I never got around to posting that I recently surpassed the 100-country threshold in my quest to explore as much of this world as humanly possible.

Last month Singapore became my 100th country visited, as I spent about 28 hours there on my way to Burma. Singapore is a thriving city in which I'll return to later this month and Changi International Airport is one of the best I've ever been in, though I still prefer Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Haneda, and Hong Kong. Then again, I spent all my ...

My award booking service is all about helping clients effectively use their points to realize their family vacations, romantic getaways, business trips, or anything in between. The goal is always to find a combination that best blends schedule, points required, and out-of-pocket spend to create the best itinerary available. Sometimes that itinerary is perfect, sometimes it is not, but after redeeming 1m+ miles each week for the last 2.5 years, I know this: award space waits for no ...

I knew Princeville was beautiful, but as we enjoyed a drink at dusk soon after our arrival, we were treated to views like this. It was remarkable.

No filter or anything like that.  It was just the perfect conditions.  Subsequent nights were not nearly this colorful.   

After our time at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, we made a leisurely drive towards the north shore of Kauai towards the St. Regis Princeville.  We ...

Booking Alitalia award space just got a lot easier using Delta Skymiles with the rollout of online booking at delta.com.

Even yesterday I had to call Delta to book an Alitalia award and let me tell you--it was never an easy process. For whatever reason, Delta telephone agents cannot see Alitalia award seats--they had to be requested manually and many agents either did not know how to do this or just plain refused. Hopefully all of this is behind us now.

Alitalia is not one of ...

After our stay at the Sheraton Maui, we made our way to the airport for the quick flight to Kauai.  We had 5 nights on the island, and ultimately decided to split our time between the Grand Hyatt on the south side and the St. Regis in Princeville. 

Our one previous stay on Kauai was at the Marriott near the Lihue airport.  We knew we wanted to spend some time on the north shore, but since the St. Regis Princeville is pretty pricey, and I didn't want to ...

If US Airways and American Airlines do end up merging, I hope the good folks at the US Airways call centers do not lose their positions. I depend on them to get my jollies...

I just have to share one of today's calls with you--

AGENT (with thick Southern drawl): Can I help you make a new Dividend Miles reservation?

ME: Yes, please--I'm tyring to book a round-trip from Boston to Bangkok. I was speaking to another agent about space earlier so if you'd like I can read you ...