My wife and I used to do a lot of premium cabin trips but now that we are a family of four, we mostly fly economy. We just don't see the point of spending more miles (or worse, money) to fly up-front. When you've got two preschoolers in tow, you're not…
Given that I'm originally from northern Ohio, I was pretty excited when the Bar Symon restaurant joined the Priority Pass lounge network this spring. I get back that way fairly often with my family, so having a place to grab a "free" bite to eat can…
As I'm sure everyone knows, it's possible to redeem frequent flyer miles for magazines. It's definitely not the most exciting use of miles, but there are reasons to do it sometimes. That said, I'm guessing that most of us really only redeem for magazines…
Priority Pass has been adding airport restaurants to their lounge network at a furious pace. Within the past year alone, restaurants in Cleveland, Denver, Syracuse, St. Louis, and Indianapolis airports have joined the program, just to name a few. The…
I've been a Hyatt Globalist for going on a decade. But I almost threw in the towel when they raised the Globalist requirements to 60 nights with the launch of the World of Hyatt program. That's because I'm what you might call a Hyatt tweener -- I can…
United rolled out basic economy domestically a little over a year ago. They started offering the fares in limited markets at first, but then expanded to most of the US. United had also intimated that they would be expanding them to international markets…
I recently visited Timberline Steak and Grille, which is a Priority Pass "lounge" at the Denver Airport. I noted in the review that I've probably been there over a dozen times since it joined the Priority Pass network last fall. My family likes to say…
I was pretty excited when Timberline Steaks and Grille at Denver Airport joined the Priority Pass network last fall. I've been there probably at least a dozen times since then. Having become somewhat of a regular, I know most of the ins and outs of the…
I'm generally not a fan of the basic economy concept. I sort of get that the legacies wanted to create a way to segment the market such that they could simultaneously compete with the low cost carriers, and still offer the benefits of a mainline carrier.…
I was in need of roadside assistance a couple of weeks ago, or perhaps more accurately, my wife was. Her Jeep Cherokee -- the original, not the fake new one -- overheated while she was driving home one evening. She called me in a bit of a panic to ask…
For nearly three years now United has been running what I have argued is the best -- and most gameable -- car rental promo out there. In short, it has awarded up to 2,750 United miles for each Hertz car rental at airport locations, which was pretty awesome.…
One of the more obscure features of United Airlines is the united.com Club. No, I'm not talking about the place where you can load up on snacks and drinks before your flight -- that's the United Club -- but rather their almost-secret frequent buyer program…
United's basic economy offering is one of the most punitive in the industry. When flying on one of these fares, United advises that you won't get to choose your seat, won't get a proper carry-on, won't get a chance at an upgrade, and perhaps most importantly,…
I rented a flexible fuel vehicle on a trip recently. It was a Dodge Journey that I had selected mostly because it was the biggest vehicle on National’s Executive Aisle at the time. And bigger is frankly much better when I’m traveling with my wife and…
One of the best perks of The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is access to Centurion Lounges. These lounges are generally far nicer than what’s offered by US airlines as they offer complimentary…
I recently purchased a ticket for my mother-in-law on Spirit, and booked it at the airport to save the passenger usage charge, which on this ticket was $18.99. So I paid $24.10 for the ticket, instead of $44 which is what it would have cost online. I…
I was in Detroit recently and had the chance to visit the Lufthansa Senator lounge. I last reviewed this lounge in May 2015, and while the space is basically the same, the food continues to improve. So I figured it was worth an update. The Lufthansa…
I've recently shared how you can save money by buying Spirit or Allegiant tickets at the airport. That's because these airlines effectively tack on a surcharge for using their website. They don't call it that of course, but that's what it is. The reason…
Airlines pay a 7.5% federal excise tax on the fares of the tickets they sell. When multiplied across thousands and thousands of passengers each day, this really adds up. The key is that this tax only applies to the actual fare, and not the fees. Anything…
I find the low cost carrier business model fascinating. These airlines, which include Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, and soon to be Sun Country, offer rock bottom fares and then make their money with piles of fees. You can pretty much expect to pay for…
As most of you know, I was pretty excited about the total solar eclipse on August 21st. Sure I liked the science of it and all, but the travel aspects were equally fascinating to me. It's just so rare for millions of people all across the country to…
