After a wild year, here’s where things ended up for me and my family, my predictions, and a look ahead.
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Places I Thought I’d Go But Didn’t
“Oh the places you’ll go” but Dr. Suess was a liar. Actually, it was me with unfulfilled destinations on the map, some for good reason.
I had hoped to visit Africa this year in a meaningful way. We weren’t able to make that happen and while I’d love to report that my daughter was able to add another continent to her list, we simply didn’t get there. It remains high on the list, but with my son Frankie just 10 months old at the moment, a true foray into the green hills of Africa will not likely happen in the near future.
My travel agency is one of the top five in the world for Luxury Antarctica expeditions. I was offered several comped trips, not in connection with a review, but rather as a result of my business’s engagement in the region. And for the second year in a row, we just didn’t make it south to participate, though we sent several others this year. It’s high on the list, but I need to carve out time for it that I haven’t heretofore.
The American West was also a target for this year on the domestic front and to my wife’s dismay, we also struggled to find an opportunity to visit one of the great natural wonders in the world, we simply didn’t make it West.
Lastly, we anticipated a return to Asia which we usually do over the holidays. But we didn’t visit there for a different reason. My parents are getting older and there are few Christmases left for our daughter where the magic is still alive. Bangkok can wait, though we might not be able to sit out another year.
Promises Kept
I intended to try new products including all-inclusives like Impression by Secrets Isla Mujeres and I did. I particularly loved that product not just because of the high quality hard product and excellent service, but also for delivering Cancún convenience without the Cancún mess.
I also wanted to try cruise products this year and we loved Explora Journeys. We will travel on that product again in February. We also committed to seeing more of the Caribbean which hasn’t been a focus for us in the past as we lived in Europe and Asia and simply wanted to go farther away when on holiday. We saw St. Barth’s, St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, and Barbados. Next year we will add the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, and Puerto Rico to the list.
I also wanted to try new hotel products and despite my undying love for all things Hyatt, Kimpton and IHG One were surprising winners. Kimpton is well known for delivering an excellent product but I doubted IHG would be able to keep it separate and unique but in my experience, it was excellent.
I Declared Free Agency From Elite Status And Nearly Achieved It
I didn’t do any end-of-the-year mileage runs on United and I wasn’t going to go crawling back to American Airlines – I wanted to try Free Agency. I held onto Spirit Gold and I don’t actually regret that or my patronage of the carrier especially flying from Pittsburgh where nonstop flights and reasonable rates can be a challenge.
I spent the year as a Hyatt Explorist and Hilton Silver despite holding an American Express Platinum credit card which should give me Gold but doesn’t. Note: make sure your emails are the same for both accounts on your initial sign-up or you’ll spend an eternity getting the status upgrade approved.
But then, late in the year, there was an opportunity for instant status on American Airlines ahead of a flight I had on the carrier. What’s one little taste of the old stuff for which I was addicted? It’s not like I’ll get hooked again…
That might not have been a good idea. I got caught up again in chasing status and miles in the last quarter and I am not sure I will be able to escape it again. Time will tell but it felt like returning to an abusive relationship that somehow feels like home. Twisted.
Year Of The 5th Placed Airline
I didn’t see the race for [checks notes] fifth place in a nation with [checks notes, again] 12 medium to large carriers heating up in the way that it has. The JetBlue acquisition of Spirit Airlines has yet to be consummated though the courts striking down JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance was a shock. I maintain that Spirit holds a unique position in the market as the only Ultra Low-Cost Carrier that flies between major business airports with a regular schedule, something Allegiant, Frontier, and Sun Country do not match.
However, JetBlue’s expansion to Europe (so far flying to half of the destinations I predicted) and position in the Northeast US coupled with Spirit’s struggles of late, makes a stronger case for the acquisition than it initially appeared. The DOJ’s all-or-nothing position also makes it hard for a judge to deny the tie-up.
Then, at the eleventh hour in a bid for the same position of 5th place in the largest air market in the world, Alaska placed a bid to absorb Hawaiian Airlines. Its plan is a little easier to approve, given that it doesn’t remove a market segment competitor in the way the JetBlue-Spirit deal would and it allows for Alaska to grow into an international flag carrier with large widebodies to major destinations. That said, the Hawaiian-Mainland US market would consolidate among two of its largest players.
A Look Ahead
The first quarter will see us at home just nine days through the middle of February before a European trip consumes most of March. Before the second quarter of the year, we will see Portugal in a meaningful way, a return to Paris and Italy, more of the Caribbean, some new products, lots of new hotels, a new cruise product, and some new airlines as well. We will also try a river cruise and see several Christmas markets that have been long on our list.
Unlike last year, I’m not making broad proclamations for 2024. I will start the first half of the year as an American Airlines Platinum, holding onto to Spirit Gold a bit longer, and Hyatt Explorist (though I may try to return to Hyatt Globalist – the air is just crisper at the top.)
The industry is going to be crazy too. If, somehow, the JetBlue-Spirit deal is blocked but Alaska-Hawaiian is approved, JetBlue would have a reasonable case for appeal further dragging on who wins fifth place. Plenty of ink will be spilled regardless of either acquisition outcomes. Hotels will continue to look for growth areas as their businesses evolve. I don’t have much confidence in the home-sharing segment as a growth area for hotels, but further acquisitions and consolidation may occur.
Matthew highlighted in a heartbreaking post on Christmas day the preciousness of our time on earth. I, too, see the little time we spend on this mortal coil as fleeting. My family looks forward to spending holidays with our relatives, taking trips to see new destinations, and experiencing new things together rather than just our small family of four. This is new for us, but something we are looking forward to pursuing.
One final note. Matthew mentioned that he is going to shift to occasionally talking about credit card products and, yes, they will financially benefit us if you sign up for them. We have mostly shunned these pieces to be different from the rest of the hobby, though there are links on every page of this blog – we just don’t push them for the most part. Like Matthew, not only are we actively avoiding a revenue source, but like our readership, we look at reviews for products before making a decision for ourselves. That’s a disservice to everyone. We still won’t shove them down anyone’s throats but if there’s something unique, we will probably highlight it. My travel agency is in the business of booking personalized trips, we earn money from selling travel and we do a great job. I won’t be ashamed of highlighting this here or anywhere else.
Conclusion
I missed on a lot of my desired trips for 2023 but I don’t feel unfulfilled. In fact, the last quarter of the year was so busy that we were rarely home with a mix of business, leisure, and blended trips. The new year looks to be starting off with a bang but I’ll keep my sights low and plans flexible to jump on opportunities as they arise. But as COVID broke a ton of travel regiments for the frequent traveler community, I count myself among those that have wildly shifted my priorities and plans. I intend on continuing that trend. To 2023, I raise a toast to a great year of travel for my family and hopefully our readers and to 2024 I open my arms to welcome whatever may come. Thanks for coming along on this wild ride with us.
What do you think? Did you succeed or fail with your travel goals and predictions?
“My travel agency is one of the top five in the world for Luxury Antarctica expeditions.”
My eyes rolled SO hard into my head when I read that. So much self-aggrandizing so early in the article made me skip the rest of it.
@Lukas – Good idea, I’ll move it to later in the post!
Nice, we all have room for improvement!
Totally off topic, but does anyone have any information on today’s ET506 diversion to Entebbe? I am in Buenos Aires and had been hoping to welcome the new year onboard the ET507 with plenty of champagne, but it’s not looking good.