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Austin Airport Chase Sapphire Terrace Closing

Delta Sky Club in Austin

Apparently its last day will be on March 19th.   I don't know why it's closing, but maybe having an outdoor terrace in often hot Austin wasn't working out.  There do not appear to be plans for it to re-open.  

Right now we still have American Admirals Club, United Club, and Delta Sky Club options.  I'd love to see an American Express Centurion Lounge end up in the airport at some point.   Mostly indoor and air conditioned, of course.   Furthermore, if you don't want to deal with getting lounge access we do have a good selection of restaurants for snacks and pre-flight beverages.  

Speaking of American Express: American Express Platinum (business or personal) up to 10 times per year regardless of status with Delta SkyMiles or having a Delta cobranded card (also from Amex).   I like the Delta Sky Club in Austin, but as a Platinum Card user with limited passes available I'd rather have my pre-flight hang out at Second Bar + Kitchen or Parkside in order to save the pass for later (say, Salt Lake City).   

 

Air Travel: New Non-Stop Flights for Austin

 

KXAN recently posted an article about new non-stop flights coming to Austin.  Delta is enhancing service while American is backing off (I've read AA would now rather utilize the DFW hub than keep up with their former plan to enhance their AUS presence.).   This should be good news if you are a Delta SkyMiles or American Express points earner here in Austin.   Also, the Delta Lounge at AUS is a nice place to hang out before a flight.  

Southwest, as usual, continues to have an array of non-stops out of Austin and on to places which are fun to visit.  They have been the top carrier out of AUS for years, and they remain the carrier I most often fly for domestic travel (partially because of the routes, and partially because we usually have a companion pass plus a lot of SWA points).   

Speaking of cool non-stops: starting in March British Airways will begin offering two daily non-stops to London Heathrow six days per week.   BA is a travel partner with American Express, thus you can transfer your Amex points over to a BA Avios account.  Also, in the past I've found good deals on BA through the Amex travel portal (where you can use Amex points to offset the cost of the flight).  

Happy New Year!  I'm hoping we can all get out and travel to some fun places in 2025. 

As always: this content was written by a real human.

Why Wealthy Americans Love AmEx

Formula 1 Las Vegas Update

 

Per The Drive on Instagram, the cheapest tickets at the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be $500.  These are standing room only tickets.  In my experience with such tickets at Circuit of the Americas, you have to show up quite early to get a decent viewing spot.  I can only assume it will be like this in Las Vegas.  If you want an assigned seat in a grandstand, minimum cost is $2,000.  For reference to the USGP in Austin: our Turn 9 grandstand seats at COTA cost around $400 and came with a fantastic vantage point.  Of course, watching race cars blast down The Strip (at night!) may be worth the extra $$$ for a lot of people.

For fun I checked out race weekend hotel prices at Caesar's properties.   Here's an example: Planet Hollywood rooms are starting at $1,229/night (which I hear isn't far off from some of the better Austin hotels during F1 weekend), but a suite which comes with a guarantee of a Strip view is currently going for $4,439/night.  Planet Hollywood is at one of the turns, so the view should be great.  Follow the link above to peruse more expensive hotel options.  

American Express Card Members: early access tickets are on sale now

[Note: Amex for the win on this.  Capital One just announced early access to Taylor Swift concert tickets, but I'm more of an auto racing fan.  Ironically, the only time I've seen Taylor Swift live was at her COTA show after the USGP a few years ago.] 

Formula 1: Las Vegas 2023 Tickets About to Go on Sale

 Tickets for the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix are going on sale next week.  Estimated base price is $500 (which is a more than what you pay in Austin).   Tickets will be available to the general public on the 5th.   I don't know about all early access/presale options, but American Express members will be able to buy tickets during a November 1st-3rd presale period.  

Check out the track layout (with a straight shot down the Strip from The Venetian to Planet Hollywood/The Cosmopolitan).   A street course through Vegas at night should be quite the spectacle.   The race weekend will be November 16th-18th in 2023.  

Uber Rewards Ending

In case you missed it, Uber is shuttering its Uber Rewards program this fall.  You can earn points through the end of August, and you have through the end of October to use them.   If you want similar deals and status perks, you'll need to join the Uber One subscription program.  I'll have to order that free Jersey Mike's sub before Halloween.

I haven't read anything indicating Uber is changing it's arrangements with Marriott and American Express.  With Marriott, you can link your Uber account to earn Bonvoy points for ride (on Comfort level and above) similar to Lyft's deal with Hilton.  With American Express, you get monthly Uber Cash if you link a Gold ($10/month) or Platinum ($15/mo plus $20 bonus in December).