One of the main reasons I travel is to review new airlines, which is why many of my trips are quick and have crazy routings.
However, I think this might just be one of my craziest trips yet. Over the course of the next week I’ll be flying:
- China Eastern business class from Los Angeles to Shanghai to Colombo (70,000 Delta SkyMiles)
- Royal Air Maroc and Qatar Airways business class from Colombo to Doha to Casablanca and back (~$620)
- Saudia business class from Colombo to Jeddah to Manchester (~$700)
- Pakistan business class from Manchester to New York (~$900)
- JetBlue Mint Class from New York to Los Angeles (~$600)
That’s over 33,000 flown miles over the course of seven days.
So not only is this trip rather crazy in terms of the airlines I’m flying, but it’s also crazy in terms of the quantity of flying, especially since about half that trip is being done without spending a night in a hotel.
I’m not sure which flight I’m most excited about on this trip. I’m leaning towards the Pakistan flight from Manchester to New York, though the Saudia flight is also a contender… or perhaps the Royal Air Maroc flight? I’m not sure. So much to look forward to! 😉
Be sure you’re following along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as I’ll have tons of updates over the coming days. Matthew from Upgrd is also joining me for the trip, so it’ll be interesting to see how our perceptions differ, if at all.
Which airline are you most curious to read about?
I bet matt is a blast at parties. Yeesh.
Ben,
When do you arrive in Manchester?
A fan would like to say hello and buy you a drink if you had the time!
Matt
@Robert Hanson You should not feel so much pride in being so ignorant. And you are the type of person who will be looked upon with shame in the future. Actually, not even the future, I feel ashamed about you right now!
You have to truly be blind to ignore all the evidence, and not to mention the consensus in the scientific community. You know, the people with PhDs who devote their entire lives to...
@Robert Hanson You should not feel so much pride in being so ignorant. And you are the type of person who will be looked upon with shame in the future. Actually, not even the future, I feel ashamed about you right now!
You have to truly be blind to ignore all the evidence, and not to mention the consensus in the scientific community. You know, the people with PhDs who devote their entire lives to studying these things. Anyone who ignores the advice of 98% of an expert community should not be allowed to make any decisions for themselves...they clearly aren't capable of reasoned thought.
Robert,
If by "urban myth" you mean "fact researched and validated by thousands of scientists", I agree. The term "global warming" is a target for poorly informed people like yourself who don't understand that the planet warming doesn't prevent blizzards, so every time it snows, they say, "global warming is a lie". "Climate change" is a better description for the layman.
Fortunately, it's not a binary problem.You can offset your carbon emissions and...
Robert,
If by "urban myth" you mean "fact researched and validated by thousands of scientists", I agree. The term "global warming" is a target for poorly informed people like yourself who don't understand that the planet warming doesn't prevent blizzards, so every time it snows, they say, "global warming is a lie". "Climate change" is a better description for the layman.
Fortunately, it's not a binary problem.You can offset your carbon emissions and still travel, use a computer, etc., so no, you don't need to go off grid. https://www.terrapass.com/ But thanks for the weak effort.
Aside from the fact that human caused Global Warming is a total Urban Myth, which due to the lack of any actual warming GW alarmists had to change the name to the meaningless term Climate Change, these planes were going to fly whether or not Lucky is on them. The extra amount of Co2 caused by Lucky's weight in the plane is miniscule. ;)
This blog, by the way, is a travel blog. Anyone who...
Aside from the fact that human caused Global Warming is a total Urban Myth, which due to the lack of any actual warming GW alarmists had to change the name to the meaningless term Climate Change, these planes were going to fly whether or not Lucky is on them. The extra amount of Co2 caused by Lucky's weight in the plane is miniscule. ;)
This blog, by the way, is a travel blog. Anyone who believes in GW should stop reading it, unplug their computer immediately, and start making plans to move somewhere off the grid. :)
@matt
That's not even possible. As an example, a 747 burns 5 gallons per mile according to Boeing. For 33,000 miles, that's 165,000 gallons, which at 6.2 pounds per gallon, weigh a total of 1,039,500 pounds, or 472.5 tonnes. Every tonne of fuel burned produces 3.17 tonnes of CO2 due to the stoichiometry of the reaction, which nets 1,500 tonnes of CO2. But that's for the entire plane. A typical 747 carries 467 people. Dividing...
