Above & Beyond, British Airways and Chase. Elton John concert Dallas December 2018
Dec 27, 2018, 7:11 pm
#1
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Above & Beyond, British Airways and Chase. Elton John concert Dallas December 2018
As some of you may recall, British Airways & Chase run a series of events for British Airways Signature Visa cardholders. We were lucky enough to attend the first one in London which included amongst other things centre court tickets to Wimbledon. As a golf nut, I was also delighted to attend the day in February 2018 with Henrik Stenson. Unlike the first trip I didn't do much of a trip report for the golf day because a lot of it was at Henrik's house and I felt it would be an intrusion of his privacy to post lots of photos.
I always keep an eye out for the events as - so far - they have been spectacular! We considered a couple of others in 2018 but the dates didn't work for us and then I received an email for the Evening with an International Icon in Dallas.
We signed up and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Here's my trip report.
I always keep an eye out for the events as - so far - they have been spectacular! We considered a couple of others in 2018 but the dates didn't work for us and then I received an email for the Evening with an International Icon in Dallas.
We signed up and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Here's my trip report.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 11:55 am
Dec 27, 2018, 7:12 pm
#2
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
The email invitation, details and initial planning
In summary, it was 30,000 Avios for two people. The experience included:
Having been on previous events in this series we knew to expect a very high level or planning, attention to detail, quality and sophistication.
I called the ticket line the moment it opened and feared the worst but after a fairly lengthy hold period I secured tickets. Another thumbs up to the person who invented bluetooth earphones which meant I could continue working while holding.
The following day the Fedex package (below) arrived containing the details.
We decided to travel to Dallas on Thursday so I booked an extra night at the Hyatt. The rate wasn't too bad.
In summary, it was 30,000 Avios for two people. The experience included:
- 1 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Dallas
- Cocktail reception with live music at Reunion Tower
- Transportation to and from the American Airlines Center
- Private suite within the American Airlines Center
- Saturday Breakfast with acoustic musician
- Valet parking
- Memento from the concert
Having been on previous events in this series we knew to expect a very high level or planning, attention to detail, quality and sophistication.
I called the ticket line the moment it opened and feared the worst but after a fairly lengthy hold period I secured tickets. Another thumbs up to the person who invented bluetooth earphones which meant I could continue working while holding.
The following day the Fedex package (below) arrived containing the details.
We decided to travel to Dallas on Thursday so I booked an extra night at the Hyatt. The rate wasn't too bad.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 7:36 am
Dec 27, 2018, 7:12 pm
#3
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Travel to Dallas Thursday 13th December
AA flies direct from Tampa to Dallas so that was easy enough. There were a few other complications though. Just as we were about to board I received a call to tell me I needed to be in Dallas for meetings on Monday and Tuesday. My flight back was Saturday evening. Did I change plans and just stay there or come home and go back again? On top of that, my wife had fallen for a puppy on the Iowa/Illinois border and she was scheduled to pick him up on Saturday night before returning home on Sunday. My mission - which I'd already chosen to accept - was to get home before her, pick up our 8 year old springer spaniel from his holidays (boarding kennels) and get him settled in before the arrival of the newcomer. After some consideration on the flight, I decided I'd stick with the original plan, go home on Saturday, rescue the dog, wait for the travelers to arrive, repack and head straight back to Dallas Sunday night. Life is rarely straightforward! For anyone sick of this trip report already feel free to jump to the end for the cute puppy pictures.
I hadn't used my $35 Amex Plat Uber credit in December so we made good use of that heading into town Thursday evening.
The Hyatt Regency didn't disappoint. The room was lovely and very well appointed.
We checked in on Friday lunchtime, met some familiar faces and collected our tickets for the concert.
