After being thrown off my flight to Istanbul, settling on a new flight plan to get me to my ultimate destination of Baku was no easy task. It was late in the day and most flights had already departed....
United Airlines Comes Through in a Pinch. Again.
It is easy to rag on United Airlines for its many shortcomings, but United once again came through in a pinch over the weekend, leaving me very pleased to be a Premier 1K member and wondering whether I can...
Dubai to New York via Jeddah in Saudia Economy Class
The Saudia flight was from Dubai to Jeddah was so uneventful I will only spend a few sentences on it—I was tried and quickly fell asleep after the meal service, which included beef with noodles and mixed vegetables. A...
Kabul to Dubai on flydubai
فلاي دبي (flydubai) is a low-cost carrier based in Dubai offering budget flights throughout the Middle East and beyond. The ticket from Kabul to Dubai was $152 and flydubai was the only carrier with an afternoon flight. FAs were...
The Afghanistan Dilemma
It was a brisk winter day, but heat from a black wood-burning stove warmed the room. Sunlight streamed in from outside and the sound of the rushing Panjshir River outside was audible over the din of voices inside. Faded...
Kabul International Airport and Departing Afghanistan
We love complaining about the obtrusive Transportation Security Administration at US airports, but our little TSA has nothing on the security measures in effect at Kabul International Airport. Of course I am making an apples to oranges comparison, but...
Kabul – The Green Zone and British Cemetery
Although the term “Green Zone” is more closely associated with Baghdad, Kabul has its own Green Zone housing the diplomatic missions of various countries and the seat of the Afghan government. The walled city within a city is accessible...
Kabul – Gardens of Babur and Kart-e Sakhi Mosque
The Gardens of Babur are a welcome oasis to the dusty, dirty streets of Kabul. Inside the steeped gates (where admission is 25x higher for foreigners than for Afghans, but still only 250 afghanis or ~$4.70) sits the final...
Kabul – National Museum of Afghanistan
Around the corner from the Darul Aman Palace sits the National Museum of Afghanistan, offering a bitter reminder of Afghanistan’s stormy history. The museum once boasted one of the world’s premier collections of Central Asian artifacts dating back several...
Kabul – TV Tower Hill and Darul Aman Palace
Our first stop was TV Tower Hill, the highest point in Kabul. Getting up to the top of the hill was no easy task, even in our Toyota 4Runner. Roads are made of gravel, rocks, and dirt and it...
My Hotel, er Compound, in Kabul, Afghanistan
When my driver pulled up to my “hotel” down a quiet side street in central Kabul, my bodyguard dutifully jumped out and scanned the street for anything out of the ordinary. But the street was deserted and eerily silent...
The Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan
About two hours north of Kabul lies the Panjshir Valley, final resting place of Afghan hero Ahmad Shah Massoud and a site of relative tranquility amidst the struggles that have plagued Afghanistan for so long. The Soviets and later...
Arrival in Afghanistan
Stepping outside Kabul airport’s baggage claim area, the arrival lobby was eerily quiet. There was no swarm of taxi drivers and tour operators I am accustomed to when arriving in a new country. Instead, there were just a few...
Dubai to Kabul on Ariana Afghan Airlines
After landing in Dubai around 10pm, I had 6 hours before my connection to Kabul. It was too early for Dnata to check me in and I had no lounge access so I set out looking for a bench...
Jeddah to Dubai in Saudia Economy Class
After a refreshing stay at the Park Hyatt Jeddah, it was time to continue my journey to Dubai. The same driver who brought me to the property the afternoon before took me back, dropping me off about two hour...
Photo Finish Averts Singapore Airlines Suites Disaster
There was no photo incident on this outbound trip, but a photo finish at San Francisco International Airport rescued my Singapore Airlines trip from the jaws of destruction. In July 2012, almost 11 months ago, Singapore Airlines updated their...
New York JFK to Jeddah in Saudia Economy Class
Flying on a new airline for the first time is always fun. There’s a bit of apprehension—will the service be good? How about the IFE? And the food? You can eliminate a lot of the guesswork through Google, Flyertalk,...
Sherpa Has 24 hrs in NYC
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. New York City Awaits As part of this amazing itinerary I had a chance...
Introduction: A Journey to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan
When Saudia Airlines (formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines) offered an amazing $557 r/t deal from New York to Dubai via Jeddah last December, I jumped on it—but it was not because I had any desire to go to Dubai. Saudia...
New York City – First Date
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. Descending into New York City Keeping up with my UN-Trip Report, it doesn’t get...
