I Am Going On An Absolutely Wild Review Trip, And Can't Wait!

Uh Oh, has ben been brought along for an inaugural Baltia flight 20 years in the making? 🙂

The only better content would be you doing an EgyptAir flight with the CEO.

Air Côte d’Ivoire. 🙁 How did you book?

To make a few guesses based on these hints:
Outbound:
1. Lufthansa 787 Allegris(?)
2. Turkmenistan Airlines
3. Starlux First Class
Return:
1. TAAG Angola
2. BermudAir
3. United Polaris Studio

Ben - I'm thinking Return flight 1 is China Southern...hard to believe it's now TWELVE YEARS since Duc De Paris-gate. Do you remember it? Absolute train wreck of a flight...

Probablt the startup is Riyadh air to LHR, then United Polaris studio to the US

My first thought was Riyadh Air, unsure about the rest.

My guesses:
1. Lufthansa Allegris business class on the B787-9
2. Georgian Airways business class on their B767-300ER to or from MXP
3. Swiss Senses First class on the A350-900 to ICN?

For the return leg
1. Saudia from ICN to RUH?
2. Riyadh Air to LHR
3. United Polaris Elevated Suites/Studio from LHR to SFO.

Can't wait to see the real itinerary and the reviews!

Startup: Riyadh Air
Business: LH Alegris
Strange: Turkmenistan
Natianl Carrier: Air India

Who watches your two small kids while you guys are constantly traveling?

I know it's your private family and all, but it's a legitimate question. How does one (or two) parent effectively when you're seemingly always a continent away from your kids? Are you concerned this might impact them as they get older?

Could there be a think piece in the future about how this lifestyle impacts your world as a parent?

I'm Guessing Starlux First Class for one of the flights.

I had the exact same question. We have three kids and when one of the parent is away, even to a few days for work, one of the three kids will throw a fit because they can’t understand why their “fav” parent is away for so long, and it becomes very hard for the other parent to explain. Two of our three kids are under 5 (just like Ben’s). I can’t imagine how other, non-parent family member manage those situations when both Ben and ford are away at the same time (which seems to happen a few times every year).

Was that the flight where the pilots were smoking the entire way over the Pacific?

My guesses are:
Lufthansa, possibly in the business plus seats
Unsure
The ivory coast airline that runs first class to and from Paris

Saudia
Riyadh Air
New polaris seats?

@ JamesW -- Great and fair question. Ford and I are lucky in that we work from home, so we get to be around our kids all day every day when we're not traveling, a privilege that I realize that many people don't have.

For the most part, we try to travel separately for "work," so that one of is typically home with our kids. However, we do travel without our kids an average of maybe three weeks per year. Those are always situations where there's still a business angle, and honestly, sometimes it's just not practical to take them, while still trying to get any work done.

In those situations, grandparents stay with our kids, and everyone is happy about that arrangement.

Our younger son has been super easy and happy across the board, while our older son is now about to be four. The truth is he loves everyone in our family, so when we do travel, we talk to him all the time, he's having fun at home, etc. Maybe we're just lucky, but he's super delighted when we get home, but also doesn't get depressed when we leave.

Now, he is getting to the age where he's asking lots of questions, and if he does start getting super sad if we leave, then we'll of course reconsider. Then again, as he gets older, we're also traveling with him a lot more, so he'll realistically just be included with most of our travel.

No one is guessing the cruise line? I know it must be one bookable through Ford (so not even a "luxury" cruise that most readers might consider from Silversea, Regent, Windstar, Seabourn, Explora, etc.), and Ben has mentioned Four Seasons, so that's my guess.

Ben works from home and has an enormous amount of time with the children because of that. Of course there is childcare arranged for when he's doing reviews if Ford has work commitments but you'll notice the review trips are very densely packed in and less frequent. I bet he's not 'away' for more than 3 weeks a year, far less than a parent in a corporate role working in an office with some business trips thrown in.

Flights in order of your hints
I think the long way there is US to Europe to Asia to US
KLM A350 Business Class to AMS
Turkmenistan Airlines FRA-ASB-BKK
Unknown?

Return
Malaysia to KUL (possibly Air India)
Starlux KUL-TPE-SIN
United New Polaris SIN-SFO

Alaska business suites on 787

Ben as always is very nice. Yes sure if you make your life public you need to expect scrutinizing questions.

But this one is patronizing and bordering on insulting. How any person raises their children is their concern and responsibility first and foremost.

Any concerns about neglect or worse can and need to be adressed but without that……

It is not your life

Saw that 787 at LHR recently… wowza, what an attractive livery. That beautiful deep green. Yes. YES. YESS!!

1) Lufthansa Allegris to somewhere in Germany
2) Eurowings business to Abu Dhabi
3) Etihad first to Jeddah
4) Saudia to Riyadh
5) Riyadh air to London
6) too many :))

I’d love to see that happen, especially to see which Delft Blue House he picks!

