We Blew Up the Town (really: Our Livers)

  It's Hell getting old.

Last week Mrs. TPM and I celebrated 25 years of Marriage in Las Vegas. We hadn't been there since our October '22 trip.  We're going to be back in October '23.

We will NOT be imbibing in as much alcohol on this upcoming trip as we did the last.

My liver physically hurt. I swear.  When you hit 50 you cannot drink like you could in your 30s. The metabolism isn't the same. I also, for probably the first trip ever, got really tired of sitting at a bar and playing Video Poker. This despite the fact that we actually had a winning trip.

Oh sure, we did things. We walked over to Downtown Summerlin, we went to The Arsenal for VGK gear at City National Arena, we walked through the District by Green Valley Ranch. We ate good food, enjoyed the sunset package at Legacy Club in Circa, we stood out and listened to bands on Fremont Street. But, when in a casino we usually found a bar and a VP machine and just did.

So, I'm not going to do that anymore. Am I still going to play video poker? Yup. Because I'm halfway decent at it and have been known to make some money on the game. But it's not all going to be bartop, because there the drinks come too fast. We were actually in the room going to sleep before 10PM some evenings. That's unheard of us for Las Vegas.  As a matter of fact, we only stayed up "early" 3AM, once the entire trip.

We did win though. I hit a Royal Flush on our Anniversary and got 4 Aces times 10 on Super Times Pay another night. ($2000 at the quarter level). Throw in a bunch of 4OAKS (some with kickers) and 2 $500 Video Keno trips and you have a profit.

Other than that?  Some thoughts.

1. Regardless of your thoughts on Circa, I know some hate it and some love it (I'm in the latter group) their King beds are the best that I've slept on in Vegas. The A/C could be better (make sure to turn the fan up to high or the room gets stuffy) but it works. We slept great there no matter what.

2. GVR used to be my favorite off-Strip casino but it's fallen apart of late. The Service, and staff, are still good, but management is getting stingy with the offers. We had no welcome note from our host, and no acknowledgement of our 25th wedding anniversary,  At Circa we got a card and a coupon and a bottle of bubbly.

3. Best Meals of the Trip?  1. Botigglia 2. Borracho 3. Andiamos?  To be honest, after the first two the gap to #3 is pretty big. I was disappointed in Andiamos this time around. The service was good but the food was.....lacking.  A LOT of it came off as reheated, or par cooked and fired. While some things, like the Veal Osso Bucco were excellent, the meatball was just OK, and Mrs. TPM's veal chop was good, but I've had better. But the Tuscan wine by the glass was good, as was the complimentary Crème Brulee they provided us as an anniversary gift.

4. Status: I'm Platinum at Stations and Maverick at the Stephen's casinos. Not sure where I am at 4Queens but I played a TON there trying to knock over one of their very high Dollar progressives on the Suited Royal Jacks or Better games. (almost $12K for Clubs, hovering around $9K for Diamonds)

5. Mrs. TPM put $10 bucks on the Jaguars to win it all at +3100. No, I don't think they are going to win it either but I'm sure rooting for them now.

6. I updated fairly regularly on Twitter. (X, whatever), You can follow me there if you like. I'm @coryWcrow My account is private so you have to request to follow and I have to approve it. Don't worry, if you're not a bot I probably will approve.

7. I did not record one video.  I thought about it but I just did not want to pull that trigger.

8. After leaving Kaptyn limo service (formerly Presidential) we had good rides, clean cars and nice drivers with Bell Limousine. Might try them again in October.

9. United first class on the old 737s is more comfortable than United first on the 737/Max planes. The old seats are better.  The food was fair and the crew makes too many damn announcements.

10. Lastly. Thank you Mrs. TPM, for 25 years of putting up with my shit.  Love you.

So, good luck, good eats and good drinks.

Las Vegas March 2022: Falling Behind Early (and Staying there all Trip Long)

I last updated on February 1st that we had a couple of gambling trips lined out for later that month (Lake Charles, LA) and then in early March (Las Vegas).

Those two trips have come (and gone) and the gambling results were.......not good.

In short, I fell behind early, and stayed firmly behind on both excursions. VP life was a mixture of missed draws and bad results. Premium quads are a myth to me right now, and I've missed more dealt trips in a row than I can ever remember.  

Not to mention 4 to a Royal and not being able to draw flies.  Since my last October trip to Las Vegas, I have been cursed. It's to the point that we're considering a live chicken sacrifice to appease the gambling gods. (those bastards)

Not that I'm not getting quads, but they're the baby type. Forced to grind it out on Bonus poker I'm hitting 5s-Kings for 125 credits, which is enough to keep you playing, but not nearly enough to cut into a first night deficit, or to eek out even a tiny profit.  I've tried triple-play quarters, Dollar single play, desperation two-dollar single play and, yes, even quarter single-play as things get really dire.

My quad count in Lake Charles was 4. For the entire weekend. Over 6 days in Vegas I had 49 quads and 3 straight flushes, none of the royal variety.  As I said though most of those were the BP 125 variety, which just brought up a low $100 bullet to less than $100.  In other words, they were great for points and comps but awful for building my actual bank roll.  That's where I am in video poker right now. A ton of missed draws as the machines are doing a great job of giving me exactly the cards I don't need.

Trying to change it up to slots has been even worse. I haven't had a meaningful slot win since my BS $1206 "jackpot" at the Golden Gate in October.  In Lake Charles I did not have a bonus 'win' over $100 and in Vegas nothing over $50. 

In short: A slump.

Such things happen in gambling however and it's not something the various You Tube slot and Vlogger channels typically highlight. You Tube is a land of big wins, hand pays and big bonuses. The land of comped suites, even for those who don't gamble much, which misrepresents what Vegas has become for many.

To be fair: I get comped rooms, meals and (in some cases) suites because I do gamble, a lot. For example, I have hosts at the two casinos in which we stayed. Getting two nights comped at Circa, some free play and around $200 off my dinner at Barry's Prime.  At GVR I got a Jr. Suite with a balcony comped for 3 nights, some free play and a free meal at Bottiglia. Not too bad.

Despite the bad run of gambling we had a LOT of fun on this trip. Circa is a GREAT resort in which to stay, especially if you don't have children, the service there is very good, the staff very friendly and the drink service that I experienced was top notch.  Fremont Street remains one of my favorite places to stay and play.

Green Valley Ranch is still my home away from home. I love that casino, the District adjacent to it, and everything in the area. The comps there are fair and, during the weekend, running away from the madness of the Strip and Downtown is something so much fun that it's hard to say no to. The dining there is varied and relatively cheap and they have one of my favorite pools in Las Vegas.

From that perspective: I still love Las Vegas. I just wish that I could find a way to break this slump I'm in playing VP.

Our next trip is Tulsa, in May.  Maybe some Tribal casino gaming will break this slump?

Well, we survived Las Vegas

 Anniversary trip.....done.

And a profitable trip as well, thanks largely to a $1 progressive Royal at 4Queens. Always nice to hit those.

The rest of the trip was good, we had good fun downtown, good fun at Green Valley Ranch, and just a general good time all around.  As you saw in my prior post you can follow my antics in Las Vegas on my Twitter account. @CoryWCrow If you're reading this blog and enjoying it a follow would be much appreciated.

Twitter is where you will find most of my activity now. But, you're gong to be seeing something different because, after the last Las Vegas trip, I've decided to drastically curtail the amount of alcohol that I consume.

I'm not giving up alcohol totally, I'll still have the occasional beer whilst grilling and some wine with dinner, but I'm 100% giving up hard liquor, and generally giving up drinking and gambling as well. I'm doing this more for health reasons than because I'm an alcoholic or anything like that. To be perfectly honest, I've just gotten tired of hangovers as I get older.

