When I forced in a 23-hour layover in Jeddah on my recent Saudia trip, I was taking a conscious risk. The consensus across the internet was that Saudi Arabian transit visas are routinely denied and nearly impossible to procure. If my visa request was denied, my trip would be over. Saudi Arabia allows transits of up to 18 hours without a visa (and you generally cannot leave the airport), but beyond that a visa is a must. Unlike many carriers, Saudia makes clear that there are no refunds ...

Star Alliance's marketing department is savvy and I don't just say that because I know the folks in it...

Take a look at the latest Star Alliance Gold advertisement--

What I love about this commercial is that it simply yet accurately and convincingly shows the alliance-wide benefits of having gold status. As upgrades dry up on United, at least I am closing in on MMer status and with that will come Star Gold status for life (for me an a companion).

I spent a ...

Lucky reports that one-way travel at half the round-trip price is now available online for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members. Rumors of this change in policy begin swirling last month but have not been confirmed up until this point by Alaska. American Airlines is the first (and only, for now) partner airline with one-way bookings offered online.

Alaska has a number of nifty airline partnerships and the problem to this point has been a rule disallowing the mixing of partner airlines ...

You haven't heard me talk much about the TSA lately and the nationwide fervor over the agency has seemingly died down. One reason is Pre✓, a "trusted traveler" program that allows passengers who submit to background checks to bypass the excessive and theatrical security screenings most casual travelers still endure at U.S. airports.  Another reason is a change in technology that has made full body scanners less obtrusive from a privacy-rights perspective.

But the agency is ...

When Saudia Airlines (formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines) offered an amazing $557 r/t deal from New York to Dubai via Jeddah last December, I jumped on it—but it was not because I had any desire to go to Dubai. Saudia is a member of SkyTeam and the fare was eligible for Delta Skymiles as well—almost 15,000. But that wasn't the reason for my trip either. I also was not all that interested in actually flying Saudia—though it is always nice to try a new airline. No, the reason ...