I’m sorry to tease a preview in this way, but I have a reason I’m not revealing more until the trip kicks off. So let me explain, as I’m downright giddy — while there are several flights that I’m excited about, there’s one in particular that I can’t wait to experience, for better or worse.
In this post:
I’m going to Europe… the very long way in both directions
We just wrapped up a month-long family trip to Europe, which was fun, but very exhausting. I realize people enjoy true review trips, and that’s exactly what I have planned for the coming weeks. I’m leaving next week, and will share all the details mid-week, less than a week from now. My plan is to share live updates, as usual, and then of course to publish a full trip report upon returning home.
In reality, this is a combination of two things — a cruise that has been planned for a very long time, and a review trip-style routing to get to the starting and ending points. Earlier this year I sailed on a Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection journey, my first cruise since childhood. I was very impressed by the experience, and it has prompted me to book some more cruises, especially given the interesting growth in the segment at the moment.
So in the near future we’ll be taking a cruise in Europe, and I’ll let y’all guess which cruise line it is. While Ford will be flying there as directly as possible, I’ll of course take a more roundabout routing, leaving a few days earlier, and returning a few days later.
Hints about the fun itinerary that I have planned
Like I said, I’ll reveal the full details of the routing in the coming days, and will also explain why I’m doing it that way, but in the meantime, let me drop some hints. For the outbound portion of the trip:
- I’ll be flying across the Atlantic in a business class product belonging to a European airline; while I’ve flown the airline and the seat type before, I haven’t flown the plane type, and look forward to experiencing the updated soft product
- I’ll then be flying the “strange” airline that has probably fascinated me for the longest, and this is the part of the trip that I’m most looking forward to
- I’ll then be flying what’s probably a pretty controversial first class product, but I think the ground experience will be great, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes my list of the world’s top first class lounges
For the return portion of the trip:
- I’ll be flying a national carrier that I’ve heard has improved quite a bit over the years, since I last flew with it
- I’ll then be flying one of the most talked about airline startups out there, because I’ve gotta give it a try
- I’ll then be flying the new business class product of an airline from the United States, which I haven’t yet flown
Bottom line
I’ll shortly be taking a cruise that I’m looking forward to, but perhaps what’s even more exciting is how I’ll be flying there and back. The flights that get me the most excited aren’t the most luxurious ones, but instead, the ones where I don’t really know what to expect.
That’s one of the reasons that I’m so looking forward to this trip — these airlines are all over the place in terms of quality, but more than anything, I just don’t know what to expect. One flight in particular has me the most excited.
Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience… and again, sorry for this teasing, but I’m so excited, so I want to say something, but I also want to be strategic about what I say until… well, you’ll see.
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
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.
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?
I'm Guessing Starlux First Class for one of the flights.
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 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...
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...
@ 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.
Startup: Riyadh Air
Business: LH Alegris
Strange: Turkmenistan
Natianl Carrier: Air India
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!
My first thought was Riyadh Air, unsure about the rest.
Probablt the startup is Riyadh air to LHR, then United Polaris studio to the US
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...
Was that the flight where the pilots were smoking the entire way over the Pacific?
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
Air Côte d’Ivoire. :( How did you book?
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.