Finnair surprised me, in a very good way. My A350-900 flight in business class from Helsinki to Beijing was exceptional. The ground experience, however, could use a little work. After spending some time in both the Finnair Business Class...
Review: Almost@Home Lounge Helsinki (Great Priority Pass Lounge)
I visited the Almost@Home lounge while transiting through Helsinki (HEL) just to grab a few pictures, but ended up liking it more than the crowded Finnair lounge. This is a great lounge option in Helsinki for Priority Pass members. The...
This Airport Lounge Has a Stylish Sauna
The sauna is a central part of Finnish culture. Fittingly, Finnair offers a sauna for guests of its business class lounge at Helsinki Airport. Located between the business class and “Premium” lounges in the non-Schengen area, the sauna area...
Review: Finnair Business Class Lounge Helsinki (HEL)
The Finnair Business Class lounge in Helsinki offers a great selection of food and fast wi-fi, but it does get crowded. You’ll find the lounge near Gate 36 in the non-Schengen area. As you enter the lounge, you’ll turn...
Review: Finnair A320 Business Class Berlin to Helsinki
Finnair has one thing going for it in its intra-Europe business class: hot meals. A nice lunch is my main takeaway from the short flight from Berlin to Helsinki. Berlin Tegel is such a mess. The airport is somewhat...
Review: Grand Hyatt Berlin
Located in the upscale Potsdamer Platz neighborhood within walking distance of the Brandenburg Gate, the Grand Hyatt Berlin is a great hotel choice in Berlin. I must admit, my favorite (points) hotel in Berlin has always been the Westin...
Review: JetSmarter Challenger 300 Van Nuys, CA to Las Vegas
Flying private from Southern California to Las Vegas ushered in an entirely new era in my personal flight history. As I alluded to in my teaser post, flying on a private jet is a dream for every aviation junkie....
Review: Singapore Airlines A380 Economy Class New York to Frankfurt
It was with some reluctance that I agreed to fly Singapore Airlines economy class, but it was not a mistake: the flight turned out to be one of the best economy class experiences in all my years of flying....
Review: The Confidante (Hyatt Unbound Collection)
While my wife and I have certainly been Hyatt loyalists over the years, we have started to drift away given some of the new changes to their loyalty program, World of Hyatt. Thus the Confidante in Miami is our...
My Top 10 Lounges in 2017
In addition to many remarkable flights this year, I’ve also enjoyed many excellent lounges. Here’s a look back at my top 10 lounges of 2017. Although I have visited many superior hotel lounges, I’ve constrained my list only to...
Review: United 777-300ER Economy Class Frankfurt to San Francisco
What is United Airlines’ economy class product like on its 10-across 777-300ER between Europe and the USA? Once in awhile, a bit of a reality check is nice. Although I love premium cabins and am fortunate to routinely secure...
Sleeping Rooms in Qatar’s Al Mourjan Lounge (Doha)
My layover in Doha (DOH) was too short for even a nap, but if you ever find yourself there with a long layover, a relaxation area is available. During my recent transit in Doha, I wanted to shower before...
New “Pop-Up” United Club in Newark Airport
With ongoing construction on a new Polaris Lounge at Newark’s Liberty International Airport, United faced a critical overcrowding issue in its only other Terminal C United Club. The solution? A new “Pop-up” United Club near Gate C-124. United’s lounge...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 17, 2017
After another trip to New York, I’m back in Los Angeles until tomorrow…when I’ll fly to Germany for Christmas. It has been a hectic month, so I am looking forward to some downtime. American Airlines’ opened a beautiful new...
Review: AA Flagship First Dining Los Angeles (LAX)
The new Flagship Lounge is nice, but I was most excited to sample American Airlines’ new Flagship First Dining experience at LAX. This lounge within a lounge is reserved exclusively for first class passengers traveling on longhaul international routes...
Dinner for Breakfast in Lufthansa First Class Terminal
Last week I had the chance to visit the Lufthansa First Class Terminal (FCT) on our way home from Frankfurt and enjoyed a steak for breakfast. > Read More: Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt Review Though it was only 7am,...
Review: Apricot Lounge Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)
Qatar Airways uses the Apricot Lounge in Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) for its business class passengers, a nice independent lounge that partners with six airlines. I liked the bright colors, natural light, and tarmac views of this lounge....
Review: Vietnam Airlines A321 Economy Class Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City
My unexpected flight on Vietnam Airlines gave me a positive first impression of the Vietnamese flag carrier. In case you missed my intro post, I wound up on this flight after I was denied boarding on VietJet for lack...
Review: Ethiopian NEW 787 Business Class Addis Ababa to Bangkok
This review will be shorter than my previous two longhaul Ethiopian Business Class trip reports, focusing primarily on the new 787-8 lie-flat business class seat. Ethiopian Airlines has two different business class seats on its 787-8. Both are configured...
Review: Park Hyatt Shanghai (Suite)
Considering that we do not yet know if, when and where we will go on vacation over the holidays this year I found myself looking back in the way-back machine and remembering our time at the Park Hyatt Shanghai....
