This is one of the busiest travel weeks of the year and San Francisco Airport was particularly busy when I passed through Wednesday afternoon. But above the din of voices and boarding announcements was not a canned holiday soundtrack but the sweet...
Introduction: A Month in Africa
For those who have immigrated to the United States, you know that the process is not easy, even for those emigrating from a rich western nation. Weighing our options and deciding that Los Angeles would be the best fit...
My Strategy for Ticketing the Garuda Reservation
News broke yesterday of a 90%-off sale with Garuda Indonesia. Acting swiftly, I successfully booked (held) a first class ticket from Jakarta to Amsterdam, a hurdle in itself, but now I face the specter of how to ticket it. 1. Mile...
Mutiny: Passengers Revolt on My UA Flight
Rain in Los Angeles and odd easterly winds fouled up operations at LAX yesterday and created a mutinous situation on my United flight. Yesterday was a first for me: despite several hundred flights into LAX over the years, for the...
Success: Booking Garuda First Class for 90% Off!
In what has to be the deal of the year, Garuda Indonesia is offering 90% off all awards for bookings ticketed before 31 Dec 2016 for travel from 01 Feb to 31 May 2017. I certainly thought this really...
Why the AMEX Lounge is My Favorite Office
With a long layover in San Francisco earlier this week, I spent about six hours in the American Express Centurion Lounge. Let me tell you that it was the most productive six hours of my week thus far! Travelers value airport lounges...
Christmas Dinner in Lufthansa First Class
Christmas is coming on Sunday, so for this week’s Matthew’s Meal of the Week I am recalling a memorable Christmas dinner I enjoyed in Lufthansa First Class in late 2014. Each November and December, Lufthansa offers a traditional German...
Review: Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme
I had been saving the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme for a special occasion and I suppose my honeymoon was as good as any to finally spend a few nights there… There are Park Hyatt hotels and then there are...
The Best Time to Call Aeroplan?
Aeroplan hold times have historically been so horrible that even Aeroplan admitted it in a recent ad campaign— The only problem? Wait times are almost as bad as before. Aeroplan states– Truthfully, while this may have happened in the past,...
The Fine Line Between Common Sense and Revenue Management
First, a bold disclaimer: I accept responsibility for what I did and was entitled to nothing. Even seasoned travel pros make mistakes and I sure made a big one on my recent 48-hour adventure. If you recall, I was...
TGV First Class from Stuttgart to Paris
I made grand plans for a romantic, cliché, honeymoon in the Maldives. Etihad First Class, Park Hyatt, you know, the usual blogger special…but that plan was not meant to be. Heidi was finishing her degree, I had a business...
What Terrorism Reveals About Us
Sadly, it feels like I have written this post several times before: another day, another act of terrorism. Germany suffered another terrorist attack yesterday, this one at a Christmas Market in Berlin. 12 people were killed and 48 injured by a tractor trailer that...
Strangely Satisfied with Ukraine International Airlines
After 11 hours onboard a Ukraine International Airlines flight from Kiev to New York, I am happy to report that I am still alive and well. Lucky wrote a hilarious post entitled, “6 Reasons You’ll LOVE Ukraine Airlines Business Class” and...
Review: Deutsche Bahn (DB) Lounge – Stuttgart
After our wedding, Heidi and I honeymooned in Paris. We traveled from Stuttgart to Paris in TGV First Class and were granted access to the Deutsche Bahn (DB) Lounge prior to our departure. DB has first class lounges at the...
Top 5 Delta SkyMiles Redemptions
Delta Air Lines may offer one of America’s best in-flight products, but its SkyMiles loyalty program leaves much to be desired. Not so much because redemptions values are always bad (though they often are), but because Delta breaks the cardinal rule of loyalty:...
How Do You Handle a Seatmate Who Wants to Talk Religion?
Have you ever had a religious (or non-religious) seatmate who talked your ear off concerning issues of religion for several hours on a flight? Late in the boarding process on my Ukraine International Airlines flight from Kiev to New York last week, a...
Imagine a Meal Like This on a 90min Flight in the USA
My flight from Beirut to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines was under 2hrs and departed at 3:05a. Most passengers just slept for the brief flight, but not me. I was actually hungry. Thankfully, Turkish did not disappoint. Turkish Airlines’ middle-of-the-night flights offer...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 17, 2016
I have posted more this week than I have the previous several months combined…and am loving it. It is an amazing feeling to resurrect my dormant blog, and I am still just warming up! To keep up with my...
How I Almost Missed my Wedding!
Ok, when we last left off I was stuck in Honolulu looking at flight options to get me back in time for my wedding. It was Wednesday morning in Honolulu and the wedding was Saturday in Stuttgart. When you...
Avoid This Error When Holding AA Award Space
American Airlines is by far the most generous carrier when it comes to letting you hold award space prior to ticketing. While neither United or Delta allow award holds, American not only permits holds whether you have miles in...
