Top Travel on Points

Sharing tips, tricks and strategies for maximizing your travel using points!

Loyalty Programs

United℠ Gateway Card Review

By Leave a Comment

The United℠ Gateway Card could be a good fit if you want to earn United Airlines miles, but don’t want to pay an annual fee. New cardmembers can earn 30,000 United Airlines miles after meeting the minimum spending requirements, but the card doesn’t offer popular benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding.

Frequent United Airlines flyers will be better off with the United℠ Explorer Card, however. While it has a $95 annual fee, it offers a 60,000 mile sign-up bonus and has perks most travelers want. Plus the annual fee is waived for the first year, so you can try it out risk free. Then at the end of the first year, you can decide whether to keep it or downgrade to the Gateway card.

Who is this card for?

This card is a good fit for people who live near a United Airlines hub and are new to the miles game. It’s a simple way to dip your toes in the water without committing to an annual fee.

You can apply for the United℠ Gateway Card here.

Card Features

Bonus Offer

You’ll earn 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Annual Fee

This card has no annual fee.

Earning Rates

The United Gateway card earns:

  • 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases from United Airlines
  • 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations
  • 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including ride share services, taxis, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit
  • 1 mile per $1 on all other spending

The earning rates are nothing special, but they are basically in line with other no annual fee airline cards.

Redeeming Miles

United makes it very easy to redeem miles on their website. Plus, you can use them to book travel on Star Alliance partners, like Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and more.

Redeem United MileagePlus miles for award travel on any Star Alliance Airline with no fuel surcharges

What’s unique about United Airlines is they don’t add fuel surcharges to award flights. This can save you hundred dollars per ticket when compared to other airlines!

Card Benefits

With this being a free card, the other benefits are just ok. I’ve seen worse for a no annual free card, but if you’re looking for perks like free checked bags or priority boarding, the United Explorer card offers those and more.

25% back on In-flight Purchases

When you use your card to pay for food, beverages and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights, you’ll get 25% back as a statement credit.

DoorDash Delivery

Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees for one year, with a complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. DashPass normally costs $9.99 per month.

The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection

The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is a hotel and hospitality management company that owns a suite of luxury hotels. Card-members will receive the following benefits when booking a room at one of the eligible hotels on the LRH website:

  • Daily complimentary breakfast for two people
  • A special benefit unique to each property, such as a dining or spa credit
  • Complimentary WiFi
  • Complimentary room upgrades (when available)
  • Early check-in and late checkout (when available)

No Foreign Transaction Fees

For those who travel internationally, this card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

If your trip can’t start, is cut short or interrupted by sickness, severe weather or other covered situations, you can be reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses up to $6,000 per covered trip.

This perk can provide peace of mind if your trip is interrupted or cancelled.

Purchase Protection

This benefit covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account per calendar year.

Extended Warranty Protection

With this benefit, you can extend the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year. This applies to eligible warranties of three years or less.

Who should look for another card?

If you’re considering the United Gateway card, I strongly encourage applying for the United Explorer card instead. While it does have a $95 annual fee, there are a bunch of notable perks that the Gateway lacks. That includes priority boarding, the first checked bag free (for you and a companion), two United Club passes, and a $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit once every four years.

A checked bag typically costs $35, so checking bags will more than make up for the card’s annual fee after just one trip. Plus you have a year to try the card before the first annual free posts. If it didn’t meet your needs, you can always downgrade to the Gateway card but you’ll keep the 60,000 mile sign-up bonus!

If you like the idea of this card but fly other airlines more often, look at Delta’s no annual fee Blue SkyMiles card or American’s no annual fee MileUp card.

Bottom Line

The lack of an annual fee makes this card perfect for those who don’t travel enough to justify paying one. While the card’s everyday spending rates aren’t great, the 2x miles at gas stations and for local transit can be somewhat useful. Even if the United Gateway card is the card you eventually want to own, I still recommend starting with the United℠ Explorer card. You can always downgrade after a year, but I’d much rather have 60,000 bonus miles over 30,000 bonus miles.

