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...
Ethical Implications of Upside.com Business Trips
Incentivized purchases are nothing new though no one has really cracked the travel space. Upside has been very aggressive in its quest for users and offered big incentives to consumers for their purchases but focused on business travelers. What...
Review: Rimowa Topas Silver Luggage Collection
There are as many choices for what holds your belongings as there are flights to take. How do you make the right choice? Experienced travelers hold Rimowa in high regard and I wanted to try the brand for myself. Here’s...
Review: Le Méridien Charlotte Hotel
From one of my very first posts as a travel blogger, Le Méridien has held a special place in our heart. That being said, we rarely get the chance to try the brand so when I was away for...
Closing My American Airlines Citi Executive Card
I‘ve held the Citi Advantage Executive Credit Card since the day it was announced. In fact my wife and I were in Mexico applying on separate computers at the same time and it was the first premium card for...
Air New Zealand Makes My Case
I had previously discussed the issues with fare price protection for both consumers and brands. I outlined how fares have been priced so competitively that they rival genuine mistake fares and that the need for legislation protecting both is...
Moral Conundrum: JetBlue’s Cheap Florida Flights
In response to Hurricane Irma JetBlue is offering inexpensive flights to Florida. First, the carrier capped the cost of these flights to evacuate residents and visitors out of harm’s way but now the carrier is trying to get Floridians...
US Travelers Deserve Better Airfare Protection
Europe has been a model citizen for protecting consumer rights when it comes to air travel. The US led the world in protecting customers just a couple of years ago but has since gone away from recent reforms. With...
Pittsburgh International Airport Announces Renovation Plans
Today Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) announced their renovation plans for the former US Airways hub. This is just one of many new advances for the mid-size city over the last few years. Here’s what they have in store. If...
