Trip Reports

All OMAAT travel reviews are grouped into series, so you can read about each trip we take from inception, to planning, to the journey itself.

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TRAVEL REVIEW

Introduction: A Downgraded Adventure To Oman

Welcome to my next trip report series, covering my recent review trip to Oman, which didn’t play out exactly as I had hoped. In total, I flew seven segments, and covered just over 16,500 miles. […]Read More…

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Browse Trip Reports

  • February 26, 2024
  • Ben Schlappig
17
Zipping To Tokyo Via Mongolia
  • February 3, 2024
  • Ben Schlappig
37
A Downgraded Adventure to Oman
  • December 18, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
11
The Long Way to Abu Dhabi
  • October 29, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
36
An Overdue Trip to Kyoto
  • October 11, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
28
A Polished Journey to Greece
  • June 28, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
25
Around the World with Dad
  • May 30, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
25
The Long Way to Florence
  • April 19, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
36
A Ski Trip in the French Alps
  • February 20, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
35
Four Times Across The Atlantic
  • January 16, 2023
  • Ben Schlappig
44
A Whirlwind Aeroplan Adventure
  • December 19, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
39
The Trip Of A Lifetime To Austin
  • July 18, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
16
A Secret Mission To Dubai
  • April 23, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
72
Birthday Trip To The Maldives
  • March 28, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
27
A Spring Trip To Italy & France
  • March 16, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
44
A Quick Jaunt To Hawaii
  • February 16, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
100
An Open-Ended Journey To Oman
  • February 12, 2022
  • Ben Schlappig
37
Turks & Caicos On A Whim
  • November 2, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
22
Five Country European Adventure
  • October 18, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
64
Birthday Hotel Hopping In Paris
  • August 22, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
27
Flying To London Via Puerto Rico
  • May 24, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
52
Taking My Mom To Greece!
  • March 29, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
71
A Mother-Son Trip To Big Sur!
  • March 15, 2021
  • Ben Schlappig
126
Living In Hotels During COVID-19
  • June 18, 2020
  • Tiffany Funk
38
The Last Trip (For Now)
  • March 7, 2020
  • Ben Schlappig
40
A Private Island Getaway
  • January 7, 2020
  • Ben Schlappig
15
Twice To Tokyo
  • December 19, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
32
A Tale Of Two First Classes
  • December 3, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
19
My Journey To The Stolen Jewel
  • November 24, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
58
A California Points Hotel Adventure
  • November 13, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
12
A Week Above The Atlantic
  • August 7, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
26
The 25,000 Mile Journey To Greece
  • August 2, 2019
  • Tiffany Funk
73
Transylvania Unknown
  • July 20, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
39
Falling In Love With Japan
  • July 20, 2019
  • Steph
21
Patagonian Summer
  • June 13, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
13
WestJetting To Gatwick
  • April 4, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
28
Sri Lanka Beyond The Airport
  • March 13, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
33
A Detour Across The Pacific
  • February 18, 2019
  • Ben Schlappig
26
Dreamlining To Tahiti
  • January 20, 2019
  • Tiffany Funk
175
Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia
  • December 12, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
10
A Quick African Adventure
  • November 26, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
12
To Nairobi For 13 Hours
  • October 18, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
11
Staying In A Cloud (Forest)
  • September 15, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
19
The Baltics With My Dad
  • May 5, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
23
Birthday In The Seychelles
  • April 23, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
27
A Mess Of A Trip
  • April 2, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
27
Swiping Left On TAAG Angola
  • February 26, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
16
A Suite Way To Get To Sydney
  • February 2, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
12
Qsuites To Armenia
  • January 31, 2018
  • Ben Schlappig
34
Skiing in Switzerland
  • December 22, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
25
Easter In December
  • October 30, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
8
Island Hopping Around Hawaii
  • October 12, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
25
Visiting Pandas In China
  • October 2, 2017
  • Tiffany Funk
13
A Brief Aloha
  • September 22, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
10
LAX-ORD-JFK-LAX
  • September 11, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
18
PDX Priority Pass Awesomeness
  • August 23, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
15
One “Stan” At A Time
  • July 29, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
5
A Weekend In Mongolia
  • May 21, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
36
The Flight Of A Lifetime
  • April 21, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
12
A VERY Quick Trip To Hong Kong
  • February 27, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
69
A Month Around The World
  • February 20, 2017
  • Tiffany Funk
28
Road-Trip Through Jordan
  • February 3, 2017
  • Travis
13
Oslo In Winter
  • January 14, 2017
  • Ben Schlappig
13
Flying With Royalty (Or Not)
  • November 21, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
8
A Rare First Class Opportunity
  • November 7, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
17
Transatlantic Insanity
  • October 6, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
12
Journey To Kazakhstan
  • August 21, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
23
A Very Short Trip To Fiji
  • August 5, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
21
An Insane Week In The Sky
  • July 19, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
15
An Arctic Summer
  • June 11, 2016
  • Tiffany Funk
62
Mexico City, Really?
  • May 27, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
16
Star Alliance To South Africa
  • May 15, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
7
The Long Way To Spain
  • May 6, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
6
Captivating Colombia
  • April 12, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
16
Mileage Run To Beijing
  • February 20, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
34
O-man, IB Crazy AF
  • February 14, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
20
5-Star China On The Cheap
  • January 24, 2016
  • Ben Schlappig
25
The Long Way Between LA And London
  • January 14, 2016
  • Tiffany Funk
35
Off The Beaten Track In Thailand
  • November 29, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
27
Thanksgiving In London
  • November 5, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
17
Gin & Churros For The Weekend
  • April 15, 2021
  • Tiffany Funk
0
An MQM Run To Tokyo
  • September 27, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
12
One Direction In London
  • September 2, 2015
  • Nick
39
New York, New York
  • August 24, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
26
A Different Kind Of Trip Report
  • August 2, 2015
  • Tiffany Funk
29
Taking Mom On An Airplane Ride
  • May 23, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
18
Relaxation In The Maldives
  • March 26, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
44
20,000+ Miles In 72 Hours
  • February 22, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
38
The Long Way From Abu Dhabi To Doha
  • January 3, 2015
  • Ben Schlappig
39
Best Trip Ever
  • November 16, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
26
A Suite Ride To Frankfurt
  • October 21, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
21
A380 Addiction
  • October 3, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
45
Mileage Running To Hong Kong
  • September 11, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
14
One Stroopwafel At A Time
  • May 6, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
23
A Week In Sicily
  • April 2, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
17
Battle For South America
  • February 13, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
30
Rounding Out The A380s
  • February 5, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
58
How I Ended Up On A Gulfstream IV
  • January 24, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
20
New Years in Europe
  • January 8, 2014
  • Ben Schlappig
41
Brazil Madness
  • December 17, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
16
Air France vs. British Airways A380
  • October 30, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
28
Around The World In 80 Hours
  • October 9, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
20
To The Vaterland With My Vater
  • September 10, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
47
Mom’s Bali Birthday Bonanza
  • August 24, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
26
The Rimowa Quest
  • August 3, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
69
Another Round The World For 90K
  • July 23, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
8
Going To HEL With American
  • July 6, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
17
To Sicily For The Weekend
  • June 2, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
13
Buenos Aires For The Weekend
  • May 4, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
35
A Royal (dis)Honor
  • April 8, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
5
The “New” American to Europe
  • March 18, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
29
OneWorld Welcome
  • February 18, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
22
Vienna To Istanbul Via Tokyo
  • January 22, 2013
  • Ben Schlappig
30
A380 Extravaganza
  • December 22, 2012
  • Ben Schlappig
23
Bling It On
  • November 14, 2012
  • Ben Schlappig
35
Chasing The Sun
  • August 17, 2012
  • Ben Schlappig
57
Bali & Berchtesgaden

