• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Award Travel • Travel  >  I’m Assembling the Trip of a Lifetime
Award TravelTravel

I’m Assembling the Trip of a Lifetime

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 3, 2017November 3, 2017 15 Comments

Although there will be plenty of business travel, with the exception of my upcoming final 747 and Qatar QSuite trips, I am voluntarily suspending new “review” trips until next August.

That doesn’t mean I will not be traveling on new products. For example, you can bet that I will do everything in my power to fly the new Singapore A380 Suites on a business trip to Australia early next year. Maybe I’ll do Virgin Australia Business Class in one direction as well. I am sure there will be other opportunities.

But I still have a backlog of old trip reports that need to be published and a startup that is requiring far more time than I had imagined. I work long hours now away from the house and therefore it becomes increasingly difficult to justify even more time away from my family.

Consequently, my next big “review” trip will not be until next August. I want to make it a special one, though, so I am already starting to plan it out.

Objectives

  • Fly my pre-devaluation United award tickets
  • Visit at least five new countries
  • Fly one “exotic” product

If you recall, the award tickets include flights in Australia, Asia, and Africa. But I need to position to Australia, then position to Africa, and finally position home from Africa. Each positioning trip presents an opportunity.

The award trip starts in Sydney. To get to Australia I am thinking about finally trying out Virgin Australia Business Class if I cannot squeeze it into my earlier business trip. As of now, the carrier still reliably releases last-minute space.

From Australia to Africa on Miles

My first stop in Africa is Maputo, Mozambique…a country I missed visiting during my 2014 month in Africa. I can fly from Perth to Johannesburg on South African or Sydney to to J’Berg on Qantas, but I’m thinking of traveling all the way back to Lisbon then taking TAP Portugal to Maputo, a nonstop flight to the former Portuguese colony. I have yet to review TAP longhaul.

Another option is trying to squeeze in a flight on TAAG Angola First Class and actually spending a few days in Luanda, a city I have been wanting to visit for years.

My booked South African flight is from Johannesburg to Dakar, where I plan to spend a few days. The question is should I visit other West African nations or just hope on an Iberia flight to Madrid then head home. I could also hop on another South African Airways flight to Washington Dulles.

Thus, I am thinking something like this–

CONCLUSION

Any thoughts on this? There is plenty of time to plan, but I thought I’d put the trip out there now for your commentary. Specifically, getting from Australia to Africa and then what to do once I reach Dakar.

Previous Article What I Hate Most About the Boeing 787
Next Article My Favorite First Class Omelet is Now for Sale in Economy Class

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Man Slaps Passenger Who Kept Opening His Window Shade

    January 25, 2023
  • charter flight

    How Much Does It Cost To Charter A 767 Private Jet?

    January 22, 2023
  • First Class Worthwhile

    7 First Class Products I Hope To Fly In 2023

    January 21, 2023

15 Comments

  1. Nick Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    My thought – looking at the map it appears you have forgotten entirely about the continent of South America! 😀

  2. tda Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    Presumably you meant to ask whether you should visit other WEST African nations.

    • Matthew Reply
      November 3, 2017 at 4:41 pm

      Correct. Just a typo. Thanks.

      • Anish Reply
        November 3, 2017 at 11:54 pm

        You should fly etihad first apartment and compare it to Singapore Airlines new suites fly etihad please

  3. Cornholio Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    Senegal is in West Africa.

  4. Jim Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    I have a trip planned for Africa in January. I also thought of visiting Mozambique and Swaziland during my stay in South Africa. However, I found out that US passport holders are required to obtain a visa prior to arrival. Namibia and Botswana do not. Also, it’s $259 to get the visa by mail. If you haven’t been to Namibia or Botswana I would recommend looking into them as they have more to offer than Mozambique and they don’t require a visa (well, Botswana does require visa on arrival). In addition, plane tix to those countries are much cheaper than to Mozambique.

    • Matthew Reply
      November 3, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      Have been to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, and Lesotho. All great.

  5. Alan Brint Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 4:13 pm

    Matthew, what about this trip: Seek out the United FA who kicked you off the flight to Istanbul and ask her to work your flight on United to Australia on the boeing 787-9 dreamliner with the bathrooms that have automatic flushers. To add a bit of extra fun, you are welcome to have an animated discussion about ISIS and how we as Americans need to conquer it sooner rather than later, and also, about how the TSA is way too strict and that these things are just plain old ridiculous. I’ll have one of my friends gladly describe a picture of her face, too. Then, fly China Eastern to Shanghai, connecting to Ethiopian stopping in Addis Ababa enroute to South Africa. On your way home, be sure to include a long hall segment in Uzbekistan Airways. Does that sound fun?

    • Matthew Reply
      November 3, 2017 at 4:43 pm

      I’ll let you do that trip Alan! 😉

  6. MeanMeosh Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    I agree with Nick. You’ve got to find a way to squeeze South America into the equation. Doesn’t LAN operate a nonstop from AKL-SCL? Maybe you could go spend a couple of days on Easter Island while you’re at it (can’t recall if you’ve been there or not).

    P.S. I think even you might not want to see the inside of a plane for like 5 years if you pull this off!

    • Matthew Reply
      November 3, 2017 at 4:43 pm

      Have been to Easter Island already or else that would be great suggestion. Could Fly LAN to GRU via SCL then SA to JNB.

  7. Jerry Reply
    November 3, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    This trip sounds so fun. I can’t wait to read about it! My only country I’ve hit in West Africa is Mauritania. While I know you can’t “see ’em all” if you don’t go there, it ranks somewhere towards the bottom of the 117 I’ve managed to make it to.

    Ghana, Togo, Burkina, and Senegal all seem to get fairly positive reviews. Good luck, Matthew.

  8. docntx Reply
    November 4, 2017 at 10:01 am

    Have done SCL-AKL in Business Class on what was still then LAN exactly a year ago. It was outstanding. Keep your eye out for the Southern Lights as you fly over Antartica.

  9. Christian Reply
    November 4, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    Out of curiosity, what do you seek out besides Mexican food when you visit a new place? For instance, I like museums, shopping, history, local food, architecture, area specific sites (like baths in Budapest), markets and supermarkets. I suppose that makes me the standard tourist except for the last, but different people go for different things.

  10. Marc Reply
    November 5, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    Spend a few days in Bhutan. Incredible country and flying into Paro is quite an experience.

    http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/03/11/landing-at-paro-airport/

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Waldorf's take on eggs Benedict with truffle sauce and caviar
    Extending Hilton Diamond Status For Three Stays (Or Less) January 29, 2023
  • Review: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea January 28, 2023
  • American - Delta JFK Incident Pilot Analysis
    A Veteran Commercial Airline Pilot Analyzes American – Delta Runway Incident At JFK January 28, 2023
  • Pre-Boarding With Children: How Old Until They Are Too Old? January 27, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Casting Couch? Kuwait Airways Forces Prospective Flight Attendants To Undress For “Research Purposes” January 4, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • SWISS First Class Awards Bookable With United Airlines MileagePlus January 5, 2023
  • United Airlines 2023 Status Extension
    United Airlines Quietly Extends MileagePlus Premier Status…Again January 14, 2023

Archives

January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Dec    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.