First look: Iberia A321XLR Business Class cabin review
Over the past week and ahead of its debut on the Madrid – Boston route on 14 November, Iberia was meant to be operating its first A321XLRs on orientation flights within Europe, but due to unforeseen delays, the first flights took place yesterday and I managed to catch up with the aircraft in Paris as it made its way back to its home base in Madrid on just its second ever flight with paying passengers.
Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment review
The Hyatt Regency Albert Embankment is one of four Hyatt Regency Properties in London and it joined the World of Hyatt in January 2023 after spending the preceding years as the Crowne Plaza London Albert Embankment. I first visited this property just after it had joined Hyatt (the pens in the room still had Crowne Plaza markings), but as I didn't review the property at the time, I recently made space in my calendar for another visit.
British Airways 777-300ER Business Class (Club Suite) Review
For a recent flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles, I managed to avoid having to book the British Airways A380 Business Class cabin in which I had traveled on my way over to Europe and, instead, I booked the airline's newest long-haul Business Class seat - the Club Suite.
British Airways A380 Club World Business Class review (LAX-LHR)
A review of the British Airways A380 Club World (Business Class) seat and cabin as experienced on a flight between Los Angeles and London.
Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport review
While Marriott, Hilton and IHG all have multiple properties at or immediately around Heathrow Airport, Hyatt has just one - the Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport - so if you're a Hyatt loyalist, this is the property that you're likely to choose if you're not looking for anything upscale and just need a bed for a night or two.
Qatar Airways 787-8 Dreamliner Business Class review (DOH-BRU)
Leading up to this flight, I had flown in the newest Business Class cabin Qatar Airways operates, the oldest Business Class cabin it operates, and the famed Qsuite cabin, so this was my fourth type of Qatar Airways Business Class cabin in under a week. I think that may be a first for me.
Plaza Premium Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 2 review
The last time I visited the Plaza Premium Lounge in Heathrow T2 the world was in the grip of COVID-19 and this was the only lounge still operating in the whole of the terminal.
Three years on from those dark days, I found myself flying out of Heathrow T2 on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin, so this seemed like a good opportunity to see what the lounge is like when more than a handful of passengers are traveling and when pressure on the lounge is considerably higher.
Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars review
The Hyatt Regency Blackfriars is one of three Hyatt Regency Properties in central London (The Churchill is reviewed here) and it opened its doors in June 2023. A little over a year after the hotel welcomed its first guests, I finally had the opportunity to see what the property has to offer courtesy of a two night award booking.
Iberia short-haul Economy Class A320neo review (MAD-LHR)
A couple of days ago, I published a review of the Iberia A320 short-haul Business Class cabin, so as my very next flight was on the same aircraft type but in the Economy Class cabin, I thought it would be interesting to review that and to see how the two compare.
Iberia Premium Lounge Velazquez Madrid Terminal 4S review
After a recent Iberia Business Class flight between London and Madrid, I found myself with time to spare at Madrid's Barajas Airport, and that meant that I could take a look inside the Iberia Premium Lounge Velazquez at Madrid T4S which I knew had been given a small makeover since the last time I had visited.
Iberia short-haul Business Class A320neo review (LHR-MAD)
Most of my intra-Europe flying is done in Economy Class cabins because I (mostly) don't see the value in paying for short-haul European Business Class cabins, but this flight was part of a larger transatlantic Business Class itinerary and so I found myself sitting 'up front' on an Iberia A320neo flying between London and Madrid.
American Airlines 777-200ER Business Class review (transatlantic)
American Airlines offers two different Business Class cabins on its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. If you're fortunate, you'll find yourself in the newer cabin fitted with the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats. If you're less fortunate, you'll find yourself in the older Safran Concept D seats.
Escape Lounge Phoenix (PHX) Terminal 4 review
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American Eagle CRJ-700ER First Class review (PSP-PHX)
The last time I flew in a regional jet was, I think, on a flight between Las Vegas and Palm Springs, and it was so long ago that the iPhone hadn't been invented, social media hadn't ruined the world, and you could still switch on the TV without being assaulted by the gormless faces of talentless nobodies participating in 'reality TV'.
