W Doha Hotel… WOW!

I just spent two nights at the W Doha, and all I can say is WOW!

I'm starting to think the W Hotel brand is actually bipolar. I'm not generally a fan of their US properties, as they're style over substance, in my experience -- I find the furnishings to be cheap, service to be bad, and elite recognition to be lacking. It's quite sad, because Hyatt's Andaz properties are among my favorite hotels to stay. In the US I actually kind of prefer aloft properties to W properties, since I find they do a much better job of managing expectations.

But I've stayed at quite a few W properties internationally, and absolutely love some of them. For example, over the past year or so I've stayed at the W Taipei, W Sentosa Cove Singapore, and W Guangzhou, and they were all absolutely fantastic beyond words. They all had excellent elite recognition, gorgeous rooms, and amazing public facilities. Sadly they're such a far cry from their US counterparts.

The post W Doha Hotel… WOW! appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/02/w-doha-hotel-wow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=w-doha-hotel-wow

Philadelphia's Mural Mile [pics]

From prominent locations next to city hall to anonymous alleys and side streets, the murals are a proud and ubiquitous piece of the city’s identity.



from Matador NetworkMatador Network http://matadornetwork.com/nights/philadelphias-mural-mile/

Are Miles Rewards Programs Worth It?

National Geographic Traveler Editor at Large Christopher Elliott is the magazine’s consumer advocate and ombudsman. Over the past 15 years he has helped countless readers fix their trips. Here’s his latest advice.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/02/are-miles-rewards-programs-worth-it/

United is Evaluating a New Business Class Seat!

New United business class seats! A reader (who would like to remain anonymous) passes along an email from United gauging his interest in demoing a new international business class seat that United is considering. You’re one of our most valued customers, and your perspective on the United travel experience matters greatly to us. We would […]

The post United is Evaluating a New Business Class Seat! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/02/united-evaluating-new-business-class-seat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=united-evaluating-new-business-class-seat

Startup pitch: Trekeffect loops travel planning threads together

Trekeffect is a new travel startup tackling a classic area of travel startup-ery: travel planning. The idea is to deliver a more ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/startup-pitch-trekeffect-attempts-tie-travel-planning-threads-together/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-trekeffect-attempts-tie-travel-planning-threads-together

How many websites and devices does a consumer use to research travel?

As devices proliferate, the number of touchpoints for travel research increases. Brands such as Expedia are focusing on the cross-device experience, and ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/many-websites-devices-consumer-use-research-travel/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=many-websites-devices-consumer-use-research-travel

Does Alaska Allow Stopovers Within Asia On Award Tickets?

I find Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles to be among the most valuable mileage currency out there, especially for high end aspirational redemptions. I've written in the past about what I consider to be the best uses of Alaska miles.

There are definitely some downsides to the program as well though, like:

-- Mileage Plan doesn't let you mix partner airlines on an award ticket, so at best you can fly one partner airline, along with Alaska Airlines to their international gateway city

-- Mileage Plan doesn't publish award charts between all regions, so just because Alaska partners with an airline doesn't necessarily mean you can redeem miles on all of their routes

-- One of their best partners is Emirates, and they've gotten really stingy with releasing premium cabin award space in advance lately

The post Does Alaska Allow Stopovers Within Asia On Award Tickets? appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/02/does-alaska-allow-stopovers-within-asia-on-award-tickets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-alaska-allow-stopovers-within-asia-on-award-tickets

10 misconceptions about study abroad

Studying abroad can seem daunting, but it’s just like going to college for the first time—you’ll meet people and make friends.



from Matador NetworkMatador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/10-lame-excuses-studying-abroad/

Scary moments cause emergency landings

CNN's Christine Romans details two U.S. domestic flights that had emergency landings, causing passengers to panic.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/09/02/newday-romans-flights-oxygen-masks-unruly-passenger.cnn.html

Seat recline fight diverts another flight

Another day, another fight about reclining seats on a U.S. airline flight. In the third serious airline legroom incident in two weeks, an angry passenger caused yet another flight to divert Monday night.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/02/travel/airline-seat-recline-diversion/index.html

A view to die for: Dubai time-lapse

Take a one-minute escape into the heart of Dubai.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/08/28/orig-one-minute-escape-dubai-npr.cnn.html

Daily Life in a 180-Square-Foot Motorhome: On the Road with Mike Rigney

This is a travel hacking case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.) Why does someone move out of a big house and into a motorhome? What lessons do they learn, and how does their life change? Here’s Mike. Introduce yourself! Hello! I’m a 29-year-old mechanical engineer from Port Huron, Michigan now living in San Diego,…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/on-the-road-with-mike-rigney/

IHG Rewards Brings Back “Big Win” Promotion for the Fall With a New Name

IHG Rewards Promotions — for the fall it’s “Into the Nights” but it’s basically a redux of “The Big Win” which is fun, specific offers targeted though so whether or not it’s especially lucrative will depend on the offer you get — and how easy it is to earn tons of bonus points depends on […]

The post IHG Rewards Brings Back “Big Win” Promotion for the Fall With a New Name appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/09/02/ihg-rewards-brings-back-big-win-promotion-fall-new-name/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ihg-rewards-brings-back-big-win-promotion-fall-new-name

Panel Rejects Plan for New London Airport in Thames Estuary

Britain’s Airport Commission said the logistical and financial risks of the project were too great and that the city’s future needs could be met by other alternatives.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3e125e9a/sc/2/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A90C0A30Cbusiness0Cinternational0Cpanel0Erejects0Eplan0Efor0Enew0Elondon0Eairport0Ein0Ethames0Eestuary0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

United MileagePlus Up To 100% Bonus On Purchased Miles

United MileagePlus is offering an innovative though not especially lucrative bonus on purchased miles through September 4. Basically MileagePlus is offering between a 35% and 100% bonus on purchased miles, depending on how many people buy miles.

The number of bonus miles is based on the number of people that take part in the promotion, as follows:

The post United MileagePlus Up To 100% Bonus On Purchased Miles appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/09/02/united-mileageplus-100-bonus-purchased-miles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=united-mileageplus-100-bonus-purchased-miles