Apply here for the United℠ Gateway Card.

Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa

By Leave a Comment

The Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa is a charming and unique property, nestled on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Part of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith brand, this luxury boutique hotel has an intimate, low-key vibe. With only 23 total rooms, many of which have ocean views, you’ll often feel like you have the place to yourself. Guests can relax by the palm tree lined outdoor pool or indulge with an indoor or outdoor spa service.

For all that, what really makes the hotel special, is the outstanding customer service. The staff is friendly and attentive, and they go out of their way to make sure guests have a memorable stay. The hotel is also pet-friendly, which is a plus for those traveling with furry friends.

In This Post

Booking

This all started because I needed to use my IHG free night award certificate before it expired. I earned the free night, valid at hotels costing up to 40,000 points a night, as a perk from owning an IHG Rewards Club Premier card. Due to a recent partnership between IHG and Mr. & Mrs. Smith hotel groups, IHG members can earn and redeem points at all Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties. So I was able to apply my free award certificate and use points to book five nights at Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa.

For the free night, I was somehow able to redeem it for the Bungalow Suite, which is the most expensive room at the hotel. At the time of booking, that room was going for a cash price of $1,015. For the other four nights, I booked one of their standard rooms. I was a little shy of the required points, so I purchased a few thousand before booking. All in all, the stay would’ve cost me over $2,700, but I was able to book it for only $135!

History

The property dates back to the early 1920s and has been a hotel, an artists colony and a bed and breakfast in its past lives. In 2000, it underwent a complete renovation which returned the property’s buildings to their original Mission-style appearance. Then, after being sold in 2014, it was beautifully restored to its Spanish architectural roots over the next two years.

Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa has a welcoming courtyard with peaceful fountains and lush landscaping.

Location

The hotel is located on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), approximately one mile south of Downtown Laguna Beach. While walking to Laguna Beach’s cafes, restaurants and shops is doable, I’d recommend renting a car. PCH is a busy 4-lane road, which doesn’t make for a particularly relaxing walk. It’s also very hilly and with the sun, it can be quite hot, even in winter. Orange County has lots of other nearby towns worth exploring, so having a car is a plus anyways.

Welcome to the Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa.

Lobby

In the back of the hotel, next to the small parking area, is the entrance most guests use to enter the property. The first thing you’ll notice are the lush green foliage and the quaint winding paths.

The lobby is located in the original Mission House building, which is comprised of a small reception area and lounge with a fireplace and comfy chairs. The indoor dining room is also located in this same building.

Check-in and Customer Service

The check-in process was quick and easy. We were upgraded two room levels, from their standard Garden Room to a Deluxe Ocean View Patio Room. After explaining a few things about the hotel’s offerings, the manager took us on a short tour of the property. During the tour, we were provided complimentary sangrias to sip on. At the tour’s end, he showed us to our room, which contained another welcome gift. On the bedside table, was a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, already on ice. All of the hospitality gave us a very warm and welcoming feeling!

Since we weren’t going to have an opportunity to drink the sparkling wine right away, I went back to the lobby to ask the manager if there was a refrigerator we could use to keep it cold. He said they have a small portable mini-fridge, but another guest was already using it. He also offered to store our bottle in the main kitchen fridge, but we didn’t want to impose. I wasn’t expecting anything more, but after returning from dinner that evening, we walked into our room and there was the mini-fridge!

The staff also went out of their way to accommodate our friends and their young children. Casa Laguna is for guests aged 18 and older, but we wanted to show it to our friends who had their kids with them. We assumed they wouldn’t make an exception, but while at the pool, we decided to ask the waiter if there was any wiggle room in the policy. He said that they’ve made exceptions before, but he’d have to check with the manager. It wasn’t really that important, so we told him not to worry about it.

However, about 15 minutes later, the manager appeared. He said we could invite our friends and their kids to see the hotel and even use the pool. We were so impressed with how accommodating the staff was and the high level of hospitality continued throughout our entire stay.