Marriott Desert Springs Villas I review (a Marriott Vacation Club property)
A few weeks ago, on a trip to the Coachella valley, I stayed in a 1-bedroom unit/villa (complete with a kitchen, living area and dining area) at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas I resort in Palm Desert. This is what that unit and the resort are like.
American Airlines A321 domestic First Class review (DFW-PSP)
American Airlines operates several variants of the Airbus A321 and as far as I can tell, it offers these aircraft in at least four different cabin layouts. The A321 that I flew on between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Palm Springs was a 23 year old aircraft that once flew in US Airlines livery.
Breaking down the cost of a trip and the miles & points I earned...
To give you an insight into how much one of my trips can cost, what my earnings from the flights, hotels, and the credit cards I use can look like, and how I work out the net cost of my travels, this article breaks down a trip I took earlier in the year which saw me traveling between Europe and Bangkok.
American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) review
The Flagship Lounges are the best lounges American Airlines operates and are found in just four US airports. One lounge location is in Dallas/Fort Worth and on a recent trip, a long stop over offered me the chance to take a look at what the DFW Flagship Lounge has to offer.
American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class review (transatlantic)
A few months ago, I realised that I hadn't flown long-haul with American Airlines since early 2021, and considering I once used American up to ten times a year for my transatlantic travel, that's a long break from the airline's longer flights.
The lengthy break wasn't accidental or a coincidence. It was a deliberately taken break. But, as I found myself with a few transatlantic trips that I needed to book and as I was interested to see what things were like at the airline now, I took the plunge and booked some flights.
This is a review of the first of those flights.
Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill (Regency Suite) review
The Churchill is one of two Hyatt Regency Properties in London and for some considerable time it stood out as the best Hyatt option in the city.
The addition of the Great Scotland Yard hotel to Hyatt's portfolio in 2019 made the title of 'best Hyatt in London' a lot harder to decide, but with the Churchill still highly regarded and with my last visit to the property a distant memory, I decided to burn a free night certificate to see what the hotel is like right now.
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square review
As I was considering how best to use an expiring Marriott Free Night Certificate without incurring any unnecessary costs (i.e. I was looking to book somewhere I could reach with relative ease from Los Angeles or London), I realised that the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square was one of the few London Marriotts at which I had never stayed.
Qatar Airways 777-300ER Qsuites Business Class review (BKK-DOH)
Having experienced the newest Qatar Airways Business Class product followed by the oldest Qatar Airways Business Class product just a few days before, I was interested to use this flight between Bangkok and Doha to reacquaint myself with the most famous Qatar Airways Business Class cabin - the Qsuite cabin.
Review: Miracle First & Business Class Lounge concourse G Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is home to a number of lounges branded with the 'Miracle' name, and as well as being lounges that you can pay pay to access just by walking in, they are also lounges that can be accessed by members of various lounge programs (e.g. Priority Pass), and they are lounges that some airlines send their passengers to if they don't have their own branded lounge at the airport.
Review: JAL Sakura Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
I found myself in the JAL lounge for two reasons. Reason 1 - Qatar Airways (the airline I was flying with) doesn’t allow passengers who are traveling on a ‘Business Lite’ fare to use their lounge in Bangkok. Reason 2 - Because the Cathay Pacific lounge had closed for the day and I had to find somewhere else to do some work before my flight.
Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Qatar Airways sends 'Business Lite' passengers with elite status to one of the many 'Miracle' lounges in the airport, but as I knew that Cathay Pacific wouldn't turn me away and would probably offer a considerably better experience, that was the first lounge that I went to (I tried the JAL lounge later).
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok review
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Qatar Airways 777-300ER Business Class (non-Qsuite) review
The famous Qatar Airways Qsuite is probably the best-known Business Class seat in the world, and it was a seat that was originally introduced on the airline's 777 aircraft a number of years ago. In this article, however, the Qatar Airways 777 that's being reviewed has not had the Qsuite installed so, a little surprisingly, I was given a trip back in time.
Qatar Airways 787-9 Business Class review (Ascent seat)
The best known Qatar Airways Business Class seat is the Qsuite that you'll find on the airline's A350 and 777 aircraft, but because the 787-9 isn't wide enough to accommodate the Qsuite in a 1-2-1 layout, some of the newest aircraft in the Qatar Airways long-haul fleet have an entirely different seat. They have the Ascent seat from Adient Aerospace. and that's the seat that you'll see in this review.
