Good evening from Los Angeles. I am resting up after a whirlwind trip to Washington, DC and Frankfurt, happy to be home for the next couple weeks*. Although a trip to Las Vegas was in the cards for this week, I...
Retaliation: Iran Will Ban Americans
News broke last night that with the stroke of a pen, U.S. President Donald Trump had blocked immigrants from a number of predominantly Muslim nations and halted the flow of refugees into the United States. Now Iran has responded by...
United Airlines’ Secret Expansion Plan at LAX
United Airlines’ President Scott Kirby told pilots in a recent closed-door meeting that United is eyeing a major expansion at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after years of letting its competitors gain market share. The plans include claiming back...
From Hate to Great: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
As we crossed over the border from Zambia to Zimbabwe, a word of advice – don’t hire the vulture taxi drivers waiting outside the Victoria Falls entrance for they will rip you off. Walk past the border control and...
Video: 100 Years of Flight Attendant Uniforms
Condé Nast has a great new video out entitled 100 Years of Flight Attendant Uniforms— It traces the evolution of flight attendant uniforms back over the last 100 years — well, 80 years to be precise, by decade. The music is...
We Didn’t Make it to Las Vegas…
Sometimes even well-intentioned plans are not meant to be. I was so excited to book a free trip to Las Vegas courtesy of JetBlue Vacations a few weeks ago. Heidi had never been and Vegas is the perfect one-day...
Victoria Falls from the Zambian Side
Victoria Falls has been a part of my bucket list since I was amazed by Igaucu Falls in Brazil and I knew the moment we discovered the need to journey to South Africa, we would visit the falls. We...
Park Hyatt Bangkok Opening in June
The long-delayed Park Hyatt Bangkok is slated to open in June and reservations are now being accepted. I am so excited about staying at this property! Thai hospitality is a wonderful thing and Bangkok luxury hotels offer both a great experience and...
Review: Frankfurt to San Francisco in United Polaris First
With United retiring its 747-400s at the end of October, I am taking advantage of every opportunity to fly the Queen of the Skies this year. This trip, as I explained here, came about at the very last moment...
Our Humble Abode in Zambia
Although Livingstone is a tourist city juxtaposing Victoria Falls, there are no hotels to speak of—smaller inns and guests houses are the only options with the exception of the very pricey Livingstone Inn just outside the Victoria Falls gates....
Two Amazing Meals: HKG-LHR NZ39 in Air New Zealand Economy
During my first round-the-world trip in 2008, I had the pleasure of flying Air New Zealand from Hong Kong to London. I chose Air New Zealand because it was cheap ($554 one-way), nonstop, and as a member of Star Alliance, I...
Uber Annoys in Washington, DC
We used a lot of Uber in Washington, DC last weekend and had a decidedly mixed experience. In all honesty, I prefer Metro in Washington. Since my Uber rides in Los Angeles are nearly always flawless, I wonder if...
Review Update: Park Hyatt Washington D.C.
Last time I reviewed the Park Hyatt in Washington, DC was in 2010 and that was a very short visit. Last weekend, thanks to a last-minute points opening, I spent inauguration night at the hotel. Unfortunately, my stay was disappointing. Read why...
Review: Johannesburg to Livingstone, Zambia in British Airways Comair Economy Class
Back in South Africa and still waiting for our document, we booked a trip to Victoria Falls. After failing in on our first attempt to fly to Livingstone due to improper vaccination records, it was time for take two. We had...
United May Cut p.s. Name, but not Premium Service
In 2004, United Airlines introduced p.s. (premium service) onboard its transcon flights between New York Kennedy and Los Angeles/San Francisco. This enhanced domestic product mimicked an international flight with menus, enhanced meals, and a premium business and first class...
Will Emirates Squeeze United Out of Athens?
Emirates announced it would offer daily non-stop service between Newark and Athens effective March 26, 2017, the carrier’s latest Fifth Freedom route. The new route puts United and Emirates on collision course — who will blink first or can both survive?...
The Trip Home from DC…Washington to Los Angeles via Frankfurt
As if our busy inauguration day was not enough, John and I detoured to Germany on our way home from Washington. A number of factors were to “blame”. A prefect storm brewed—procrastination and sold out flights with the specter...
Review: Mountain Inn Mbabane, Swaziland
Mbabane’s finest hotel may not be much, but I enjoyed our night at this family-run property and recommend it for a break from Swaziland while you are in Swaziland. Allow me to explain. I talked about driving through Swaziland...
Driving through Swaziland
As we drove out of Kruger National Park, my wife had one thing on her mind and I had another. The sun was precipitously dropping over the rolling green hills and Heidi’s concern was where we would stay the...
Woman Thrown Off Alaska Flight After Anti-Trump Rant
First a pro-Trump voter before the election, now an anti-Trump voter after. A woman was thrown off an Alaska Airlines flight from Baltimore to Seattle on Saturday after berating a Trump supporter in a conversation she initiated. As I witnessed,...
