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My Star Mega Do 3 Adventure Begins

Sept. 05, 2011
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2 min read
My Star Mega Do 3 Adventure Begins
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This should be an interesting week for me. I'm going on the third annual Star Mega Do, which is an event planned by frequent flyers, for frequent flyers. The event is co-organized by certain Star Alliance member airlines, as well as Hyatt. There are two portions (full schedule here), and I booked business class tickets on both. I will be live tweeting on my adventures, so make sure you follow me on Twitter! I'll try to get some blog posts up from the road as well. You can also follow the official Facebook page with links to live tweets/videos, etc.

Portion 1: The European Adventure, $2,500 for business class

Highlights:

Monday: Fly JFK-Frankfurt on Lufthansa. (On the A380, which will be my first A380 experience!).

Tuesday: Connect Frankfurt-Munich to check out Lufthansa and my special tour is with the LSG SkyChef facility. I have to wear a hair net in order to go on the tour - just wait for the pictures/video!

Wednesday: Fly Munich-Frankfurt-Chicago and meet up with the full group.

Portion 2: The North American Charter Jet Adventure, $1,800 for first class. I'll be joined by TPG reader Kathy who won the Great Seatmate contest.

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Wednesday Continued: Hyatt reception at the Park Hyatt Chicago. One of the gifts from Hyatt is Diamond status for all attendees, which will extend my current Diamond until February 2013.

Thursday: United Airlines session at O'Hare and then get on the 757 charter and fly Chicago to Montreal. Meet up with the Aeroplan folks.

Friday: Bombardier tour in the morning and then fly Montreal to Denver.

Saturday: I bid for time in the United Flight Simulator and will be going on a brewery tour with the Grand Hyatt Denver staff later in the day. The event ends with a charity dinner.

It should be a really fun and interesting week. Are any other TPG readers going on either portion of this trip? Let me know!

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.