When we booked our mistake fare to Manchester we wanted to pick our hotel very carefully. After living in the city for several years, we didn’t have much opportunity to try out area hotels. The Radisson Blu Edwardian in...
Making $1500 Flying A Mistake Fare
We booked a mistake fare back to England to see friends and visit the Christmas Markets. Mistake fares always present outsized value for the product sold, but on this occasion we got all of our money back and profited...
Putting the ‘Mistake’ in Mistake Fare
I posted some time ago about the tremendous deal/mistake fare that was offered by Air Transat from several airports in Canada to several airports in Europe. I wasn’t sure at the time if this was just a great deal...
Review: Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong – Suite
As part of my United 1K Challenge I headed to Shanghai for a quick status run. I wanted to stay in some new properties as I had previously stuck to Hyatt and hadn’t spread my wings beyond the brand....
Review: OneJet Airways Milwaukee to Omaha
This summer I had the chance to try out OneJet from Pittsburgh to Louisville. I loved the service but had a lot of questions about the business and reached out to the CEO. I noticed that they had just...
Sometimes It All Goes Horribly Wrong
This year I have become a true road warrior and travel changed from pleasure to work. One would think that this would make me an even more competent traveler and in some ways it has, but every once in...
Review: Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui
My wife and I have been to Hong Kong more times than we can count. We love Asia’s World City and know it fairly well. Hong Kong is home to our favorite restaurant, it’s one of our favorite places...
Unpopular Utterances About Today’s State of Flying
As a travel blogger I aim to be diplomatic when possible. I try to keep an open mind when it comes to situations that may seem obvious but underlying factors may be at work for which I am unaware....
Why Did I Choose American Over Qatar?
My wife and daughter spent the summer in Thailand as it is my busy season at work and I am nearly never at home – why shouldn’t they be at the beach instead? As a result, I have been...
Interview With OneJet CEO Matthew Maguire
OneJet is a new commercial airline operating small private jets based in Pittsburgh. I had the chance to fly their product and loved it but as a travel blogger, I was left with more questions than answers. I reached...
United Chasing The Wrong Incremental Spending
As the year comes to a close, some travelers have already re-qualified for status for the year while others find themselves coming up short. In the past, American, United and Delta have offer incentives to drive business and improve...
Review: Hyatt Centric The Woodlands – Houston
I’ve wanted to try the Hyatt Centric brand for some time. I liked the idea of their approach to premium design hotels and it’s something different for the chain. While limited in scope right now, some of the more...
Review: OneJet Private Plane Pittsburgh-Louisville
OneJet is a newer scheduled commercial airline service that flies among medium-sized cities offering direct service where there is currently only connections. OneJet utilizes 7-8 seat private jets but flies from commercial terminals and offers time savings for a...
Review: Park Hyatt Ningbo China (Suite)
During longer holidays my family tries to go deeper and travel farther when we have time on our side. Exploring the Park Hyatt brand (they always impress) we found a property in a Chinese city we had not been...
Closing My BankDirect Mileage Checking Account
Earning miles and points on everything you do should extend to your checking account if possible. For a long time I have loved debit products like the SunTrust Delta Debit card, and the BankDirect mileage-earning checking account. It offers...
Status Lite Is Bad For Everyone
Hotels, car rental companies, airlines – loyalty programs of all kind offer status to their best customers to distinguish casual guests from true loyalists. Status involves greater benefits in exchange for an increase in business. In order to create new...
Rocketmiles Gave Me $20 Without Booking
I am always on the look out for better ways to book travel. Certain markets make services like Rocketmiles a great value or later in the year where status has already been achieved. After shopping around for an upcoming...
Southwest Kind Of Announces Hawaii Flights
Last weekend I reported about Southwest and the rumors swirling regarding their Hawaii operations. Based on information I gained from a casual conversation on a beach in Kona with a Southwest senior employee, it was clear that Denver would...
Important Note on Marriott’s Unpublished Platinum Status Challenge
I wrote a few weeks ago regarding Marriott’s unpublished Platinum elite status challenge. I referred a contact to the process and he didn’t have the same luck. I assumed it was a case of a misinformed phone rep (as...
Unsubstantiated Gossip: Southwest Wants Denver-Kona
I have avoided writing this post for just shy of a year because there wasn’t yet corroborating evidence or reason to believe it’s true – now there may be. Based on potentially reliable information, Southwest may focus on Denver...