I also did a count of the calories I've been drinking and no wonder I'm not losing any weight.  So whiskey is out, and vodka, and gin.  Even beer and wine is going to be less rather than more.

In short, I'm not getting any younger, and I cannot rebound from a hard night of Las Vegas drinking like I used to. In fact, my plan is to make my birthday trip in October a totally sober one. Sober gambling, hmmmm.....

On other notes, College football is kicking into high gear. Saturday was my typical week zero result (0-2) but they were min bets so I'm not too worried about it. Might need to adjust some numbers though, especially on Nebraska, UCLA and Hawai'i.

Outside of that, prayers to Louisiana, I'm about done with the Paul brothers and everyone rest up, because the weekends are about to get REALLY busy.

Buckle up as this blog is about to get sports betting heavy.

A Las Vegas Blog, A Las Vegas Break.

Will be a little silent here on the blog for a little bit.

Taking a Las Vegas break.

You can follow my exploits on my Twitter feed or you can see my live (ish) trip report on Vegas Fanatics

Now, let's go win some jackpots.

Travel Frustrations: How Airports Work

Let's be honest with one another. There's no other way to be.

A big part of the reason a lot of people hate airports is because they are either too dim, or too selfish, to understand how airports work. From carry-on luggage the size of small aircraft carriers to waiting until the last possible minute in the security line to remove the contents of a fair-sized 7-11 from your pockets to generally just not working and playing well with others, the dreaded THOSE people have devolved air-travel into one of the least enjoyable means to get from Point A to (after a stop at Point B and Possibly Point C) Point D.

Of course, it doesn't have to be this way, just as driving in Houston Texas doesn't have to be an exercise in shit-showery. Airports, like roadways, operate with a beat that's pretty easy to follow if you just pay attention.

It all starts upon arrival. Give yourself plenty of time. The TSA says 2 hours but the truth is, if you're in a smaller airport, that's probably a little excessive.  When I fly out of IAH or HOU in Houston? Yup, I'm there two hours early. Of course, I'm also factoring in a short meal and a cocktail. If I fly out of say, TUL? Two hours is way too long. I'm typically there around an hour before my flight and I always make it with time to spare. But read the room, if it's a Holiday weekend it might take longer, on a Wednesday in February shorter.

Second, If you're driving a car and dropping off a passenger please drop them off and clear the unloading lane. I realize you have to say goodbye, and that this is the love of your life leaving and you need to be with them for five precious minutes longer. But, you don't. You should have had sex/a last meal/last moments together the night before your flight. The airport departures lane is not the place for this to happen.

Now lets go to the check-in process.

This might seem a novel idea but once we hop out of the parking shuttle, before we go inside, Mrs. TPM and I remove all metal objects from our pockets and person and place them in our carry-on bags in easy reach.  Typically I go to the outside wall, put my checked bag (or roller-board) on the ground against it, stack my "personal item" (i.e. backpack or duffel) on top and put my wallet, car keys, watch, rings, FitBit, vapes, and anything else in my pocket in my carry-on. When I go up to check in the only two things I have still on my person, and not in my bag, is my phone and ID. I need my ID to check my bags and my phone to pull the reservation number from to start the check in process at the Kiosk.

In all the bag check process for us takes all of 10 minutes, and that's if there's a line and a crowd.

Security.

I've already put everything away so now I stow my cell phone in either the side pouch of my duffel or in the side netting of my backpack. The only thing that I have out is my ID and boarding pass. That's all I need.  We both have TSA pre-check (the best money you'll spend travelling, so I don't have to take off my shoes, belt (although I sometimes do because the buckle can set off the metal detector) or remove my computer items from my bag. I'm through security in less than a minute (again, longer if there's a line) and on to the conveyor belt.

When we hit the belt to have our bags scanned the process is simple, into a pouch goes our ID and boarding pass (you won't need the latter until you board the plane) we push our luggage onto the belt and walk, metal free, through the detector.  Yes, it's a bummer when you get selected for additional screening but them's the breaks. After screening we find an empty bench and start the process of pulling out our rings, phones, belts, watches, wallets, Fit Bits, etc. and getting them placed back where they belong.

Once we're put back together, we each head to the restroom, one watching the bags while the other is inside. After that, we usually head to some place for a bite and a cocktail.

Important note in these airport restaurants, when seated at a table, please place your bags either under your table or on the ground in front of your chair. Not on the table next to you, not in a walk way where everyone is going to trip over them, and not on a chair at the table next to you. This is just simple courtesy but it's not widely practiced.

On a normal trip we have arrived at the airport, checked our bags, gone through security and had a quick bite to eat and a cocktail (or three) at a restaurant, and typically it's still around 30-45 min until our flight. At this point we'll amble over to the gate, each of us will take turns making one final restroom trip, Mrs. TPM will run into a store and grab water and soft drinks for us, and then we put all of our bags on an end chair and stand up until the flight boards. I don't get sitting in the lobby especially when you're about to be seated inside a pressurized metal tube for several hours. Stand up, stretch your legs. Trust me, you'll feel better on the flight.

In my just completed mini-series regarding preparing for a casino trip I mentioned the importance of just having even the most basic of plans when traveling. This is a far more specific example but it provides you with some details about how we get through airports quickly and efficiently.

I'm a firm believer if most people would do this we would live in a better, and saner, travel world.

Give it a try next time you fly. Or, just make it work for you.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Five: Re-Confirm your Reservations

 I'm going to start this last one off with a story that has two benefits. It happened to me so I have first-hand knowledge of it and it also happens to be true.

A few years back, right after the opening of Golden Nugget Lake Charles, I received an e-mail offer that seemed too good to be true.  I got with a friend and we agreed that visiting this place would be a fine time so I booked two rooms, by calling a number, for a night and we were ready to roll.

Fast forward to us arriving.  The deal WAS too good to be true. It was a "space available" offer handled by a 3rd party and there was no space available.  So, there we were, facing our friends having to admit that we screwed the pooch, and without rooms for the night.

Fortunately I had status at the hotel next door and we were able to score a couple of rooms at a very reduced rate for the weekend.  But lesson learned, since that time I always call and confirm my reservations with the front desk, restaurant, my host, etc. prior to leaving on any trip.

The company that I booked with is no longer in business and, as I understand it, deals like that these days are few and far between because of the fact that people got tired of showing up and finding no space was available and they had no rooms. In short, it was a bad idea that died a quick business death.

With modern reservation systems and most (not all but most) restaurants using either Open Table or Seven Rooms or some other 3rd party app for their reservations systems it's highly unlikely that your reservation will not be cancelled without notice.

In fact, it's most likely that you'll get an e-mail or Text asking you to confirm.  

In either case, I urge you to answer these e-mails and texts and get confirmation from them (and save it) that your reservation is valid. I did have one time where I did this, and the establishments computers went bonkers, but my reservation was honored because I produced the confirmation text.

If you call in and speak with a person and get a reservation be sure to call in and confirm a couple of days before your trip. This is best for spa appointments, pool cabanas, day-beds etc. Believe me, there's nothing worse than having something like this planned and showing up and they have you no where in the system and everything is booked up.

The above goes double for restaurants and bars (if said bar requires a reservation).

The thing about casino trips is that they can be a good time and they offer many experiences under the same roof. Nicer casino resorts offer gambling, pools, spas, fine dining and a host of other entertainment options. While customer service and a well ran property can help you alleviate many headaches, a little prior-planning and preparation can elevate your travel experience from just OK, to outstanding.

