Review: JAL Sakura Business Class Lounge Frankfurt Terminal 2
As far as I was concerned my trip to visit Tokyo for two nights and three days officially started in the JAL Business Class lounge at Frankfurt airport but, technically speaking, my first flight of the day has been a British Airways positioning flight from London which arrived into Frankfurt shortly after 2pm .
British Airways flights arrive into the same airport terminal that houses the JAL lounges (T2) and, fortuitously, my flight arrived into a gate just a few minutes walk from the lounge doors - no passport control or security to navigate so it was incredibly convenient.
Tokyo Trip – Introduction (How I Booked & How Much I Paid)
Shortly before American Airlines significantly devalued its AAdvantage Miles (by hiking up the cost of awards) I decided to book a few flights that I felt I may not be able to afford after the devaluation. I hadn't ever seriously considered using my miles for First Class travel as Business Class is more than good enough for me most of the time but that suddenly changed.
Review: Qatar Airways 777-300ER Business Class Daytime Flight (KUL-DOH)
My flight to Doha from Kuala Lumpur was on a Qatar Airways 777-300ER and this would be the third new Qatar Airways aircraft I was going to experience on this trip. Before visiting Kuala Lumpur I hadn't reviewed the airline's 787 Dreamliner or A340 Business Class cabins and now I was about to see what the 777-300ERs Business Class cabin was like and what kind of service you get flying between Kuala Lumpur and Doha in the daytime.
Review: Malaysia Airlines First Class Lounge Kuala Lumpur
I've visited the Malaysia Airlines First Class lounge in Kuala Lumpur twice this year (both at different times of day) so, rather than post two separate reviews, I'm combining my experiences of a morning and an evening visit into one post.
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur (International Gates)
After a fun few days in Kuala Lumpur, during which time I finally got to visit and see inside the Petronas Towers, it was time to head back to Kuala Lumpur International airport to catch my Qatar Airways flight back to Doha.
As in most cities you may visit while flying with Qatar Airways, Kuala Lumpur International doesn't have a dedicated Qatar Airways lounge. Here the airline's premium cabin passengers are provided with an invitation to the Plaza Premium lounge upon checking in.
Review: Qatar Airways A340 Business Class Night Flight (DOH-KUL)
One of the reasons I booked my trip to Kuala Lumpur was because the routing gave me a chance to try out three different Qatar Airways Business Class products none of which have been reviewed on Traveling For Miles before. Before this trip I already had a very good idea what the 777-300ER experience would be like (on the Kuala Lumpur - Doha return part of my journey) as I had already reviewed the sister aircraft (777-200LR) on my Auckland trip earlier this year....but I had very little idea of what to expect of the airline's A340 Business Class cabin.
Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge Doha
There are a number of Business Class lounges in Doha but the mother of them all is undoubtably the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class lounge. I'm not entirely sure why I haven't reviewed it before but, as I paid the lounge a visit on this trip and remembered to take some notes, I thought it was about time I did just that.
I'd enjoyed my all-too-short Qatar Airways 787 Business Class flight from Rome and we'd landed in Doha more or less on time. The next stage of the trip involved passing though Doha security which can be a bit of a lottery. Fortunately there is a dedicate premium lane on offer and, while the lines for non-priority passengers appeared quite long, I was though security in under 5 minutes.
Review: Qatar Airways 787 Business Class Daytime Flight (FCO – DOH)
I was looking forward to trying out the Qatar Airways 787 Business Class cabin as I'd heard very good things about it from a number of people who have experienced it first hand. On top of that I had been impressed by the level of service on my Auckland - Doha flight earlier in the year so I was interested to see if that had been a one-off or if the airline could maintain those standards.
Review: AviaPartner VIP Lounge Le Anfore Rome (Qatar Airways & Priority Pass)
As I mentioned in the introduction, to connect to my Qatar Airways Business Class flight I took a British Airways positioning flight from London Heathrow to Rome where I had quite a few hours to kill (I've reviewed the BA A320 Economy class cabin relatively recently so I'm not going to review it here again) - I spent those hours at the AviaPartner VIP Lounge Le Anfore - a their party lounge used by Qatar Airways for its Business Class passengers.
London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle are the only two European Airports in which Qatar Airways manages its own lounges - in all other European cities the airline uses 3rd party lounges of the kind you normally associate with the Priority Pass and Lounge Key programs. In my experience this one of the weaknesses of Qatar's premium offering.
Introduction: Qatar Airways Business Class Trip Between Rome & Kuala Lumpur
Benjamin Franklin once famously said that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" but, if he lived today, he would probably add a third thing to that list: If there isn't an excellent Qatar Airways Business Class fare between Europe and Asia available right now, one will be along very soon!
