2013 flew by incredibly fast—just incredibly fast. Looking back at the year I marvel at what was accomplished and think about how the airline industry and my own livelihood has changed. When I started law school, I had every intention of becoming a full-time attorney. Thoughts of working in the travel industry did not register […]
Yerevan to Istanbul in Armavia Economy Class
Armavia was Armenia’s flag carrier, but entered bankruptcy on March 29, 2013 and suspended all operations on April 1, 2013. I got in just in time, for I doubt there would have been a refund if my flight had been one month later. Armavia is gone…liquidated, and Armenia’s primary cargo carrier, Air Armenia, has been […]
Feeling at Home in Yerevan
I grew up in Glendale, California, home to one of the largest Armenian populations outside of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan. My best friend in elementary school was Armenian and I have several friends in the Armenian community. In school the Armenian Genocide was remembered each year and Armenians run my barbershop and favorite restaurant. […]
Overnight Train from Tbilisi to Yerevan, Armenia
Back just after dusk at Tbilisi’s central railway station, I had a bite to eat in a small food court upstairs before boarding my second consecutive overnight train, tonight bound for Yerevan. I had purchased the ticket earlier in the day at the station for ~$28, again in a second class compartment with four bunks. […]
Pictures: One Day in Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi’s history dates back 15 centuries and like many capital cities, features a mix of war and peace spanning various empires. The Soviets invaded in 1921 and a Bolshevik regime was installed. Independence came in 1991, but like many of the former Soviet Republics, the transition was not smooth and a civil war broke out. […]
Overnight Train from Baku to Tbilisi, Georgia
Each night an overnight train runs from Baku to Tbilisi, leaving Baku at 08:45p and arriving into Tbilisi the following morning at 11:40a. Baku’s central railway station is in the heart of the city and accessible by cab or Metro. I purchased my ticket the evening before, but my train was lightly filled (granted, […]
Delta Skymiles Logic: A Devaluation Before the Devaluation
You have to wonder what is going through the minds of the decision makers at Delta Air Lines when they announce a devaluation of their Skymiles award chart effecting all travel on or after 01 June 2014 then decide that was not enough and today implement an interim devaluation effective for travel on or after […]
Baku Metro (Pictures)
Every time a population surpassed one million in a Soviet city, Soviet law allowed for construction a Metro system. The Baku Metro, which debuted in 1967, was the fifth Soviet Metro system and boasts a similar blending of utility, opulence, and ideological propaganda that characterize systems in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Paintings, statutes, sculptures, murals, […]
Baku – A City of Illusions?
Walk around the city of Baku and you cannot help but to be impressed. It is clean, well-manicured, and burgeoning with skyscrapers. Historic districts have been restored with beautiful façades and shopping and restaurants abound. Families are out for a stroll in the park or enjoying ice cream and there is a sense of tranquility that […]
Istanbul to Baku in Azerbaijan Airlines Economy Class
I arrived into Istanbul with about seven hours between flights and was informed at the transit desk that it was too early to check in for my Azerbaijan Airlines flight to Baku. I headed upstairs to the lounge where I spent the next five hours recuperating from what had been a lot longer journey than […]
Kuwait City to Istanbul in Turkish Airlines Economy Class
A 3.5hr flight at 2:20a is not all that memorable, but a few observations from Turkish Airlines Economy Class— 1. New Airbus A321 with “real” business class seats Unlike many of its European counterparts, Turkish is slowly introducing a “real” business class seat on its shorter, narrowbody flights. The seats are not lie-flat, but they […]
Pearl Lounge – Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait is a dry country and there were no exceptions in the Pearl Lounge, upstairs past security and passport control at KWI (an additional security check would occur at the gate). I had not eaten during my jaunt into Kuwait City, but was still full from my large pre-arrival meal on United so I skipped […]
Six Hours in Kuwait City
With six hours before my next flight, I figured I could see what my Kuwaiti friend once called “the most boring city in the world.” It wasn’t that bad, but… Immigration is a breeze for American citizens in Kuwait, but can be a bit confusing. A vending machines dispenses visas to those that need them […]
Diagnosing a Problem: Booking Lufthansa Award Space with US Airways Dividend Miles
14 NOV 13 UPDATE: Leaked US Airways Memo: Agents Forbidden to Manually Request Award Space US Airways has not left Star Alliance yet, but if you are trying to book a Lufthansa award next year it might as well have. Something very odd is going on right now at US Airways with Dividend Miles agents unable […]
Cathay Pacific Announces New Service to Newark Beginning on March 2, 2014
Cathay Pacific teased us on Facebook and Twitter last week with the image above, stating that it would announce new service to either Boston, Seattle, Miami, or Newark this week. Newark is the winner and the new flight is already loaded in the system, with plenty of award inventory. Service commences on March 2, 2014 with […]
Room With a View: Park Hyatt Sydney
I trust you’ve been enjoying the Afghanistan trip report, which will resume shortly, but I had to interrupt my vacation (and the trip report) to cover the changes United Airlines has announced to elite qualification and award ticketing fees. It is not Friday afternoon yet, but hopefully the bad news is over and I can […]
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 by car and foot but not surprisingly checkpoints at two entrances carefully screen those who come […]
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 where I could rest. There were none—each section of seating had armrests for each seat. Wi-fi […]
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, and blogs like mine, but uncertainty persists. I like long flights—the ideal flight length for me […]
Farewell Philadelphia!
Sometimes your life can change in ways you least expect it. Mine changed nearly four years ago, while sitting with my uncle and brother in a guesthouse near the Galilee in northern Israel. I had taken the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) earlier in the spring and while my performance was not exceptional, it was […]