Ultimately, having a good trip is up to you. Yes, their are things out of your control which can be frustrating, but many of the things that go wrong are firmly in your wheelhouse of control. Just as you can have a better flight experience by understanding and knowing how airports and airlines work, you can really enhance your casino experience by understanding how they work.

Happy travelling, I hope you enjoyed this short series and at least took something away that either reminded you of something you knew and might have overlooked, or provided you with some new travel insight.

Good luck.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Four: Make Sure your Transportation is Covered/Planned to all Destinations

During the early part of 2021 getting around Las Vegas was, to be blunt, a huge, stinking mess. Uber/Lyft were still not allowed to surge price, the State was still offering the Federal boost to unemployment and many workers, understandably worried about contracting COVID-19 due to the absence of a vaccine, decided that the better decision for them, and their families, was to stay home.

To be honest I did not blame them.

Today things are opening up a little but staffing shortages still mean that taxis, ride share, and even Limousines, are in shorter supply. (Word on the Street [OK, Twitter] is that the Cosmopolitan is out-sourcing their Limo service to Presidential for high-rollers these days)

While Las Vegas is, and can be, a fun place, it's certainly no fun if you're stuck somewhere on the other side of the Strip, 40 minutes prior to the start of your show and there's nary a taxi or ride share to be found.

Want to really find yourself frustrated? Try hopping off of the plane and seeing the Taxi and Ride Share lines longer than lines for bachelors lined up to get a chance to kiss Miley Cyrus.  Believe me, despite my lack of interest in Ms. Miley, that's pretty long.

I recommend looking online and purchasing a round-trip Limo package to/from the airport to your hotel in Vegas. For one, you skip the line, the driver will usually meet you with your name in an iPad in Baggage Claim and you can have all of the taxi and ride share folks wondering if you're a high roller, they will carry your luggage, sometimes you can make a stop at a liquor store and stock up on beer, liquor, water, energy drinks etc. for your room, and oft-times these packages come with a bottle of Sparkling Wine. (They will say Champagne, but they use that term loosely at times.) 

Most importantly, when you're ready to head to the airport, when everyone else is in the Taxi line fervently checking their watches and hoping they don't get long-hauled on the way back and actually make their flights (oh yeah, one more plus, you don't have to worry about long-hauling because you pay a flat rate) you're out there over by the valet casually waiting for your car to show up, that no one else is going to fight you for, who will get you to the airport as leisurely (or as quickly) as you like.

The best part?  The round-trip rate is only slightly more expensive than a cab would be.

I also choose a limousine service if I'm transferring from one resort to another in the middle of my stay. No Champagne usually, but far less hassle as well.

Now, what I said above was for getting to your hotel, in Vegas, the issue of getting around town from resort to resort is a personal one, and in most cities (including Vegas) you're going to be limited to four options.

1. Taxi Service Different cities have different qualities of Taxi service. In some cities, such as Vegas, the service is quite robust. On others, such as Lake Charles, it's very spotty. The problem with all is the age-old issue of long-hauling. Some cities/companies have attempted to get around this with flat-rate rides, which charges a rate based on where you are going from and to. This is in an attempt to combat the ride-share companies of course, it makes long-hauling not a concern, and it's a certain step in the right direction.

2. Ride Share Despite their detractors (and their are many) Uber/Lyft and the other ride share companies have a lot of proponents and offer real flexibility getting around (most) towns of any real size. Yes, surge pricing is a problem to those lacking a general understanding of the law of supply and demand, and many drivers are leery of returning to work because riders are becoming increasingly anti-social, but overall we've found it to be a great way to interact with the locals and learn a lot about the cities that we've visited.

3. Public Transportation Again, the quality and robustness of this option will vary widely depending on where you are. In some places, public transportation is actually a very good way to get around town, in some, it's non-existent. Another variable in this is how comfortable you are riding in a bus, or train, full of total strangers. If that kind of things is outside of your comfort zone, this might not be a viable option.

4. Rent your own car I know a lot of people that do this in Las Vegas, and this is my go-to option in other casino cities in which I have to fly to. In most non-Vegas casino cities the casino you are in is the only thing remotely close, with almost nothing in walking distance. In order to explore the city, or go eat at a restaurant somewhere else, having a rental car might be your only viable way to get around.

If you're driving to your local, of course, you will have your own car and none of these should be a concern.

Unless you've been drinking.  And please don't drive under the influence.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Three: Check the Weather and Pack Accordingly

I know, I know, this one seems easy.

"Well, of course I packed for the weather you dummy, do you think I'm dense?"

No, I don't. As a matter of fact because you're reading this blog, and because you follow me on Twitter and YouTube I know that you are an incredibly intelligent person. You are admired by all around you and they stand in awe of your oratory skills and incomparable decision making.

But again, this post is not directed toward the veteran casino patron, it's directed for those of you who stumble on to this blog and might be planning your first casino trip but are a little bit in the dark about what to expect.

And it's OK to be ignorant of those things. Ignorance just means that you have not been exposed to something yet. Ignorant is not a bad thing, it's just a thing.  We are all born ignorant, we have to acquire stupidity.

Good news, in the United States of America, almost all casinos operate under a casual dress code. You need to be wearing clothes (shirts, shorts, shoes/sandals etc.) but outside of that there is really not much else. Heck, I've seen people in the Aria playing slots in their swimsuit with a bathrobe and slippers (provided by the casino of course) and that' about it.

So, in the Summer, pack shorts and t-shirts, (even sleeveless is OK) wear flip-flops, it's really no big deal. If you're going to a casino in Europe a friendly reminder here is that they all do have more stringent dress codes so do your research before travelling abroad (when we're allowed to do that again obviously).

But also remember this: They keep it COLD in casinos. And they do this for a reason. A cold gambler is an AWAKE gambler, and an AWAKE gambler is more likely to keep playing longer. So, if you're cold natured, bring a hoodie or a light jacket, even in the Summer (Mrs. TPM does). In the Winter your best bet is to layer, and wear outer layers that are easily stored (wrapped around the shoulders, waist etc.) This is especially true in Vegas during Winter/Spring/Late Fall where it can be downright cold in the mornings and evenings and rather warm during the heat of the day. Just because the weather outside is bake cookies on the car dashboard hot, does not mean that the casino is going to be the same way. In short, be prepared.

Swimsuits are great on pool days, but don't forget a cover-up for walking back to your room (you're not allowed to bring the towels out of the pool area) and you're probably not going to be allowed to walk through the casino shirtless (men) or in a bikini (ladies) to get back to your room.

If you're going to eat at a nicer restaurant they are probably going to require shirts with sleeves. Some will be business casual and your shorts will be right out. Some shows are like this as well. Typically I bring two nicer outfits for fancier places and that's about all I need.  Of course, I normally wear collared, button front, short-sleeved shirts so really all I need are a nice pair of shoes and khakis, your mileage may vary.

Don't forget your toiletries, sun-screen, and two extra pairs of clothes. One for walking around town in case an accident happens (spills, on the casino floor, can and do happen) and one comfortable option in case you spend time in your room (gym shorts, t-shirt etc.) You'll find this very important if your room has a balcony.

Remember to bring power cords, because nothing sucks worse than having your phone, iPad, etc. run out of power, and organize and secure any medicines, supplements, etc. that you need. 

I save space by flying to my destination in the same clothes that I wear when I fly back home. After I get to my room I change into my clothes for the rest of the day, hang my travel clothes on hangers an hit them with Febreeze.