In one of the many good Business Class promotions that Qatar Airways has offered there were some some great fares to Kuala Lumpur and, as I had never visited the city, this seemed like a good time to see what it was like. This would also give me a chance to review a number of Business Class products that have yet to feature on Traveling For Miles and, if I'm being completely honest, it was a good excuse to catch some much needed sunshine.
Review: Delta One Business Class 767 (Overnight JFK – MAD)
Amazingly, after more years of flying than I care to admit to, this was my first ever experience of flying with Delta and, as such, this was my first ever visit to Terminal 4 at New York's JFK airport.
I was really looking forward to trying out Delta's transatlantic Business Class product (Delta One) as I wanted to see just how good a product the airline offers to make up for its atrocious rewards program (Delta SkyMiles has been nicknamed SkyPesos for a reason!).
Review: Courtyard By Marriott New York Chelsea/Manhattan
New York is one of the more expensive major cities in the world when it comes to hotel accommodation so I often find that even the more rudimentary properties in the city cost quite a bit. If I'm traveling with Joanna I don't mind spending a bit more on accommodation but when I'm traveling solo, as I was on this occasion, I resent paying anymore than I have to for a reasonable quality room.
Qatar Airways New Business Class Unveiled – Meet The “QSuite”
Earlier today Qatar Airways used a press conference at the ITB Berlin exhibition to launch its highly anticipated new Business Class seat to the world. After years of waiting to see what Qatar Airways would come up with after its CEO His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker had promised us a "Super Business Class" that would rival the First Class offerings from a number of competitors, we finally got to see what all the excitement and fanfare was about.
Review: Delta Sky Club JFK Terminal 4
In recent years most of my travels have been on OneWorld airlines so, to get a better perspective on what other options look like, I decided to make a conscious effort to try out a few other airlines when possible. Towards the end of last year this saw me trying out Air France's short-haul Business Class product, the Air France 777-300ER Business Class cabin (which I loved) and Delta's DeltaOne Business Class product out of New York - that's how I came to find myself in Delta's Sky Club at JFK.
Review: Qatar Airways 777-200LR Business Class (AKL-DOH) – The World’s Longest Flight
On Sunday 5 February 2017 Qatar Airways launched its Doha to Auckland route which now holds the crown as the longest route (time-wise) in the world and, as luck would have it, I was booked to fly on day two of this new route - this is my review of that flight.
Tomorrow I’m Flying On The World’s Longest Commercial Flight (I Must Be Mad!)
This Traveling For Miles post is coming to you from sunny Auckland where I'm currently enjoying a particularly good flat white and thanking the weather gods for blessing my whirlwind trip with decent weather (every other time I've visited this city it's been mostly grey and overcast....and I've always visited in the summer!).
Review: Air France Business Class 777-300ER (CDG-JFK)
Air France would appear to start its international boarding process earlier than most airlines I've flown because, when I got to the gate with a little over an hour to go before departure, I was faced with a sea of travelers ahead of me and boarding had already started.
Review: Air France A320 Business Class (MAD-CDG)
This was my first flight on Air France in years (I'm not even sure I remember the last time I flew with the airline), it was my first flight in Air France's short-haul Business Class and my first flight in an Air France A320. That's a lot of "firsts". Combine those facts with the fact that I'd just flown in to Madrid on an Iberia A320 and you'll see why I was interested to see what Air France would offer.
Review: Sala VIP Puerta Del Sol Madrid T3
The Puerta Del Sol lounge is open from 04:30 to 23:00 7 days a week and caters to both SkyTeam and Star Alliance flyers departing from Terminal 3. It's also a Priority Pass lounge so, if you don't have status and you're not traveling in a premium cabin that's another way to get access.
A Look Inside SkyTeam’s New Beijing Airport Lounge
SkyTeam has provided the first pictures of its soon to be opened lounge at Beijing International airport and, based on these together with the details supplied, it looks like flyers are going to have a very nice lounge option available to them in the next few weeks.
Review: Iberia A320 Economy Class (LHR-MAD)
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My $888 Business Class Flights On Air France & Delta – Introduction
Because I like to plan my trips quite far in advance I've known for a few months that I have enough trips booked to lock up American Airlines Executive Platinum status for another year so, when an opportunity arose to try out something new, I jumped at the chance.
I hadn't flown with Air France for years and I had never set foot on a Delta aircraft in my life so, when I spotted the amazing Business Class fares on offer out of Madrid, I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity.