British Airways A321neo Club Europe (Business Class) review
Club Europe is the name that British Airways gives to its short haul Business Class cabin and on this trip, I was traveling between London and Cyprus which, at over 2,000 miles, is one of the longer routes on which Club Europe is offered.
It's also a route on which BA often operates its largest short haul aircraft - the Airbus A321neo - so as we haven't reviewed this aircraft before, this trip gave me chance to put that right.
Threadneedles Autograph Collection hotel review (London)
This review of Threadneedles is based on a single night stay, but because the property isn't particularly large and because it's more a of a boutique hotel than a major tourist hotel, that was more than enough to give me a very good idea of what the hotel is like and what it offers.
British Airways A320 Club Europe (Business Class) review
Club Europe is the name that British Airways gives to the short-haul Business Class product offered on its flights within Europe and last week, I got to see what the current Club Europe product is looking like when I flew on a British Airways A320 to Sofia.
Hyatt Place London City East – An in-depth review
An in-depth review of the Hyatt Place London City East - one of the newer Hyatt properties in the British capital and the most centrally located of Hyatt's select-service London properties.
A tier point run to get me home – 930 tier points in a...
When it comes to my travel plans, I like to be organized and I like to plan ahead and that's why even though we're not yet into October, I've already spent a couple of months contemplating my travel options for 2023. It's also why I've already made a number of bookings for travel deep into next year. One of those bookings is a tier point run and in this post, I'll explain what a tier point run is, why I've decided that a tier point run is necessary, and what I've booked.
American Airlines transcon A321 Business Class review (JFK-LAX)
American Airlines operates a sub-fleet of A321 aircraft which it has configured especially for a select number of high-profile domestic routes on which there is strong demand for a premium product that's considerably better than what passes for 'First Class' on most domestic routes.
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 First Class review (Intra-Island)
Hawaiian Airlines uses its Boeing 717 aircraft for the majority of its intra-island routes and as I was flying within the Hawaiian Islands last week, I had a chance to take a look at the First Class cabin that the airline offers on some of its shortest routes.
American Airlines A321neo Economy Class review (Flying to Hawaii)
The Airbus A321neo is one of the youngest aircraft models in the American Airlines fleet and if you're traveling between the West Coast and Hawaii with American, this is probably the aircraft you'll find yourself flying.
The tier point run I really didn’t want to do
Back in March, the news that the vaccine rollouts were gathering pace led to a moment of over-optimism on my part that resulted in me booking a multi-segment tier point run to get me back to LA for the upcoming holidays. The booking seemed like a good idea at the time, but with events unfolding as they have, the tier point run turned into a trip that I really didn't want to take.
United Airlines Business Class 787-9 Dreamliner review (LHR-SFO)
Earlier this year, I booked a fantastic Business Class deal that should have seen me flying to Los Angeles with SWISS and back to Europe with United but with airlines playing around with their schedules as much as they were, my booking got changed multiple times and I ended up having to fly with United in both directions. That wasn't ideal, but it gave me a chance to try out three of the airline's long-haul Business Class cabins and this is a review of the first cabin in my itinerary.
Amex Centurion Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 3 review
After almost two years of delays (not all of which were Covid-related), the American Express Centurion Lounge at London Heathrow opened its doors for the first time last week so, as I was passing through Heathrow Terminal 3 a few days ago, I thought I would take a look and see what the new lounge has to offer.
The InterContinental London Park Lane review
Recently, I found myself back in London and in need of a centrally located hotel that was an easy walk from an underground station and an easy walk a number of places that I needed to visit during my very short stay. Given that I had an IHG One Rewards certificate sitting in my account that was due to expire at the end of the year, this seemed like a good opportunity to save some money and take a look at a property that I hadn't stayed it in quite a few years.
Virgin Atlantic A350 Upper Class Review (New Suites – Daytime Flight)
Because something called COVID became a word all too familiar to all of us just a few months after Virgin Atlantic started offering the new Upper Class suite, it took a lot longer than I had hoped before I got to fly in the new cabin. Thankfully, earlier this year and after many cancellations and rebookings, I managed to make the most of an exceptionally good Business Class fare between London and Los Angeles to finally try out the new Virgin Atlantic product. I'm not embarrassed to say, I was very excited.
