Should Great Service At a County Government Office Be Surprising?

I spent the morning at the county Land Use department. I know – you’re hooked already! I had several questions about a piece of property we’re looking at purchasing. Having only been to the county records building – with a somewhat scary old fluorescent lit interior with a humming snack machine – walking into this much newer building was a very pleasant surprise. The warmly lit lobby with a digital directory, Starbucks, and very helpful security guard was almost as nice as the service in the Land Use Transportation office. I couldn’t believe this was a county office. They spent time with me, answered my questions clearly without sending me anywhere else and offered extra assistance with a smile. Wow.

I wonder if the housing and construction boom has changed the office’s perspective a bit, or if they were always such a competent and helpful group. Or maybe I need to change my expectations? The county records crew doesn’t show any change, so I don’t think it has been a successful county-wide initiative. Kudos to the transportation office! This property will probably lead me to more government offices -  I’m crossing my fingers for it to continue to be this easy!

Air Ninja Finds Discount Airlines on Your Route

There seems to be a plethora of sites willing to help you find airline deals. Some deal with air/car/hotel packages, others provide brand name fares, and still others display last minute deals to places you may not want to go. After booking 40 one-way flights around the world, I’d like to share what worked the best for us when we dealt with so many different cities.

• Check Expedia or Travelocity for the best fare city to city. You can assume these are brand name airlines, and it gives you a benchmark for fares.

• Then check Air Ninja for a listing of discount airlines that fly that route.

• Now that you have a good idea of who flies there, check the discount airlines’ sites for the best deal.

Though Air Ninja is *almost* our favorite Ninja, we often found its suggestions to be our best option, and for far less money especially in Europe. This led us to believe that British Airways passengers must be very loyal to their brand, because they certainly are paying significantly more in many cases.

Once in a while, the brand name airline does have the best fare, but we buy it on their site, not Expedia where we’ll pay extra fees. In some areas of Asia, like China and Vietnam, checking with your hotel booking agent may find you better fares as well. I always tried to do my homework before booking, and in 2006 it paid off in savings in the thousands.

Is AAA Membership Worth It?

Recently, I listened to a cashier at Safeway gathering her three customers in line to commiserate about costly AAA memberships. She described how she wasted almost $400 in the last five years because she’s never had to use any of the services. She’s planning not to renew this year.

AAA’s annual renewal usually brings up the question of “Did I use it last year?” and the resulting decision to renew always brings a little pain for me. In the last couple of years, I can only remember using them to unlock a door. But in the 90’s it was a life saver when my friend’s car hit a huge rock heading back from skiing at Crystal Mountain. The weather had turned rough, the roads were icy, and we were one of eight victims of that rock slide. It was wonderful to have them tow the car all the way back to Seattle. That scene repeated itself at different ski areas two more times during and soon after college.

I must remind myself that I have to treat this as insurance, and as my truck ages, there’s a greater chance I will be using it. Most people don’t ask themselves if they made any claims on their car insurance in the last year, when it’s time to renew. You are paying to insure the future period, and if you made it through the last period without any claims – all the better. Lee and I both have trucks that we intend to keep for the long haul. Lee’s truck is turning nine this year, and mine, eight, so these are the years to have roadside coverage.

In my evaluation, I admit I neglect to take into account the discounts we receive over the year, which turn out to be many, from hotels to frame shops. It even works in our beloved Vancouver B.C. where a little help to ease the strain on exchange rates is much appreciated. The total amount we save annually must be at least 3 times the membership fee of $89 (for Plus.) We also order the maps with ease, though I’m not sure how much these are really worth.

Now, if you decide you should have roadside assistance coverage, should you go with AAA or buy it as part of your regular car insurance policy? Does it depend on the amount you would expect to save in discounts during the year?

Don’t Transfer Miles on United!

Lee and I have racked up some United miles from flights and our credit card purchases in the last couple of years. In reviewing some gift options for the Monetorium, I looked up the option on United’s website to transfer miles to someone else’s account. Wow – what a scam!

They charge a $35 processing fee and then 1 cent per mile transferred. It doesn’t sound like a lot at first, but add up 60,000 miles transferred, and you’re paying $635 to give away your miles. When a domestic flight can cost 50,000 miles, it’s almost the same as paying twice for a ticket.

Why wouldn’t you just give them the cash to buy a ticket? Then use your miles to meet them for free! (If you can find a precious available seat)