The point of all this is to remind you to put some thought into your packing and try to avoid having your (lack of) proper packing limit what you can do on your entertainment vacation once you arrive. Flexibility and planning are the key.

Also, comfortable shoes. That cannot be stressed enough.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Two: Determine your Bank-roll and Try to make a daily budget.

If, like me, you are a casino (and gambling) veteran there is probably not gong to be much in this post for you. As a matter of fact, there might not be much in this entire series for you. But, my hope is that through this entire series every reader at least finds something they find interesting and useful.

If not?  Well, you get what you pay for.

Budgets. No gambler thinks that they are going to need a budget. They believe that this trip will be the one where they win early and often, where they hit so big on the first day that they'll pocket a fortune and be able to play off of a fraction of their winnings for the remainder of the trip.

That is the fantasy. That it's the one fantasy depicted on TV, movies and Vegas commercials goes without saying.  As an aside, you'll rarely see people in a casino as happy, joyful and (to be frank) as young and pretty as you see on casino adverts, especially sitting at slots on what is an obvious losing pull.

Reality is somewhat different. The hard reality is that every game in a casino is a negative expectation game. What that means is that, when you sit down, the odds on the game favor (sometimes overwhelming and sometimes slightly) the casino taking more of your money than you take from them. This is not done by cheating (casinos don't need to cheat) in regulated jurisdictions it's done by maths.

One of my favorite sayings in all of gambling is from the book:  1000 Best Casino Tips and Tricks by Bill Burton.

"Casinos believe in math, gambler's believe in luck. Guess which ones are most successful?"

Because all gambling is an exercise in Math you really need to plan ahead to determine the following prior to any casino trip:

1. "How much can I afford to lose?" When you make your casino budget you should really understand this concept. When you go to a theater to watch a movie, it's pretty easy to determine the amount of money you're going to spend. The prices are on the menu, and once you pay that money is gone in exchange for whatever you purchased. In gambling, it's different. Yes, you know the price per spin but you don't know HOW MANY spins (or hands, or rolls etc.) that you're going to be making. At a movie, the price of one ticket is a known factor, and you're going to get to watch one movie and then that's it. (excepting double headers obviously, but the logic still stands) In gambling, you know the amount of the wager (ticket) but you do not know before hand what the result of that wager will be. You might win, lose it all, lose some of it, push etc. You might get a bonus and "free" spins. The fact is you don't know. The only way to know how much you're going to lose is to set a budget up front, and then stick to it. The risk of not doing this is getting caught up in the heat of the game and spending money that you need for rent, food, mortgage, your kids schools. Believe me it happens. (Not to me personally, but I've seen it happen to some that I know)

2. "OK, I'll (most) probably lose, but how to I make my money LAST?" This is where creating a daily budget comes in, and it's the gambling concept that takes the most discipline among all of the one's I'm discussing today. There are many ways to do this, bring cash and leave your ATM card behind, use the envelope method, If you have a bank nearby you can go by the ATM at the branch each morning etc. There's also casino credit and taking out a marker. The point is that all of these take discipline. Especially if you have a terrible day and the bankroll is gone by 6PM it could be hard to not hit up the ATM, go to your room and open up the next day's envelope, get an additional marker, take a cash advance etc. Of all these methods taking a cash advance is by far the worst. Your credit card company will charge you very high interest rates on this which you will have to overcome in addition to the house edge. 2nd is the ATM in the casino option, where fees can run as high as $9.99 on withdrawals (that I've heard about, I've personally seen them as high as $7.99). Getting an additional marker off of your line of credit is OK but, remember this: All markers are considered a legal debt and must be paid back (settled) either upon check out (especially if you've had a winning trip) or within a specified amount of time following your trip. Failure to repay these can result in serious consequences. Grabbing more money out of the room is your least-worst option but it still reduces your gambling budget for the following days which makes the worse options even more likely if you find yourself chasing losses.

3. "But the odds are I have to get it back some time right?" Wrong. Again, the odds are ALWAYS with the house. Always*. Chasing losses is one of the worst things you can do in a casino, and one of the hardest things to avoid doing. The reason for this is simple: Gambling is fun. The thrill of a win activates Dopamine in the body which gives you a rush. If you become addicted to this rush you can develop problem gambling and that, without question, is a bad thing. While many blame the casinos and put the onus on them for stopping problem gambling the fact of the matter is the only one who truly understands your current life situation and what you can really afford to lose is you, your loved ones and your friends. Certainly the casinos share some onus to keep more problem gamblers from playing, but saying that a casino is liable because you messed up and lost your mortgage for the month and are getting evicted (while saying nothing about this in the casino and generally having a grand time [until the point you lose that is]) is not going to help you get your money back. Shortened: If you lose your daily bankroll, stop.  Better yet put a stop-loss on yourself so that you have some money left at the end of the day.

4. "Why can't I just gamble my winnings? After all it's the casino's money!" This is one of the biggest fallacies that problem gamblers tell themselves after a win. Right along with "I'm going to turn this big win into a bigger one!" Once you hit a winning pull, hand, deal, etc. and get paid out your winnings that money no longer belongs to the casino, it belongs solely to you. The casino has no claim on it to the extent that you refuse to give it back to them. Again, there are many ways to ensure you keep your winnings. I use the envelope method and split my budget into daily "allowances". If I hit a jackpot it goes into the 'take home' envelope never to be played this trip again. If I hit a big slot or VP win it's separated from my daily gambling budget and does not get churned (replayed). By doing this it's a very rare day that I end up with absolutely nothing at the end of the day.

Bonus tip: Budget a little bit more than you otherwise would for your "fist day/night". This is especially true if you really enjoy gambling but haven't been in a casino for a while. Your adrenaline is going to be pumping full chat and you are going to play more than you intended.  Mrs. TPM and I call this "CASINO!!!!!!!!!" and it gets us every time. After that first night however the thrill is less and we settle firmly into our budgeted ways.

Remember: Just like food, drinks, shows, pools, spas and souvenirs, gambling is a part of your entertainment budget. You would not eat at a restaurant, buy several rounds of drinks, go to a show, rent a cabana or get a massage without knowing the price, why should your gambling be any different?

Or why, is it any less important? 

*The obvious exceptions to this are card counting in blackjack (likely to get you backed off of the game and eighty-sixed from the casino), some full-pay pay tables in Video Poker or a VP progressive that swings the expected return to over 100% (almost impossible to find in the wild) or, to be blunt, cheating (illegal and will most likely get you arrested, banned for life from gambling and placed in prison)

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step One: Create your Rough-Draft Plan

If you enjoy such things, heading to a casino for your first time, or after some time away, can be an exciting thing. And, believe it or not, planning said trip doesn't mean micro-managing every single thing you're going to do every single second of the day.

For one, time in casinos moves at a weird pace. What seems like an hour can only be 15 minutes if you're getting your running cold on the gamble, or 3 hours if you're on a winning streak. Because of this my plans are more guidelines than actual rules. Kind of like the Pirate's Code if you will.

But, when planning, I do want to have a basic idea of where I want to go and what I want to see. Importantly, I want to have a fairly firm idea of where I want to eat. Current COVID era this is primarily important because many restaurants (especially in Las Vegas) are very difficult to get into even WITH reservations.  So plan early, reserve early, and remember that, should your plans change, you can always cancel or re-schedule if needed. Don't get caught out having to stop by the casino gift-shop for a bag of chips and a bottle of soda for dinner when there are usually several options available to you.

Aside from dining, activities, shows, it's a good idea to plan out any additional things you want to get accomplished on your trip. A pool day, for example, during peak times, usually requires reservations of one sort or the other. Even if you don't require a reservation it's probably a good idea to plan your pool day any way because it's going to have an effect on your dinner plans, gaming plans, etc.