The Deluxe Ocean View Patio Room

All of the hotel’s guestrooms are nestled within a labyrinth of tiled patios and rustling palm trees.

For the first four nights, we stayed in a Deluxe Ocean View Patio Room, located along the north edge of the property.

The room itself was a little tight on space, but typical for the era in which it was built. While there may not be room to spread out completely, the room was filled with plenty of charm. From the headboard to the tiled ceiling, the Spanish Colonial decor is everywhere. The queen bed was quite comfortable and the room was also equipped with two side tables, WiFi and a smart TV.

The room had beautiful detailing on the headboard and tiled ceiling.

The room also included an outdoor patio, complete with ocean views and seating for two. We ate breakfast here one morning and it’s also be a nice spot for a pre-dinner bottle of wine or a nightcap at the end of a good day.

One thing to note is that the Deluxe Ocean View room patios are setup in a straight line, perpendicular to the water. That means you’re able to see right into your neighbor’s patio. While not as secluded as I would’ve liked, it didn’t spoil our experience, however.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is pretty small as well, but keeps with the Spanish Colonial charm. It included an incredibly detailed, hand-painted Moroccan tile floor and custom marble vanity.

The Bungalow Suite

For the final night of our stay, we moved into the most exclusive room on the property — The Bungalow Suite.

Located in its own section of the property, the suite is a standalone family cottage with private entrance. Walking through the cottage gate, you arrive on the large private balcony with a dining area and hammock for two. Being at the high point of the property, the balcony provided incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island.

The Bungalow Suite’s patio has both a dining area and hammock for two.

The Foyer

While I liked the aesthetic of the foyer, the room is a little awkward. It functions mainly as a passthrough between the other areas of the cottage. It has a gas fireplace, which would be lovely to relax in front of, but the room isn’t really conducive to doing that. I’d much rather have had the fireplace in the living room, where we could’ve enjoyed it from a comfortable couch.

The Bedroom

The bedroom doesn’t feel quite as tight as the Deluxe Ocean View room’s bedroom, but it’s still fairly small overall. They did a good job utilizing the available space, though. The room has a king bed, two end tables, a closet, a smart TV and a full-sized desk.

The Bathroom

The bathroom, however, is enormous. Here you’ll find the same beautiful hand-painted Moroccan floor tiles and custom marble vanity.

However, there’s a whole extra space which included a huge jetted clawfoot tub and a shower big enough for two people.

The Living Room and Kitchenette

The living room was cozy and contains a small sitting area and smart TV. The kitchenette had a sink and bar, complete with bartending tools and glassware.

Hotel Amenities

The Pool

Set amid potted-plants and palm trees, the heated outdoor pool is beautiful and serene.

The pool is surrounded by individual lounge chairs and a unique cushion-lined stone lounger, fit for a large group.

The Grounds

What I love about the hotel grounds is how many different areas there are to enjoy. Plus, with the maze-like network of paths, each area can be very private.

Sunset Patio

The Sunset Patio is one of the larger common areas on the property. Set a level down from the pool, and just above the PCH, it’s a beautiful spot, day or night. It’s aptly named with it’s terrific views of sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. We spent some time taking in some sun and finishing our complimentary sangrias right after check-in.

The Sunset Patio is a wonderful place to enjoy a coffee or cocktail.

Palm Court

All guests receive a complimentary European style continental breakfast every morning. During check-in, guests fill out a card to select the foods they’d like and the time and place they’d like to eat. Breakfast can be delivered right to your room or it can be picked up and taken to a favorite spot on the property. We had choices of homemade breads, pastries, muffins, quiches, fresh fruit, cereals, yogurt and granola. You can have as much or as little as you want!

Perhaps the prettiest place to have breakfast is Palm Court, which is their outdoor dining area.

Looking down on Palm Court from one of the winding paths above.

Palm Court has several tables and is wonderfully decorated. Looking around, you’d think you were eating in some Tuscan villa in Italy.

