Airport security is rarely anyone’s preferred cup of tea and though many would likely lament the U.S. experience, it’s actually pretty great compared to experiences in many other large traveling nations. I’m looking at you, UK. Why? We, the United States, know how to make products worth paying for and if you do pay, you can enjoy a really competitive experience without a lot of hassles found in other places. Global Entry is glorious and TSA PreCheck is very solid — CLEAR, too. Now, there’s an idiotic plan to get rid of one of these paid opportunities, because charging for things some people w ..read more

What is a game changer these days? Well, sometimes not a whole lot. But — when you fundamentally change the way something in travel is done — I’d say it applies. Delta is working with US authorities to put an end to one of the most annoying parts of the passenger experience on international arrivals into the USA. This latest ambitious plan for luggage entering and transiting the United States could save significant time and hassle and open up new transit possibilities. In a significant change of events, customers arriving into the United States from select international gateways on Delta and ..read more

Yesterday was my birthday, whoop whoop. That means thanks to customer data, some companies have been in touch to send positive messages or try to sell me things of all sorts. Some companies I engage with heavily also haven’t sent anything at all. Womp, womp. For amusement and a bit of research, I really paid attention to the travel brand birthday messages this year with an intent to think about how they made me feel. Did they make me more likely to engage, less likely, or totally apathetic to the brand as a result? This time around there was a clear winner and also, loser. Birthday Marketing ..read more

If you’re going all that way… New Zealand is the big one. First you try the Caribbean, then Europe, maybe Asia, and then come the spreadsheets, globes and everything else necessary to plan a perfect New Zealand trip. New Zealand may be far away, but it’s worth it. The scenery is other worldly, the culture is unique, the wine is magnificent and there really is something for everyone. If you want to make your New Zealand trip a success, here are a few tips and pieces of knowledge to get you to the South Pacific like a pro… 20 Hours Away – Further Than Australia Wrong. New Zealand is quite a bit ..read more

It’s a really, really interesting day in the world of travel rewards. For the first time in more than a decade, an airline is threatening not to award points or credit toward earning elite perks if you book through the wrong channels. In fact, it’s not a threat — it’s a promise. American Airlines will impose these changes from April 21st for new bookings. This sort of practice has existed with hotels for a while now, but airlines haven’t been as picky about who you book with and have been happy to award points and perks on virtually all bookings. Today’s news is the first trickle in a potenti ..read more

There’s a funny moment that happens when many people redeem rewards points for their first luxury flying experience. It’s somewhat a feeling of imposter syndrome. Will anyone know that I just used points? The short answer: maybe, but most likely not. Each airline equips crew with different customer insights for different reasons and unless you plan on wearing a t-shirt announcing your booking method to the cabin, no passengers will know either. That doesn’t mean there aren’t amusing exceptions or moments that are possible. (Picture by Nick Morrish/British Airways)What Cabin Crew Know About Yo ..read more

Earning points at optimal rates doesn’t need to involve spreadsheets, 19 cards in the wallet, 10 more in the sock drawer and admin time that negates the value of earning rewards “for free”. My time certainly isn’t. One of the best ways to “win” the points game is to find card pairs which complement each other, offering high earning rates across the things you purchase the most, and ideally, only one carrying an annual fee. Here are a few combos which can really help to unlock the full potential of rewards credit cards, without the unnecessary hassles you might expect. Earning rewards for incr ..read more

“Cabin crew, boarding complete”. I’m lucky to regularly find myself in the front of the plane and that occasionally means more than just a big wide seat, a bed and some nicer plates for my plane food, which no matter where you’re sitting is usually just that. Sometimes, first or business class means the added amusement of seeing heads of state, or A-listers from the entertainment world getting from place to place. I’ve also seen them in economy too, for what it’s worth! When I do witness these megastars on board, there’s a trend which almost always repeats itself, which actually ties into a c ..read more

Business travel as we knew it, is down. Not all airline executives will admit it and some industry CEO’s will probably intellectualize it too much, but it’s true. That’s just a fact. What that means for airlines isn’t necessarily all bad news and what it means for leisure travelers is in many ways positive. The world has changed and change can be scary, but also exciting. Here are the patterns that are gone and the new trends that will fill their place. Plus, all the ways leisure travelers will save. Yes, Traditional Business Travel Is Down Some indicators suggest we’re at 75% of pre-pandemic ..read more

I’m calling it right now, Global Airlines is the gift that will keep on giving this year. If you’ve been flipping channels, it’s starting to feel like that point in the documentary where those involved got ahead of their skis and have doubled down on the very bad ideas which eventually create the “gotcha” Netflix title. I do hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. The first 2024 gift from Global has already landed, unlike their flights which were supposed to take off early this year. Those are now pushed back indefinitely. If any flights do take off, they’ll be charter flights to start, but t ..read more