This concept might seem a little odd, but I also sketch out on my trips roughly when, where, and how long, my gambling sessions are going to be. This is, as you might imagine, an inexact science because they will fluctuate greatly in duration based on the status of my bank roll.  But, since a not-insignificant part of playing is the generation of comps, I always want to ensure that I have budgeted enough soak-time on the video poker machines to drive my theoretical to a level that will keep the casino and (where applicable) my host happy.

Some tips for scheduling.

1. Always assume that things will take a little longer than you think they will. Especially in Vegas this is going to happen. Partially due to long wait times but also, hey, you're on vacation. If you're eating in a nice restaurant don't rush that meal. We always plan to have pre-dinner cocktails, appetizers, a salad course, the mains, and then possibly and espresso and Limoncello at nice dinners. This process can take two hours (longer if we get a bottle of wine) and that's OK. The good news is that almost all casino floors are open 24 hours.

2. Don't overschedule, keep some flexibility. You never know what is going to happen on a casino trip so don't tie yourself down. If you have planned to gamble in the morning and then go to the pool, don't be afraid to hit the pool early (if it's open) if the gambling session is bad. Don't plan dinner at 7:00 and a show at 8:00. Give yourself time.

3. Don't beat yourself up if you don't do everything you had planned to do. Maybe you find something different that you did not know about? Possibly the gambling went well and took longer than you wanted.  I cannot tell you how many times we have had the High Roller on our list and just did not make it because of one thing or another. That's OK, one time we'll get there.  And if we don't?  The world will not end.

Trust me when I tell you that it's in your best interest to have a rough idea of what you're going to do in a casino.  The ONE exception to this is if you're a degenerate gambler who knows that they're going to be spending the bulk of their time playing the game of their choice and grabbing food on the fly.

If you're that person?  You do you.  And good luck.

Preparations for a Casino Trip: Do's, Don'ts and things to possibly consider.

 As I type this, I'm just about one week from hopping onto a plane and flying to a city in State that allows resort casinos.  Whether I'm going to Las Vegas, Lake Charles Louisiana (which would be a drive, not a flight), Bossier City Louisiana, Southern Oklahoma, Mississippi or Tulsa Oklahoma my pre-trip preparations are the same. I'm going to attempt a series of posts here going over what I do to get ready in the hope that, within all of this, you'll find some things you might not have thought of that will help you in your future trips.

Let's get straight to the list shall we?

1. Create a rough-draft plan of what you expect to do and see while there.

2. Determine your bank-roll and try to make a daily gaming budget.

3. Check the weather and pack accordingly.

4. Make sure your transportation is covered/planned to all destinations.

5. Re-confirm all reservations.

While all of this seems fairly straight-forward on the surface I'm going to focus on each over the next few days in further detail, so you can see where the pratfalls lie.

I'll start publishing these tomorrow, and will try and provide links to each of the posts at the bottom of the latest post for easy reference.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go create my rough-draft plan.

Gambling Options for Houstonians: The Impact of the MGM Profit Growth Plan

Judging from the scuttlebutt around various Las Vegas Message board the recently announced MGM Profit Growth Plan is starting to cut into gambling compensation in a big way.  Anecdotal evidence, again from the chatter boards, reveals that the cuts are starting hot and heavy.

1. Reduced comp percentages:  This is the option that really seems to be getting everyone's goat, because theoretical-based compensations somewhere around 40% of expected loss has been the law in Las Vegas for a while now. Like free-parking, which we'll get to in a minute, 40-45% is almost viewed as a constitutional right by the seasoned high-roller. It's hard to tell just how far the exact rate has fallen but there are reports that it could be by as much as 10%.

2. Death by 1,000 cuts. - A poster on the VegasBoards forum noted that MGM has cancelled the Sirius XM radio service in their luxury fleet of courtesy cars, have cut the schedules of experienced dealers, as well as implemented a series of other cuts that can only be viewed as gambler unfriendly.

3. Raising comp prices.  Call it the third prong in the gambler-pitchfork that is the PGP, by raising comp prices,  (there is a good discussion on this here) In effect, MGM has decided to reward the players less, reduce how much they can get, and charge them more for getting it.


The effect of this is driving more players to less networked casinos like The Cosmopolitan or Wynn/Encore who, while still making cuts, are not doing so with the speed of MGM.Left out of consideration, for the most part, is Caesar's who really doesn't have anything in it's profile that can really cater to the modern high-end player.

MGM does have hotels that can compete however, in the form of Bellagio and Aria but the company seems content to abandon the deep-pockets gambler in return for courting the younger, clubbing crowd that both don't get, and usually don't ask for, compensation.

There are also rumors that the casinos are altering the calculations on their theoretical loss calculations downward. It's going to be difficult to determine whether or not this is actually taking place because they are treated as trade secrets and not readily available. According to one recent report, they are also loss-amount restricting the loss payback to $100K, which is awful.

In the short-run there's no reason to think that this is going to get better before it gets worse. The more casinos clamp down on the players the less revenue comes from the gaming floor. This is acceptable to the casinos because 1. They're currently making up for the lost revenue in retail (both club and store-front sales) 2. Room renovations mean that they can charge higher rates to millennials, who don't gamble as much, don't ask for free stuff, and just come to Las Vegas to party.

It's not that the millennials aren't gambling, it's that they don't do it very often, seriously.  The typical millennial gambler in Las Vegas is stopping off at a black jack table, craps, roulette or even slots for fun. They're typically with a group of friends and are willing to blow $200-$300 on a lark. The ones with a bigger bank-roll aren't any more serious, but they might think they are, and can waste thousands per night making hunch plays.  For this they typically do not get either rated, or comped for an entire weekends play. Or, if they do get compensation they're using it at the buffet, which is very low cost to the casino due to economies of scale.

In fact, despite putting on a show, most properties either at MGM Inc. or Caesar's aren't doing much at catering to larger gamblers at all. By lager, I'm referring to the gambler who's putting at risk approximately $15K - $50K per day.  For the truly large players, what are referred to as 'whales' in the common vernacular, I'm sure they are still receiving comps and perks.  The truth is though, there are only around 20-30 true 'whales' in the world and the competition for them is very, very intense.

Think of the gambling economy like you would the real economy.  How the casinos react to each strata is starting to look like how politicians react to different economic classes in real life:

1. The poor: These are gamblers who are rated at < $3K per day. These are guppies to the casinos and have little value, other than that they usually have to pay for stuff.  They're the type of people for which $5 Free play and 2 for 1 buffet comps were invented.  These are your penny and quarter slot players, or guys you find betting the minimum constantly at the $5/hand table games with little variance.  The casino wants them there for buzz, but isn't really spending a lot of money marketing to them.

2. Lower-middle class: These are gamblers rated at $3K to $14K per day. They're play is just high enough that they are maybe getting free week-day economy rooms, slightly better free play offers and actual free meals at lower-tier restaurants.  Again, it's not costing the casino much to market to these people, and they do gamble enough to create some buzz in the casino. They also create possible revenue streams from rooms that would otherwise be empty. The biggest loss, for them, is a reduction in availability and compensation in the form of weekend rooms.  Now that the new reality is setting in suites are rarely, if ever, attained, especially without resort fees.

3. Middle-Class: These gamblers are rated at $15K to $50K as is the case in politics they are eating a LOT of the restrictions that casinos are placing on gamblers.  The comp rates for rooms effects them greatly, as does the reduction in theoretical rating, causing many at the lower end to drip down. The drastic reduction in comps is jarring to them, much like when airlines switched from mileage rewards to dollar-based systems. For the first time in a while many of them are hearing from their hosts that they might have to pay resort fees.