Miscellaneous

Spa

For those looking for a little pampering, the indoor/outdoor spa offers a variety of massage techniques, including deep tissue, reflexology and hot stone. Spa services need to be booked in advance, as the hotel doesn’t employee their own masseuses.

Bottom Line

Overall, the Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa is a great choice for those looking for a relaxing getaway in Laguna Beach. The hotel has a lot to offer, including beautiful views, comfortable rooms, a variety of amenities, and most of all, excellent service. If you are looking for a place to relax and unwind, Casa Laguna is the perfect choice.

Trip Report Index

  1. Using Points and Miles to get to Laguna Beach
  2. Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa

How I Used the Lowest Level Airline Elite Status in 2022

By Leave a Comment

Back in June of 2022, I made the decision to work towards earning American Airlines AAdvantage® Gold elite status. Utilizing all of the strategies documented in my “Going For AAdvantage Gold Status” article, I was able to blow past the 30,000 Loyalty Points required in only three months.

I’ve never had status with any airline prior to this, so part of my desire to achieve status was experimental. I was mostly just curious to see what value airline elite status could provide.

Before I get into how I used my new elite status, let’s review some of the key pieces to American Airlines’ loyalty program.

Elite Status Requirements

American AAdvantage members can earn Loyalty Points on American Airlines flights, using AAdvantage credit cards and with a long list of AAdvantage partners. As points are earned, members earn various levels of status, starting with Gold at the 30,000 point level. I earned Gold status by mid-September and as of mid-January, I have Platinum status through March 2024.

Benefits of Gold Status

Earning Gold elite status comes with the following benefits:

  • 40% status mileage bonus
  • Priority check-in and boarding
  • One free checked bag
  • Same-day standby priority
  • Priority phone line
  • Complimentary access to Preferred Seats at booking, if available
  • Complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra Seats at check-in, if available
  • Complimentary upgrades on American Airlines domestic and short-haul international flights, if available
  • 24-hour upgrade window
  • Automatic OneWorld Ruby status and additional elite benefits with Alaska Airlines and JetBlue

How I Earned Gold Status

One of the best things about American Airlines’ new loyalty program is that there are so many ways to earn Loyalty Points. You don’t even need to fly on American Airlines to earn status. I earned Loyalty Points across six categories, with the most coming from the AAdvantage eShopping portal, followed by everyday spending on AAdvantage credit cards.

CategoryLoyalty Points
Online Shopping (AAdvantage eShopping)30,868
Everyday Spending20,996
Simply Miles12,665
Flights3,873
Surveys (Miles for Opinions)3,411
Partners/Dining3,194
TOTAL75,007

Benefits I’ve Received with Gold Status

Preferred Seats

As soon as I earned Gold elite status, I selected preferred seats on all flights already booked on American Airlines. Preferred seats are the same as standard economy seats, they’re just in better locations of the Main Cabin. That typically means being closer to the front of the plane, which allows for quicker access to your seat when boarding and being able to exit more quickly as well.

Note: Preferred Seats do not include extra legroom.

It’s really hard to value this benefit. I’ve seen American Airlines charge anywhere from $9 to $49 for preferred seats. But, without status, I’d never fork out cash for these seats. Yet, with status in tow, I took advantage of the perk and moved up far as possible. I had four flights booked on American Airlines and was able to select preferred seats for myself and everyone else on the same reservations.

Main Cabin Extra Seats at Check-in

While preferred seats are nice, the real fun began at check-in. That’s when Gold members can book Main Cabin Extra seats, if available. The main benefit to being in Main Cain Extra is the additional legroom. American Airlines says these seats start at $20, but I typically see them going for between $50 to $100.

To have the best chance to move into Main Cabin Extra seats, I made it a point to check-in as close to 24 hours in advance as possible. All in all, I had mixed results, as I wasn’t successful in securing them on every flight. However, I did learn something useful along the way. Even after the initial check-in, it pays to check the app every so often. People are constantly changing flights and moving seats, so seats that were taken before can always open up.