The controversial first class product will be Air India, and the lounge that Ben is thinking will be on the top 10 list is the AI new first class lounge in New Delhi.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-india-lounge-delhi-airport/

Oh, and greetings from New Delhi myself, but I’ll be flying out next week on SQ first, not AI, so I won’t be able to try out the new AI lounge myself. Insert frowny face here…

+1

Four Seasons Venice->Dubrovnik

The outbound leg is a bit tricky...
• Could be LH Allegris on the 789... Or Edelweiss A350 (but the latter would have to be ex LAS/YHZ/LIR, none of which seem that convenient ex-MIA)
• Turkmenistan Airlines (FRA/LHR/MXP-ASB-KUL/BKK) - wild guess... because you've got to return back to Europe somehow lol
• Starlux A350 F (KUL/BKK-TPE-PRG) - only/main airline you're yet to fly in F, would only make sense that it's PRG since it's the only destination in Europe...

--> very out-there guesses since this outbound routing would be insane

The return leg seems more or less clear:
• Saudia to RUH
• Riyadh Air RUH-LHR
• Alaska 787 LHR-SFO

Regarding the last 2 points of the return:
-Riyadh Air
-Alaska Airlines

Enjoy your trip Lucky!!

Yay!

My guess of the cruise would be Four Seasons. But, whatever cruise line, could you please provide details of the exact cost, just as you do for air fares and hotel rates? Thanks.

SQ F and La Premiere? Willy, you’re loaded!

So annoying. I really dislike clickbait posts like this. If you can’t tell us about it now then just write about it when you can. No need for a post like this one.

YYZ–FRA (Lufthansa 789 Allegris J) This one is a best-guess. Not 100% on Origin airport → FRA–ASB–DEL (Turkmenistan Airlines) → DEL–VIE (Air India 777 F) which drops Ben off close to the port where the cruise starts → cruise Venice to Dubrovnik on Four Seasons I → ATH–RUH (Saudia) but could be JED for this and the next flight → RUH–LHR (Riyadh Air) → LHR–SFO (United new Polaris)

Ditto. Looking at the two upcoming Four Seasons voyages (July 12-19 and 19-26), current prices are $42k and $48k per suite. I'm sure some of the "cheaper" suites are sold out so this may not reflect "entry-level" pricing, but yowsers.

Is Global Airlines running another flight that we didn't hear about?

@TravelinWilly I think that was a China Eastern flight.

Lufthansa 787
Riyadh Air
Air Cote dIvore
La Premiere lounge Paris
Alaska

RCL Legend - Star Class Suite is my guess

TAAG Angola 787-9 or bust pls

Starlux and CX

Amen!

The purpose of this article is just to get people commenting, guessing, or waiting for the reviews. There was in multiple paragraphs zero content. Just tell the group your plan.

I’m over your trip reviews.

Why don’t you write a post about what you eat during these trips and how you avoid (I assume) pizzas and burgers and eat more healthy salads and fruit ?
Do you go to the grocery stores or just order room service/UBER EATS?

I’d wanna read about that more than Business/First Class flights.

P/S it’s easier for me to get pizzas & burgers than to find proper salads or a supermarket when I am in America. Strangely, no such problems in all other parts of the world.

Try a different blog, or start your own, whiny needy baby.

Ben, are you doing a joint trip with Matthew? Because his latest trip (parts of it at least) would fit what you described 🙂

Yeah, @iamhere, nobody here is enjoying the guessing game. Or, maybe just the opposite.

Well you already mentioned in a previous blog post you'd be trying the Four Seasons cruise this summer, so that's not a surprise haha, maybe you forgot you already had mentioned it. Anyway im excited for you! Will you be FINALLY trying out Azul from Brazil-Florida, and reviewing PS MIA?????

Was that the flight where the pilots were smoking the entire way over the Pacific?

I had the exact same question. We have three kids and when one of the parent is away, even to a few days for work, one of the three kids will throw a fit because they can’t understand why their “fav” parent is away for so long, and it becomes very hard for the other parent to explain. Two of our three kids are under 5 (just like Ben’s). I can’t imagine how other, non-parent family member manage those situations when both Ben and ford are away at the same time (which seems to happen a few times every year).

@ JamesW -- Great and fair question. Ford and I are lucky in that we work from home, so we get to be around our kids all day every day when we're not traveling, a privilege that I realize that many people don't have.

For the most part, we try to travel separately for "work," so that one of is typically home with our kids. However, we do travel without our kids an average of maybe three weeks per year. Those are always situations where there's still a business angle, and honestly, sometimes it's just not practical to take them, while still trying to get any work done.

In those situations, grandparents stay with our kids, and everyone is happy about that arrangement.

Our younger son has been super easy and happy across the board, while our older son is now about to be four. The truth is he loves everyone in our family, so when we do travel, we talk to him all the time, he's having fun at home, etc. Maybe we're just lucky, but he's super delighted when we get home, but also doesn't get depressed when we leave.

Now, he is getting to the age where he's asking lots of questions, and if he does start getting super sad if we leave, then we'll of course reconsider. Then again, as he gets older, we're also traveling with him a lot more, so he'll realistically just be included with most of our travel.

Ben works from home and has an enormous amount of time with the children because of that. Of course there is childcare arranged for when he's doing reviews if Ford has work commitments but you'll notice the review trips are very densely packed in and less frequent. I bet he's not 'away' for more than 3 weeks a year, far less than a parent in a corporate role working in an office with some business trips thrown in.

Saw that 787 at LHR recently… wowza, what an attractive livery. That beautiful deep green. Yes. YES. YESS!!