Another trip to a former Soviet Republic, another adventure at the border.

I was originally scheduled to fly out of Almaty to Frankfurt early on 25 March. Plans changed and I pushed back my departure to 01:50 on 26 March. Although my Kazakhstan transit visa was valid through 25 March, my Kyrgyzstan tourist visa was valid through 23 April. Under a 2007 bilateral agreement visas are valid for egress in both counties, meaning my Kyrzyk visa was valid for entrance and exit into Kazakhstan ...

Well, maybe that is a bit too draconian, but after experiencing an overland border crossing yesterday from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan at Korday, it puts the rudeness and inefficiency of U.S. border agents in perspective.

Think free for all. Pushing, shoving, yelling, screaming. This is not the border you cross with a young child or senior citizen. Stamping out of Kyrgyzstan was not too bad, though it took a long time to get out of the country--there is a gate on the road about 100 yards ...

My travels took me to Bermuda last weekend, thanks to a very low Delta Air Lines fare from Newark. Despite holding Delta Platinum status for a year (I have no status anymore with Delta), it was also my first time flying through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport—back then I connected in Salt Lake City or Minneapolis only. Even though I was in economy class, the weekend made me realize that a lot is missing on United/Continental.

First, I had all ...

Foul weather and a delayed Continental Airlines flight gave me the opportunity to sample US Airways yesterday from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. While I won't be defecting to US Airways anytime soon, the experience wasn't half-bad.

The flight was operated by a brand-spanking-new A321 and featured gogo wi-fi internet onboard. The all-leather seats were fairly comfortable and the aircraft was immaculate inside. As a traveler who generally sticks to airlines that do not offer internet ...

Hello from the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Istanbul--I've still got 21 hours of flying ahead of me today and tomorrow, but the end is in sight. I like to get a jump start on status requalification each year and 2012 was no exception. Although I did mix some award travel into my busy itinerary this week, I'll be well on my way to 100K after flying a total of 32,795 miles this week.

And it wasn't just about racking up miles--I spent quality time with friends in Germany, stepped into ...

Earlier this year Ryanair ran a special from Frankfurt Hahn to many of their destinations in Europe, with fares only 7€ each way including taxes and check-in fees (normally tripling the cost of a ticket). My brother was on his way into town and had expressed interest in returning to Italy, so I booked a couple 14€ trips (plus another 7€ or so to use my credit card) and our tickets were quickly confirmed at a fraction of the cost of what Lufty was offering them ...