4. Upper-Middle-Class: These gamblers rate somewhere between $50K to $100K. They have traditionally been used to having suites comped, as well as other perks considered "high-end" for their levels of play.  They are getting decimated due to the theoretical loss calculation being reduced as well as the reduced percentage and the price hikes.  Some are even losing high-end perks altogether, and their free play offers are being slashed drastically.

5. Upper Class: Players rated $100K to approximately $1MM. While they are getting hit, it's not near as bad as the reduction for the upper-middle and middle class gamblers. They still run through enough play that their comps are readily available, but they don't go near as far.

6. The Super Rich: As I stated before, there are really only around 20-30 of these in the entire world, and the competition for them is extremely stiff. They are not suffering at all, because the casinos want them in the VIP rooms spending large months of money.

Now, here's the rub.  Most of the gamblers that casinos see are found in strata 2-4. And these are the people being hit the hardest with the comp reduction. What this is doing is creating a world where the haves REALLY have, and the pool of have-nots is getting larger.  This is why many people are transferring their business to Cosmo, Wynn etc.  Not that the calculations are any more in the player's favor, but the service and quality of product that they receive is much, much better than what they are getting from MGM and especially Caesar's.

It also doesn't help that gambling on the Strip is getting worse and worse. Most, if not all, of the casinos are cutting blackjack payouts to 6/5 (from 3/2) only keeping them intact on tables with minimums at $100 and up.  Video poker odds are being reduced, and there are persistent rumors that MGM especially has tightened their slots dramatically.

In a world of competition, this would provide an edge to the casinos located off-strip, either downtown or elsewhere, but few of those have the facilities needed to cater to the serious gambler, although their odds are decisively better.

In a future post we'll talk more about my last trip to Vegas, and how I'm seeing the reduction in theoretical and comps sting me, even as a player in tier #1. Because of this, my next stay will be off-strip, where I'm going to try some tricks that I'm going to share to try and raise my theoretical average.

Either way, Las Vegas is changing, and not necessarily for the better for the serious gambler, unless they're located in tiers 5 & 6, which few of us are.

The State of Poker: Thoughts fresh from a recent trip to Las Vagas.

I have been a poker player, in one game or another, since around age 16.  I started playing 7-Stud for pennies, moved on to Texas Hold-em out of necessity after the Moneymaker boom, and have recently been more interested in different variations of Omaha, Razz and other games, preferring to play in mixed-game tournaments more recently since I find the action to be more interesting.

All of that said, my days playing poker in casino poker rooms likely came to an end last week while I was in Las Vegas.

The short reason is that I just don't find the current environment of poker to be all that attractive.

The longer reason is a little bit more nuanced.

Let me first say this. If you're a level 2 or above card-sharp there is now more money to be made in poker rooms across the country than ever before. The preponderance of level 1 players, calling stations, and TV wannabes can make sitting down to a poker game very lucrative if you have the time, patience and ability to make the right reads and plays. I'm not walking away from the game because I'm losing money at it. I'm walking away because it's just not fun.

There was a time you had a better than average chance of having to play real hard at a 1/2 NL game. Not any more. The modern poker room has become a mish-mash of either grumpy old men (possibly myself recently if I'm honest) and young players with little regard for poker etiquette or an understanding of what costs them money.  Over the last week I saw the following:

 - Players at 4/8 L or 1/2 NL games wearing sweaters and sunglasses.
 - A guy who would holler "BOOM!!!" every time he did as little as sweep the blinds in a 1/2 NL game.
 - A lady get called a "donkey" who checked her blind (no raise in front of her) flopped a set of 4's and beat a guy with KK despite having only a 4-2 in her hole cards.
 - Got verbally thrashed by "BOOM!!!" guy when he went all-in with 8-4, I called with AA, and he caught an 882 on the flop.
 - A gentlemen took 5 minutes to call into a $10 bet, all the time acting as if it was a cool $Million on the line.
 - More rules calls and arguments than I've seen in 25 years playing the game.

Poker now is being ruled by two groups.

 1. The rules Nazi's.
 2. The wanna-be poker brats.

Neither of these two groups is all that much fun to sit down and play with.  As I said earlier, there is money to be made in poker rooms these days, but I'm not a professional poker player and (to be honest) I'm not going to make a living playing poker for the small amount of time that I play it.

At the end of the day, for me, poker is about having fun. 

I used to enjoy sitting down at a table, swapping stories with different people, talking about sports and other things. Playing poker was a release. When you got beat you said "good hand" or "nice river" and play went on.

These day's almost every hand is viewed as a referendum on one's ability to play. Small wins are greeted with histrionics, small disagreements over rules turn into repeated verbal squabbles and bad beats either turn into personal insults or worse. Poker has been taken over by a young-ish group of punks and, as a means of entertainment, it's fairly dead right now.You're more likely to be entertained at blackjack or even penny slots than you are the poker room. That might come off as a little "get off my lawn" but it's true. Bad beats I can handle. Bad sportsmanship on top of a bad beat?  Life is just too short.

Because of that, and because gambling for me is pure entertainment, I'm walking away from the casino game for good.  Sure, you'll still probably find me at a home game swapping cigars, beers and stories but when it comes to spending my casino dollars wisely?

I'll see you at the blackjack tables.

You'll want to use those United Premier Miles before your status expires....

...or you're going to pay a lot more should something go wrong.

United increases award change fees for non-Premier members effective immediately. Scottrick, Hack My Trip

Talk about a day of United devaluations! It’s still June 18th on the west coast, but I noticed that United has changed its award fees for non-Premier members on tickets issued on or after June 19, 2013.Details in the screenshot below. Premier members are not affected by this change.This does not affect tickets issued on or before June 18, 2013!

In a word, ouch. And boo on United for trying to sneak this through (with no advance notice) when it's expecting to see many travelers falling off of the Premier rolls and onto non-Premier member status once their revenue requirements kick in.  In short, not only does United not want a certain type of passenger on their airline, but they also don't want to make it easy for them to use up their remaining miles as well.  My plan, such as it is, is to use all of my miles before I fully lose United Premier Status in 2015.  I'd advise everyone else to do that as well.  Don't stockpile your miles, because it's only going to get more difficult, and less lucrative, to use them in the future.

The flaw in United's business plan.

Last week I explained my reasons for abandoning my pursuit of Premier status with United given their recent decision to require high revenue requirements for level attainment.  In that story I mentioned that United doesn't have their house in order to attempt to charge a premium that would gather them the high-value, high-ticket price fliers that they're obviously craving.

Then I ran across this story, which placed all of United's flaws into stark relief:

United Airlines forgets toilet paper on 10-hour flight from San Francisco to London. Robin Wilkey, Huffington Post.

Before embarking on a 10-hour international trip from San Francisco to London, the crew for United Flight 931 failed to stock the plane with toilet paper, forcing flight attendants--and passengers--to improvise.
Some of the bathrooms reportedly ran out en route, leading flight attendants to stock them with cocktail napkins instead.
Passenger reactions ranged from eye rolls to outrage.
"That's disgusting, that's just so terrible," said United passenger Gretchen Holland to ABC. "If I'm paying for a ticket, that should include the price of toilet paper, I would think."
United later apologized for the incident, releasing the following statement:

We apologize to our customers on this flight for the inconvenience and would like the opportunity to welcome them back.

 United explained that if the plane had stopped to stock toilet paper once the shortage was discovered, the flight would have been delayed.