Review: Hugo Junkers Lounge Düsseldorf (OneWorld/SkyTeam)
The Hugo Junkers Lounge is on level 2 of the "Pier B" area at Düsseldorf Airport and, as it's a 3rd party lounge (i.e not run by a specific airline or alliance), it acts as Business Class lounge for a variety of carriers across all three major alliances....although Star Alliance is the most underrepresented.
Review: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class (HKG-DUS)
I'd had a very nice time at Cathay Pacific's Pier First Class lounge but now it was time for the second reason I was taking this trip - to try out Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350. The first reason for the trip, to try out Cathay Pacific's First Class on the 777, had gone very well so I was looking forward to see what Cathay would offer on their newest aircraft.
Review: Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge – Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific does airport departure lounges very well (I'm not so keen on its arrivals lounge) but it's been a long time since I've had the chance to try out one of the airline's First Class lounges....so I was very keen to see what the Pier First Class lounge had to offer.
Take a Look Inside Aeromexico’s New 787-9 Dreamliner
Aeromexico's first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has been delivered and the airline has been keen to show of some of the aircrafts new features - like a serve-yourself bar, ergonomic seats and touchscreen TVs.
This is the first of ten 787-9 Dreamliners that Aeromexico has ordered and will join the nine 787-8 Dreamliners already flying on Aeromexico's routes.
A Look Inside The New Qantas Business Class Lounge In Brisbane
If there is one thing that I like most about Qantas it's that it can do airport lounges very well when it puts it's mind to it. The First Class lounge in Sydney is fantastic, the Qantas First Class lounge at LAX is my favorite lounge in the US and I can't wait for the new Qantas lounge to open at London Heathrow Terminal 3 next year. All this is why I was particularly interested to see what Qantas would be offering at its new Brisbane International Lounge which opened its doors yesterday.
Review: Hyatt Regency Hong Kong – Harbour View King Room (Part 2)
I ended Part 1 of this review with a bit of a cliff-hanger saying that the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong offers the single best amenity I've ever seen offered by a hotel...and I really don't think I'm exaggerating.
If you don't happen to have access to a great roaming deal (like T-Mobile offers in the US) then you're likely to be at the mercy of wifi hotspots when you travel abroad...but not if you visit the Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong.
Review: Hyatt Regency Hong Kong – Harbour View King Room (Part 1)
The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong (full name: Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui) is located on the mainland side of Hong Kong right in the middle of Kowloon and in a very good position to explore that area of Hong Kong. It's also within a short walk (10 - 15 minutes) to the harbour where you can catch a ferry to Hong Kong Island....which is useful if you plan to visit Victoria Peak.
LOT Polish Airlines Adds Flights To Los Angeles…And That’s Great News!
LOT Polish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance and, as of yesterday, the airline opened up reservations on its new route between Warsaw and Los Angeles which is scheduled to start in Spring 2017. The route will be operated by LOT's new 787-8 Dreamliners and will be the first direct service between Central Europe (a.k.a Eastern Europe of old) and the US West Coast.
Etihad Aligns Benefits Across All Its Partners & A Possible Way To Make The Most Of This
Etihad doesn't belong to an airline alliance but, thanks to its investment in a number of other airlines, it does have what it calls "a partnership". The partnership is made up of 8 airlines contains Alitalia and, more surprisingly, airberlin which is a member of the oneworld alliance. Up until now, from a flyer benefits perspective, the partnership hasn't been that well coordinated...but Etihad has just changed all of that.
Hong Kong Airport Express, Free Hotel Shuttles & Kowloon Check-In
Before I even arrived in Hong Kong I had decided that I was going to take the Airport Express from the airport into Kowloon (where I was going to be staying at the Hyatt Regency). I didn't want to take a taxi because they can be expensive (especially if you get caught up in traffic) and I didn't want to use Über because I don't have a great roaming plan on my phone and that's a bit of an issue when you're reliant on your phone to call and find your car.
Cathay Pacific Succumbs To 10-Across Economy Class Cabins And We’re To Blame
I expect airlines like American, Air France and Emirates to cram their passengers in to annoyingly tight seats that no human should have to endure but there are other airlines where we've come to expect better...and Cathay Pacific is one of those airlines.
Cathay Pacific has long been considered one of the all-round premium airlines in the skies and that's a reputation that has been earned not only because of the amazing service in its First Class cabin but also because the airline hasn't historically treated its passengers like self-loading cargo. But it looks like those days are nearly over.
Review: Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge – Hong Kong
I arrived in to Hong Kong at around 7am and, as I had no checked baggage to worry about and as I was one of the very first to disembark, it wasn't long before I was through immigration and customs and in the arrivals hall of Hong Kong airport.
I really wanted to have a shower after my overnight flight and, as I was pretty sure that the Hyatt Regency wouldn't have my room ready for me a that time of the morning, I decided to head to the Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge ("The Arrival") to see what was on offer.
