Well, after 18 hours of flight time and a 3-hour layover, I finally made it from New York to Cape Town on Wednesday, and I had an overall solid experience flying in KLM Economy Comfort. For those of you expecting a whiny, complaining post, you may want to skip this one ;-)When I originally posted about my trip, I think there were a few misconceptions about it and what I expected....
On Tuesday in Toulouse, France, Qatar Airways took delivery of the world’s first Airbus A350-1000, the extended-length version of the airline’s popular wide-body jet. Following the delivery press conference, attendees had an opportunity to tour the new plane. While there wasn’t much time onboard, I did have a few moments to film a brief flight attendant tour, which you’ll find just below.This particular variant offers 44 additional seats over its smaller sibling, but it’s also the first Airbus plane to sport Qatar’s fantastic Qsuite business-class product, complete with a sliding door at every suite....
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is looking to show off its recently revamped long-haul product — and with good reason. The carrier has increased flights from the US by 25% over the past year and is launching new routes from seven US gateway cities — Newark, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles — and is now following suit with an overhaul of its lounges. The SAS Lounge at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) is the eighth to undergo such a renovation and the second in the US after the expanded lounge at EWR opened earlier this summer....
Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.The Michelin Guide has upgraded San Francisco’s Coi restaurant in North Beach to three-star status, the guide’s highest ranking, giving the city and the surrounding region a total of seven. Two other restaurants also achieved two-star status — Californios in the Mission district and SingleThread in Sonoma County — bringing it up to seven restaurants in that category as well....
St. Kitts and neighboring Nevis are relatively small islands in the Leeward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles. In fact, they are apparently the smallest sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere in both size and population. What they may lack in population and size they make up for in history as some of the first islands in the Caribbean to be visited and later settled by Europeans. In fact, their names belong to none other than the famed Christopher Columbus....
The mileage program of Air France and KLM — known as Flying Blue — can offer great value if you know how to use it. The program offers discounted Promo Awards each month on its own selected routes, and as a part of SkyTeam it has access to flights on partners like Delta and Korean Air, along with a few non-alliance partners such as Japan Airlines.However, one quirk of the program has long been that it only opened its award calendar approximately 10 months out, meaning you couldn’t book a Flying Blue award flight any earlier than 10 months before departure....
Another month has come to an end, which means it’s time to recap the most absurd things intercepted by TSA agents at airports across the country. July didn’t disappoint — alongside the agency’s normal haul of guns, guns and more guns (enough guns, in fact, to set a single week record), is a collection of questionable artwork, repurposed explosives and a rock from out of this world. Found on the TSA’s wonderful public service Instagram page these items made us laugh and gasp — even quack....
Two weeks after the government of the Maldives declared a state of emergency amid rising political tension, Parliament approved a 30-day extension that, among other grave consequences, may result in serious damages to the economy, scaring away international visitors.On February 20, president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom requested to extend the Maldives state of emergency for a total of 45 days.The Maldives government and the Ministry of Tourism have emphasized their commitment to safety for civilians and tourists alike....
The small fire at the base of the airplane is the first sign of trouble. Moments later, the A380 is engulfed in flames. Over a mile away, anxious passengers look out the terminal window worrying if an aircraft has crashed. Passengers gasp as their plane lands just a half-mile away from the raging inferno. Brakes squeal as the first firetruck arrives on the scene. Less than 60 seconds later, the fire is out and the last bit of thick black smoke is dispersing....
Last week, a powerful thunderstorm pummeled Kauai with more than 28 inches of rain over a 24-hour period. Floods and landslides washed out roads, bridges and homes across the northernmost edge of the island, where the communities of Hāena and Wainiha were hardest hit.Yet in a statement released on Monday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reported that “Kauai is open for business.”“Travelers can book a trip to Kauai with confidence knowing they will enjoy a vacation experience that is uniquely appealing within all of Hawaii, while also supporting island businesses and residents who depend on a thriving tourism industry,” said Hawaii Tourism Authority president and CEO George D....
Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Whether you like it or not, delays are a way of life for airlines — and the frequent flyers who utilize them. And while some of them, like an extra 10 minutes circling the airport while you wait for clearance to land, are nothing more than a small nuisance, others can disrupt an entire trip....
New York’s JFK International Airport is one of the worst in the country — for humans. But for traveling pets, it’s now home to one of the best airport experiences ever. Phase 1 of The ARK at JFK opened earlier this week, making it the world’s first privately owned, 24-hour luxury pet terminal and quarantine center.The ARK at JFK caters to animals of all kinds — not just cats and dogs....
I got an email from Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program yesterday offering members a 1,000-mile bonus for shopping through the airline’s “Shops Away” online shopping portal when you spend between $35 and $1000 on your first purchase between March 30-April 30, 2012 at the following merchants: Apple Store, Barnes & Noble, Sears.com, Shoebuy and Macy’s.Before you just go buying gift cards or vouchers, the Terms & Conditions are very strict about that....
The Northern Lights (aka Aurora Borealis) may seem like a phenomenon that only happens in far-flung locales too out of reach to even try making the trek — think again. These dancing lights glowing above the northern hemisphere’s magnetic pole have been spotted as far south as Florida. But if you want to ensure you’ll actually catch the auroras in their full glory, head to the source in northern Scandinavia, Canada, Alaska, Greenland and northern Russia in the darkest of winter months, typically from late-September to late-March....
We may be biased, but there’s really no place on Earth quite like this handful of sun-drenched, mid-Pacific islands — only in Hawaii can you find blue lagoons, lush rain forests, cascading waterfalls and famous surf beaches at almost every turn. Fancy a weekend escapade and unsure of where exactly to go? Fret not. Let these seven Instagrammers show you where the adventure lies. You’ll thank them for it — just say mahalo....
Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Of all the memorable things you might see at an airport, from ping pong tables to sleeping pods, the carpet probably isn’t one that will stay lodged in your mind — unless you’re Jeremy Dunn, co-founder of The Athletic Community, a sports boutique and online retailer based in Portland, Oregon....
You get what you pay for, and with Allegiant Air, that’s taken to the extreme. The ultra-low-cost carrier is being punished by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for routine instances of uncomfortable temperatures on board its aircraft.The DOT has fined Allegiant $225,000 after it found that the airline “failed to provide passengers a comfortable cabin temperature’’ on 10 different occasions where aircraft were delayed on the tarmac during 2016 and 2017....
Generally we recommend only using rewards-earning credit cards if you have the means to pay off your balance in full each month, since interest charges entirely negate any value you’d get from earned points and miles. Certain interest-free offers could be worth pursuing in some cases, but as always, be sure to read every word of the fine print — even a simple slip-up could leave you owing hundreds in interest charges and fees....
Thursday, an Aer Lingus plane scraped against a pole in San Francisco. Two weeks ago, an Asiana A330 tore the tail off a Turkish Airlines A321 in Istanbul. Earlier this month, a truck slammed into a Southwest plane in Baltimore. Last month, we learned how two Qantas jets nearly collided on a runway in Perth. In March, two aircraft hit one another in Tel Aviv.And on Friday, the slew of plane collisions continued....
BLADE is a company that continues to push the limits of what we think of as modern air transportation, a byproduct of the new, on-demand economy that’s often referred to as being like Uber for helicopters. The brand is known for its helicopter service from Manhattan to New York City’s airports, which lets you essentially “crowdsource” a flight with other passengers to help bring down the cost.Yesterday, BLADE unveiled a new twist on a recently released product with the reintroduction of its BLADEone service, which offers travelers private jet service from New York City to Miami....