@matt
That's not even possible. As an example, a 747 burns 5 gallons per mile according to Boeing. For 33,000 miles, that's 165,000 gallons, which at 6.2 pounds per gallon, weigh a total of 1,039,500 pounds, or 472.5 tonnes. Every tonne of fuel burned produces 3.17 tonnes of CO2 due to the stoichiometry of the reaction, which nets 1,500 tonnes of CO2. But that's for the entire plane. A typical 747 carries 467 people. Dividing that up, that's 3.2 tonnes per person for 33,000 miles flown on a typical 747. I'm not sure where you're getting 800 tonnes from.
you definitely should get snapchat
@billybob
How is mentioning the biggest current threat to humanity 'PC garbage'??
You should really get snapchat!
Blergh @ the trolls in these comments, whose efforts seem to be getting lazier and lazier.
Good luck on this trip! Just thinking about all that back to back flying is making me exhausted, and that's without having to make detailed trip reports and pay close attention on each flight! I don't know how you do it, but you do it very well, so keep it up and have a good time.
Looking forward to this TR but why do these trips at such a breakneck speed? Why not have a night/up to 24 hours between each flight to sleep, exercise, eat properly and do the trip over 2 or 3 weeks? You say how exhausted you are when you do half these miles in a week!
Ben, hit me up if you are in Manchester and want to see/ eat the local delights! Its better and way more fun than you think it is. Fellow aviation geek here
it just a usual trips, nothing special Ben!
you paid $600 for mint? Wow I did not expect that
*$3000+
$4000+ in expenses, where are you crediting all the earned miles
@Joe
I have Jewish colleagues who work in Saudi Arabia without any problems or concerns. One in particular says he feels more safe and comfortable in Jeddah than in Amman.
@joe
It shouldn't be a problem as long as your passport isn't an Israeli one, and even then I don't think it would be an issue if you don't plan on leaving the airport.
I predict that Ben will find Saudia to be solidly and unglamorously
comfortable; though, his transfer through JED could be nightmarish enough to warrant a particularly scathing post.
I will certainly be looking forward to the PIA and Royal Air Maroc reviews. Do these carriers deserve their godawfully dreadful reputations? I am giddy with anticipation to read of Ben's impressions.
Hey Ben,
What kind of map do you use to display your flight path?
Will you be staying for one week in Casablanca?
Safe traveling
You should get snapchat
Question I need an answer for myself:
Are you allowed to transit Saudi Arabia as a Jew ?
Just followed you on Instagram! Wow what a trip. Enjoy and be safe!
When is your Fiji airways trip coming up? :) I've been really looking forward to it.
why isn't Ford joining you - great way for him to see more airlines and have his valued opinion too ?
Can't wait to read! Wish you posted a live TR on snapchat like other bloggers.
Have fun and enjoy those airlines. I'm looking forward to your reviews on each one.
Thanks Matt for the PC garbage. Don't you have a tree to hug?
evidently you don't, Butthead. Why don't you go vote for Trump, hey?
Hi lucky, the "list view" option on your hotel index reports is gone. Is that deliberate?
How about snapchat?
Hey Lucky, have you ever considered being an airline pilot?!?!
I Googled how many metric tons of CO2 33,000 air miles generates. It comes out to 800 metric tons in one week! Given the average person in the world emits just 4 metric tons in a YEAR, you are out doing yourself as far as contributing to global warming!
That itinerary should give you plenty of time to read, so it would be interesting to know what's in your Kindle (or reading app on your iPad). I'm sure you read books, both to prepare for your trips (such as reading up on Russian history) as well as enjoyment, so it would be great if you would share your reading list along with recommendations.