I’ll be the first to admit that I really don’t see what the big deal is about the solar eclipse today. I will not be leaving Los Angeles and will not even step outside during the eclipse if I’m in the middle of something. But a ride on the Concorde? That’s another story… The Concorde […]
Review: Saudia 787 Business Class Jeddah to Manchester
After a long layover in Jeddah, I was happy to board our late-night flight to Manchester. After the atrocious last flight I was not expecting great service, but figured at least I would be able to sleep. Five hours in the lounge was enough, so we explored the terminal a bit prior to boarding. There’s not […]
Review: Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Doha To Colombo
Qatar Airways showed that even on a relatively short overnight flight, it consistently offers superior service and catering. We spent most of our four hour layover between flights at the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. Boarding began 40 minutes prior to the flight. Qatar Airways 664 Doha (DOH) – Colombo (CMB) Monday, August 2 Depart: 2:15AM […]
How I Scored an Incredible $600 R/T Business Class Fare to Australia
When a good deal surfaces, you cannot wait to book it. Even a few minutes. Earlier today I saw a post from View from the Wing highlighting an incredible deal from Vancouver to Sydney, Australia on All Nippon Airways (ANA). Prices were coming in at under $600 round-trip in business class. When I see a […]
American Airlines Introduces the “Anti-Matthew Rule” on Award Tickets
My heart sank yesterday when I saw that American Airlines is restricting the number of segments permitted on award travel. The new one-way limits include: Domestic USA + Canada: Three [3] segments Other destinations (including Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands) Four [4] segments Gary lays out nicely why this policy change is so disappointing […]
Booked! Over 20K Miles in Qatar Airways Business Class for $672
I just booked an insane Qatar Airways Business Class deal…to connect with another insane deal I booked in Ethiopian Airlines Business Class. You see, that whole Ethiopian issue isn’t resolved yet, but I’m still banking on using my originally booked return this autumn to fly from Toronto to Bangkok. When I get to Bangkok, though, […]
Longyearbyen to Stockholm via Tromsø on SAS
It was time to leave Longyearbyen and I was very sad to go. That said, the weather had turned decidedly chilly, with a cold pelting rain greeting us on our final morning. One other tidbit on Longyearbyen: no one locks their doors. We had left our bags with Kai, our Air BnB host, when we […]
Why MileagePlus Go Card is Actually Great
Critics have come out against the MileagePlus Go Visa Prepaid Card early and often. But I think many of their criticisms are unfair and don’t accurately reflect the wider market for this product. This card is a great value for some and a terrible value for others, but since the rest of the world seems […]
United Status Matched Me to 1K!
I have previously noted that American Airlines has gutted their Advantage frequent flyer and because of that I am leaving American. Loyalty is a two-way street and American has worked hard to make it a one-way street, well I’m not riding any more. But of course that decision was reached only after I had already […]
Why Are Status Hotel Upgrades Tough?
Some hotel chains offer room upgrades of varying levels to their elite guests. These are typically listed as “if available upon checkin” but often moving up from a double queen room to a coveted suite seems like hard work. But really, if the room is available, why are status hotel upgrades so tough to execute? […]
Why I’m THANKFUL for Latest United Mileage Plus Devaluation
I hate all devaluations. But United’s latest devaluation could have been much worse. Much worse. Let’s review what will change on November 01, 2017. For over a year now I have been predicting another United MileagePlus devaluation. While both Delta and American Airlines have introduced rather substantial devaluations, United has not touched its award chart […]
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 here. > READ MORE: I Survived Lufthansa Premium Economy Fight Nearly Breaks Out on My Lufthansa […]
Join Me for Frequent Traveler University Chicago!
Frequent Traveler University is coming to Chicago, this time with a brand new format and an extended lineup of speakers. I’ve spoken at Frequent Traveler University for several years now because I love to help others do what I love. FTU is not so much about discovering hidden tricks (though that always happens) as much as […]
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 high, spending 12,750 Avios plus $66.13 for a lie-flat bed made the most sense. After 11hrs […]
Green Sand Beach: Papakolea in Hawaii
During a recent trip to Hawaii, my family got to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the island. By far, one of the most breathtaking and adventurous, was the journey to the green sand beach, and view once we arrived. Where Located near the southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii (and […]
United Airlines Falsely Accuses Father of Fondling Son
There are a lot of bad people in this world who want to harm children. But it seems sometimes that society has gone off the deep end in its inherent distrust of fathers. Henry Amador-Batten was flying from Newark to Raleigh-Durham last Saturday on United. A FA felt that his hand was too close to his son’s genitals and called […]
Five Reasons to Attend FTU in Minneapolis
If you’ve never been to a Frequent Traveler University, consider attending the upcoming FTU in Minneapolis June 9th-11th. I have been speaking at FTU events for several years now and would not do so if I did not believe in this fundamental premise: the pie is big enough to go around and you’re pretty foolish […]
American Cutting Legroom in Economy Class. Will United Follow?
I wrote earlier today about my disdain for the pageantry of Congressional hearings, but don’t think I am excusing the doublespeak on the another side of the dais. As American Airlines looked members of Congress in the eye with the promise of improved customer service, news emerged of its plan to cut economy class legroom […]
Leaked A350-1000 Configuration on United Airlines
A tweet allegedly reveals how United will configure its new A350 aircraft. Via @A350_Production on Twitter, United’s A350-1000 (on order) will be delivered with the following configuration: 60 United Polaris (Business) [18%] 91 United EconomyPlus [27%] 186 United Economy [55%] —— 337 total seats In brackets I have indicated what percentage of overall aircraft seats each cabin contains. By […]
In Solidarity, I’m Flying Turkish Airlines to the USA
It’s a small sign of solidarity with Turkish Airlines against a questionable electronics ban, but I will be flying on the carrier next month from Istanbul to Los Angeles even though it means I will be separated from my laptop for 14 hours. This was no easy decision. The Los Angeles flight occurs during prime work […]
