I appreciate that many of you chimed in with helpful advice in my recent post on making a short connection in Cancun. After weighing the risks of a tight connection versus the ease of a non-stop flight and spending...
Stupid Connection? 1hr45min in Cancun with Terminal Change
I’m embarking on a new trip this week, this one just for three days to review three new airline products. The trip itself will start in Cancun and I’m reaching out to anyone who has transited in Cancun before...
Caution: Chase Strictly Limits Korean Air SkyPass Transfers
Word of warning: Chase points can only be transferred to Korean Air SkyPass once every 24 hours. I learned the hard way. I’m not traveling home tomorrow on Turkish Airlines…or Kuwait Airways. No, I think I’ve got something even...
Co-Terminal Standby on Award Travel
Co-terminal standby travel is possible on award travel. Recently I booked an ANA first class award from Chicago to Tokyo Narita with a connection on Thai Airways from Narita to Bangkok in business class the following afternoon. I was...
One Surprising Reason to Buy United Basic Economy
Here’s the ironic thing about buying a Basic Economy ticket on United Airlines. By not being able to pre-assign a seat, you often end up with one of the best economy seats on the aircraft. My brother’s girlfriend accidentally...
Avoid Unnecessary Frustration: Essential Call Center Lingo
I spend hours on the phone each week speaking to different airlines and loyalty programs from around the world. The single most important time-saver: the phonetic alphabet. I was on the phone last night with Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) booking an...
Caution: Bring Plenty of Cash to Thailand or Face Detention & Deportation
A rather alarming story for someone like me who enjoys going to Thailand but hates carrying cash: some western tourists are being refused entry or even detained for not bringing sufficient hard currency along. Thai Law requires tourists to arrive...
Flying Qatar This Week? Why You Shouldn’t Panic
News broke overnight that a handful of Gulf nations would diplomatically isolate Qatar. The isolation may include blocking air space vital for Qatar Airways to smoothly operate. While news is still developing and the situation could get much worse, for now...
Here’s How to Get a Free Transit Hotel and Visa in Doha
Yesterday I wrote about the new +Qatar program in Doha, offering a complimentary visa and hotel room for transit passengers. Here’s how to take advantage of this free offer. Reminders: Free transit hotel program runs through 30 September 2017 Valid...
A Dependable, Free Babysitter Anywhere in the World
I hope this post does not get me reported to child protective services… My wife and I have started employing a cheap, dependable babysitter when we need to get out for a few minutes. Her name? FaceTime, courtesy of Apple Computer....
How to Maximize In-Flight Productivity On Your Mobile Phone
With a ban on in-flight electronic devices on nonstop flights from eight nations to the United States, business travelers may find themselves with only a mobile phone on a 15hr flight. Here are three must-have items to maximize productivity even...
Why I Buy My Clothes in Europe Now
With a weak Euro, clothing is suddenly much more affordable on the Continent. In fact, it is often cheaper than the USA. If you know me, you know that I love to wear suits. Working for myself out of...
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...
Playing the Waiting Game in Beirut
On my recent crazy little trip I had a 2.5hr connection in Beirut. It turned into a test of patience. Last time I flew out of Beirut was 2011. I visited the Middle East Airlines Cedar Lounge prior to the...
Transit in Cairo (CAI)
The difficult of transiting from flight to flight depends on the airport. Connecting from an international to an international flight in the USA requires going through passport control, customs, baggage re-check and security while in Amsterdam (for example) you...
Three Easy Steps to Combat Jet Lag
This has been a heck of a travel week for me. I started in Los Angeles, traveled to Honolulu, then to San Francisco, then Frankfurt, and finally back to Los Angeles. But I’m not jet lagged. Here are three things...
How to Complain Effectively in Three Easy Steps
It’s easy enough to complain to an airline or hotel over bad service. It’s quite another matter to do so in an effective manner to obtain the results you are seeking. Here’s my how-to guide on complaining. A Case Study...
Here’s How to Eliminate Risk When Booking a United Award
Earlier today I wrote about phantom SWISS award inventory appearing on united.com. The result of this inaccurate award space can be dramatic: hundreds of thousands of orphaned miles in United. Here’s how to eliminate risk when booking a partner award with United...
Caution: Lots of Phantom SWISS Award Space on United
If you have been searching united.com for award space lately, you may noticed something that was once as elusive as a four-leaf-clover: SWISS business class space. Be careful, though, before you transfer points over — some of the space...
Everything You Need to Know About Turkish Airlines’ Free Transit Hotel
Turkish Airlines wants you to connect through Istanbul. To encourage this, Turkish provides free hotel rooms for transit passengers with long layovers. But be careful: the rules for who can and cannot receive a hotel room are confusing. Criteria...
