reservation. I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred. The annual fee for that card will be due at the end of June. 00:32:21:16 - 00:32:44:12 Katie If I product change my Sapphire Preferred to a no annual fee card in June. Will it impact my flight and hotels from my October trip? I'm worried about the airline and hotel asking for my credit card that I use to book, and I would only have the no annual fee product, the card that I product change to. So Chris, is JP going to have a problem when they show up without the card they booked with? 00:32:44:18 - 00:33:05:06 Chris No, he's going to be fine. I'm assuming that he's he booked through the Chase travel portal instead of transferring and then booking. But either way you're going to be fine. JP the reservations that when you check into the hotel, it's going to show as a prepaid reservation, just like you're coming from Expedia or whatever. So they're going to ask you for a card, but it's going to be for incidentals only. 00:33:05:06 - 00:33:23:16 Chris It's nothing to worry about. And plus it's super common for people to get new credit card numbers anyway. So you could still have your Chase Sapphire Preferred card and see you got some fraudulent charges, will send you a new card with a new number that wouldn't match up anyways. And so you're the worries you have. They? You don't have to worry about them. 00:33:23:16 - 00:33:25:16 Chris You're going to be fine. 00:33:25:18 - 00:33:48:05 Katie Yeah, yeah. And even even if you didn't prepay for your hotel reservation, I've done that multiple times where I, you know, hold the reservation with one card and show up with a different card. And I've even done that a few years ago with the American Express Platinum, where I booked with a fine Hotels and Resorts credit, and I ended up canceling that card, and I showed up with a different card and it was still fine. 00:33:48:07 - 00:33:51:00 Katie So yeah, it should not be a problem at all. 00:33:51:01 - 00:34:10:02 Chris I don't think I've ever been asked for a card. I think I've heard other people, but it was like a big random deal. Like, why would you ask that? A card, a card at check in. But that had to match. But the problem was with the agent, not with the actual the process. But I mean, yeah, I book with so many different cards sometimes, but and I don't carry them all with me. 00:34:10:02 - 00:34:12:08 Chris So if I ever had a problem. 00:34:12:10 - 00:34:31:15 Katie If anyone asks me to show them the card I booked with, I would be like, I need my spreadsheet because I have no idea what card I booked with. That happens when I like return something at a store. They're like, I need the card you use. And I look at them like, I don't know, like 40. Can you run through. 00:34:31:20 - 00:34:32:12 Chris My binder? 00:34:32:13 - 00:34:46:17 Katie Yeah, really. Thank you for the question, JP. We appreciate it. If you have questions you'd like to submit to us, you can always email us at podcast upgraded points. And I think that's going to do it for us this week. We will see you next week.