My Results

  • ORD to DCA – no Main Cabin Extra seats were available, so I stayed in my preferred seat near the front of the Main Cabin
  • DCA to ORD – only one Main Cabin Extra seat was available; since I was traveling with two other people, I stayed in my original preferred seat
  • PHX to ORD – I was traveling with my entire family and there weren’t four Main Cabin Extra seats available so we stayed in our preferred seats
  • SNA to ORD – at check-in there weren’t any Main Cabin Extra seats; however, later in the day, two seats in the first row of Main Cabin Extra opened up and I snagged them

Priority Check-in, Security and Boarding

Originally I didn’t think I’d value or even use these benefits that much. However, after traveling over both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I have new appreciation for these perks.

Priority Check-in

AAdvantage Gold members can check in at any Business Class lane. In airports without Business Class check-in, First Class check-in lanes can be used. Those lanes are usually much faster since the total number of people eligible to use them is way less. On our flight to Orange County on Christmas Eve, we took full advantage of priority check-in and it was a lifesaver!

The flight to Orange County was on United Airlines, not American. Luckily I had requested a status match prior to the trip, which gave me the equivalent status on United. That allowed us to use United’s priority check-in lanes.

There had been a major winter storm that caused thousands of delays and cancellations for two days prior to our flight. So when we entered the terminal at O’Hare, we didn’t walk more than five feet before slamming into a wall of people. It was pretty much total chaos! People didn’t know where lines were forming, as they stretched well beyond their normal lengths. My first thought was “Our we going to make our flight?”

Even though we arrived between two and three hours early, it seemed like we could end up in an airport horror story full of frustration and missed flights. After the initial anxiety of the situation subsided, we were able to find our way to the priority check-in area. That line stretched well beyond the ropes too, but miraculously, we got through it in less than fifteen minutes. I have no idea how long it would’ve taken us in the regular check-in lines, but I’m glad we didn’t have to find out!

In addition to quick check-in, our checked baggage was tagged as priority and among the first to be delivered once we landed in Orange County.

Priority Security and Screening

At select airports, Gold members are able to use priority security screening lanes. We never had to utilize this perk because both Annie and I have TSA PreCheck®, so we used those security lines instead.

Priority Boarding

With Gold status, we got to board our flights in boarding group 4, ahead of most other passengers. This perk is particularly helpful when you only have carry-on bags because you’re basically guaranteed to find available overhead space. This wasn’t hugely valuable to me, however, because as an American AAdvantage credit cardholder, I already had group 5 boarding.

Overhead Bin
Boarding early means more chances to snag available overhead space.

Complimentary Upgrades

The most exciting benefit of Gold status is the possibility of receiving complimentary upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights. I just wouldn’t hold your breath! Gold members are the lowest level elite members, so all the other elite tiers have first dibs. I’ve heard of Gold members getting complimentary upgrades, so while possible, it’s unlikely.

In my case, my name was added to the upgrade list automatically, but there were always at least twenty people ahead of me. Oh well!

Bottom Line

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my Gold status perks. I like sitting towards the front of the plane and it’s nice to have a shot at extra legroom too. The biggest surprise so far, is how much I now value priority check-in. I didn’t pay too much attention to that perk when I decided to earn status, but it’s one that can be quite important when trying to get through security quickly.

We’ll see what other uses I get from status as it will remain in effective until the end of March 2024. I have a feeling it’ll be hard to go from having status to not having status, so I may make earning Gold an annual event.

JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

By Leave a Comment

As the largest luxury hotel in Arizona, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa stretches beautifully across more than 300 acres of desert landscape. With plenty of activities, amenities and restaurants to keep guests occupied, this is the kind of resort you never have to leave. It really has something for everyone — multiple pools, a lazy river and a spa for relaxing and tennis courts, pickleball courts and two championship golf courses for recreation.

The resort and its 950 guest rooms opened back in November 2002, and was Marriott’s 25th JW Marriott branded property. Twenty years later, Marriott completed the first phase of an $80 million renovation showcasing a refreshed lobby, redesigned guest rooms and a new signature restaurant.