Review: Cathay Pacific 777 First Class (ZRH – HKG)
I was having a pretty relaxing time in the Aspire First Class lounge and enjoying the freedom of the balcony that the lounge opens up on to but, about an hour before my departure time, I decided to head down to the gate.
I'm not normally one to get to the gate particularly early (unless I need to make sure that there will be room for my carry on in the overhead bins) but I wasn't exactly sure how long it would take me to the gate and I wanted to be one of the first on the aircraft to make taking pictures a lot easier.
CONFIRMED: British Airways Will Charge For Food On Short – Haul Fights
The rumors have been doing the rounds for a few weeks now but finally, today, British Airways has announced that it will be charging for all food and drink in the Economy Class cabin on its short-haul flights. The airline has confirmed that the change will be brought in at the beginning of next year and that the food will be catered by Marks & Spencer.
Review: Aspire First Class Lounge – Zurich
None of the OneWorld airlines have their own lounge at Zurich Airport's E-gates so the lounge you're directed to if you're flying with Cathay Pacific is the Aspire Lounge. The lounge is divided into a regular Aspire Lounge (available to OneWorld Business Class flyers, Emeralds/Sapphires and those with Priority Pass memberships) and a First Class Aspire lounge which is open to OneWorld Emeralds and First Class passengers.
Qatar Is Relaxing Visa Rules For Travelers On Short Visits
I'm an unabashed fan of Qatar Airways and that's primarily because the airline offers some truly fantastic Business Class deals from various cities in Europe to any number of cities in Asia. Unsurprisingly all of Qatar Airways flights route through their home base in Doha so, although this can take a little longer than a direct flight, it also offers an opportunity to visit Qatar.
Connecting At Zurich Airport – A Quick Look
As I often suggest travelers take "positioning flights" around Europe (and the US) to make the most of any great Business Class fares that come around or to make the most of award availability that appears somewhere that isn't your home airport, I thought I'd share my experience of doing just that at Zurich airport.
Cathay Pacific First & Business Class Trip – Introduction
I've never had a yearning to fly in First Class, it's not something that's ever really interested me. I've always been of the opinion that Business Class travel is more than enough for my needs and that the extra miles it would cost to fly in First Class could be put to better use elsewhere. This mantra has been with me for a while but it's taken a bit of a back seat of late thanks to two completely unrelated events.
British Airways Status May Be About To Become Much Harder To Earn (For Some)
I was sitting in an airport lounge idly browsing through my Twitter feed when I noticed two tweets, one after the other, which made me sit up and pay attention...literally. They weren't tweets from an official source but they were from someone who's got a pretty decent track record of getting information before it has been released and, if I understand these tweets correctly, some BA flyers are about to find that earning status is going to get a lot harder.
Hilton Is Changing Its Best Price Guarantee
All of the big hotel chains offer some sort of a "best price guarantee" but, as the hotel chains have started to use any excuse to weasel out of their own guarantee, they have become more of a marketing gimmick than an actual benefit to customers. Hilton is the latest of the big-chain hotels to change its best price guarantee and, as long as you can get the chain to honor it, the change could be a positive one for a lot of travelers.
Review: British Airways A380 First Class (SFO-LHR) – Part 2
In Part 1 of this review I focused on the British Airways A380 First Class cabin and seat while in this part I'll take a look at everything else that makes up the British Airways First Class experience. I've already said that although the British Airways First Class seat is spacious and comfortable it isn't that much better than some of the excellent Business Class seats you can book...so will all the other aspects of the First Class experience justify what BA regularly likes to charge for this cabin?
Review: British Airways A380 First Class (SFO-LHR) – Part 1
Back in July I took Joanna on a trip to Las Vegas and San Francisco (introduction and full details of the trip are here) and now we were on our way back to the UK. We'd already tried out the Cathay Pacific lounge and the British Airways First Class lounge at SFO and now we were about to fly back to the UK in First Class on a British Airways A380.
Finnair Will Fly To San Francisco In 2017
In news that's sure to be welcomed by oneworld flyers, Finnair has announced that it intends to operate a seasonal route between Helsinki and San Francisco from summer 2017. The Scandinavian airline plans to employ its Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the new route which will operate 3x/week.
Review: Iberia Business Class Airbus A330-300 (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this review I took a look at the Business Class seat that Iberia has installed on its A330-300 aircraft and in this part I'll take a look at the onboard Wifi, entertainment options, the food and the service. Bearing in mind this wasn't exactly the longest flight in the world I did somehow manage to get a really goof feel for what the aircraft offers.
