Category: Airlines

View from Seat 2A 2

ANA First Class “The Suite”: NRT-ORD B777-300ER

After a wonderful experience last year, I had to try ANA “The Suite” again. This time it would be an evening flight departing from Tokyo. I was able to lock in the one-way First Class flight using 121,000 United miles + $49.85 in taxes for NRT-ORD-SAN, but the ORD-SAN segment...

Seat 1A 0

JAL First Class: SFO-HND B777-300ER

I’m always excited to plan a trip to Japan! My friends invited me to go skiing in Nagano in January. I was able to find award availability 5 months in advance of the trip using my Alaska Airlines miles for redemption on Japan Airlines. It cost me 85,000 Alaska Airlines...

Seat 10A A350-900 ULR 0

Singapore Airlines Business Class: SIN-SFO A350-900 ULR

After traveling around Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia & Singapore for 2 weeks, I was ready for my flight home. Luckily, I had a nonstop booked from SIN to SFO. I’ve flown this nonstop route once before, but this time I was flying on their Premium Ultra Long Range layout where they...

BA A350-1000 0

British Airways Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus): LHR-SAN A350-1000

After a wonderful flight over to Europe on Lufthansa in Business Class, we decided to book British Airways in Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) nonstop back into San Diego. Using 42,500 Alaska Airlines miles + $237.15 in taxes per person we were able to lock in VIE-LHR-SAN. Taxes are high...

Upper Deck 84K 1

Lufthansa Business Class: LAX-FRA B747-8i

We needed a flight to attend the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this year and I was able to snag 2 Business Class seats on Lufthansa using 77,000 United miles and $41.30 in taxes per person one-way for LAX-FRA-VIE. Flying into Budapest was soldout using miles, but a few hours on...

Seat 1D - ANA First Class "The Suite" 1

ANA First Class “The Suite”: LAX-HND B777-300ER

ANA released their latest First Class product, The Suite, back in July 2019. The COVID pandemic limited the possibilities of flying this product. It’s featured just on a few routes (SFO-HND, LHR-HND, JFK-HND) as only nine 777 planes feature the latest seats. The routes change based on the season, but...

Row 1 0

LATAM Business Class: PUQ-SCL B787-8

I visited Torres del Paine, Chile to hike Patagonia and needed to get back to Santiago (SCL) for my flight back home. There is an airport nearby in Puerto Natales, but very limited seasonal flights operate to/from PNT. Punta Arenas (PUQ) is the major airport in the region, but a...

Seat 1A 1

Japan Airlines (JAL) Business Class: NRT-SAN B787-8

In May 2022, I was able to secure JAL (Japan Airlines) Business Class on CGK-NRT-SAN for 65,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $73.67 in taxes. It’s much harder to lock in a connecting itinerary via Tokyo on JAL now due to availability and it also costs 100,000 Alaska Airlines miles. I’m...

It works! NFC-powered 0

Alaska Airlines Electronic BagTag

Alaska Airlines is my primary airline and I hold MVP Gold 75K status with them. Late last year (November 2022), I was invited to beta test a new electronic baggage tag for checked luggage. For longer trips, I check a bag so this was a cool new technology to test...

Seat 7A, QF B787-9 Business Class 0

Qantas Business Class: LAX-SYD B787-9

Flying First Class on Qantas’s A380 had been on my bucket list and I finally found availability in March 2022 for a flight in November 2022. I was able to book it one-way for 120,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles which is an AMEX Membership Rewards transfer partner. They only offer...