AA flies direct from Tampa to Dallas so that was easy enough. There were a few other complications though. Just as we were about to board I received a call to tell me I needed to be in Dallas for meetings on Monday and Tuesday. My flight back was Saturday evening. Did I change plans and just stay there or come home and go back again? On top of that, my wife had fallen for a puppy on the Iowa/Illinois border and she was scheduled to pick him up on Saturday night before returning home on Sunday. My mission - which I'd already chosen to accept - was to get home before her, pick up our 8 year old springer spaniel from his holidays (boarding kennels) and get him settled in before the arrival of the newcomer. After some consideration on the flight, I decided I'd stick with the original plan, go home on Saturday, rescue the dog, wait for the travelers to arrive, repack and head straight back to Dallas Sunday night. Life is rarely straightforward! For anyone sick of this trip report already feel free to jump to the end for the cute puppy pictures.
I hadn't used my $35 Amex Plat Uber credit in December so we made good use of that heading into town Thursday evening.
The Hyatt Regency didn't disappoint. The room was lovely and very well appointed.
We checked in on Friday lunchtime, met some familiar faces and collected our tickets for the concert.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 7:36 am
Dec 27, 2018, 7:13 pm
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Reunion Tower and "The British Are Coming"
The evening started with cocktails and food at the top of Reunion Tower which is attached to the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. To get us warmed up we were treated to "The British Are Coming"; a local Dallas Band with a lead singer from the states who did a great job sounding British. Their ranks included a keyboard player who had been knighted!
With the music, outstanding views, free bar and copious amounts of food I think we'd have been content to stay there all evening.
The evening started with cocktails and food at the top of Reunion Tower which is attached to the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. To get us warmed up we were treated to "The British Are Coming"; a local Dallas Band with a lead singer from the states who did a great job sounding British. Their ranks included a keyboard player who had been knighted!
With the music, outstanding views, free bar and copious amounts of food I think we'd have been content to stay there all evening.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 8:12 am
Dec 27, 2018, 7:14 pm
#5
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
The Loft Suite in the American Airlines Center, Dallas and Elton John's farewell concert tour
Before long it was time to take the coach transfer to the American Airlines Center. We were dropped off outside the front door (one of the VIP Platinum Premier entrances) and in we went. The Loft Suite is accessed through a luxurious attached private club via a red door. There were plush seats for everyone together with a couple of buffet stations and a bar serving a wide variety of drinks and these cocktails.
The place was still reasonably empty but starting to fill up. We still had about 45 minutes before the show started. The Loft Suite is almost right above the stage.
Seats at The Loft at the American Airlines Center are normally sold in groups of four and come with . For this event, Chase and British Airways had of course booked the whole place!
And on he came.
We remained in the Loft enjoying the hospitality for about 30 minutes after the event finished by which time almost everyone else had gone home.
Back at the hotel we found this waiting for us in our room. It contained a couple of gifts and mementos. More on the contents at the end of the report.
Before long it was time to take the coach transfer to the American Airlines Center. We were dropped off outside the front door (one of the VIP Platinum Premier entrances) and in we went. The Loft Suite is accessed through a luxurious attached private club via a red door. There were plush seats for everyone together with a couple of buffet stations and a bar serving a wide variety of drinks and these cocktails.
The place was still reasonably empty but starting to fill up. We still had about 45 minutes before the show started. The Loft Suite is almost right above the stage.
Seats at The Loft at the American Airlines Center are normally sold in groups of four and come with . For this event, Chase and British Airways had of course booked the whole place!
And on he came.
We remained in the Loft enjoying the hospitality for about 30 minutes after the event finished by which time almost everyone else had gone home.
Back at the hotel we found this waiting for us in our room. It contained a couple of gifts and mementos. More on the contents at the end of the report.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 9:05 am
Dec 27, 2018, 7:15 pm
#6
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Farewell breakfast back at the Hyatt on Saturday morning, onward travel puppy collection and back to Dallas the following day
Breakfast was served in a private room at the Hyatt Saturday morning. It featured a British themed room, a buffet, omelette station, bar including mimosas (bucks fizz to us) and an acoustic guitarist. We had a chance to chat some more with other guests which was fun.
After breakfast we checked out and left our bags with the hotel and wandered along to the JFK museum which is located in the famous book depository on Elm where (it's alleged) that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy on his own in 1963. The museum was fascinating and yet I can't help thinking that there's more to be revealed by government sources at some point in the future. You heard it here first!!