Quick Look: United Airlines 737-900 First Class (SFO-LAX)
Recently, I needed to get from San Francisco back home to Los Angeles, and rather than flying with one of the carriers I would normally choose (American Airlines or Alaska Airlines), I found myself flying with United. The short nature of the journey means that this flight clearly doesn't warrant a full "review", but I thought I'd share a few pictures and thoughts about the flight nevertheless.
American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class LAX – LHR (Night Flight)
Last week I wrote about my American Airlines Business Class flight between London and Los Angeles which took place during the hours of daylight so this post will take a look at what American Airlines is currently offering passengers on the overnight flight in the opposite direction.
Dreaming Of Travel: Qatar Airways A350-1000 (Qsuites) Review
As most of us still can’t travel internationally and as it’s nice to be able to dream of visiting great places (and briefly forget about what’s going on around us), I’ve been taking a look through some old trips and publishing pictures and flight reviews.
Dreaming Of Travel: A Review Of American Airlines A321T Business Class (LAX-JFK)
American Airlines operates its best narrowbody aircraft (complete with lie-flat seats in First & Business Class) on a few select transcontinental routes on which the airline feels that it needs to compete for premium passenger traffic. One of the routes on which these aircraft operate is the route between Los Angeles and New York (JFK).
Impressions: The Hyatt Place West London Hayes (A Mini Review)
The Hyatt Place West London Hayes is one of two Hyatt properties in the vicinity of London Heathrow and it's the cheapest Hyatt property in the UK. I visited this property earlier in the year as part of a mattress run on my way to Hyatt Globalist status so what follows are some of the pictures I took during my stay and a few observations from my visit.
What it’s like flying British Airways Club World during lockdown (daytime flight)
Recently, I took my first flights since the beginning of March and I finally got home to Los Angeles for a few days. I've been putting off a return to LA for months (I've cancelled four separate trips) but, eventually, things came to a head and I had no choice but to fly.
Review: Conrad London St James (Covid Edition)
The Conrad London St James is arguably Hilton's best property in London, but it's a property I had never visited until recently as I usually prefer to make the most of the fantastic weekend deals that are often on offer at the London Marriott Canary Wharf. On this occasion, Joanna and I were looking for a change of scenery and with the Conrad selling award nights at a very reasonable price, it was easy to decide to see what the property has to offer.
American Airlines Premium Economy Boeing 777-200ER review
American Airlines offers a Premium Economy cabin on most of its long-haul fleet and this is a review of the airline's product on its Boeing 777-200 aircraft flying between London Heathrow and Los Angeles. With a flying time scheduled at well over 10 hours, there was plenty of time to get a good sense of what the American Airlines Premium Economy cabin and service are all about.
Quick Look: British Airways Club World Boeing 777 Cabin
On overnight flights, I like to board, settle down and get some rest as quickly as possible (especially on flights as short as the New York - London route) so I generally don't eat any of the meals served and my interactions with the crew are pretty limited. That's why what follows isn't going to be anything like a standard flight review and, instead, is just a look inside the Club World (Business Class) cabin of a British Airways 777.
Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy review (Airbus A330-300)
Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy cabin is known for offering the widest seats you'll find outside of a First or Business Class cabin and, combined with the airline's reputation for friendly flight attendants, that's what made this cabin an appealing choice for an overnight flight that I had to take between Washinton D.C. and London at a time when Business Class fares were sky-high.
Review: British Airways 747 First Class (MIA-LHR)
For a recent trip, I was booked to fly in British Airways Club World (Business Class) on an overnight flight between Miami and London. I asked the agent at the check-in counter if they were offering any upgrades to First Class and was quoted a price of $950 - I turned it down. On an overnight flight where I'm going to spend the majority of my time resting or sleeping $950 is considerably more than I'm prepared to pay.
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class A330-300 review (LHR-IAD)
It has been quite some time since I last flew with Virgin Atlantic and while my last experience in the airline's Premium Economy cabin was very good, my feelings towards the older of the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class A330 cabins were less than positive. It would be interesting to see how I felt this time around.
