After landing early from Jakarta on my Garuda First Class flight, I had a long wait before my room was ready at the Andaz Prinsengracht. Thank goodness for Priority Pass — it gave me access to the Aspire Lounge 41...
Review: Hyatt Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht
This was my third trip to Amsterdam but the first time I actually enjoyed it. I never really cared for the city before, dismissing it as a den of prostitutes and pot. This time, I saw there is so much more to...
Going to Canada? You May Now Need a Visa
Did you know that you now may need a visa to visit Canada? Last November the Canadian Government mandated that formerly visa exempt travelers obtain an eTA (electronic Travel Authorization) prior to travel to Canada by air. This includes transit....
Do You Use the Hotel Gym?
A new study confirms why I often have hotel gyms to myself. Hotels are racing to build fancy gyms for their guests—but that may be an exercise in futility. Fewer than half of hotel guests who say they planned on...
British Airways Will Have Less Seat Pitch Than Ryanair!
First it was food and drinks, now it is seat pitch. British Airways plans to reduce the seat pitch on its A320 and A321 aircraft from 30″ to 29″. That’s less room than Ryanair! I’ll start with my conclusion:...
Watch Out for This When You Book Airfare on Orbitz
In booking last-minute airfare this week I noticed some absolutely sketchy fees on Orbitz. Watch out for them. First, let’s talk when you should book your airfare on Orbitz. Answer: as little as possible. Booking on Orbitz, an online...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: March 4, 2017
Hello from Santa Monica, CA. I dined with some very dear clients who have become friends last night. Not knowing LA traffic, I hedged my bets and left early. Thankfully, traffic moved much better than my GPS suggested and I made...
Review: Garuda 777-300ER First Class Jakarta – Amsterdam
The moment had finally arrived. It was time to fly Garuda Indonesia First Class. Nanda and Roni, my two first class assistants, asked me if I would like to board first or last. Had the internet been working in...
United Making Boston-San Francisco Route Lie-Flat
United Airlines is making Boston – San Francisco a 100% lie-flat route in business class staring this summer. With fierce competition from JetBlue and Delta, starting on June 08, 2017 United will use a mix of 757s and 777s with lie-flat...
United CEO on Gulf Carriers: “Those airlines aren’t airlines”
At the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit this week, United CEO Oscar Munoz voiced strong opposition to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways (ME3). Those airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries. -United CEO Oscar Munoz In an...
Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class Lounge Jakarta
In my initial thoughts on Garuda Indonesia’s First Class Lounge in Jakarta, I focused on a few shortcomings. This review will help balance out what Garuda can improve upon with what it does well. I opted for a 3pm...
Why American Express Platinum Card Is Still Worthwhile
American Express has retooled its Platinum card. Let’s walk through the changes and then I will explain why I am keeping it. Here’s what changes, effective 30 March 2017– Two complimentary lounge guests when using Priority Pass benefit $15/month Uber...
United Polaris Menu for Spring 2017
When United Airlines rolled out its Polaris soft product in December 2016, it promised rotating menus so you would never get bored with the meal choices. While not the daily menu that KLM prints for its World Business Class, United...
Overrated Avios: Why I WON’T Take Advantage of British Airways Promo
On the surface, the deal sounds great — 150 Avios per dollar spent to join a dating website. By maximizing the deal you can earn 82,285 miles for $548.57. No brainer, right? So why have I decided not to...
Review: Grand Hyatt Jakarta
Although I spent only a night at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, I enjoyed every moment of my stay there. Well, almost every moment. I arrived late and an agent quickly checked me in, encouraging me to hurry up to the...
I Was Involved in an Uber Accident…
A traffic accident is always scary, no matter the circumstances. First, I’m okay. Second, it happened with Uber in Jakarta, not in the USA. But, I was involved in a minor Uber accident while driving from the airport to the Grand...
Soup Hits the Spot: LAX-IAD First Class on AA74
For this week’s Meal of the Week, I want to share something that I hope airlines will take seriously: soup is the way to a passenger’s heart. I could do a post on the dozens of soups I have enjoyed...
It’s A Small World (of Hyatt) After All
My wife and I took little Augustine to Disneyland last week. His first ride, appropriately I think, was It’s A Small World. The ride, a Disneyland staple since 1966, takes you on a journey around the world with the following...
Three Observations on Singapore KrisFlyer Devaluation
Singapore Airlines is devaluing its KrisFlyer program on March 23, 2017. While the changes could have been far worse, there is no way to spin this as good news. Singapore KrisFlyer Devaluation Details Singapore Airlines awards are going up moderately, anywhere from...
Cute Video from Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines is celebrating its 15th birthday and launching an Extra Smile campaign (get it?) to make help make some worthy soul’s dream come true. Start with the video– Overlook the “Going the extra smile for you since (sic) 15 years” title and...