Now, I don't fault United for deciding to go ahead with the flight, after all, it would have been much worse had the plane been late and a group of people missed connections.  I do fault them for their ham-handed customer service, ridiculous stuff that shows a remarkable lack of understanding of how to deal with issues and, more importantly, the people who are dealing with them.

It also shows United's increasing lack of attention to details.  The fact is, since the merger, this is a mediocre airline with serious operational issues that is taking a huge gamble in telling a large portion of their loyalty base that they no longer wish to do business with them. On top of that, they're treating the remaining customers like an afterthought.

That United is scrambling for a solution right now is not in question. What will matter is whether or not the industry has the wherewithal to take advantage of United's current weaknesses.  Historically in the industry t he answer is no.  Given that United will probably be OK, but I think there current business plan is doomed to fail.

Where United and I part ways (despite me agreeing with the business decision)

By now, if you're a MileagePlus member, or just interested in traveling, you've probably heard about the recently announced changes to United's MileagePlus program.  Boiled down to it's essence, United is now adding revenue minimums in an attempt to cull out low-value, high-use Premier members by requiring minimum spend.

The new chart is as follows:

It all works out to 10 cents per mile needed to be spent to attain certain levels of status.  However, every dollar you pay in ticket costs will not go to qualifying as a PQD.  To whit:

The following spending counts toward the PQD requirement:

• Base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges
• Flights flown by United, United Express, or Copa Airlines
• Flights operated by a Star Alliance^® or a MileagePlus partner airline and issued on a United ticket (ticket number starting with 016)
• Economy Plus purchases

What this means is that taxes, fees and other government charges will not count toward your PQD making the total outlay required for qualification at various levels much, much* somewhat higher than that. As an example, the screenshot below is a typical fare breakdown (from ITA Matrix) of a United fare from IAH to LHR (London-Heathrow)

In the above example you have not spent approximately $1,100 toward your PQD, you have actually only earned $421* $878. This is without taking into consideration bag fees etc, which are free to an extent for most Premier members.  In order to increase the PQD on this fare, you can buy up to economy plus, greatly increasing the price of the ticket.  So in reality you are only receiving approximately 40-50% of your total outlay in PQD, which raises the cost per mile to somewhere around 20-25 12-13 cents per mile.  In effect, this makes buying an economy plus ticket next to worthless in terms of attaining Premier status.

Here's the thing:  That's exactly what United was trying to do when they rolled this out.  And I agree with their business logic 100%.

Yes, there are going to be those who whinge that "loyalty no longer matters to airlines" and they are about half-right.  Profitable loyalty matters, loyalty that's less (or not) profitable does not.  Especially when that less (or not) profitable loyalty sucks up the majority of available resources.  As I said, I'm OK with this.  It's a decision that United has made and it makes good business sense.  We're just at the moment where United and I part ways.

This is not to suggest that I'll never fly United again.  Flying out of Houston, I most certainly will. I might even fly on them enough to retain Silver Premier status, but I doubt it.  The fact is that I've been remaining loyal to United because there was something that was in it for me.  I would typically pay a little bit more (not a lot more mind you) to stick with the airline because my Gold Premier status made it worth my while.  All of that is changing now.

With the carrot of Premier status gone for the leisure traveler (it's still very much there for the business traveler) it's time to start judging the airlines on their merits, and by price.  United is rarely the cheapest option out of IAH.  Yes, with other airlines you have to connect (and that will be a factor in decisions) but those connections are often less dodgy than with UA because their planes have a tendency to be on time more often.  The fact is United, at this moment, is a very unreliable airline in relation to the rest of the industry.  Not only do they do a poor job of getting you to your destination on time, but their service is sub-par and their planes are (to be nice) starting to show their age.  While United has done some work to upgrade their premium cabins, their economy product is among the worst in the industry, especially on trans-continental flights.

The way I see it United is taking a big risk.  When everything started falling apart after the merger United lost a lot of high-value customers.  They seem to be thinking that, by culling the Premier ranks through revenue requirements, they're going to bring these passengers back into the fold.  The problem that I see is that United is still charging premium prices for an average product and hoping that people overlook that while they continue to get their house in order.

Because of all this the way I travel will most certainly change.  I'm going to be much more price conscious and will start to look at a la carte offerings (such as premium economy) much more closely as it relates to total ticket price. For those of you reading this of a credit card lean, I'm beginning to think that the airline branded credit card (unless you're not a light packer) is going to become somewhat worthless as other cards offer better points/miles values and increase flexibility.

Why limit yourself to one carrier when you have a choice of several?

*Note: As CW on twitter pointed out to me here. I made an error reading the fare schedule from Matrix software.  YQ is, of course, included. As always, I appreciate the free proof-reading.

UA 'Slimline' seat review: It doesn't look good.

My friend Stephan Seagraves recently flew in an UA Airbus 320 with the new Reparo 'slimline' seats supposedly possessing what United refers to as the "comfort package" and the results were not pretty:

New United Seats: Not an improvement. Stephan Seagraves, badice.com

My immediate reaction to the flight last night was a little bit of the knee-jerk, “I hate change!” type but after gathering my thoughts and reading through my notes, my summary is this – the seats are not a one for one swap with regards to passenger comfort when compared to the previous United A320 seats and the new seats are certainly not an improvement. United’s reasoning for these seats was clear from the get-go, they wanted to fit an extra row of seats on the plane and these seats allowed them to do that by moving the rows closer together.

I encourage you to go read the entire article, where Stephan does a great job breaking down what's wrong with the new UA seats in great detail.  What really struck me is that this is the "new" direction that United is taking and it seems to be more in line with adding six seats of revenue per flight while totally ignoring the customer experience. Also disturbing is the fact that the promised improvements with in-flight amenities haven't materialized, but the new, uncomfortable seats are already being put into place.

This is, to my way of thinking, a pretty big deal and it signals, on the part of United, a conscious decision to ignore the in-flight experience in lieu of a few more dollars per flight.  This is an outlook that I feel will damage the airline in the long-run, as more and more high-value Premiers decide that it's not worth the money to stew for a few hours in an uncomfortable seat while they can pay less on competitors such as Southwest and (gasp!) Spirit for a more comfortable domestic flight experience.

This is just another example of UA's push toward "operational excellence" which is not about ensuring customer satisfaction, but includes metrics such as revenue optimization, on time percentage etc.  Not that an airline shouldn't worry about being on-time. United has, since the merger, been fairly awful at meeting industry standards, even considering recent improvements.  They do seem more interested in putting lipstick on the pig than they are handling the bare-bones of any customer service industry, namely, providing good service to the customer.

I've previously stated that I believe UA (and other airlines) are eventually going to move to eliminate the low-to-mid tier elite statuses in favor of co-branded credit cards that offer up a host of amenities on par with what is already received.  They will do this to a.) free up First Class and Business upgrade space for their upper-tier elites and b.) to maximize the guaranteed income stream that those cards provide.  In doing so, however, I think it's a mistake to markedly downgrade the economy and economy+ flight experience for a newly volatile customer pool by making the seats unflyable on red-eyes and transcontinental flights.  It's a textbook case of stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime.

A dime that might not be there, should their competitors figure out that theirs is a better economy product that can be used as a selling point for the customer who is suddenly untethered by loyalty.  With all of UA's improvements seemingly focused on the premium cabins, they're leaving themselves open to falling behind in steerage to the point that the fliers who used to exhibit some semblance of loyalty will find themselves with no compelling reason to continue doing so.