Review: BA1 – British Airways A318 All-Business Class Flight (LCY – JFK)
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Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow Terminal 3
Lounges like Cathay’s “The Pier” First Class lounge and Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First Class lounge always make the "top airport lounges" lists (with good reason) and are a cut above most lounges, but the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow T3 regularly gets a mention too (it seems almost universally popular) so I was excited to finally be able to take a look inside and see what's on offer.
Lounges like Cathay’s “The Pier” First Class lounge and Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First Class lounge always make these lists (with good reason) and are a cut above most lounges but the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow T3 regualry gets a mention too (it seems almost universaly popular) so I was excited to finally be able to take a look inside and see what's on offer.
Review: American Airlines 767 Business Class (JFK-MIA)
One of the best ways to fly domestically is, unsurprisingly, to fly in First/Business Class and one of the best ways to fly domestic First/Business Class is to book a flight which offers lie-flat seating in its premium cabin(s) - that's why I was pleased to find that I could book American's widebody 767 aircraft for a flight between New York JFK and Miami.
Review: Qantas International Business Lounge Perth (Terminal 1)
If you're traveling in a premium cabin on a oneworld airline out of Perth you'll almost certainly be traveling out Terminal 1 (unless you're flying with Qantas) and this means that the lounge you'll be using is the Qantas International Business Lounge which is located across from Gate 52.
Review: Qatar Airways A380 Business Class (Perth-Doha)
It has been a while since I've posted a review of the Qatar Airways A380 aircraft and that's probably because, despite the fact that I fly with Qatar Airways reasonably frequently, I rarely seem to find myself traveling on routes where the airline offers its largest aircraft.
On a recent trip to Australia that all changed and I found myself booked on the Qatar Airways whale-jet for the 11+ hour flight between Perth and Doha.
Qantas A330 Business Class review (Sydney – Perth)
A review of the Qantas A330-200 Business Class cabin, service, and experience on an evening flight between Sydney and Perth. Get a view inside the A330 all-aisle-access Business Class cabin, have a look at the food served onboard and find how good or bad the service was on this 4+ hour flight.
Quick Look: Hilton Los Angeles Airport (LAX)
Although I have a base in LA, I still find myself using the hotels at LAX when I have very early flights to catch or when I’m just passing through for a few hours. On a recent trip, I found myself booked into the Hilton on West Century Boulevard, a short shuttle ride from the airport terminals.
Review: The InterContinental Sydney
There are two InterContinental properties in Sydney but with the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay being the less central of the two properties, it was a straightforward decision to choose the InterContinental Sydney as our second hotel on this visit to the city (the first was the Sydney Harbour Marriott).
Review: The Sydney Harbour Marriott At Circular Quay
I’ve stayed at the Sydney Harbour Marriott in the past and my experience on my last visit was a big reason I chose to book the property for this trip I was taking with Joanna. The location adjacent to Circular Quay is very convenient for exploring central Sydney, for access to local transport links (including ferries, buses, and trains) and it’s an incredibly easy property to get to from Sydney airport with the airport train stopping less than 3 minutes’ walk from the hotel doors.
Singapore Airlines 777 Business Class Review (SIN – SYD)
While a good number of Singapore Airlines A380s offer the airline’s new long-haul Business Class cabin (which I experienced on my flight between London Heathrow and Singapore), a number of the airline’s 777 aircraft which operate to Australia still have the older-style Business Class cabin.
Quick Look: Hyatt Regency DFW – King Runway View Room
Recently, I had a brief overnight stay at the Hyatt Regency at Dallas/Ft. Worth and, although I wasn’t there long enough to try out a lot of what the hotel offers, I thought I’d share a few images and thoughts in case any readers are thinking about booking this property and would like to know what to expect.
Singapore Airlines A380 (New) Business Class Review
For a cost of 105,000 KrisFlyer Miles per person (transferred in from my Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou accounts) and approximately $290 in taxes, fees and surcharges per person, I booked a one-way Business Class award between London and Sydney for Joanna and I…..and the new Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class Cabin was our home for the first leg of that journey.
