Palo Will Travel Blog

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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United Airlines Polaris Business Class: IAD-SFO B777-200

Flying at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic treated me well by being upgraded on United with just Premier Silver status. United was operating their international configured planes for domestic routes and I got lucky to fly their 777-200 (Layout 5) from IAD to SFO featuring their new Polaris Business Class...

Hawaiian First Class A330-200 4

Hawaiian Airlines First Class: HNL-SFO A330-200

I was able to snag a one-way ticket from Sydney, Australia (SYD) to San Francisco (SFO) via Honolulu (HNL) on Hawaiian Airlines for only $360. Using 25,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles I was able to upgrade my HNL-SFO segment to lie-flat First Class. Upgrade availability is based on a First Class...

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Singapore Airlines Business Class: SIN-DPS B787-10

Staying overnight in Singapore after I landed from Tokyo makes it a great stop on the way to Bali. We had 23 hours to explore this amazing city. It was a warm February night, but we were still able to explore the Marina area including Marina Bay Sands. With COVID-19...