There was one thing I did not mention in my earlier piece on Pyramiden: there are polar bears roaming around. America is not the only home of gunslingers: in Svalbard and particularly on Pyramiden, you don’t go outside without a...
Why Pyramiden is a Must-See (Photo Tour)
Let’s play a game of imagination. Imagine a thriving village bustling with hard working men and women who have left the comforts of home to serve the motherland in a far corner of the world. Imagine a formal dining...
Fascinating Soviet Hotel Experience on a Russian Island in Norway
While most people just spend a few hours touring around the mostly-abandoned Russian mining settlement of Pyramiden, you’re invited to stay the night. That’s what I did. After the mine closed in 1998, the island’s population sank from over 1,000...
A Boat Trip to an Abandoned Russian Mining Island
The highlight of my trip to Svlabard was an overnight trip from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden, a near-abandoned Russian mining settlement reached via boat. I booked with Arctic Explorer because it offered the better schedule, though other companies offer full...
Why I Chose Airbnb in Longyearbyen, Norway
For months I had a room reserved at the Radisson Blu Longyearbyen Hotel for about $270/night after taxes. But in the end, I cancelled it and went with an Airbnb rental. One, Lucky decided to book his trip to Longyearbyen...
Review: Oslo to Longyearbyen in SAS Plus (“Business”)
At 2hr,55min, Oslo to Longyearbyen is the longest domestic flights on the SAS route map. How does service look on a flight that long in SAS Plus? After spending half the afternoon and entire evening the SAS Gold Lounge,...
Pictures: The Most Scenic Flight I’ve Ever Flown
This flight review will focus not on what took place inside the airplane, but on what I observed outside. As a rule, I prefer window seats, but I don’t generally spend time gazing out of them. Instead, I choose...
Review: SAS Gold Lounge Stockholm (ARN)
Stepping off the plane from our Los Angeles to Stockholm flight, we had 3hrs and 40min until our connection to Oslo. While some fresh air would have been nice, we headed directly for the SAS Lounge. The SAS Lounge...
Review: SAS A330 Business Class Los Angeles to Stockholm
I was expecting the worst, in all honesty. My last transatlantic flight in SAS business class was a disappointment and Lucky had flown the same LAX-ARN route weeks earlier and had reported particularly poor service. But the flight turned out not just...
Introduction: A Scandinavian Summer
As much as I love solo travel, exploring the world with others represents many of my best travel memories. Last summer I traveled to Scandinavia with my Uncle Bill, who I have mentioned before in this story on why...
Review: Air Serbia A330 Business Class Belgrade to New York
Air Serbia, flag carrier of Serbia, resumed longhaul service between Belgrade and New York last year after a long hiatus. JAT, the forerunner to Air Serbia, last served JFK in 1996 with a DC-10. As Air Serbia’s flagship (and...
Review: Sun Country First Class Los Angeles to Minneapolis
Flying Sun Country in 2017 is like flying a legacy carrier 10-15 years ago. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. My destination was Minneapolis and I wanted to fly non-stop from LAX. I figured that this...
Review: Lufthansa Premium Economy Frankfurt to Los Angeles
How about the flight back? I already published a detailed review of my outbound Los Angeles to Frankfurt flight. How would the return flight, also in premium economy, compare? I enjoyed a nice breakfast in the Senator Lounge prior to...
Review: Lufthansa A380 Premium Economy Los Angeles to Frankfurt
Last month I had the chance to fly round-trip from Los Angeles to Frankfurt in Lufthansa’s Premium Economy product. I previewed the flights already, but here is the full review of the outbound flight. My inbound flight review is...
Review: Iberia A330-200 Business Class from Madrid to Los Angeles
Iberia, Iberia. I have separated this report into two parts: the flight itself, and what happened after the flight. You’ll read why I walked off the plane disenchanted, but the flight itself was honestly very pleasant and exceeded expectations....
Review: Iberia A340-600 Business Class from London to Madrid
For years I’ve had my eyes on an evening Iberia A340-600 flight that operates from London Heathrow to Madrid. Last month, I finally had the chance to fly it. With a same-day flight necessary from London to Madrid and prices sky...
Review: Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER Business Class from Dhaka to London
I’m pleased to report that Biman Bangladesh Airlines exceeded expectations onboard after a very forgettable ground experience. I already wrote about my transit experience: let’s fast forward to where I left off, stepping into the departures terminal. Check-in desks are...
Review: Biman Bangladesh 737-800 Economy Class Bangkok to Dhaka
I bought my ticket the day before travel and was quite disappointed to see that business class had sold out. With no formal reviews online of Biman Bangladesh, I had no idea what to expect and braced myself for a wild...
Review: American Airlines A321 First Class New York to Los Angeles
As the last carrier to offer a true three-cabin first class product between New York JFK and Los Angeles/San Francisco, American can approach its competitive advantage in three ways: offer a truly compelling product, a marginally better product than the...
Review: British Airways 747-400 First Class London to New York
British Airways’ 747-400 First Class is a bit of a tight squeeze, but a comfortable product. My midday flight from London to New York flew by. With excellent service and tasty meals, I landed in JFK with a smile on my...