Review: Iberia Business Class Airbus A330-300 (Part 1)
A few months ago I noticed that Iberia was in the habit of scheduling its wide-body A330 aircraft on its Madrid - London route and, as I hadn't checked out Iberia's long-haul Business Class cabin in the past, this seemed like a good way to see what the carrier offers. Sure, I wouldn't exactly get the full long-haul experience...but I would get a good look at the cabin, the seat and I'd get to see what the Iberia service was like.
British Airways Opening The “First Wing” At Heathrow T5
British Airways has revealed details of an upgrade it is introducing to the First Class check-in experience at Heathrow Terminal 5. From April 2017 British Airways First Class passengers and OneWorld Emerald card holders will have access to what the airline is calling a new "First Wing" which should make the whole check-in process feel a little more "premium".
Review: British Airways First Class Lounge San Francisco (SFO)
Joanna and I were flying out of San Francisco on British Airways but, because I'd done some research ahead of time, we knew that the Cathay Pacific lounge was our best option for somewhere to relax at SFO before our flight. I'd heard that the British Airways lounge at SFO gets quite crowded and that whatever the airline provides its First Class passengers isn't up to much so I wasn't exactly in any hurry to see what was on offer.
Review: Aspire Lounge Heathrow T5
I reviewed the Aspire lounge at Heathrow's Terminal 5 not long after it first opened and my thoughts on the offering weren't exactly very positive. Since then I've had a number of readers ask me about the lounge so I thought that it was only right that, a year down the line, I give the lounge another try.
Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge San Francisco (SFO)
Back in July I took Joanna on a trip to Las Vegas and San Francisco (introduction full details of the trip are here) as a small thank you for being so supportive of this blog and for putting up with all my traveling (there really is a lot!) The trip was a lot of fun but at some point the fun had to end and we had to head back across the Atlantic. This is a look at the Cathay Pacific Lounge at San Francisco Airport which was our first port of call on our way home.
Is This When American Airlines Will Officially Introduce Premium Economy?
Considering how much the product has been discussed it's surprising we still don't know quite a few things about American Airlines' new Premium Economy product. We don't know for sure which aircraft will have the cabin and which won't, we don't know what percentage of seats in each aircraft will be given over to Premium Economy and, perhaps most importantly, we don't really know when American Airlines plans on fully unleashing its Premium Economy product on the flying public....but we may now have a hint.
British Airways Doesn’t Understand Its Own Promotion
British Airways launched a Triple Avios promotion last week but, what should have been a simple enough promotion to understand, turned out to be confusing and contradictory. The blame for the mess lies squarely at the feet of whoever drafted the promotion details and whoever gave the go ahead to post those details to the British Airways website.
Quick Look: Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel – Single Room (now a Best Western)
This is the second "quick look" post I've done of Holiday Inn properties at Heathrow (the first was the Holiday Inn Heathrow T5) and, once again, my visit was purely as a result of the IHG Summer Accelerate promotion I discussed earlier this week.
Just like with the Holiday Inn Heathrow T5 I spent enough time at the property to get a good look around (as hopefully the pictures will show) but I didn't stay the night so you should bear that in mind when forming any opinions from what I post here.
Quick Look: Holiday Inn Heathrow Terminal 5
I visited the Holiday Inn Heathrow Terminal 5 as part of my plan to earn some quick IHG rewards points before the summer Accelerate promotion ended. I spent a little bit of time at the property but I didn’t end up spending the night (that is something you need to bear in mind when drawing any of your own conclusions from this post).
I may not have spent the night but I knew I was going to be writing this post so I made sure to take a few pictures to show you what the property offers.
Grand Hyatt San Francisco – Grand Club Lounge Review
Our stay at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco was part of Joanna's mystery tip (introduction is here) and I posted my review of the suite and the hotel yesterday. Today I'm taking a look at the Club Lounge that the Grand Hyatt San Francisco offers.
Review: Grand Hyatt San Francisco – Executive Suite
There were two things that were never in much doubt about our visit to San Francisco - we would be staying at a Hyatt property and we'd be staying at least 4 nights. The reason I was keen for us to stay at a Hyatt was because I wanted to use one of my Diamond Suite upgrades that comes with my Hyatt status and the reason for staying at least 4 nights was because I wanted to make use of the "4th night free" benefit that comes with my Citi Prestige credit card.
Review: Virgin America First Class A320 (LAS – SFO)
Before this flight I'd only flown Virgin America once before and that was in Economy Class on a flight between Chicago and Los Angeles. At the time I remember liking the in-flight entertainment options (I watched the Bears been the Packers on live TV) and I remember the flight attendants being friendly and helpful. But, if I'm being honest, none of that had too much bearing on why I booked Joanna and I into Virgin America First Class for the short flight between Las Vegas and San Francisco.