Review: United Club At London Heathrow Terminal 2
As much as I try to fly a variety of airlines each year I have to admit that most of my travel in and out of London Heathrow is done on oneworld carriers. This means that I don’t often get a chance to experience the Heathrow lounges offered by a whole host of other carriers so, when a rare Singapore Airlines Business flight out of London gave me access to the United Club at T2, I jumped at the opportunity to check it out.
A Look Inside The New Air France Lounge At Washington D.C. (Priority Pass Accepted)
Air France is an airline that has been investing it the experience it offers its premium-cabin passengers and, to that end, it has just reopened a refurbished and expanded longe at Washington-Dulles international airport.
A Look Inside Cathay Pacific’s Renovated Lounge In Shanghai
Cathay Pacific has reopened its lounge at Shanghai Pudong airport and anyone who has visited a renovated (or new) Cathay Pacific lounge in the past couple of years will immediately recognize the décor which has been used - the space looks great.
First Images Of The New AMEX Centurion Lounge Coming To Phoenix
It was back in February that we found out that 'The Club' lounge at Phoenix Sky Harbor Terminal 4 was set to close and that it would be replaced by two new lounges - an American Express Centurion Lounge and an Escape Lounge.Up until now we haven't really had much idea of what to expect from the two lounges but, as of today, American Express has shared 7 images showing what is planned.
London Marriott Canary Wharf – Executive Room (In Pictures)
The London Marriott Canary Wharf is my go-to hotel when I'm visiting London on a weekend because it often offers some amazing rates for Friday and Saturday night stays. I reviewed this property in quite a bit of detail earlier this year but as that particular stay saw me upgraded to an Executive Suite I thought it might be useful to post details of what a more standard room at the London Marriott Canary Wharf is like.
Marriott’s London EDITION Reviewed
The London EDITION is a property I’ve been wanting to try out ever since its doors opened in 2013 but, for one reason or another, before last month I'd never stepped foot inside the property.
Shortly before the recent changes to Marriott’s award chart took effect some of my plans changed and I found myself needing to book a single night stay in central London and, with the EDITION’s nightly award cost about to increase from 60,000 to at least 85,000 points per night, this seemed like a very good time to give the hotel a try.
Review: American Airlines Admirals Club Rio De Janeiro Terminal 2
The American Airlines Admirals Club in Rio De Janeiro is in Terminal 2 of the city’s Galeão International Airport (GIG). The lounge was refurbished back in 2016 as part of a wider (and still ongoing) Admirals Club renovation project and here I take a look inside and see what the club has to offer.
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Rio de Janeiro Terminal 2 [International Departures]
There are three Plaza Premium Lounges in Rio de Janeiro’s international airport Terminal 2 but only one is dedicated to international departures and that’s the lounge that’s being reviewed here. The other two Plaza Premium lounges cater for domestic departures and for arrivals respectively and all three of the Plaza Premium lounges are part of the Priority Pass network.
Review: GOL Premium Lounge Rio De Janeiro Terminal 2
The GOL Premium Lounge in Rio De Janeiro is the lounge you’ll be sent to when flying Iberia and British Airways out of Rio but it’s also the lounge for Delta, Air France and KLM (amongst others) as well as being a Priority Pass lounge as well. This makes it one of the airport’s more important lounges and one which a lot of TFM readers will probably use when traveling through Rio.
Review: JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro
At the beginning of last month I took a trip to Rio de Janeiro courtesy of the fantastic Iberia Avios promotion from last year and, for my 4-night stay, I booked the JW Marriott Rio de Janeiro on Copacabana Beach.
Review: Iberia A330-200 Business Class (Daytime Flight)
Iberia currently flys its Airbus A330-200 between Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and a combination of an incredibly generous Iberia promotion from last year and near-perfect reward flight availability (for me) saw me book a roundtrip Business Class fare on this route for just 85,000 Avios + taxes.
Rio De Janeiro Trip – Introduction (How I Booked & How Much I Paid)
I've recently returned from my first ever visit to Rio De Janeiro and only my second trip to Brazil so, before I start reviewing the aircraft I flew in, the airport lounges I visited and the hotel I stayed at, I thought I'd revive a type of post I haven't written for a while - one that shows my thought process when booking, how much my bookings cost and how many miles/points I earned from the trip.
