It's not every day that you get to fly out of a brand-new terminal on its first day open, but that is precisely what I, and thousands of other passengers, experienced in New Orleans on Wednesday, November 6th. Due to a stroke of luck (or misfortune,…
With an overnight flight in economy and a pre-dawn arrival into Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), we were more than ready for a reprieve. ATL is basically a Sky Club museum, with lounges of every variety dotting every terminal.…
After our remarkably unremarkable experience at Santiago Airport (SCL)'s Sky Club, we decided to upgrade our wait time by checking out the Salones VIP Pacific Club, a Priority Pass lounge located maybe a two-minute walk from the Sky Club, close to Gate…
I'm going to do things a little bit in reverse here, and start with the bottom line: This is the worst Sky Club that I've ever been to. Okay, with that out of the way, here is some background as to how we got there. We landed in Santiago from Punta Arenas…
As I've mentioned before, this trip was more about the destinations than anything else, so our main goal for hotels this time around was striking some semblance of value, while avoiding BYOS (bring your own sanitizer) properties. Given the overall focus…
If you've ever picked up a National Geographic magazine, REI catalogue, or any other publication that remotely documents outdoor adventures, chances are you haven't had to look too far to stumble across a picture that was taken in Torres del Paine National…
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…
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…
While most of us have hung up our snow gear for the season (if you live in the midwest, sorry!) spring is the best time to lock in deals for next year's ski season passes. I wrote about this at length last month, so if the world of multi-resort season…
Well, we almost made it through the week without another hit from Marriott Bonvoy (ugh, I'm still not used to typing that word). In the latest round of "What did Marriott do now?" it looks like certain properties are starting to charge massive credit…
For many of us, early February means that we are one month into our new years' resolutions, and that we've finally stopped writing "2018" on any document that we sign. But if you're in the points and miles world and you tend to travel during the Christmas/New…
Well, life on the road may not always be glamorous, but it's certainly never boring. I'll just get right to it: A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were working in different cities, when I got this late-night text message from him:
Back in early 2013, Delta SkyMiles announced that they would be adding revenue requirements for earning status, starting with the 2014 program year. This began a long and ongoing trend of airline frequent flyer programs moving toward revenue-based requirements.…
No, this isn't a typo, so much as a "last hurrah" (or swan song) for anyone who had Delta Platinum or Diamond status in 2018. Delta's Choice Benefits program allows all Platinum and Diamond Medallion members to select from a series of "freebie" gifts.…
Whether we're new to the game or seasoned experts, we all make mistakes from time to time. And while I've largely been able to keep it together ever since my disastrous China Eastern non-journey from a year ago, apparently I was due for a travel mishap.…
It's rare that two of my favorite things - skiing and air travel - come together so well, but Alaska has done just that with their Fly Alaska, Ski Free promotion. This isn't a new promotion, but rather something Alaska Airlines has offered for a few…
With 46 million passengers scheduled to fly on U.S.-based airlines over the next couple of weeks, there are bound to be some rocky roads (and rough air) out there. And even if you're used to hopping on planes, traveling with infrequent travelers is a…
The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express offer an amazing slew of airport lounge benefits. In addition to Delta Sky Club access and Priority Pass Select membership, American Express has gotten a ton…
Since 2012, Delta has been executing their oft-touted - but rarely experienced - "Surprise and Delight" program. The concept is simple: select Diamond Medallion members with tight connections in hub airports are met at their arriving flight by a Delta…
Every year around this time, frequent travelers around the world scramble to make last-second pushes to secure elite status before time runs out. While this used to be incredibly commonplace, annual program changes have made this practice of "status…
