Sometimes even well-intentioned plans are not meant to be. I was so excited to book a free trip to Las Vegas courtesy of JetBlue Vacations a few weeks ago. Heidi had never been and Vegas is the perfect one-day...
The Best Part of the Tanzania Trip
We’ve now worked our way though a 24-part trip report and I have neglected to share what truly made the trip a great one. It was the company. I have taken so many amazing solo trips around the world, but...
Dump the Kid for a Romantic Getaway to Iceland?
Admittedly, I wasted two hours yesterday morning trying to figure out a way to travel from Los Angeles to Iceland on WOW Air during a flash fare sale. One problem: the baby does not have his passport yet. Hindsight is...
The Farce of Airport Security
How to wreak terror inside a secure airport in 2017? Place a gun into your checked bag, grab your bag off the carousel, pull the gun out, load the gun, and start firing. That’s what happened last week in...
The Travel Infrastructure Problem in the USA
What was the real reason behind yesterday’s U.S. Customs delay that stranded thousands of travelers and left the immigration process at a standstill across U.S. airports? Rampant speculation that Russian hackers or other nefarious actors were responsible has been at the...
Reflecting on Priorities This Christmas
I’m thinking about priorities this Christmas. While I’ve spent four days dwelling on Garuda Indonesia First Class a civil war continues in Syria. It appears thankfully drawing to a close, but 400,000 have already been killed. War rages in Somalia and...
And Baby Makes Three
Early in her pregnancy, my wife Heidi and I had many spirited debates over what to name our son. We knew he was a boy and so I (naturally) suggested we name him Matthew Klint Jr, so that we...
New Pet Relief Area at LAX or Secret Smoking Patio?
LAX has opened a new pet relief area on the site of a former smoking patio in Terminal 6. The “Pet Park” is LAX’s third: there is also one beyond security in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and another...
On Turning 30
Yesterday I turned 30 at 38,000 feet somewhere over Nevada. I was flying JetBlue Mint Class with Lucky and just past the stroke of midnight he came over from his Mint Suite to mine and rubbed in that I...
Where in the World Am I?
I don’t post the “sorry I’ve been busy” excuses that some travel bloggers post when they go for several days between writing. Blogging is indeed a business, but still not my primary occupation. I consider it “fun” and as...
Scary Flight Experience
I’ve written about the scariest in-flight experience I have ever had, but I think last night may have been even worse. I’m still trying to process how much was reality and how much was nightmare. I was on a...
When is a Vacation Too Long?
I’m back from a very long trip…the longest trip I’ve ever taken. I realize some of you will snicker when I reveal my vacation was only 3.5 weeks, but for someone who is used to taking 2-3 day trips,...
A Thanksgiving Resolution
nce upon a time there was a boy who loved to fly around the world using his miles and points. Around the globe he flew, visiting the far corners of the world; meeting new people and surveying new lands....
Brussels Shuts Down and State Department Travel Warning
Brussels is essentially shut down for a third day — public transportation has ground to a standstill, shops are closed, and tanks roll down empty boulevards. Parisians look around each corner furtively, with images of carnage permanently ingrained and...
Another Terrorist Attack in Paris
I had a light-hearted post scheduled for publication this evening, but with tragedy in Paris still unfolding — more than 100 dead in multiple terrorist attacks around the French capital — the post would have simply been out of...
How Long Can A Traveler Go Without Sleep?
It has been a long few days for me. I worked very late on Tuesday and was up at 5:30a the following morning for my spin class, getting about four hours of sleep. I took a nap that afternoon...
Pictures: Budapest Keleti Railway Station
One of my favorite things about traveling is to be in places that later become focal points for international headlines. I was in Tahrir Square in Cairo months before the Egyptian Revolution, drinking coffee in the Argana Cafe in Djemaa...
Flight Attendants and Religious Freedom
As a lawyer who studied free speech extensively in law school, controversies pitting religious liberty and accommodation against employer demands are of particular interest. Two simmering issues surrounding the actions of flight attendants bring this legal tension to our...
Read Rolling Stone for Ben Schlappig, not Kim Kardashian!
Rolling Stone is an icon of pop culture and a barometer of hipness in American life. Not surprisingly, a recent issue has self-proclaimed diva Kim Kardashian letting it all hang out on the cover. Flip past that though, for...
A Day in the Life of a Weary Road Warrior…And Some Humor
Let me tell you about my latest trip. I still wonder sometimes why I do this to myself, but am thankful that I still find fun in flying for the sake of flying. I hope you find this “Dear...