Review: The Conrad Centennial Singapore
As someone who enjoys making the most of his Marriott Titanium Elite status benefits I normally book Marriott properties for my trips but, on this occasion, booking the Conrad Centennial Singapore made a lot more sense.
Review: Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit
Bangkok is one of the more economical cities in the world to visit because food is ridiculously cheap and good accommodation doesn’t have to be expensive – there are a lot of good properties to choose from in the city and you won’t have to break the bank to stay at a lot of them.
Review: American Airlines 777-300ER Premium Economy (Daytime Flight)
Now that all three legacy US carriers offer a Premium Economy cabin on their transatlantic routes and airlines like British Airways, Norwegian, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia and Lufthansa offer Premium Economy too, I figured it would be helpful to start reviewing a few of these cabins to see what they offer.
Review: Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class (Non-Qsuite Overnight Flight)
The A350 was the last wide-body aircraft that Qatar Airways operates that I hadn’t had a chance to try out (either in the -900 or -1000 guise) so it didn’t require much deliberation for me to book a fantastic Business Class fare that included a couple of segments on the Qatar Airways A350-900.
Review: Aviator Lounge Stockholm Arlanda Terminal 5 Non-Schengen (Priority Pass & Qatar Airways)
I passed though Stockholm on one of my Qatar Airways trips not too long ago and with various airlines currently offering some great Business Class fares out of Stockholm (and other Nordic cities) I thought it was time that I posted a review of the Aviator Lounge in the non-schengen area of Stockholm Arlanda Terminal 5.
Introduction: Europe – Singapore In Business Class – What I Booked, Paid & Earned
Whenever possible I like to write an introduction to the trips I take to give readers an idea of how much things cost, how I book my trips and when I use points and when I choose to use cash. The point of this is to hopefully show just how doable these trips are and how, with a little bit of planning and a little bit of flexibility, these are trip that a lot of people can book.
Review: Iberia A350 Business Class Cabin
Iberia took delivery of its first two Airbus A350s back in July and since then it has mostly been flying them on various short-haul routes around Europe as the airline gets its crews accustomed to the new aircraft.
The first Iberia A350 finally flew its inaugural long-haul flight in early August when it took over one of the airline’s two Madrid – New York JFK flights while the second A350 took over the second flight on the New York route this Saturday just gone (1 September).
Review: American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class LAX-LHR (Overnight)
After a number of Economy Class flights across the Atlantic it was nice to have one of my systemwide awards clear – that’s how I found myself in the American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class cabin.
Review: American Airlines A321S First Class (LIH-LAX)
Two weeks earlier I had flown my first flight on an American Airlines A321S and, as my upgrade had failed to clear, I got to experience (and review) the aircraft’s Economy Class cabin.
On this occasion my complimentary upgrade cleared a whole 2 days before departure (miracles do happen!) so it was time to try out the A321S First Class cabin.
Review: Hawaiian Airlines Inter-Island First Class (Boeing 717)
I wouldn’t normally even consider booking a Hawaiian Airlines First Class fare for a flight as short as the one between Maui and Kauai (approximately 40 minutes) but, on this trip, the math more or less made sense.
Review: DAA Executive Lounge Dublin Terminal 1 (Priority Pass)
The DAA Executive Lounge at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1 is the primary lounge for the terminal and, as you'll see from the sign near the entrance, it's the lounge for a whole host of airlines and lounge programs including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and Priority Pass.
Review: American Airlines A321S Economy Class (Los Angeles – Maui)
The Airbus A321S is American’s aircraft of choice on a number of its routes to/from Hawaii so, if you’re thinking of visiting the 50thstate, there’s a very good chance that this is the aircraft you’ll experience.
The First Class cabin on the American Airlines A321S holds 16 passengers but, as the cabin had been fully booked for months, I had known for a while that my complimentary upgrade was never going to clear….and it didn’t.
Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy Class Day Flight (LHR-LAX)
One of the many reasons I'm not longer wedded to American Airlines is that the airline recently changed its upgrade policy to one which really doesn't suit me. The current upgrade policy is now one which puts me at a serious disadvantage when trying to use one of the 4 systemwide upgrades top-tier elites are given every year. It's also the reason I found myself sitting in American Airlines Economy class on one of the longer routes the airline flies.
