United Airlines operates a limited number of Fifth Freedom Routes around the world, including: Manila to Koror Koror to Yap Kwajalein to Kosrae Kuwait to Bahrain Tokyo to Seoul Tokyo to Singapore Hong Kong to Singapore Hong Kong to...
I Witnessed a Deadly Car Accident in Bahrain
I spent 3.5 years in the US Air Force Reserves and never saw a day of combat. I’ve never actually witnessed a friend or family member or even a pet die either, knock on wood. Outside of movies, I’ve...
Propositioned by a Taxi Driver or Genuine Bahraini Hospitality?
I am still replaying this occurrence in my mind and wondering exactly what happened, so perhaps it is best to get some feedback from you. I arrived in Bahrain around 10pm and after a lengthy wait to obtain a...
Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker Charms A350 Inaugural Audience
I had this image of Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker in my mind as a feisty yet unapproachable man who would not “lower” himself to interact with passengers, instead choosing to sit alone in his suite the entire flight...
Qatar Airways A350 Inaugural DOH-FRA: First Economy Class Trip Report
I was one of the privileged 320 passengers onboard the first A350 commercial flight, flying on Qatar Airways from Doha to Frankfurt on Thursday, January 15, 2015. The decision to take part in this historic event was made less...
Moving to South Africa
…for the next month anyway. Perhaps longer. I’m already here, actually. You can blame my wife. Or the American government. Or striking South African postal workers. You see, not that our U.S. government wins any blue ribbons for its efficiency,...
Frankfurt to San Francisco in United Airlines First Class
United Airlines CFO John Rainey made an unforced error when he told Bloomberg News that there was virtually no difference between United Airlines First Class (Global First) and Business Class (BusinessFirst). While true that the differences between first and...
My Day Trip to Washington to be an Escort
My family and friends know me as the guy who loves to fly, so I get a lot of requests for travel tips and sometimes even more. Like yesterday, where I spent my entire day between consecutive late-night transcon...
Yerevan to Istanbul in Armavia Economy Class
Armavia was Armenia’s flag carrier, but entered bankruptcy on March 29, 2013 and suspended all operations on April 1, 2013. I got in just in time, for I doubt there would have been a refund if my flight had...
Feeling at Home in Yerevan
I grew up in Glendale, California, home to one of the largest Armenian populations outside of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan. My best friend in elementary school was Armenian and I have several friends in the Armenian community. In...
Overnight Train from Tbilisi to Yerevan, Armenia
Back just after dusk at Tbilisi’s central railway station, I had a bite to eat in a small food court upstairs before boarding my second consecutive overnight train, tonight bound for Yerevan. I had purchased the ticket earlier in...
Pictures: One Day in Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi’s history dates back 15 centuries and like many capital cities, features a mix of war and peace spanning various empires. The Soviets invaded in 1921 and a Bolshevik regime was installed. Independence came in 1991, but like many...
Overnight Train from Baku to Tbilisi, Georgia
Each night an overnight train runs from Baku to Tbilisi, leaving Baku at 08:45p and arriving into Tbilisi the following morning at 11:40a. Baku’s central railway station is in the heart of the city and accessible by cab or...
Review: Park Hyatt Baku
Other than its barrage of CNN advertisements, you don’t hear too much about Azerbaijan. When you do, it is usually a story encouraging investment by heralding the country’s favorable interest rates and stable government or perhaps a blurb on...
Baku Metro (Pictures)
Every time a population surpassed one million in a Soviet city, Soviet law allowed for construction a Metro system. The Baku Metro, which debuted in 1967, was the fifth Soviet Metro system and boasts a similar blending of utility,...
Baku – A City of Illusions?
Walk around the city of Baku and you cannot help but to be impressed. It is clean, well-manicured, and burgeoning with skyscrapers. Historic districts have been restored with beautiful façades and shopping and restaurants abound. Families are out for...
Istanbul to Baku in Azerbaijan Airlines Economy Class
I arrived into Istanbul with about seven hours between flights and was informed at the transit desk that it was too early to check in for my Azerbaijan Airlines flight to Baku. I headed upstairs to the lounge where...
Kuwait City to Istanbul in Turkish Airlines Economy Class
A 3.5hr flight at 2:20a is not all that memorable, but a few observations from Turkish Airlines Economy Class— 1. New Airbus A321 with “real” business class seats Unlike many of its European counterparts, Turkish is slowly introducing a...
Pearl Lounge – Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait is a dry country and there were no exceptions in the Pearl Lounge, upstairs past security and passport control at KWI (an additional security check would occur at the gate). I had not eaten during my jaunt into...
Six Hours in Kuwait City
With six hours before my next flight, I figured I could see what my Kuwaiti friend once called “the most boring city in the world.” It wasn’t that bad, but… Immigration is a breeze for American citizens in Kuwait,...
