As part of my recent mileage runs to China, instead of only going to Beijing as others had, I mixed it up and found flights to Shanghai (the Beijing fares were disappearing fast). This is stay was the night...
Uber Suffers Setback at LAX
Last month it seemed like all the barriers had been cleared for Uber and Lyft to begin serving my home airport of Los Angeles International, but Rome was not built in a day and we’re going to have to...
Can You Book Cuba Award Travel with American Airlines Miles?
I wrote with some glee about the change in U.S. policy toward Cuba and what this meant for travel. Since that December 2014 announcement, more diplomatic breakthroughs have occurred, including the recent re-opening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington...
United Improves Pre-Arrival Meals on European Flights
The butt of many jokes for many years, United Airlines is retiring its (in)famous pre-arrival premium class meals on transatlantic westbound flights. Why does this merit a post? Because we’ve been served something like this for five years, with...
7 Tips for Flying in First Class with a Baby
It seems to be that once you have a baby, you should no longer do anything ever. You definitely will be done traveling, or even leaving the house for that matter. If you are one of those cuckoo’s like...
Reader Question: Airline Loyalty – Which to Choose
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. Here at UPGRD.com we get emails from readers and from time to time we...
Read Rolling Stone for Ben Schlappig, not Kim Kardashian!
Rolling Stone is an icon of pop culture and a barometer of hipness in American life. Not surprisingly, a recent issue has self-proclaimed diva Kim Kardashian letting it all hang out on the cover. Flip past that though, for...
The 10 Most Insane Travel Deals You Probably Missed
The Trip Sherpa recently wrote about DealRay, an incredibly useful mobile-based service for staying on top of travel deals, and it got me thinking of the great mistakes fares of yesteryear. I’ve been playing this game for a decade...
Can You Travel Without the Hassle?
If you’ve read my blog, you know I have elite status with a handful of airlines and I’ve played the game long enough to know how to beat the crowd. Even so, I wish flying could be half as...
Mileage Bonuses For Debit Cards Are Better Than Ever For Some
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. In case you haven’t heard, there have been some recent setbacks in the world...
Goodbye to Sun Trust, Goodbye to Delta
For those of you who have been following my previous posts regarding debit cards, this is the most up-to-date post regarding the Sun Trust Delta Debit card. If you are just researching this for the first time please check...
My Return to Peru
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. If you haven’t read the other previous posts, you can read about my mistakes...
How Bad is Delta’s Latest SkyMiles Devaluation? Time to Buy Delta Stock!
Delta announced an immediate devaluation of its Skymiles program on the redemption side this week effective for flights on or after 01 June 2016. We are now seeing just how draconian these changes are. Folks, this is a devaluation...
Dealray is How I Find Great Deals
When I return from a trip and begin flooding social media (follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) with photos from our trips, it never fails that someone asks me, “How do you find these amazing deals?” If...
Studying Abroad
The summer after my senior year of high school and before my freshman year of college I had a chance to study abroad in Lima, Perú. Studying abroad was a transformative experience for me and returning to visit my...
Baby Luxury Part One: Flying in Premium Cabins
Traveling with a baby in business and first class is always a hot topic. Some protest the mere thought of a child in a premium cabin based on previous experiences and also on expected behavior. I respectfully submit my...
Delta Goes All-In on Dynamic Award Pricing in 2016
Just in from Delta Air Lines, a number of upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program, including a confirmed move to more aggressive dynamic award pricing. Let’s start with the bad news– Dynamic Award Pricing Accelerates for Travel in June...
The Sheraton Lima Stinks
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. (This is the continuation of a mistake prone journey that begin with a great...
Choosing Your Own Hotel Room? This Must Be Life in the Emerald World
It’s no secret that I have had a great experience with National Car Rental, so when National challenged UPGRD to think about what life would be like living in the Emerald World, hotels immediately came to mind… If you...
Next FTU Advanced Announced: Newport Beach, CA
I’ve written over and over about Frequent Traveler University, a dynamic weekend of learning and fellowship that is a must for anyone who wants to efficiently master the points and miles game. Back to the West Coast by popular...