The New Delta One Suite Looks Fantastic!
You have to feel a little sorry for United and American Airlines (ok you don't really). United and American have been playing catch-up to Delta for years and things looked like they were starting to go their way. American Airlines finally has some excellent Business Class cabins on its long haul aircraft (the 777-300ER currently has the best Business Class seat across the Atlantic and the 787 seats aren't too far behind) and United must have been looking forward to a long period where it clawed back some of the customers it haemorrhaged to Delta with its own impressive-looking Polaris Business Class that is coming in December.
Review: The Club At LAS – Terminal 3
There are two "The Club" airport lounges at Las Vegas McCarran airport (one in T1 and one in T3) and, rather confusingly, they're both called "The Club At LAS". Joanna and I were traveling to San Francisco on Virgin America so we visited the lounge in Terminal 3.
The Club At LAS in Terminal 3 is located across from gate E2 and acts as the airport lounge for British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Alaska Airlines (amongst others) and is also part of the Priority Pass network of lounges. The lounge is open daily from 8 am until midnight.
Review: Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas
I've been to Las Vegas more times than I can remember but I've never stayed at Aria before. I've walked through City Center (the complex within which you'll find Aria) on countless occasions and I've gambled in the Aria casino more times than I'd care to admit but, before this trip, I'd never seen inside one of the hotel's rooms.
Review: British Airways First Class 747 (LHR-LAS) – Part 2
In the part one of this review (posted earlier today) I took a look at the first impressions I got of the British Airways First Class cabin on the 747 aircraft as well as a closer look at the seat that was to be my home for 10+ hours. In this second and final part of the review I'll take a look at the amenities, the food, the entertainment options and the service before I go on to conclude my thoughts of the experience as a whole.
Review: British Airways First Class 747 (LHR-LAS) – Part 1
This was the first time I'd flown in First Class since 2012 and only the second time I've ever flown international First Class in my life (Business Class is more than enough for my needs) so I was particularly keen (ok, I was excited!) to see what it was going to be like. The fact that this was going to be British Airways First Class added and extra element of interest as I'm really not a fan of the BA Business Class product at all....so how would First Class turn out?
Review: Dublin Airport Executive Lounge – Terminal 1
The Dublin Airport Executive Lounge is where Joanna's mystery trip really started. All along she'd known that the first flight of our trip would be from Heathrow to Dublin but, from here on in, she wasn't really too sure where I was taking her.
British Airways doesn't have a dedicated lounge in Dublin Airport so the Dublin Airport Executive Lounge is where premium cabin flyers and oneworld elites flying from terminal 1 are directed to.
Review – Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5
To get Joanna's mystery trip off to as relaxed a start as possible I decided to book the Sofitel at London Heathrow's Terminal 5 for the night before the first flight. Our flight wasn't a particularly early one (9:25 am) but anything that helps avoid an early wake-up call is a good idea to me. The Sofitel is linked to Terminal 5 by a foot bridge so, if you if you make a bit of an effort, you can get from your room to the British Airways check-in desks in under 10 minutes - great if you want a lie-in.
Joanna’s Mystery Trip – Introduction
If you follow me on Twitter and have seen some of my tweets in the last 48 hours you've probably noticed that I'm traveling (again!)....but this time I have Joanna with me. This is a trip should generate a few cool reviews which I'm looking forward to posting on the blog but, in essence, the trip is all about Joanna.
Review – The May Fair Hotel London
The May Fair is a hotel that falls under the umbrella of the Club Carlson loyalty program and is a property at which I've stayed a few times. In the Club Carlson point heyday (when the top Carlson hotels cost 50,000 points and when you would get the a second award night for free just for having the Club Carlson credit card) this property was fantastic value - you could have a weekend in London's Mayfair for just 50,000 points! Now the same weekend will set you back 140,000 points so things are a little different.
Review – British Airways Economy Class A320 (LHR-LCA)
British Airways has two daily flights between London Heathrow and Larnaca in Cyprus - one that leaves at around 7:20am and the other which leaves at around 11:30am. The first flight is the one I try to avoid if I possibly can because it's easily the worst of the two options - to catch it I'd have to get up way earlier than I'd ideally like to and, if that wasn't bad enough, it's operated by an Airbus A320...the workhorse of British Airways' short-haul fleet and a lot less comfortable than the 767 which operates the later flight.
Review: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa – Overwater Bungalow
Joanna and I recently visited the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort - one of the most aspirational properties you can book with IHG Rewards points - and this is part 2 of the review of the resort. In part 1 of the review I looked at the location of the resort, the arrivals process, our check-in and the first impressions we got as we explored the resort's grounds. In this part I'll take a look at the accommodation we booked.