From there straight to the airport. My wife headed to Quad City (MLI) to pick up the puppy. I went home to Tampa. She arrived home Sunday afternoon, we spent two hours together with the puppy and then I headed back to Dallas.
The mementos in the gift bag included a bluetooth speaker and a framed piece of Elton John sound wave. Using an augmented reality app on an iPhone or Android device, it's possible to play the sound wave by pointing the camera at it. The framed sound wave looks great but the augmented reality app is a bit silly if I'm honest. There was also a mount for us to preserve out tickets. Finally, meet Philip the Cavapoo.
In summary, this was another exceptionally well organized and run event made possible by Chase and British Airways as part of their Above & Beyond series of events. I would encourage all British Airways Chase card holders to keep an eye out for future events.
Breakfast was served in a private room at the Hyatt Saturday morning. It featured a British themed room, a buffet, omelette station, bar including mimosas (bucks fizz to us) and an acoustic guitarist. We had a chance to chat some more with other guests which was fun.
After breakfast we checked out and left our bags with the hotel and wandered along to the JFK museum which is located in the famous book depository on Elm where (it's alleged) that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy on his own in 1963. The museum was fascinating and yet I can't help thinking that there's more to be revealed by government sources at some point in the future. You heard it here first!!
From there straight to the airport. My wife headed to Quad City (MLI) to pick up the puppy. I went home to Tampa. She arrived home Sunday afternoon, we spent two hours together with the puppy and then I headed back to Dallas.
The mementos in the gift bag included a bluetooth speaker and a framed piece of Elton John sound wave. Using an augmented reality app on an iPhone or Android device, it's possible to play the sound wave by pointing the camera at it. The framed sound wave looks great but the augmented reality app is a bit silly if I'm honest. There was also a mount for us to preserve out tickets. Finally, meet Philip the Cavapoo.
In summary, this was another exceptionally well organized and run event made possible by Chase and British Airways as part of their Above & Beyond series of events. I would encourage all British Airways Chase card holders to keep an eye out for future events.
Last edited by golfmad; Dec 28, 2018 at 11:54 am
Dec 28, 2018, 7:11 am
#8
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Dec 28, 2018, 9:06 am
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
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Posts: 13,248
Dec 28, 2018, 1:18 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,057
Nice writeup and pics, although I must admit one of my pet peeves is people extensively taking pics and videos at concerts as I find it very distracting and figure the internet is full of pics and vids of these artists already. I've been trying to figure out how to get my wife to one of his shows, but haven't figured out the where/how yet. What was the reason for the International Icon secrecy? The event at Stenson's house sounds interesting too.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Dec 28, 2018, 2:18 pm
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Posts: 13,248
It was related to marketing rights. I don't know the full story which is why I was intentionally vague about it but I believe another large American financial services group had the exclusive promotional rights. Mentioning the name in a marketing campaign and online may have breached those rights so the name was omitted.
Dec 28, 2018, 2:29 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,057
Got it on both. I attended a Steve Hackett concert a couple of years ago at a small venue and was sitting in the 4th row. A guy in the second row was streaming the whole show to his brother who wasn't there. Drove me nuts, but I figured the brother was enjoying the show. Maybe I'll run into you on the golf course someday as I do travel to the TPA area occasionally and Scotland less frequently. Hit 'em straight.
Dec 28, 2018, 2:36 pm
#14
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Got it on both. I attended a Steve Hackett concert a couple of years ago at a small venue and was sitting in the 4th row. A guy in the second row was streaming the whole show to his brother who wasn't there. Drove me nuts, but I figured the brother was enjoying the show. Maybe I'll run into you on the golf course someday as I do travel to the TPA area occasionally and Scotland less frequently. Hit 'em straight.
Dec 28, 2018, 2:57 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,057
If you like my name, you'll love the fact that I've had a hole in one on the 6th hole and took a 10 on the 14th hole (it's a long par 4 LOL). I'll PM you my contact info and details of my next trip down.