Review: Japan Airlines First Class 777-300ER Tokyo Narita To New York JFK

After a really awesome flight on JAL from Jakarta to Tokyo Narita, I was excited to see whether it was a one-off, or if JAL has really become this awesome. In this review I won't focus too much on the hard product, since I covered that pretty thoroughly in the last installment.

At the door I was welcomed by the senior cabin attendant, Akahane, and two of the other first class crew. I got a full round of bows before I even stepped foot on the plane. I was escorted to my seat, 2A.

As soon as I sat down Akahane came to my seat for a more detailed welcome, including informing me of the flight time of 12hr15min. She offered me a drink, and I of course requested a glass of Salon champagne. It was served with a hot towel.

The post Review: Japan Airlines First Class 777-300ER Tokyo Narita To New York JFK appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/review-japan-airlines-first-class-777-300er-tokyo-narita-to-new-york-jfk/

6 US habits I lost in Peru

Thinking of people as mere "acquaintances" isn't really a thing in Peru.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/6-american-habits-lost-moved-peru/

They really trashed this plane — but what does it mean?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/blog/they-really-trashed-this-plane-but-what-does-it-mean/

As The Credit Card Issuers Churn

Barclaycard lost the US Airways co-brand as a result of the airline’s merger with American, with Citibank retaining the right to issue new American AAdvantage cards.. American Express lost the JetBlue co-brand (to Barclays) and the Costco product (to Citi) In an unofficial statement, Amtrak Guest Rewards says that their relationship with Chase is ending. I’ve heard this from two sources, but it hasn’t been stated publicly and could well wind up being premature (that the ink isn’t dry). For their part, Chase spokesman Rob Tacey simply replies, We are not accepting new applications at this time for the Amtrak Rewards card. (Amtrak promises an ‘official’ statement next week.) Until very recently I would have thought that we had reached something of a steady state with airline, hotel, and credit card co-brand partnerships. The big…

The post As The Credit Card Issuers Churn appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/as-the-credit-card-issuers-churn/

How To Upgrade On SriLankan (For Cash)

As you guys know I'm presently enroute to the Maldives, and planning my outbound flight was a bit of a last minute ordeal. I had originally asked you guys which option you think I should take on the outbound.

Then I had a schedule conflict come up, which caused me to push back my trip by a day and actually have to choose based on schedule rather than which would make the most interesting story.

So in the end I booked an American AAdvantage 67,500 mile first class award from New York to Colombo.

I booked Cathay Pacific first class from New York to Hong Kong, and then SriLankan business class from Hong Kong to Bangkok to Colombo. For the second segment I could have just flown Cathay Pacific nonstop in their reverse herringbone business class, but I figured the least I could do was take a bit of a detour to try out SriLankan.

The post How To Upgrade On SriLankan (For Cash) appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/how-to-upgrade-on-srilankan-for-cash/

How to parent like a Greek

Remember that it is always cold. Even when it’s not:



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/parent-like-greek/

Tipping for an Upgrade and Refunding Priceline Reservations Plus 30,000 Bonus Points

News and notes from around the interweb: Club Carlson will no longer give the last night free on an award to co-brand credit card holders. However, they’re offering a bit of a make-good: 30,000 bonus points on your next stay paid with the card by August 31. Should you use the $20 trick when checking into a hotel?> (HT: Alan H.) Here’s my primer on tipping at check-in for upgrades and video on how to score the best hotel upgrades. Priceline refunds a rental car booking that a woman claims was made by her infant. Interview with Hector Adler, American’s VP of Inflight. Delta: behind the scenes with your checked bag. (HT: World Airline News)

The post Tipping for an Upgrade and Refunding Priceline Reservations Plus 30,000 Bonus Points appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/tipping-for-an-upgrade-and-refunding-priceline-reservations-plus-30000-bonus-points/

My Most Underwhelming Cathay Pacific Flight Yet

As I’ve said a bajillion times before, I’m a huge fan of Cathay Pacific first class, as I find it to be one of the most consistent airline products in the world. They offer one of my favorite first class hard products, the service is generally exceptional, and the food is quite good as well.…

The post My Most Underwhelming Cathay Pacific Flight Yet appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/my-most-underwhelming-cathay-pacific-flight-yet/

Intimate Peru at street level [vid]

Join cinematographer, Cole Graham on a trip through the beautiful country of Peru:



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/tv/intimate-view-peru-street-level-vid/

Help! My heat is gone and we’re fighting about a warranty claim

from Elliott http://elliott.org/problem-solved/help-my-heat-is-gone-and-were-fighting-about-a-warranty-claim/

How Much Money Do You Need to Live Abroad? 13 Questions to Ask Yourself

This is an excerpt from Working On the Road: The Unconventional Guide to Full-Time Freedom by Nora Dunn.Traveling full-time can actually cost far less than it does to live in one place. This is due to a number of cost-saving factors, ranging from volunteering in trade for free accommodation, using frequent flyer miles, spending time in places where the cost of living is cheaper (sometimes), and judiciously monitoring your spending.There's no template solution to how much money you’ll need to begin your life working abroad, but you can use these questions to help gauge the expenses you’ll have and how they will vary based on itineraries, priorities and travel style.



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/how-much-money-do-you-need-to-live-abroad/

In Transit Blog: Hotel Guests Forage for Meals

Cooking classes at hotels are going well beyond the kitchen walls. Participants now forage for ingredients for meals they prepare.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/451aae04/sc/26/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C0A40Chotel0Eguests0Eforage0Efor0Emeals0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

The Saturday City: Natchez, Mississippi

As the Southern cotton economy expanded on the back of slave labor in the early 1800s, towns designed to transport the cotton emerged on the Mississippi River: New Orleans, Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez. Located high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Natchez, Mississippi was established by French colonists in 1716. The defensible strategic location ensured that it would become a pivotal center for trade. In the middle of the 19th century, the city attracted Southern planters, who built mansions […]

The post The Saturday City: Natchez, Mississippi appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/the-saturday-city-natchez-mississippi/

How Not to Get Tripped Up When You Want to Upgrade on American and US Airways

The Points Guy blog runs advice on American and US Airways upgrades in a piece written by Nick Ewen. Since that blog is widely read I thought it would be important to highlight some mistakes in the piece that – understanding them – double as tricks to better understand how to maximize your chances of an upgrade when flying American and US Airways. (I left my caveats and concerns in the comments there but six hours later as I write this, they remain unapproved.) Don’t Buy a Flight Planning to Confirm an Upgrade Just Because AA.com Says the Upgrade is Available Nick Ewan writes, For American flights, you can actually search availability on AA.com if you’re logged into your account. From the “Price & Schedule” page, you’ll see which flights allow you to use SWUs…

The post How Not to Get Tripped Up When You Want to Upgrade on American and US Airways appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/how-not-to-get-tripped-up-when-you-want-to-upgrade-on-american-and-us-airways/

30,000 Bonus Points With Your Next Club Carlson Stay

Yesterday I wrote about the huge changes coming to the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature® Card. One of the most compelling benefits of the card has been that the second night of every award redemption is free, which can potentially double the value of your points if you always stay in two night increments. Unfortunately this benefit goes away as of June 1, 2015.

Club Carlson has now emailed those with the Club Carlson Visa Card to officially communicate the change and offer a pretty cool promotion:

"As a valued Club Carlson member and Club Carlson Visa cardholder, we would like to tell you about an upcoming change to your Visa benefits."

The post 30,000 Bonus Points With Your Next Club Carlson Stay appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/04/04/30000-bonus-points-with-your-next-club-carlson-stay/