In This Post

Booking

We decided to take this trip almost a year in advance and knew we wanted to stay at this resort. Around the same time, American Express was offering a “best ever” sign-up bonus of 125,000 Marriott points plus two free nights on the the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card. When I finally decided to pull the trigger and book the hotel, rates for standard rooms were going for $535 per night. I ended up booking four nights total, using the two free night certificates earned from the card, and 87,000 Marriott points. The card has a $95 annual fee, but I saved around $2,400. Well worth it!

Location

The resort is set on 316 acres in the Sonoran Desert with panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains. It’s around a 25-minute drive from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport and close to Old Town Scottsdale, downtown Phoenix and many hiking and recreation areas.

Lobby

As soon as we walked through the front doors, I knew staying here was going to be great! The grand lobby has an immense entryway with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and illuminating light fixtures throughout. The sophisticated design reflects the modern and tranquil desert lifestyle. There’s also a new lobby lounge featuring sectional sofas and groupings of lounge chairs, that are ideal for informal meetings, enjoying craft cocktails or watching the sunset.

You actually enter the property, and lobby, on the resort’s second floor. The openness down to the first floor enhances that grandiose feeling. During our stay, the staff had just completed setting up a big beautiful Christmas tree right at the top of the stairs heading down to the first floor.

Looking down the stairs from the lobby is a wall of windows leading out to the resort’s “playground”.

Check-in

Check-in was quick and easy! We were immediately greeted by a staff member and she welcomed me as a Marriott Gold member. I asked if there were any available room upgrades and she was able to get us into a mountain view room.

The Room

The resort’s guest rooms are spread throughout five different wings. Our room was located in the first one, next to the Revive Spa. The design palette is subtle and soothing with natural wood finishes and mural walls evoking the desert landscape.

With the completion of the recent renovation, the rooms are basically brand new. It had the standard amenities you’d expect with a smart TV, a small table and chair, and plenty of outlets and USB ports.

Each room features a private patio or balcony with a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door. Our room had a balcony overlooking one of the championship golf courses.

The Bathroom

As with the guest rooms, the bathrooms were recently refreshed as well. The desert color scheme continued in here and included a single sink, walk-in shower and separate soaking tub.

As with many hotel rooms, the bathroom didn’t have double sinks, making it a little tricky to have multiple people in there at once. However, it’s still very functional and the resort did a good job utilizing the available space.

Hotel Amenities

The Pool

When planning a resort vacation, the pool area is typically one of the biggest factors. If that’s true for you, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa has you covered. When everything is open, the resort offers four acres of water fun the whole family will enjoy. Unfortunately during our stay, the resort had already begun the next phase of its renovation, so the lazy river was closed. Once complete, the pool area will transform into a water park-like destination, including a family area with cabanas, an adults-only pool and three water slides.

See below for a tour of the current pool grounds.

Wildfire Pool

The resort currently boasts five pools and a 1,600-foot lazy river. The biggest pool is the Wildfire Pool.

Wildfire Pool
The waterfall feature at the Wildfire Outdoor Pool is lit with flames at night.

Griffin Bay

Griffin Bay is located in the main pool complex and offers an upgraded pool experience. Available for full day rental, it has 12 luxury cabana cottages, a personal concierge and enhanced food an beverage offerings.

Griffin Bay

Mesa Pool

The Mesa Pool is a bit smaller than the others. It’s shallow throughout and very shaded, making it great for families with little kids.

Mesa Pool

Isla del Sol

Beyond the Mesa Pool and over a quaint bridge is the Isla del Sol. This area had the only open outdoor hot tub during our stay. While we spent a little time here, it was pretty underwhelming.

The concrete in the hot tub was really was rough and it actually hurt to walk from one side to the other and even to sit down. In addition, the hot tub wasn’t very hot, so it attracted kids who used it like any other pool. Some were even “snorkeling”, which killed the relaxing vibe I would’ve wanted.

