With four Hyatt properties to choose from, I was a bit unsure of which location to choose when it came time to book a hotel for my trip to Shanghai. The Andaz was opening about a week after we were scheduled to arrive, and the Park Hyatt was double the price of the Grand Hyatt. The only remaining property was a bit too far from the area that we were hoping to stay in, so Grand Hyatt it was!

Upon arrival to the Shanghai-Pudong airport, we took the Maglev train to Longyang ...

For the past year, we've been seeing more airports coming online with the TSA Pre-Check program, which allows certain airline customers (elites), and members of a trusted traveler program (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI) to get the chance to use an expedited security lane when flying on a qualifying domestic itinerary. We've discussed Pre-Check several times on UPGRD, with information on the start of the program, steps you can take to ensure you receive pre-check access, the expansion of the ...

Check out this short film that was shot at LAX.

If the conditions are right, and I am at an airport with a good spotting area, you'll always see me with my SLR out, snapping away. SFO is one of my favorite airports to spot at, especially when I am staying at the Hyatt Regency SFO. The Regency Club provides a great view of runway 28L & 28R. Below are a couple of shots that a friend and I took last September.

With the end of the year drawing closer, and my schedule become quite busy, it's been difficult for me to find enough time to take an extra couple of trips on AA to requalify for my Executive Platinum (EXP) status. I was able to take advantage of the Double Elite Qualifying Mile (DEQM) promotion in January, earned a nice amount of miles on the oneworld MegaDO, and then took two trips to Beijing. However, my spreadsheet told me that I was going to be about 14,000 miles short of requalifying ...

With less than four months left until the end of the year, many people start to realize that they're going to need more miles to reach the next status level. I've run into the same problems in the past, and once before, I had to fly a ticket on December 27th. Of course, prices for tickets in December are usually awfully priced, so I paid way more than I should have for a simple DEN>LAX ticket. Even though it sounds easy, the trip offered up a six hour delay, during which time I ...