I posted previously about the TSA PreCheck identifier beginning to appear on boarding passes for those who qualify for the program. And having just checked in for my United flights, I can report a slight change from what the TSA announced. From the TSA blog (bolding mine): Eligible passengers will see a TSA Pre✓™ indicator…
My travels/observations
Category Archives for My travels/observations.
Hotel Review: Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport, Deluxe Plus Queen Room
This past January I took a mileage run on United to Tokyo and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport for one night. The online rate I booked was shockingly low at only 8,000 yen (about $85) for a fully cancelable standard Hilton Queen room. The non-refundable advance purchase rate was only 1,000 yen less,…
Should Agents Process Upgrades Due to Misconnects or Close the Door?
On Saturday I flew from San Francisco to Washington Dulles on United and witnessed what could be classified as a lazy and motivated gate agent at the aircraft door. Lazy because she wasn’t going to fill the two empty seats in first class with passengers on the upgrade list, but motivated to get our delayed…
Are Airline Change Fees and Cancellation Penalties Fair?
I absolutely hate cancelling a non-refundable airline reservation. It feels like a kick in the gut, especially on “cheap” domestic airfares where the fee to reuse the ticket – $150 on most airlines – ends up eating away a significant portion of the overall ticket value. Last week, I was unable to travel and had…
A Few Images of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day
I visited Ireland for the first time last May and stayed in Dublin, though did the touristy thing and took an all-day excursion to Cork, Blarney Castle and Cobh. Here’s a few images from my trip and I’m definitely looking forward to returning one day. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Related posts: Flight Review: United Airlines…
My United Airlines Mileage Tracking Spreadsheet, Round Two
A couple of years ago I made a similar post revealing my mileage tracking spreadsheet for United (or any airline for that matter). And while I love technology and my favorite app that still tracks my United balance (and so much more: PageOnce), I get a certain satisfaction out of my old school method. I…
Buh-Bye Upgrade Phobia: Rediscovering the Joy of Coach Travel
I believe it was Matthew over at Live and Let’s Fly who first coined the term “upgrade phobia†– a condition of nervously worrying about whether your upgrade will come through, constantly checking your position on the list, etc. And I have admittedly been deeply phobic most of the time, which results serious disappointment when…
Onboard Photos: Are They Really THAT Big of a Deal?
If you haven’t already read about fellow blogger Matthew getting kicked off a United Airlines flight, I encourage you to do so. The short version of his story is that he took a picture of his BusinessFirst seating area (the IFE monitor), a flight attendant advised he couldn’t take any pictures of the cabin and…
Flight Review: United Airlines Global First, San Francisco to Tokyo Narita
I flew an eight-segment mileage run last month that included a roundtrip from Boston to Tokyo via San Francisco. And due to an unadvertised promotional first class fare (about $3,000) out of select U.S. origins to Tokyo (or Beijing), I was able to fly in comfort and nabbed my favorite seat onboard any United aircraft…
Lounge Review: ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo Narita Airport – Terminal 1, Satellite 4
First class airline lounges, particularly those of non-U.S. airlines, are generally something to savor and behold. Perhaps I’m holding them all to the near incomparable standard that is the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt or the Thai Royal First Lounge in Bangkok. But the ANA Suite Lounge at Tokyo’s Narita Airport I visited a…