Dining and the Grounds

The resort restaurants offer a mix of indoor and outdoor dining that blends seamlessly into the property grounds. From casual poolside dishes to Southwestern cuisine and Asian-fusion, there’s no shortage of terrific options at the resort. They also feature in-room dining service, open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The available dining options include:

  • Tia Carmen – open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the resort’s new signature restaurant serves contemporary Southwestern dishes that celebrate the local landscape, farmers, and community
  • Roy’s Pacific Rim – from famed chef Roy Yamaguchi, this restaurant offers bold flavors of Asia and Hawaii, with a delicious assortment of sushi, signature dishes and cocktails
  • Meritage – located next to the Wildfire Golf Club, this urban tavern provides delicious American fare, creative cocktails and more than 50 Arizona craft beers
  • Just A Splash Bar & Grill – outdoor bar and grill offering refreshing appetizers, salads and casual poolside lunch options
  • twenty6 – located on the 1st floor right down the lobby steps, this chic lounge and bourbon bar is an ideal spot for happy hour get-togethers and pre-dinner drinks
  • Spa Bistro – located inside the Revive Spa, this restaurant offers a small but flavorful, health-conscious menu
  • Starbucks – no resort is complete without America’s favorite coffeehouse

Just A Splash Bar & Grill

The bar at Just A Splash Bar & Grill

Just A Splash Bar & Grill sits right next to the main pool complex. The wraparound bar is U-shaped and a great place to enjoy a cocktail or a bite to eat. If you’d rather get more comfortable, there are a plethora of couches, chairs and picnic tables scattered in various seating areas next to the bar. Many of the seating areas have large televisions and plenty of shade.

The seating areas around Just A Splash Bar & Grill

twenty6

Down the steps from the lobby is twenty6, a chic lounge and bourbon bar. This is a great spot for a pre-dinner drink, a light bite or an after-dinner dessert. I recommend the cookie skillet!

twenty6

The Grounds

The resort grounds are beautiful and give guests that “desert oasis” feeling. The resort’s charming pathways are lined with majestic palm trees. Along those pathways are plenty of gathering and seating areas that invite togetherness, relaxation and socialization.

Through the doors by the twenty6 lounge is a covered outdoor area with plenty of seating and several fire pits.

As you exit the main building and walk past the covered sitting area, you come to an open grassy area called Sage Court. During the majority of our stay, this area was an open recreation space complete with ping pong tables and cornhole equipment. On Thanksgiving they used half of it as outdoor dining for guests taking advantage of Tia Carmen’s holiday buffet.

Just beyond Sage Court are a couple big round seating areas complete with with enormous fire pits.

Miscellaneous

The resort has a lot to offer guests looking to be active.

Golf

The Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge has two on-site championship golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo.

Tennis and Pickleball

The Tennis Center offers 5 tennis and 17 lighted pickleball courts. Besides a full service pro shop, the center offers hourly court time, group and private lessons and seasonal daily clinics. Court time is included in the resort fee and we reserved two hours of pickleball for Thanksgiving morning.

The pro shop has all the required equipment so you don’t need to come prepared. Even though we were basically newbies, the game is very easy to pick up and we had a blast!

Spa

The Revive Spa offers a full menu of treatments along with a fitness center, Spa Bistro and separate swimming pool with cabanas. Not too far from the spa and fitness center is a man-made island called the Isle of Capri. This secluded spot would make a very special backdrop for a wedding ceremony.

Isle of Capri

Coming in 2023

As a part of its second phase of renovations, the resort will open a reimagined pool experience featuring three new five-story high waterslides, including the only dual person vertical wall tube slide at a resort west of the Mississippi. It will also include an active family splash zone for little ones, an extended lazy river, new cabanas, and a food truck area with shaded tables and lounge areas.

Besides the water slides, the pool expansion will contain these new features:

  • A family splash zone surrounding the lazy river with five cabanas, lounge seating, a splash pad, a playground and a food truck area
  • Sky Island, an adults-only area with an infinity pool, hot tub, four cabanas, lounge seating and fire pits
  • Sedona Spa, a “VIP family-friendly sanctuary,” with a large infinity-edge hot tub, three cabanas, five shaded day beds, lounge and fire pit seating, a waterfall and a stargazing area

Bottom Line

With the second phase of renovations already underway, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge will soon cement itself as one of the premier family resorts in the western United States. This sprawling resort will be the best of both worlds. For parents, it’s a newly renovated luxury resort with outstanding dining options. For the kids, it provides endless fun with the new pool experience. I would undoubtedly stay here again.

