Upright & Stowed

Muji: Get To Know It

Never heard of Muji?  Then either (A) You've never been to Japan or (B) You rarely flex your modern design muscle.  If both are the case, I'd recommend dealing with (A) first.

Muji, for the uninitiated, is a Japanese retailing phenomenon that – according to Wikipedia – "is distinguished by its design minimalism, emphasis on recycling, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and no-logo policy."  If you want or need something for your home or your life, chances are that Muji has it in a stripped down, ingeniously packaged, invariably affordable version.

Muji products are currently available in the U.S. only through the MoMA Design Store.  But that's about to change.  In November, Manhattan will get its first devoted Muji retail outlet and my bet is that it's going to be a phenomenon.  Soon, we'll all be turning Japanese.   Photo Credit

It's A Widget!

Careful observers will notice a few new features on the blog.  I've added some widgets ... cute little functional rectangles where you can do something fun. 

Specifically, I have added a nifty little widget called "Blog Beg" where you can make a donation to Upright & Stowed, helping cover the exorbitant costs of publishing.  Actually, my blog costs are fairly low.  And I don't really need your dough to keep on blogging.  But if you are feeling generous, or if something I've written moves you, humors you, makes you think or makes you mad, feel free to pitch in. So far, I've raised the whopping sum of $0.

More interestingly, I've added widgets on the right side featuring some of my favorite travel-related products.  If you are in a buying mood, click on the link in the widget and it will take you to the store with the  lowest price I could find for the item.  You'll love anything I'm promoting, guaranteed.  Plus I get a teensy commission on the sale.  Everyone wins. 

Am I a sell out?  No.  It's just the American way.  Speaking of which, these people make me sick.  They're hypocrites, and I'm embarrassed that many of them are, like me, Jewish.

25,000 Free United Miles

Here's a tip.  Chase is offering 25,000 United Mileage Plus miles if you get the Chase Visa card and charge $250 dollars.  The card is fee-free the first year.  Which means you can get the card ... charge $250 ... wait for your miles to appear ... and then, well, don't renew it a year later. 

If you've got good credit, you've got nothing to lose.  And a totally free domestic ticket to gain.  I applied today. 

Root, Root, Root for the ...

Here’s a secret about me.  I am a sports fan. 

Here’s the qualifier:  Only when it's St. Louis, and only when it's the finals.

And another qualifier.  Only when it’s baseball.

Lucky for me, the St. Louis Cardinals are very good at making it into the finals.  This week they face off against the New York Mets in the National League Division Championships.   There's nothing more emotionally wrenching than a battle between your home team and your hometown team.  In this case, I've simply gotta say: "Go Cards!"   It's in the genes.

Note:  Speaking of St. Louis, MO …. congratulations to my friend Al, who correctly answered yesterday’s post.  The eight states in question all border Missouri.  The only other U.S. state with 8 bordering neighbors is Tennessee.  Now you know.

Best Credit Card For Earning Travel Rewards

A couple weeks ago I asked my friend and former business partner Billy if he would be interested in Guest Blogging a semi-regular column about  "Travel and Smart Spending," two subjects he knows more about than a person ought to.

I asked him this partly because I thought it would be fun for my faithful readers, and partly because I thought he could use the PR for his own fledgling blog, Billy Knows Best.

He turned me down.  He's too busy.  [No comment.]

So I've decided to begin periodically e-stealing posts on "Travel and Smart Spending" from Billy's blog.  First up, Billy's recommendation for the best credit card for earning travel rewards -- the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express.  I've carried this for 3 years based on Billy's recommendation.  It is truly the most versatile card out there for earning airline and hotel awards. Check out his blog for the skinny.  You'll be glad you did.    Thanks for the "free" tip Billy.   

Housekeeping Tipping

One of the reasons I love The New York Times
is that its writers are so good at anticipating the things I really want to know.  Take Joe Sharkey.  He's the Times' travel writer extraordinaire, and earlier this week he wrote a piece on tipping the hotel maid. 

I have to be honest.  In my early days of business travel (as a lowly account exec on Diet Coke and then as one of the 150,000 spokes on the American Express wheel), I never considered leaving a tip on the pillow of my hotel room. 

Then I started Out & About, and I began to travel with Billy Kolber-Stuart, a prince of travel etiquette and a master of the airline upgrade (more on that another day).  Billy introduced to me the idea of tipping the housekeeping staff as a common courtesy, and I've been an in-room tipper ever since.  The Sharkey article made me realize I've probably been a little stingy (I usually leave $2 a day ... he suggests $5).  I'm curious to know ... do you leave a tip on your drool-filled hotel pillow?

Credit Card Fees Abroad – Shocked!

I just got the Feb issue Conde Nast Traveler and was shocked to learn that I have been being charged 3% everytime I use my Citibank AAdvantage World MasterCard for charges in other countries.  I guess I naively believed that the merchant fee was all Citibank was taking.  I checked my Citibank fine print and discovered that 3% was indeed the term I'd agreed to.

I'm heading to St. Barts in a few weeks, so I think I'm going to find a card which doesn't charge such high foreign exchange fees.  Author Wendy Perrin recommends the Capital One card. If you're heading abroad and plan to charge more than a couple thousand dollars (that would set you back $60, at 3%), you may want to find a card for travel that makes better sense.