Back in the day, it was rare to see big welcome bonuses or generous rewards structures on business credit cards. That has changed, and nowadays we're seeing card issuers place a huge emphasis on business credit cards. This is obviously an area where…
Some of you may remember the accident of Air Niugini flight 73, which crash landed in water on approach to Chuuk, Micronesia, on September 28, 2018. The plane had a total of 47 people onboard, including 12(!!!) crew and 35 passengers. Unfortunately one…
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how talks broke down between British Airways management and their pilots union over a new contract. Management has offered pilots an 11.5% pay increase over three years, though the pilots want more, claiming they want…
Well, it looks like Kenya Airways finally has a new plan. Whether or not that's good news remains to be seen. Kenya Airways was entirely government owned until 1995, when it became the first African flag carrier to successfully be privatized. Currently…
Easter Island first popped up on my radar as a travel destination we might be interested in a little over a year ago, when I read about Ben's adventures at the Explora Hotel Rapa Nui. As I scrolled through his posts, curled up in a metal chair at a tiny…
Air Peace is a private Nigerian airline that I've been fascinated by. The airline has been flying since 2013 primarily as a regional airline, though just a couple of weeks ago launched their first long haul flight to Sharjah in the UAE. The airline has…
The past couple of years American Express has refreshed their portfolio of cards, especially those cards earning Membership Rewards points. One of the changes that we've seen is that the popular Premier Rewards Gold Card was rebranded as the Amex Gold…
Air Belgium is one of my favorite airlines to follow, and last week they announced a new business plan -- the airline went from being focused on flights to Asia, to not operating any scheduled flights at all, to now operating flights to the Caribbean…
World of Hyatt has just rolled out their newest promotion on purchased points, which has the potential to be a great deal for anyone considering a stay at a Hyatt. Through August 27, 2019, World of Hyatt is offering a 40% bonus when you buy at least…
This is a pretty incredible story. Some of you may remember the LaMia flight that crashed in November 2016. LaMia 2933 was a charter flight operated by an Avro RJ85 that was scheduled to fly from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to Medellín, Colombia.…
I sort of feel like I'm explaining life on earth to a martian here... My dad is flying Southwest tomorrow for the first time. There are a few things to understand about my dad, and about my relationship with him. First of all, my dad isn't very good…
One of the awesome features of several American Express cards is the annual airline fee credits they offer, which range in value from $100 to $250. Well, it looks like for a lot of people this benefit has just gotten less valuable. Which Amex cards offer…
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is one of my favorite programs to buy miles from, both thanks to the frequency with which they sell miles, and what a good deal their redemptions can be. Alaska Airlines has just launched their latest promotion on purchased…
As I wrote about earlier, I just went through the process of renewing my passport. Now that I have a new passport, I realized that there's one important thing that I have to do. As anyone who travels frequently internationally knows, Global Entry is…
When talking about mid-range credit cards that earn transferrable points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is probably the first card that comes to mind for many. The card offers a big sign-up bonus, bonus categories, and great protection. However,…
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how talks broke down between British Airways management and their pilots union over a new contract. British Airways is experiencing record profitability at the moment, and the pilots want their share of that. They…
Easter Island first popped up on my radar as a travel destination we might be interested in a little over a year ago, when I read about Ben's adventures at the Explora Hotel Rapa Nui. As I scrolled through his posts, curled up in a metal chair at a tiny…
Our quick trip to Santiago presented us with a little bit of a quandary: with only one full day to see the city, but two nights at our disposal, our goal was to maximize time, tourism value, and points all in one shot. This was the only opportunity to…
Welcome to my next trip report, covering travel in ANA first class to Japan using an incredible mileage deal, as well as stays at several hotels that I've been wanting to stay at for a while. Ford had never been to Japan before (other than connecting…
Every winter, my husband and I succumb to the vitamin D deficiency that plagues New England, and use our miles to get as far away from winter as possible. Our trip has to meet one of two criteria: As far south in the Southern Hemisphere as possible (maximum…
This past week I finally had the chance to stay at the TWA Hotel JFK. I don't think I've ever been this excited about staying at an airport hotel... or even about staying at any hotel, for that matter. Not only is this hotel an aviation geek's dream,…
My layover in Madrid was only about two hours. Madrid is a deceivingly massive airport, and a great place to connect if you're looking to meet your daily quota for steps in one layover. To be honest I actually have no clue what gate we arrived at, though…
I just went through the process of renewing my US passport. Ford's passport was due to expire in August, and mine in December, so we figured we might as well both renew them at once. Over the weekend I got my new passport in the mail. Much to my surprise,…
The past few years we've seen airlines investing significantly in their business class products. Not only do more airlines offer dine on demand onboard, but many airlines also offer pre-flight dining. This gives passengers the flexibility to eat what…
I've always kind of wanted to be a flight attendant, but just for a hot minute. Not for 46 years, as seems to be the norm in the US. There is something that seems kind of fun about doing the hand motions pointing out where the exits are, having the power…
I'd kind of like to spend a night in the LSU locker room, and not in a weird way (or maybe this is actually the weird way to want to spend a night in a locker room?)... LSU Football has shared on Twitter pictures of their locker room, and frankly they…
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up additional miles & points for purchases you’d make anyway. Just for following a specific link you can earn bonus points in addition to the ones you’d earn anyway for credit card spending. Whenever…
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up additional miles & points for purchases you’d make anyway. Just for following a specific link you can earn bonus points in addition to the ones you’d earn for credit card spend. The number of bonus…
Many of us go to great lengths to maximize our credit card strategy. For example, I have over two dozen credit cards -- I have some cards for the perks, while I have other cards for the bonuses they offer when I spend money on them. While I know many…
I've written before about how my "urge" to get on a plane has lessened lately. My sweet dog and his abandonment issues have a lot to do with it, as it's heartbreaking to leave him, but I've also found my interests have changed somewhat. I still love…
Our quick trip to Santiago presented us with a little bit of a quandary: with only one full day to see the city, but two nights at our disposal, our goal was to maximize time, tourism value, and points all in one shot. This was the only opportunity to…
I had an interesting experience involving contacting customer relations at American recently, which I figured I'd share. First let me provide a bit of background. I get emails constantly from readers who share with me how unsatisfied they are with airline…