My long-standing position on United is that I'm sticking with them due to their routing advantages flying out of IAH.  As things continue to spiral downward for the average passenger, it's getting closer and closer to the point where I'm reconsidering that position.  In 2014, for example, my current plans are to not requalify at my current level, but to go one level lower and give the competition a try on a trip or two.  I fully plan by 2015 to be a straight value flier, substituting loyalty for a credit card.

Good news for MLife & Hyatt Passport members

The two programs have announced a major partnership.

Hyatt, MGM announce huge new partnership. Seth Miller, The Wandering Aramean

Today is a major day in the world of hotel loyalty and Las Vegas. In short, 12 properties – all part of the MGM portfolio – have essentially become Hyatt affiliates for the purposes of earning and redeeming points. Las Vegas is historically one of the last markets where earning hotel loyalty credit for stays at the more popular hotels is somewhere between difficult and impossible. Starting on 20 June 2013 guests at any of the 12 MGM hotels in Las Vegas, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage, will be eligible to earn Hyatt Gold Passport points and stay credits. Later this summer there will also be reciprocity between the MGM M life program and the Gold Passport program, with elite status matching between the two.

Seth goes on to provide a few more details, like that Hyatt Passport members will earn a base of 5 pts per dollar spent (up to $5000 per stay*) with the top tiers receiving bonuses and, the best part, that earning of MLife points will be ADDITIVE to the deal.

For someone like me, who makes 2 to 3 trips to Las Vegas each year, has status with both programs, and who already frequents MLife properties when in town, this deal is a win/win.  If you're not a member of either program and go to Vegas you might want to consider it.

The only downside to MLife properties is the $25/day resort fee that's added on but, if you are a member of MLife the promotional rates you receive are so low as to make the rate with the fee competitive with the same special offers you receive from other properties in town anyway.  Adding the value of Hyatt Passport rewards to this makes the decision where to stay a no-brainer.

Not only is the MLife program tied to many of the best places to stay on the Strip, but it's also a much better bargain than the Total Rewards program offered up by Caesars, and the quality of the hotels are frequently going to be better.

With all of the devaluations that have been occurring in the travel industry of late it's nice to see two entities coming together and creating a value-add.































*Note: I'm pretty sure casino (gambling) expenditures do not earn Hyatt points.  I could see some serious legal issues there.

United laying the groundwork for big changes to MileagePlus?

In what seems to be a product launch without a customer base United has announced new "subscription" services for things that are (currently) covered by attaining MileagePlus status:

United Airlines Launches Annual Subscriptions for Economy Plus and Checked Baggage. United, PRNewsWire

United Airlines has launched subscription options that offer customers access to Economy Plus seating or pre-paid checked baggage charges for a year.

"The Economy Plus and checked baggage subscriptions offer our customers more of the comfort and convenience they value year round," said Scott Wilson , United's vice president of merchandising and e-commerce. "We are pleased that, as we launch these services, we are able to provide new options for customers to tailor their travel experiences."

Couple this with Jeff Smisek's recent comments during an Address to the Chicago Chamber of Commerce  that the airline was moving away from the "stack 'em deep, sell 'em cheap" to focus more on profitability per seat and I think the picture becomes a little more clear.

Back to the press release.

At first blush, this feels odd.  You can already get a free checked bag, and other perks, through using a co-branded United credit card when booking your flight.  You also receive priority boarding (now on-par with low & mid-level Premiers) not to mention club access etc.  All things that are currently "perks" at the Silver and Gold Premier status.  Looking at the price points for the service it doesn't make much sense either.  In order to gain anything resembling a decent ROI you'd have to fly to a level that you would receive Silver Premier status regardless.  In short: the only people this would benefit are (possibly) large families making two to three trips per year or first year fliers taking an initial stab at Premier status.

For this to make sense I believe you have to imagine what MileagePlus is going to look like in 2015, and make assumptions that big changes are coming soon.

1. The elimination of Silver and Gold Premier status. - I truly believe that this is coming.  I had an inkling of it when they grouped credit card boardings with the same group as these two statuses.  Given the profitability of selling miles to banks for the airlines on these cards there's a clearer profit model than worrying about the bottom half of the Premier group who, if scheduling carefully, can qualify for somewhere around $1K.

2. Broadening of Platinum Premier status - There's still a large swath of loyal fliers that United is going to want to protect below the Platinum level.  Because of this I see them lowering the base qualification to 60,000 miles with a revenue minimum of around $5K.  While that seems low it prices out the flier whose only going to use the 4 cents per mile "special" or "mistake" fares and prices in the business flyer to makes 3 to four trips to Asia every year.

3. Adding additional perks to the Credit Cards. - Pre-boarding is great, but I think you'll soon also see complimentary domestic upgrades added to a credit card soon. If not this, then they'll do it in the form of certificates, much as they do with lounge access for MileagePlus Explorer Card holders already.

These changes are not only going to help the airlines trim their loyalty pools, thus freeing up upgrade space for the upper-tier members, but it's also going to create some pretty intense competition among the former mid-to-lower tier members who are now on par with the credit card (and subscription) customer.  It's going to be incumbent on these credit card companies to recoup their investment in miles with increased interest-income collections.  I believe you are going to see many, many commercials on TV and hear many of them on the radio in the coming years, probably with the above increased perks and generous mileage bonuses for signing up, annual spend etc.

This also means that travel miles & points blogging is going to continue down the "pimp my card" road and that the "game" for them is certainly not over, in fact, I'll argue that it's really just about to begin, in earnest.  Whether or not this is a good development for THE TRAVELLER (you know, that person whom all of this consolidation was supposed to help?) remains to be seen.  In the early analysis, my guess is no.  While airline prices might dip slightly, the fees charged will be going up with fewer ways to prevent paying them.  Also, not included into the price of the ticket is the interest cost that's going to be incurred buying one with interest on rewards cards being significantly higher than those for non-rewards cards.

Of course, the financial prudes among us will state that you should pay with a credit card and pay it off immediately anyway and, in a perfect world, they'd be right.  The fact is though that the majority of consumers do not do this so, for them, these changes will end up costing them more money in the long-haul.  I'm not suggesting that this is a reason why these changes should (or shouldn't) occur, but it is reality and, no matter how hard you try, you can't tut-tut it away. It should be good news for the credit-card peddling bloggers however, as a large group of newly devalued, former loyalty program members will be scrambling to figure out new ways to fly in a market that's made a sea change while they were napping.  Undoubtedly the legacies will be paying this group a rather sizable dividend, whether by design or by chance.

Unknown in any of this analysis is the coming effect of the US Airways/American Airlines merger and what impact their reduced capacity will have on certain routes.  Regardless of this, it seems safe to say that big changes will be coming soon and it would seem that the smart money lies with them taking effect in 2015.

Snap Review: In n' Out burger: Allen

I finally tried my first burger from In N' Out, the burger chain that has those transplanted from the Western US to Houston sick with depression that it's not available in our fair town.  We stopped at the location in Allen on Hwy 75.

I had the Double Double (w/onions, no fancy off the menu ordering for the first time) with fries and a sweet tea while the wife had a cheeseburger "protein style" due to her Celiac.

The burgers were great, the fries were horrible.  And by horrible I mean soggy, under-fried and strangely wrinkly looking.  Not to mention over-salty despite not appearing to have a lot of salt on the surface.

I did really enjoy the burger however, as did my wife, who appreciated the several layers of lettuce substituting for the bun.

The place was clean and the staff were friendly, overall it was a good place for an early dinner*.


Just skip the fries.

































*overall I still prefer Whataburger for overall taste, especially their ketchup and fries.  The burgers were about even though although I do like how much easier it is to customize under the orange and white roofs.