Turkish Airlines excels in business class, but what about economy class? My verdict: a solid flight, but nothing truly special. You’ll be impressed by many of the amenities, but economy class is economy class. Still, a positive verdict overall....
Review: Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland
I mentioned earlier today how much I enjoyed Soarin’ Around the World at Disney’s California Adventure. One thing I enjoyed just as much was the chance to dine at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. As a kid, I always wanted...
Mykonos and Santorini Were More Beautiful Than I Imagined
Although my stay was brief, I enjoyed my time in Mykonos and Santorini more than I imagined. Both islands are beautiful and worth a return visit. I wrote about my hotel dilemma here and it turned out to be a...
Review: Los Angeles to London in United 787-9 Polaris Business
I’ve asked my six-month-old son Augustine to offer his thoughts on his very first flight, from LA to London on United Airlines in Polaris Business Class. The day of the big trip finally arrived. Mama and Papa had been looking...
Review: Brussels Airlines A330 Business Class Brussels to New York
Brussels Airlines has recently been acquired by Lufthansa. The airline will be folded into Lufthansa’s Eurowings (low-cost) division, but remain a separate brand. Here’s what you can expect on a longhaul Brussels flights in business class, at least for now. In...
Review: Austrian Airlines 767 Business Class from Beijing to Vienna
Austrian Airlines is known for high-quality in-flight meals and a special coffee menu, but what about the rest of the product? Is it worth it? In the interest of transparency, I state at the outset that this review has never been...
Review: Air China A330 Business Class from Taipei to Beijing
Here’s a brief review of a 3h20m flight from Taipei to Beijing I took (as part of my ongoing 2013 trip report). As I mentioned yesterday, I feel like Air China often receives an unfair bad wrap. A 3hr25min flight...
Flight Review: Asiana A321 Business Class
What is business class like on an Asiana Airbus A321? Asiana has discontinued operations in Siem Reap, ceding the destination to its low-cost Air Seoul subsidiary. Thus, an Asiana flight review from Siem Reap to Seoul will be of...
Exploring Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap is an eclectic town. The French Indochina influence is there, delicious street food abounds, but there is great diversity of cuisines available to cater to tourists from around the world. Take a look at the pictures below. The town is...
Why One Day in Angkor Wat is Enough
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. There are enough temples there — spread over 402 acres — to keep you busy for days. But I found one day was enough. Just 10 minutes from our Park...
Driving from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Although we considered flying on Cambodia Angor Air for the 146-mile flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, we opted to travel by taxi. It was about 1/4 the price of flying and we figured it would be an interesting experience....
Witnessing Pol Pot’s Inhumanity in Cambodia
We all have certain moments in our lives that are forever ingrained in our memory. One such instance for me was visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I’m publishing a trip report from 2013 and most of...
Recalling the Scariest Flight of My Life
Although I am clearing the backlog of old trip reports that have sat unpublished for years, there is one flight in my current trip report series that I wrote about back closer to when it occurred. For good reason…it still makes...
Review: LOT 787 Business Class Chicago to Warsaw
LOT Polish Airlines used to have a business class so outdated it felt like flying on Ukraine International Airlines. But its longhaul fleet upgrade to 787-8 aircraft ushered in lie-flat seats and improved service levels. With low fuel surcharges and good...
Introduction: Star Alliance Business Class Adventure in Europe and Asia
I promised I would rotate between old and new trip reports as I clear the backlog of previously written reports that were never published on UPGRD. Even so, I am selectively omitting certain portions of this report because some...
Great Flight on United Airlines 787-9 Business Class
I don’t want to be known as the United Airlines fanboy, but I turned lemons into lemonade earlier this week and had a great flight to London on United’s new 787-9. Thanks to a mechanical delay out of Burbank,...
Breeding, Bourbon, and Bevin: The Day Before the Big Race
My Kentucky Derby trip report continues with a recount of the activities we took part on the day before the big race. Our host warned us it would be a busy two days and indeed it was. We were...
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Yesterday I began a short trip report on my Kentucky Derby experience from last year. It involved flying to Dallas, then driving to Kentucky via Arkansas and Tennessee. My goal is to visit every U.S. Presidential Library and document it here....
Road Trip to the Kentucky Derby
It started with a phone call. “Hey Matthew! You ever been to the Kentucky Derby?” When I responded negatively, the answer was quick: “Well, you’re going to this one!” This post introduces a mini trip-report I will publish over the next...
Review: Garuda 777-300ER First Class Jakarta – Amsterdam
The moment had finally arrived. It was time to fly Garuda Indonesia First Class. Nanda and Roni, my two first class assistants, asked me if I would like to board first or last. Had the internet been working in...
