American Airlines, LA to JFK, First Class reprise
In a week when United gave up on JFK – who can remember when they used to fly to London three times a day? – I have a short review of AA’s offering on a recent LAX to JFK flight.
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Fat And Furious: My Gluttonous Tour Of Japan Via Singapore Suites
I’ve had a great time this week filling in as a featured blogger on BoardingArea! To those that aren’t familiar with my blog, Hungry for Points, the best way to introduce myself is probably through one of my trip reports. Earlier this week I wrapped up my “Fat and Furious” trip report, detailing a recent trip to Japan which included stops in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Matsuyama. This is one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, and I instantly fell in love with Japan. That excitement must have carried over into my writing, as it quickly became my all-time most popular report over on Flyertalk.
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Eating Maui – Road to Hana, Hawaiian BBQ, and Shave Ice
We arrived in Maui with an ambitious to-do list, but were barely able to put a dent in it. The problem? Our stay at the Montage was so relaxing that we literally spent a couple days just lounging by the pool. That’s something that we NEVER do, and was probably a testament to just how amazing the hotel was. However, we did get out a few times to explore the surrounding areas, mainly in search for food. The food options in Kapalua are somewhat limited, especially if you don’t want to eat at the hotel. And even though we had a full kitchen at our disposal, we didn’t feel like cooking, but did stop by the neighboring supermarkets to pick up tuna poke and other snacks.
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Hotel Review: Montage Kapalua Bay (Maui, Hawaii)
Even though this was my first trip to Maui and therefore had nothing else to compare to, I feel like I can still say with certainty that the Montage Kapalua Bay is the best hotel on the entire island. In fact, it may be the best hotel in all of Hawaii. Not convinced? Let me explain why.
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Flight Review: ANA Boeing 787 Business Class Tokyo to San Jose
I still find it interesting that you can fly from Japan into San Jose, the oft-neglected and less glamorous sibling of San Francisco International (SFO), located just 45 minutes south along the 101. I had taken SFO-NRT route before in First Class, and if I’m being honest would have definitely done so again if available, but the only premium cabin availability happened to be on the 2-cabin flight into San Jose. For those in a similar predicament, keep in mind that the San Jose route has very light loads in Business Class and almost always has availability last-minute. As an added bonus, the flight was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner which I’d get to fly for the first time.
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BA Premium Economy – Dublin to Sydney – £1051
It could be called a backpacker ticket, but perhaps glamflying would be better – well it’s in World Traveller Plus which is a little nicer than World Traveller.
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US Airways: New York JFK to Phoenix and onwards to Honolulu
After an early morning faff around with my ticket I had 12 hours on USAirways to look forward to, travelling from New York to Honolulu. The review covers the seats, meals and service of the two flights connecting in Phoenix.
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Review: Hyatt Regency, Waikiki … when full
I don’t recall the last time that I stayed at a large hotel that was actually sold out. My Memorial Day weekend in Honolulu at the Hyatt Regency was exactly that, and whilst I didn’t score the customary room upgrade, it served as a reminder that sometimes you get what you pay for, and that’s not too bad.
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Dining Review: Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort offers a delightful dining experience with a menu featuring a variety of dishes, including sushi and oven-roasted Taal chicken. The restaurant’s warm atmosphere and friendly service enhance the meal, making it a great choice for families and groups. Guests can also enjoy the signature Sweet Pineapple Bread, served warm with Macadamia-Honey Butter.
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BA OnBusiness scheme relaunches
BA has a scheme for Small and Medium businesses allowing them to earn points separate from their travellers who earn their normal points. The scheme has been switched to a revenue based scheme and got markedly less generous. However, there is a way to secure a 5% discount on BA fares, by giving up your OnBuiness points. Worth taking in my view. The scheme has decent availability – better than Avios from what I can see. However, you have to book upgrades at the ticket of ticketing at their web site, and it doesn’t offer the cheapest fare when upgrading.
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Dining Review: Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge offers a unique dining experience that blends African and Indian flavors in a vibrant, spice market-inspired setting. Guests can enjoy exceptional views of wildlife while savoring an extensive menu, including a delightful Indian-style bread service and seasonal soups.
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United’s beta website has a feature that I love…at last
United’s web site – long a frustration for travellers when the new United replaced a perfectly good one with the one from Continental – is getting a make over. They’ve added one feature missing from the old one – they have removed the discrimination around upgrade requests. Now you don’t have to live in the US to search for one.