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. Using Points and Miles to get to Scottsdale
  3. Flight from Chicago to Phoenix
  4. JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

First Class Thanksgiving: A Review of American Airlines’ Airbus A321 from Chicago to Phoenix

By Leave a Comment

As I mentioned in Thanksgiving Trip Planning, our trip to Scottsdale was three years in the making. We started exploring it in 2019 but it got shelved due to the pandemic. So when we decided to book it for 2022, I wanted it to be special. About nine months before Thanksgiving, I used 120,000 American AAdvantage® miles to book four seats in First Class from Chicago to Phoenix. Besides it being a great deal, I mainly booked it because the aircraft was a Boeing 787-9, a.k.a the Boeing Dreamliner. We’d have lie-flat seats and enjoy everything First Class has to offer.

Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, there was a plane change a few months after I booked. As a result, our Boeing Dreamliner became an Airbus A321, which has a more standard First Class cabin without lie-flat seats.

I thought about calling American to complain, but 30,000 miles per seat in First Class was still a great deal. At booking, these seats cost only a few thousand more miles than economy seats on the same flight. In addition, every other flight that day charged almost double for First Class seats. Finally, when I checked prices about a month before our departure, American Airlines was asking 75,000 miles per seat in First Class.

So even with the disappointment of the aircraft change, I still feel good about redeeming those miles. It was still a fun way to make the trip a little more special!

Check-in and Boarding

Flying the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we gave ourselves extra time in case the airport was packed. We arrived at O’Hare Airport about two hours before our flight and got through security very quickly. We had a 7am flight, which helped a lot. I’m sure the airport got busier and busier as the day progressed. The other bonus of being on one of the first flights of the day is that the aircraft had arrived the night before so there were no delays.

Being First Class passengers, we were in boarding group 1 and were greeted warmly by a flight attendant as we boarded.

First Class for the Family: A Review of American's Airbus A321 from Chicago to Phoenix
Enjoying First Class!

Cabin and Seats

The First Class cabin consists of 16 total seats in a 2 by 2 configuration. The seats are 21 inches wide, making them about 3 inches wider than the Main Cabin and Main Cabin Extra seats.

The seats themselves were spacious and very comfortable. I’m 6′ 1″ and there was enough room to comfortably cross my legs when I wanted.

When reclining the seat back, the seat cushion also slides forward. This configuration makes it so your personal space is not affected much when the person in front of you reclines.

Overall, this seat is great for medium-haul flights, but for longer-haul flights I’d much prefer lie-flat seats.

Amenities

Unfortunately this route didn’t have any special amenities. As with most aircrafts these days, there’s no seat-back entertainment, so you need to use your personal electronic device to watch TV or movies. There’s a USB plug and a contraption to hold your device right on the seat back in front of you.

There’s one lavatory available to First Class passengers located at the front of the cabin. It wasn’t any different than a standard aircraft lavatory but it’s nice to have one just for the 16 people in the cabin.

Food Service

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendants came by to confirm the breakfast orders. After a hot towel, the meal service began.

Some of the available choices included a vegetable frittata and yogurt with granola. I pre-ordered an omelet that came with turkey sausage, potatoes and a side of fruit. The omelet was actually quite good! They also came by with a bread basket offering cinnamon rolls, biscuits or regular rolls.

Bottom Line

Overall, we had a great experience flying First Class. It was nice to be pampered a little and the comfortable seats made it much easier to get some shuteye. Unfortunately this trip didn’t satisfy my goal of flying First Class on Dreamliner, but it was still quite nice.

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. Using Points and Miles to get to Scottsdale
  3. Flight from Chicago to Phoenix
  4. JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa