We've now approaching a month into the longest US government shutdown in history. Hundreds of thousands of people are not being paid, including those "essential" workers who still have to come to work. Perhaps one of the most visible examples of this…
Historically the Gulf carriers have been known for their full service offerings. While other airlines largely nickel-and-dime passengers, that's not something the Gulf carriers used to do. However, over time these airlines have been under increased financial…
Capital One has really been on fire the past several weeks. In early December they introduced a new transferable points currency, and on top of that they've had some incredible welcome bonuses on their co-branded Spark business cards. This is a reminder…
Philippine Airlines is working on transforming themselves into a better airline, and part of that includes overhauling their business class product. The airline is taking delivery of Airbus A350 aircraft, which they're using to operate their longest…
Aircalin is an airline that has been on my radar for a while. They're the international carrier of New Caledonia, which is a French territory. The airline operates a fleet of just six planes out of their hub in Noumea, including two A330-200s, two A320s,…
Usually I don't like to write stories about airline incidents that involve individuals who may have serious issues. I'm making a (slight) exception here: -- I've had no fewer than a dozen readers email or message me to ask if I can cover this -- I'm…
I've written reviews of what I consider to be three of the four best Capital One cards. These include: -- A review of the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card -- A review of the Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business -- A review of the Capital One® Spark® Cash…
Last September I shared some details of a trip that my cousin Heather and I were planning with our moms. We've been talking about taking our moms on a trip to Vietnam for a few years now. It's not somewhere either of them would naturally go on their…
When it comes to mid-range credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card seems to be the most popular card. However, for someone looking for a mid-range card with a reasonable annual fee, the Citi Premier℠ Card is seriously worth considering. In this…
Well this flight certainly wins the "awful diversion of the day" award. Yesterday's United flight UA179 from Newark to Hong Kong is currently stranded in Goose Bay, Canada, and passengers haven't been allowed off the plane. The flight left Newark at…
While I don't speak any Russian and have no clue what exactly is going on here, this is still sort of awesome. Reader Andrey forwards a video that was uploaded to YouTube yesterday of a boy touring Putin's IL-96 plane. Apparently it was the 15 year old's…
Hello from Florida! I'm spending the weekend with my family, before eventually heading to Sri Lanka later in the week, which I can't wait for. I've been to Colombo so many times before, but it will be my first time getting out into the countryside. On…
Airline partnerships can be complicated, and this is especially true when it comes to redeeming miles on partner airlines. Different airlines take different approaches to releasing award space. Some airlines make more award seats available to members…
Just yesterday I published a post with my valuation of various points currencies. Whenever I share my valuation of points, I always mention that there's no absolute correct ways to value points. There's generally a floor and ceiling for valuing points,…
I love just about nothing more to relax than lying in the sunshine on a beautiful beach in an exotic location. A lot of my travel for most of my adult life has revolved around seeking out some of the most beautiful beaches I can find around the world.…
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of my favorite points currencies, and over the years I've racked up hundreds of thousands of them thanks to cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, and Ink Business Preferred℠…
The Private Suite LAX, which Ben reviewed in November 2017, is a fascinating concept. A private terminal operated by security specialists Gavin de Becker and Associates, the Private Suite allows you to skip LAX altogether by accessing the facility via…
I boarded through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by two very friendly flight attendants and pointed left into the premium economy cabin. Norwegian's 787-9 has a total of 56 premium economy seats, spread across eight rows in a 2-3-2 configuration.…
I headed from the Hilton Gatwick to the airport at around 3:30AM. My flight to New York was departing at 6:05AM (the earliest westbound transatlantic flight, as far as I know), and the No1 Lounge opened at 4AM, so I wanted to be among the first there…
I had a quick overnight in London, as my flight was arriving from Kigali and Brussels at around 5PM, and I had a 6AM flight the next morning to New York. I decided to book the Hilton Gatwick, given that it's connected to the terminal I'd be departing…
In the previous installment I reviewed RwandAir's business class from Kigali to Brussels, and I figured I should break off the next segment into a separate installment, given how long the previous review got. RwandAir's flight to London Gatwick operates…
RwandAir's long haul service has been on my radar for a long time, so I couldn't wait to experience their business class on my flight to London via Brussels. I boarded through the second set of doors, and then turned left into the business class cabin.…
The Companion Pass is probably the best way to get discounts on Southwest Airlines, as you're effectively getting 2-for-1 travel for as long as you have the pass. And before anyone makes a snarky comment about no one at OMAAT flying WN, the last time…
As much as I love Emirates as an airline (especially their A380 first class and new 777 first class), up until now I haven't actually ever redeemed Emirates Skywards miles for my own travels. So in this post I wanted to share my experience doing so for…
I've written before about how I receive multiple emails every single day asking me to leave detailed reviews for everything I've purchased online, from hair product, to small electronics, to accommodation bookings. While I agree it's important to have…
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card is one of the most popular premium travel rewards credit cards. Not only does the card have an excellent welcome bonus, but it offers compelling perks and points that make it worth holding onto long term. There are many…
A bit over a week ago Chase and Southwest introduced some really valuable welcome bonuses on their co-branded cards. Before we talk about the actual bonuses, let me talk briefly about Southwest Companion Pass, which is one of the best deals in travel.…
If you check the blog's Beginners Guide To Miles & Points, you'll see that I have a section with my valuation of various points currencies. However, every so often I like to go through and comprehensively adjust my valuation of points, given how it's…
Recently we saw the introduction of the new Citi Rewards+℠ Card, which is a no annual fee card that I'm excited about. Given some of the other popular cards that Citi has, like the Citi Premier℠ Card, I figured it made sense to look at the best way to…
British Airways Avios can simultaneously be one of the most valuable and one of the most frustrating points currencies out there. British Airways has a distance based award chart, meaning the currency is valuable in instances where other points wouldn't…
One of the best perks of The Platinum Card® from American Express ($550 annual fee) and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express ($450 annual fee) is access to Centurion Lounges. These lounges are for the most part significantly better than…
Royal Brunei Airlines is a small boutique airline based in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. They only have 14 aircraft, yet are known, at least in Australian frequent flyer circles, for a few key reasons: -- Flying from Melbourne to London (their only two…