DOT Begins To Award Flights To Cuba – American, JetBlue & Southwest All Winners
Back in February the United States signed a historic agreement with Cuba to finally re-establish a true scheduled air services between the two countries. Although charter flights between the US And Cuba have existed for years the last scheduled flights between the US and Cuba took place over half a century ago.
Since the agreement with Cuba was announced, a number of U.S. airlines have been submitted applications to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for authority to operate routes between the U.S. and Cuba but, because of restrictions within in the agreement, not all the airlines can get what they ask for.
American Airlines Guts The AAdvantage Program – Elite Qualifying Dollars & New Status Level Added
American Airlines has just released details of what the AAdvantage program is going to look like going forward and it's almost universally bad news for miles & points collectors and those of us who've enjoyed what used to be the best airline loyalty program out there. The Delta-isation of AAdvantage is upon us so those with a weak disposition should probably stop reading now.
Cathay Pacific’s New A350 Premium Economy
Cathay Pacific has had a Premium Economy cabin for quite a few years now but its new A350 aircraft are set to be fitted out with an entirely new cabin and, up until now, we haven't really know what to expect.
Now Australian Business Traveller has broken the news that the new Cathay Pacific Premium Economy seat will be the B/E Aerospace MiQ seat that, coincidentally, has also been chosen by American Airlines for their new Premium Economy cabin. And it looks pretty good:
United Airlines New Polaris Business Class
After a lot of speculation and waiting United Airlines, today, finally announced its new Business Class product - United Polaris Business Class.
Rather than just an update of their Business Class seat United have revamped their entire Business Class offering from lounges and pre-flight dining through to a new onboard Business Class cabin with new seats, amenities and food/drink options. From what United have presented it looks like United Polaris Business Class is a make over from top to bottom.
Etihad Opens New First Class Lounge In Abu Dhabi
It's been a long time coming and faced a number of long delays but the Etihad First Class Lounge & Spa Abu Dhabi is finally open as of today.
Without having visited the lounge in person (clearly!) I'm not in much of a position to comment on what the Etihad First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi is like so, what follows is all the information and pictures Etihad has supplied so far.
Virgin Atlantic Launching New Route To Seattle
There's been no announcement from Virgin Atlantic and, as far as I can tell there haven't even been any rumors of this in the travel press but, according to the latest schedule update, Virgin Atlantic is launching a new non-stop flight between London and Seattle in 2017.
Emirates Considering Premium Economy Cabins
A report in Australian Business Traveller indicates that Emirates, the biggest of the Middle Eastern carriers, is looking at introducing a Premium Economy cabin on to its aircraft at some point in the future. To put things in perspective this isn't going to happen overnight and may yet not happen at all but Emirates is definitely looking into its options.
Review: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa – Arrival & The Resort
There is simply too much to say about the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa to fit into one blog post so I'm going to split this review up into more manageable sizes.
In this section of the review I'm going to focus on the transfer from the airport to the resort, the check-in process and our first look around the resort grounds and its amenities. Other blog posts will cover the accommodation, the dining and how we paid for the stay in the first place.
Review: Air Tahiti (Tahiti – Bora Bora)
Air Tahiti and Air Tahiti Nui are two completely separate airlines. The fact that they have such similar names doesn't help to distinguish them but the similarities end right there, at the names. While Air Tahiti Nui is an international airline and the one we used to fly from Los Angeles to Tahiti, Air Tahiti is an inter-island operation within French Polynesia.
Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Class Lounge – Sneak Peek
Cathay Pacific has been refurbishing a number of its lounges over the past year and yesterday it offered up a preview of its Pier Business Class lounge at Hong Kong airport to a select group of guests (clearly my invitation was lost in the mail!).
Good News! Delta Upgrade Priority To Change
Delta is not an airline I write about a lot because it doesn't come up in my travels very much and, to be frank, I really don't know enough about it to make too many useful or insightful comments. But I do know just how badly the airline has been squeezing its frequent flyers over the years (my commiserations if you're one of them) and I do know that the way Delta has peen prioritising upgrades for those flying with companions has been a big issue for Delta flyers. But things are about to change.
W Hotels Unveils A Pointless “Innovation”
I don't like W Hotels and I tend not to hide that feeling very well.
I find them to be all style (and not style that I like) and little to no substance whatsoever. Most of the W 's I've visited are trying too hard to be cool and remind me more of overpriced Vegas nightclubs than upscale hotels. I really don't get why some people seem to like them so much. It's all a bit Emperor's New Clothes.