How do I take these trips?

All of my travel, unless explicitly otherwise stated, is self-funded. Yes, I’ve taken some sponsored trips. For example, a decade or so ago I participated in the “Amex Stars” program, whereby I got access to some awesome events courtesy of Starwood, with corresponding stays at Starwood properties. I clearly disclosed my relationship with Starwood with each post, and I think most would agree my hotel reviews were fair and balanced (I didn’t leave out the empty box of condoms I found in my room at W Union Square or my frustration with the valet at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, for example).

And one of the main reasons I took part in the program is because there was something in it for you guys. With each trip I took I could give away enough Starpoints for a similar hotel stay, so I was able to give away around 200,000 Starpoints. I figured that’s a win-win, and frankly, I’m not sure I would have participated without that, as I’ve turned down plenty of comp trips when there was nothing in it for you guys and I didn’t think you guys would find the content interesting.

Beyond that, I disclose how my trips were paid for even when they’re self-funded. In the introduction post to each trip report, I provide an exact breakdown of how many miles each award ticket costs.

So where do I earn all my miles?

Much like most savvy mileage nuts, through a combination of credit cards, flying, strategically purchasing miles, and taking advantage of every promotion out there.I earn well over a million miles a year, which I don’t think is really unattainable for most.

I probably fly about 200,000 miles per year on American, and as an Executive Platinum member I get a 100% bonus on miles, so that’s 400,000 miles right there.

I earn another 500,000 or so miles per year (at a minimum) from credit cards.

And then I try to maximize miles on everyday spend, which can add up to another couple of hundred thousand miles per year if done properly.

Lastly, I strategically purchase miles when it’s a good value.

But more than anything else I look at these trips as an investment in what I do

The two things I do for a living are blogging and travel consulting. My goal is to review as many products as possible so that I can dish out the most useful/educated advice. I’m incredibly fortunate to have the flexibility to not be limited in the amount of time I can spend traveling, so my hope is that by sampling as many different products as possible, I can help those of you with limited vacation time make the most of your trips.

And while many may not like my writing style, I hope the fact that I compare so many airlines is useful to you guys. One of my struggles with online reviews is that you usually don’t know enough about the person making them to know whether they’re credible or not.

For example, you can read a review of a Four Seasons that gets five stars because everything was amazing, while the next review gives it one star because they were angry the hotel charged for Wi-Fi and parking, and that it should be free at such an expensive hotel. Hopefully, the fact that I review dozens of airlines and hotels in a similar fashion makes it easier to actually get something out of my reviews, since you can judge them based on what you value most.

New to One Mile at a Time? Check out these guides to get started earning and redeeming miles and points:
Meet Ben, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

I’ve flown all of the major (and many minor) airlines, including every international first class cabin.

32,614,600 Words Written

I write all my own content; no ghostwriters at OMAAT!

35,045 Posts Published

15 years (and counting) of daily blogging add up.