Piecing Together A Big Hawaii Trip – The Planning, The Cost & The Issues
I actually really enjoy planning trips, finding great fares and researching destinations but every now and again a trip comes up for which the planning is a little bit more complicated and takes considerably more thinking and compromising than most - this was one such trip.
Review: Qatar Airways A380 Business Class (Night Flight DOH-BKK)
Considering how many Qatar Airways flights I’ve been on in the past few years it’s amazing that this was my first flight in the Qatar Airways A380 Business Class cabin.
I flew in the A380’s First Class cabin between Doha and Paris last year as an add-on to my Auckland – Doha flight and I wasn’t that impressed so I was interested to see what Business Class would be like.
Review: Qatar Airways A330 Business Class Day Flight (HEL-DOH)
I've flown in Qatar Airways Business Class quite a few times but this was my first experience of the Qatar Airways A330 Business Class cabin. Technically speaking I tried out an very similar product last year when I flew in the airline's A340 Business Class cabin but, because I'm determined to review every aircraft Qatar Airways offers, I'm keeping this one separate.
Review: Finnair Short-Haul Business Class (LHR-HEL)
Finnair flies its excellent Airbus A350 between London Heathrow and Helsinki on a daily basis but, as luck would have it, the A350's schedule wouldn't get me into Helsinki in time to connect on to my Qatar Airways flight to Doha so I was stuck with a narrow-body A319.
I don't normally book myself into short-haul Business Class (either with miles or points) as I don't generally see the value in paying considerably more for a cabin that differs only slightly from Economy Class. On this occasion, however, I had chosen to overpay for my flight and book the frontmost cabin as the math behind the tier points I'm earning this year showed that it was the right thing to do.
Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge London Heathrow T3
Cathay Pacific offers a First and a Business Class lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3 and both are less than 18 months old thanks to a significant renovation project which ended in November 2016. I reviewed the First Class lounge in an earlier blog post (I liked it) so, on my latest visit to Heathrow Terminal 3, I decided to see just how good (or bad) the Cathay Pacific T3 Business Class lounge is.
Introduction: Bangkok In Business Class – What I Booked, How Much I Paid &...
Whenever possible I like to write an introduction to the trips I take to give readers an idea of how much things cost, how I book and when I use points and when I choose to part with some cash. The point of this is to hopefully show just how doable these trips are and how, with a little bit of planning and a little bit of flexibility, these are trip that a lot of people can book.
For this trip I combined a good Qatar Airways Business Class fare between Europe and Bangkok, a certificate for a free night at a Marriott property from Chase and some cash to finally visit Thailand's capital.
British Airways 787-9 Dreamliner Business Class review (LAX-LHR)
Despite a reasonably good experience in British Airways Economy Class on the airline's A380 aircraft I wasn't expecting great things on my 787-9 Business Class (Club World) flight back to the UK.
This was to be my first experience of the British Airways Dreamliner but, having flown in BA Business Class quite a few times, I knew to expect high-density Business Class seating, no direct aisle access and certainly no internet connectivity.
Review: Oneworld Lounge LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal
The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX offers gates used by all the oneworld airlines that fly in and out of Los Angeles (including American Airlines). As such the oneworld lounge LAX in the Tom Bradley Terminal (colloquially known as TBIT) acts as the Business Class lounge for all these airlines and is the lounge I visited when flying with British Airways last month.
Review: Andaz West Hollywood King Suite
A few weeks back Joanna, MJ and I spent six nights in a King Suite at the Andaz West Hollywood. It's a property I know quite well (having lived down the road from it for 5 years) and it's a property I've stayed at a few times in the past....but never with Joanna and MJ.
I've already discussed why we booked the Andaz how much it cost in a previous post so I'll move straight on to the review.
Review: British Airways A380 Economy Class Daytime Flight (LHR-LAX)
I genuinely don’t mind traveling across the Atlantic in Economy Class as long as three conditions are met - it’s a daytime flight, I’m booked into an exit row seat and I got a good deal on the fare. It’s because all three of those came together that I found myself boarding a British Airways A380 over the Holidays and settling in to my Economy Class seat.
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