Leave it to SWISS to create a sophisticated, beautiful new first class lounge now open in the A Gates (Schengen) area of Zurich Airport. Like the E-Gates First Class Lounge, the bar design resembles a plane fuselage–made of beautiful...
Unforgettable: Black Cab Tour of Belfast
A Black cab tour of Belfast is a must for any student of history or person seeking a better understanding of “The Troubles”. Earlier today I wrote about the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which marked the...
Must See: Singapore Botanic Gardens
No trip to Singapore is complete without a visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden first opened in 1859 and has been a staple of Singapore ever since. The 82-hectacre garden is open daily...
Canberra to Sydney by Train
My uncle and I had a disagreement: I wanted to fly, he wanted to take a train. Spoiler alert: we took the train. This review covers my train trip from Canberra to Sydney. It wasn’t that I was opposed...
A Somber Reminder of War in Canberra
After spending several hours on Capital Hill in Canberra at Parliament House, we headed to the Australian War Memorial, a national shrine to Australians who have served or lost their lives in military conflict. From the balcony of Parliament...
A Day in Parliament in Canberra
One of the highlights of my time in Canberra was spending an afternoon in the Australian Parliament, located on Capital Hill in the heart of the Australia’s capital city. Parliament House is home to both houses of parliament and open to...
Mamasita: Delicious Mexican Food in Melbourne
You sure would not know it from the outside, but Mamasita offers incredible Mexican food in the heart of Melbourne’s Central Business District. My review of Mexican food around the world continues. For earlier installments: Amsterdam, Netherlands Cusco, Peru Hamburg,...
Introduction: Australian Holiday on Singapore Airlines
Welcome to my next trip report, a classic. I’m caught up on current trip reports and making a conscious effort this year to clear the queue before embarking on new adventures. I’ve outlined all the “classic” trip reports you...
The SWISS First Class Ground Experience
The day had arrived. It was time to fly SWISS First Class. This wasn’t my first time flying SWISS First Class, but it was my first time flying SWISS First from Zurich. Had I been flying alone, I would...
My First Flight in 2018: American Airlines
I’m not jumping ship from United, but I am starting off 2018 flying a whole lot of oneworld. That trip began with a redeye on American Airlines’ last night from LAX to JFK. If you caught my AA medical...
Introduction: A Trip to China on Finnair
For years I have wanted to try Finnair. A business trip to China allowed me to finally sample not just Finnair’s business class, but the Finnair A350. John and I were in Germany and had to get to Beijing....
2018 Trip Report Roadmap
Prepare yourselves…13 months into the rebirth of Live and Let’s Fly and I still am not caught up on trip reports of years past. I do concede that older hotel and flight reviews have a limited shelf life, but...
Review: Qatar Airways A350 Business Class Doha to New York
Sleep and food…two of my favorite things and the two items my Qatar Airways A350 flight from Doha to New York centered on. After spending a couple hours inside the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge in DOH, it was time...
Review: Qatar Airways A330 Business Class Ho Chi Minh City to Doha
Qatar Airways proved once again that it offers the most well-rounded and perhaps the best overall business class product in the world. This is the first of four segments on the incredible $672 Qatar Airways fare sale I took...
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: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Toronto (YYZ)
Executive summary: a perfectly comfortable lounge with a decent food spread, showers, and fast wi-fi. Before my flight on Ethiopian Airlines from Toronto to Addis Ababa I spent an hour in Air Canada’s Terminal 1 Maple Leaf Lounge. An...
Convalescing on the California Coast
I’ve been sick a lot lately. More this year than the several previous years combined. Nothing deadly, but a particularly vicious stomach flu and several colds, which all seem to manifest themselves in the same cycle of sore throat,...
Introduction: Adventures on Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways
Two so-called mistake fares. One mega trip. It was a hard-fought battle, but eventually I prevailed and successfully reinstated my discounted business class ticket on Ethiopian Airlines. Soon thereafter, Qatar Airways published an amazing business class fare between Ho...
My Trip to a Charming Italian Village
I had the chance recently to spend a couple days in a small town called Atina nestled in the mountains of central Italy. A long-time friend who emigrated to the USA from Italy over 40 years ago has encouraged...
Another Fabulous Weekend in Green Lake, WI
Last weekend I made my annual pilgrimage to Green Lake, WI, now a six-year tradition. Every time I go I realize I live in a bubble in LA. While I am in no rush to move to Wisconsin, there...
