Well, maybe that is a bit too draconian, but after experiencing an overland border crossing yesterday from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan at Korday, it puts the rudeness and inefficiency of U.S. border agents in perspective. Think free for all. Pushing,...
Delta Shows the Grass is Greener on the Other Side, at least in North America
My travels took me to Bermuda last weekend, thanks to a very low Delta Air Lines fare from Newark. Despite holding Delta Platinum status for a year (I have no status anymore with Delta), it was also my first...
US Airways: Thanks but no thanks…
Foul weather and a delayed Continental Airlines flight gave me the opportunity to sample US Airways yesterday from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. While I won’t be defecting to US Airways anytime soon, the experience wasn’t half-bad. The flight was...
Crisscrossing the World: 33K Miles of Travel to Begin 2012
Hello from the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Istanbul–I’ve still got 21 hours of flying ahead of me today and tomorrow, but the end is in sight. I like to get a jump start on status requalification each year and...
The Ryanair Experience – Frankfurt Hahn to Pisa
Earlier this year Ryanair ran a special from Frankfurt Hahn to many of their destinations in Europe, with fares only 7€ each way including taxes and check-in fees (normally tripling the cost of a ticket). My brother was on...
My Long Journey to Mendoza, Argentina
My vacation has officially started. I checked into the Park Hyatt Mendoza earlier today and am going to take it easy for the next few days. Although I left Frankfurt last Wednesday night, the last five days have been...
My Border Saga Continues… Detained in Belarus!
Marched off a train? Interrogated by ten armed men? Denied exit from an authoritarian country? Yes, I had another border “incident” over the weekend. As if Iran was not enough for one year, I ran into some problems at...
Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita in Asiana First Class
Just two blocks away from the Park Hyatt in Seoul was a bus station with coaches going to either Incheon or Gimpo Airports. The wait for a bus was only two minutes and we were soon our way to...
Tokyo Haneda to Seoul Gimpo in ANA Business Class
When it came time to book tickets between Tokyo and Seoul I was faced with three options: United, Asiana, or ANA. United was a bit cheaper, but all flights were over $500 round-trip. For a 2.5 hour journey in...
Guam to Tokyo in Continental Airlines Business Class
After a refreshing stay at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, it was time to continue on to Tokyo. Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam is very easy to navigate and was empty when I arrived for my...
Honolulu to Guam in Continental Economy Class
My feelings about Continental remained mixed. Since the airline joined Star Alliance in 2009 I have flown on them quite a bit, on a mix of domestic and international flights. Overall, I give high marks to Continental, though I...
Note to Self: Leave Red Wine Out of Checked Bag
I would not necessarily label it a rookie mistake, but I arrived back in Frankfurt from Kiev this afternoon to find my well-wrapped and padded bottle of red wine shattered and all over my blue jeans in my checked...
Overland Journey from Dubai to Muscat, Oman
It was not just Iran that I visited during my trip to Dubai last week–I also had the chance to travel across Oman, though my time in Muscat was much more limited than I had hoped for. Oman has...
Bargaining to Sleep on Kish Island, Iran
With no idea where we would sleep that night, my friend and I sat down to strategize. The airport had free wi-fi and I scoured the internet for hotels in Kish. I did find a listing of hotels, but...
Trapped in Iran!
For those just joining the story, be sure to check out Parts One, Two, and Three. Outside immigration, we hailed a taxi who agreed to take our UAE dirhams. There are no banks on Kish Island that accept U.S....
Dubai to Kish Island, Iran on Kish Air + Interrogation at Iranian Border
With a 12:30p departure to Kish and a late arrival from Muscat the previous night, it was nice to sleep in for a bit. We arrived at Terminal Two in Dubai at around 11:00a and had no trouble checking...
A Spur of the Moment Trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran
It all started around the brunch table Saturday in Dubai. I casually mentioned that Kish Island, a small Iranian island just 30 minutes from Dubai by air, would be an interesting place to visit. Why Iran? For years I...
It Has Been One Heckuva Day
For those of you wondering why I was missing in action the last couple days, stay tuned for a fascinating report that will cover my time in Dubai and Oman, but primarily Iran–yes, Iran. And there was drama in...
Frankfurt to Washington Dulles in United Economy Plus
With 1K status now in the bag (in fact, I was surprised to see that I have banked over 120K EQMs already this year after all the flights credited), my travel on United for the year may be over....
A Weekend in Finland and Estonia
Hello from Helsinki. My travels around Europe continue and this weekend I am in the Baltics after a smooth flight on Lufthansa from Frankfurt this morning. Today I am going to head down to Tallin, Estonia and spend the...
