Choosing to bypass Istanbul and instead spend the majority of our Turkish holiday on the coast where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made.  You can really run through all the important sites in Istanbul in a day if you're properly motivated. Take some pictures of the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, and maybe of a whirling dervish or two, but then get out of the city.

The area around Fethiye and ...

In this week's frequent traveler podcast we return to hotel loyalty programs and hotel elite status - this week focusing on the Marriott Rewards program.  Most of our panelists do not recommend the Marriott program, unless you are staying there due to contractual obligations. While it falls towards the bottom of our list of programs to obtain status in - there are still some situations where it makes sense. Listen in to hear more about the Marriott Rewards program and other topics ...

Aegean Airlines, Star Alliance's latest addition, has an interesting mileage program. Some parts of it are attractive, others...not so much.

The Good

Star Alliance Gold status after 20,000 miles

This is the lowest rate required for any airline in the Star Alliance network. One carefully planned trip in domestic First Class on United can earn you Star Gold status. The biggest benefit to this status will be lounge access to all Star Alliance ...

SkyTeam, which added Vietnam Airlines to its alliance last month, will soon add two more members to the team.

Romania's Tarom Airlines will join later this week and offer an alternative to SkyTeam's already robust presence in Europe. Tarom also offers flights to the Middle East. 

China Eastern plans to join SkyTeam later in the year and will offer passengers greater connectivity in China and throughout Asia, as well as ...