Traveling and painting in 2026 part I

    

            Last year I updated every 6ish weeks. This year it will be an every month log. I will be starting off in Platinum for Delta, Diamond for IHG, and Diamond in BonVoy. I missed Delta Diamond by 1,800$.

            First weekend of the year I am on covering at Nano. Crown Plaza +5k a night. No painting, I was working the ankle. By the end of the trip I could run a mile without pain. One night in a Springhills, flat points and no painting. I ran 2 with knee and ankle pain.

            I am working every weekend in January, but the last. It is Delta One to Tel Aviv from JFK.I am first class on the way back. It was 120K miles to upgrade from 1st to One. My original ticket was 2500 round trip. Delta one was over 12k. 120k in miles is an international ticket and one in the states round trip. This is a one way deal. Delta One in the A330 is the newest, seat 6A. Even seats have more room.

            Delta One lounge in JFK is dope. Only the AmEx lounge in BA Argentina is close. I think if you travel all the time D1 is dope. If your a one and done or don’t fly a lot D1 experience won’t wow you. You have to be an AmEx club or miles lounge fly to feel the true upgraded love. Which creates something you can compare to other than eating Popeyes out of a box

            The food is excellent. % star is the restaurant. The Desert throughout is terrible. They do not change your silverware in between courses.

                The bar is free and all you can dream of.

            No IHG in the city we are staying in Israel. The host company set it up. Liers, a Crowne Plaza was around the corner and a 3rd of the price. I have never paid >4k for a two week stay!

            The wifi joined the last week. Then we bounce in and out to Cairo. Crown Plaza on points on the Nile, straight up river 3 blocks from the original Egyptian museum.

 

            Then Air France jacked my Delta tickets. All preventing Delta from fixing Air France's inability to get a plane off the deck, AF then stuck me on a British Airways flight home after failing to fly two days in a row.