After a quick breakfast at our Airbnb in Hoi An we left for the Da Nang airport, arriving about an hour before our 10:30AM flight. The airport was clean and efficient, our flight was on-time, and our pre-arranged driver met us at arrivals when we landed…
Unlike Phu Quoc, Hoi An is a town that has figured out their tourism industry -- to the max. The golden-hued UNESCO city is atmospheric, and charming, and in ways reminded me of Italy; particularly the towns on the Amalfi Coast. There's a tacit understanding…
We decided to stay in Hoi An rather than Da Nang primarily because of weather concerns -- everyone cautioned that Da Nang wouldn't be warm enough to enjoy the beach in February, so we figured if it was going to be too cold to swim we'd prefer being in…
We knew that we wanted to incorporate a few days of beach time into this trip, but had been cautioned that Da Nang and Hoi An would be far too cold to enjoy the beach in February (this ended up being far from the truth, but weather is like that sometimes).…
With only about 40 hours in Saigon, we had to be fairly aggressive about how we spent our time. While we of course wanted to enjoy the city and the local cuisine, visiting some of the sites related to the wars was high on our list. Both Heather's dad…
When it came time to book our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, I didn't even look beyond the Park Hyatt Saigon. Ben had stayed there a few years ago and raved about it (though never wrote a full review), and the location seemed perfect for our purposes. Booking…
I feel like we've been talking about this trip my cousin Heather and I were going to take with our moms for months now (granted, we booked much further in advance than I typically do), so I'm excited to be finally reporting back with all the fun details.…
Airports can be confusing, particularly in the case of terminals designed for the jet era that haven't adapted as well to modern aviation. The terminal shift at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this year has inspired improved wayfinding, but…
Ah, tax season. As many Americans are starting to finalize their tax returns, questions about earning points for making those payments always come up. I pay all my estimated quarterly and annual taxes by credit card, so figured it would be helpful to…
Not a day goes by when we don't get a message from someone frustrated because they tried to use their miles for a "free" flight, and were stymied by hundreds of dollars in taxes and fees. While some airports and countries do have higher fees, the bulk…
We get messages every day from folks asking for more details about how Ben got started as a travel blogger, or from people who have already started some kind of blog or content site and have questions for me about the practical details of everything…
As part of the rebranding of the combined Marriott and SPG rewards programs, the refreshed “Marriott Bonvoy” cards launched in the Canadian market last week. Historically the SPG Amex cards were two of the most popular cards for Canadian travelers, but…
In an update that will surprise absolutely no one (unless you work for Marriott, in which case I imagine every day lately is a fresh wave of surprise and horror), Bonvoy is not displaying the correct prices for Points Advance reservations made prior…
The Canadian version of The Platinum Card announced some significant changes last week (and some less-significant ones, like the card now coming in a metal-ish version). We've been receiving quite a few questions from readers and clients as to whether…
Recently Ben shared his ranking of what he considers to be The World’s Best First Class Airlines, based on his experiences flying pretty much every commercial first class out there. Unlike the fancy rankings you see elsewhere, with questionable methodologies…
One of the trickiest things about redeeming miles is accurately searching award space. You have to know where to search for it, the foibles of each search engine, and that's before you even get into the thick of what partners each airline has and the…
If you're one of the people who was able to take advantage of the killer Hong Kong Airlines deals last August, your trip is likely approaching soon, and you might be wondering where to credit the miles. I originally wrote this post right after the fare…
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…
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…
I've been fiercely evangelical about Project Fi since Google launched their cell phone service a few years ago. The plans have saved me a ton compared to a legacy mobile carrier, the un-throttled international coverage has been life-changing, and I adored…
United hilariously released their Polaris Cookbook a few weeks ago, because we clearly all want to replicate tasty partially-frozen paninis and other such delicacies in the comfort of our own kitchens. Joking aside, this is actually a decently organized…