British Airways New A350 Business Class Seat Not Good Enough For Rest Of Fleet
In a conversation with Business Traveller, British Airways' new CEO, Alex Cruz, has confirmed that the new Business Class seat the airline has selected for its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A350 aircraft isn't worth retrofitting to its existing fleet because.....and I love this......"it doesn't appear to be sufficiently revolutionary"
Singapore Airlines Premium Economy Awards & Upgrades
Singapore Airlines is one of the latest airlines to add a Premium Economy cabin to its aircraft and, while the addition of the new cabins has been anything but smooth, the airline is on track to have the all of the refits completed by the end of 2016.
Now that Singapore Airlines is actually flying aircraft with their new Premium Economy product (e.g. A350 service between Singapore and Amsterdam) the airline has decided to upgrade its award chards to reflect the new product.
British Airways Launches New Route To Santiago
British Airways has announced that it will be launching service between London Heathrow and Santiago, Chile, from January 2017. The flight will become British Airways' longest flight at over 7,200 miles and is scheduled at 14 hours and 40 minutes.
Singapore Airlines Increases Award Costs To/From Europe
Singapore Airlines appears to have performed a bit of sleight of hand over the past few days and used an old magicians trick of focusing everyone's attention where it wants it to be while subtly doing something else over where no one is really looking.
Virgin Australia’s New Business Class & New Premium Economy Cabins
Virgin Australia has released details and images of its New Business Class and Premium Economy cabins on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which fly from Australia to the United States and Abu Dhabi.
Review: Air Tahiti Nui Business Class A340 (LAX-PPT)
I had absolutely no idea what to expect from our Air Tahiti Nui Business Class experience and, for someone who reads and writes quite a few reviews, that's quite an unusual situation to be in. But it was actually quite a nice feeling.
Review: Korean Air Lounge LAX (Tom Bradley Terminal)
Joanna and I flew with Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Tahiti as part of our Bora Bora trip and, although our Business Class tickets with the airline entitled us to entry to the Los Angeles International Lounge (in the Tom Bradley Terminal), we chose to use my Priority Pass membership (courtesy of my Citi Prestige credit card) to visit the Korean Air Lounge instead.
Should An OTA Be Allowed To Demand This Information?
I like to think that I've made my fair share of internet hotel bookings. Whether it's been directly through a hotel chain's website, via an online travel agency (OTA) like Expedia and Orbitz or via the more opaque sites like Priceline, I've booked a fair few rooms over the years.....so I thought there wasn't much that could surprise me during the booking process. Well, it turns out that I was wrong, as Agoda decided to prove to me just the other day.
A British Airways “Enhancement” I Managed To Miss?
A few weeks back I was flying out of London Heathrow's Terminal 5, in Economy Class, and I encountered an 'enhancement" from British Airways that I hadn't come across before. Not only was this enhancement new to me but it also appears to contravene published OneWorld tier status benefits.
Japan Airlines (JAL) To Upgrade Cabins On 777-200 Aircraft
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Review: Andaz West Hollywood – Suite King
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Marriott Increases Offer For Starwood & Starwood Accepts (again!)
Marriott has submitted an increased offer for the outstanding shares in Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Starwood's Board of Directors has determined that the revised terms of the agreement "constitute a superior proposal compared to previously announced offer by Consortium led by Anbang Insurance Group".
British Airways New Short-Haul Fares Now In Effect – Good Or Bad News?
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Review: British Airways Euro Traveller A319 (MXP-LHR)
For my last flight on my 8 Flights, 7 Lounges & 3 Hotels In 5 Days trip I flew from Milan's Malpensa airport to London on a British Airways Airbus A319 aircraft in their Euro Traveller (Economy Class) cabin. I was still reasonably tired after my overnight flight from JFK to Milan on an American Airlines 767 (although I would have considerably more tired had I not been in Business Class!) and I hadn't found the Sala Montale Lounge at Milan Malpensa particularly comfortable. I was looking forward to my own bed!
Singapore Airlines To Introduce New Premium Cabins – Some With Fewer Seats
Singapore airlines has long been associated with some of the best premium cabins in the sky. They seem to be able to offer the service that you often see on the Middle Eastern carriers without the ostentatious decor, over-the-top furnishings or questionable workplace practices. And now those premium cabins are about to get a new look.
Review: Sala Montale Lounge Milan Malpensa (OneWorld)
I visited the Sala Montale Lounge at Milan's Malpensa Airport after my American Airlines 767 flight from New York JFK. The lounge is operated by a third-party on behalf of a number of OneWorld airlines that use the lounge for their premium cabin passengers and their elite status holders.
Review: American Airlines Business Class A321 (LAX-JFK)
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Review: Hilton Los Angeles Airport
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Review: Hilton Copenhagen Airport
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