Palo Will Travel Blog

Buenos Aires, Argentina 0

American Airlines Business Class: DFW-EZE B787-9

My first international trip outside of North America since February 2020 when COVID-19 started was to Argentina. I was able to find “C” class availability using ExpertFlyer on the DFW-EZE segment which allowed me to upgrade my Premium Economy ticket to Business Class for 15,000 AA miles one-way. Flying on American’s...

Nā Pali Coast 1

Happy New Year! 2021 Review

Happy New Year! 2021 was an improvement over 2020, but still restricted due to COVID-19. During 2021, I was able to fit in an international trip in March & November, but all of my other trips were domestic. I flew 67,000 miles and visited 2 countries. This reflects a ~49%...

Separate Cargo Hold 0

Using Apple AirTag for Luggage Tracking

Technology keeps evolving and tracking your luggage just got easier. I used LugLoc previously in 2017 and was disappointed with the accuracy of tracking as it relied on cellular towers for triangulation to provide the location. Apple released AirTags in April 2021 to track your items. “AirTag sends out a...

Alaska Lounge SFO 0

Alaska Airlines Lounge SFO

Alaska Airlines recently renovated the old American Airlines Lounge at SFO in Terminal 2 into their own Alaska Airlines Lounge. The grand opening was just a few weeks ago on August 31st, 2021. I was lucky to be able to try it out on a recent trip during an evening...

Kauai 0

Summer 2021 Car Rental Experience: Lihue, Hawaii (Kauai)

Summer travel is in full swing and car rentals are difficult to find. Between high prices and limited availability it’s the worst I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. Car rentals were typically the last item to book after locking in your flight and hotel, but check availability before you plan...

DPS-SYD 0

Garuda Indonesia Economy Class: DPS-SYD A330-300

I made my way back to the US from a week in Bali via Sydney. The ticket was super cheap from SYD-HNL-SFO so I figured why not spend a few nights in Australia. Booking Garuda Indonesia flights is best direct via their website. The fare was around USD 250, but...

LAX 0

Singapore Airlines Business Class: LAX-NRT B777-300ER

My last international trip prior to COVID-19 originated at LAX headed to Tokyo. This was the 1st segment of my 3 aircraft sampler with Singapore Airlines which included the B777-300ER, A380 & B787-10. Checking in at LAX with Singapore Airlines in TBIT was flawless as usual. I proceeded to the Star...

Oahu, Hawaii 0

Happy New Year! 2020 Review

Happy New Year! Wow, 2020 was a major curveball. Travel was upended in March due to COVID-19. During 2020 I was able to sneak in an international trip in February, but all my future travel plans were canceled and I needed to plan “safe” domestic trips. I flew 45,000 miles...

United Premium Plus B787-9 1

United Airlines Premium Economy Class: IAD-SFO B787-9

United announced Premium Plus back in late 2018, but just rolled out the new seats on their 787-9 Dreamliner’s this year. I was lucky to be able to try it out a few months ago. United downgraded the 777-200 serving this route (IAD-SFO) with a smaller, but more fuel efficient...

Negative Results! 1

My Experience with COVID Testing for Hawaii Travel

As of October 15th, you are now able to fly to Hawaii and not required to quarantine for 14 days if you test negative prior to arriving to Hawaii. You must take the test no earlier than 72 hours before your flight departure time which can prove to be difficult...