My quick hop up to Philadelphia today turned into a grueling three-hour journey thanks to bad weather. But it could have been much worse. At least there were pretzels. Stale pretzels. We pulled out of the A Concourse at...
Lost Baggage on MegaBus
You know that sinking feeling you get when you are waiting at the baggage carrousel for your bag, the same bags are going around over and over, and no new bags are coming off the belt? Been there. Last...
Labor Day Weekend in Hawaii
I am on my way to Hawaii today (Friday) for a long weekend in Honolulu. It will be my first time back to the Islands since March 2011 and my first multi-day stay in Honolulu since 2004. Each year,...
The Faux Allure of a Cheap MegaBus Ticket
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 15 times, I must be an idiot. I had to journey from Philadelphia to New York City tonight and had two options—Amtrak for $50 and...
No More Bumps on United Airlines for Me
My United redeye flight to Philadephia Monday turned out to be oversold. But I did not take a bump. It simply wasn’t worth the effort, a stark change in the post-merger world. Overnight bumps used to be an incredible...
United’s Retro Boarding Pass
When a portion of United Airlines’ computer network crashed today, gate agents were left to improvise. Most just waited out the 2hr, 20min outage, but some got creative–check out this boarding pass from #moiraforbes: It’s like 1955 all...
40% Bonus for American Express Transfers to British Airways Avios
UPDATE: This offer has expired. The American Express 40% transfer bonus to British Airways Executive Clubis back! Now through September 27, 2012, American Express Cardmembers will receive 40% more Avios when transferring American Express Membership Rewards points into British Airways Executive Club....
Once Again, A Change in Travel Plans = No Problem!
After all the time I spent securing an upgrade on my Los Angeles-Denver dinner flight this afternoon, it turns out I did not take the flight. No bumps, no drama–I just had too much work to do and could...
Did I Screw Up the Upgrade Queue on My LAX-DEN United Flight?
After posting about the intrigue surrounding United Airline’s complimentary upgrade process yesterday, reader Dan left this insightful comment: It’s very simple — there is someone ahead of you in the CPU queue who has a ticket ‘out of sync’...
Understanding How Complimentary Premier Upgrades Work On United Airlines
I suppose it is rather sad that it has taken me so long to figure this out, but my flight to Denver on Monday has finally helped me to understand how Continental’s United’s complimentary elite upgrade system works. In...
United Announces Additional 787 Routes
Although United Airlines, with great fanfare, announced that the Boeing 787 would operate the carrier’s new Denver-Tokyo Narita route next year, that will not be the first route we will see United’s newest fleet addition on. Today, United filled us...
Flying Home One Day Early on United Airlines
One of the positive post-merger changes on United Airlines is the ability to confirm an earlier flight up to 24 hours before your scheduled flight, even if it is the day before. I took advantage of that today—and it...
Three Hours Left! Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with $2K Minimum Spend
Chase informed us this morning that they are pulling their recently announced offer of 40,000 Ultimate Reward points after $2,000 in spending within three months on the Sapphire Preferred Card. I suspect the offer will be back this fall,...
United Wins My Loyalty…Again
After what was perhaps the best summer of my life, I have left Germany and returned to Philadelphia. The one upside to being back in Philadelphia is that my domestic travel has now resumed, and that is something I...
Hey British Airways: It’s Japan Airlines, not Japanese Airlines!
British Airways is tinkering with their online Executive Club award booking search engine and right now it is not possible to book online award flights with Japan Airlines (JAL), or as BA calls it: Japanese Airlines. I have to...
Relaxing in Thessaloniki
After a rather stressful but fascinating (wait for the trip report) trip through the Balkans, my arrival in Thessalonki, Greece yesterday was most welcomed. I have sought refuge at the Hyatt Regency Thessalonki for a couple nights and plan only...
Why I Won’t Be Going to Venezuela Anytime Soon
My readers know that I am up for an adventure. I’ve been to some messy parts of the world and am bolder than most in choosing a travel destination. But there are some places that even I will not...
In the Heart of the Balkans
I am writing this in a very Soviet-style hotel room in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. Yes, I am deep into the Balkans now. The last several days have been quite picturesque–Dubrovnik and Budva were spectacular. Belgrade and Sarajevo...
US Airways is Growing on Me
I may rave about a good flight on US Airways here and there, but most of my dealings with US Airways come over the phone. So many of my European clients have discovered the tremendous benefits of purchasing discounted...
An Op-Up, Yet a 500EUR Cash Voucher Eludes Me on Lufthansa
There are few things worse for flexible frequent travelers than finding out when it is too late that you missed out on a bump, the opportunity to give up your seat in exchange for compensation. I’m now in Belgrade,...
