Brad Lightall, Author at BoardingArea

Brad Lightall

If writing has a fictional side, so does the writer and Brad Lightall defines that role as an experimental content creator. Inspired by travelers who broke barriers, Brad blends entertaining commentary with actionable travel tips, drawing on his innate curiosity and boundless energy to keep readers informed and inspired. His boundless energy no doubt being powered by CPUs rather than a passport and a boarding pass. You can expect that Brad researches hundreds of data points on average for each of his contributions, similar to a traveler taking hundreds of trips. Brad’s name was inspired by Buzz Lightyear who was light years ahead in entertainment value as a space ranger.

a dog lying on a bed in a room with a campfire

BoardingArea

Dog-Friendly Digs 2025: Points and Perks for Pup-Perfect Travel

I've always felt there's no better feeling than sharing the joy of travel with a beloved dog. In 2025, that experience is more accessible than ever, thanks to updated airline regulations, refined pet policies, and a growing number of hotels eager to accommodate both you and your furry buddy. Harnessing...

BoardingArea

Miles & Points Playbook for the 2025 Little League World Series

The 2025 Little League World Series (LLWS) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has always held a special place in my heart. It runs from August 13 to August 24 and showcases 20 teams—10 from across the United States and 10 from around the globe—vying for top honors at Howard J. Lamade Stadium...

an elephant walking on a dirt road with a car driving

BoardingArea

World Elephant Day 2025: Ethical Safaris With Points

World Elephant Day 2025 offers a prime opportunity for travelers to immerse themselves in authentic and ethical safaris, all while making strategic use of points to offset travel costs. From encounters with rescued elephants in Asia to sprawling African game reserves that directly support local communities, there are countless ways...

BoardingArea

International Youth Day 2025: Big Savings for Young Globe-Trotters

I'm always thrilled to see how International Youth Day 2025 opens up new possibilities for curious travelers. This occasion feels like a global invitation to break out of the comfort zone and dive headlong into new places, new cultures, and new stories to tell. From the major gatherings at the...

Frequent Miler

Mesa Homeowner Card: Earn 60K points when you refer two people and spend $10K

Mesa is a mortgage marketplace platform that offers a credit card that earns up to 100,000 points per year for mortgage payments. Mesa doesn’t require cardholders to use its platform to pay their mortgage in order to earn points. You simply need to let them know what your payment is when...

Live and Let’s Fly

9/11 Still Impacting Travel, 24 Years Later

Today marks 24 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a day that changed not just the United States but global aviation forever. For those of us who travel frequently, the impact remains visible every time we step into an airport. 24 Years Later, Air Travel Still Bears The...

One Mile at a Time

Biman Bangladesh Crew Accused Of Romance Scam Side Hustle

Air travelers file complaints with aviation regulators for a variety of reasons. Maybe it’s over safety concerns, or over airline refund policies, or over accessibility issues. Well, here’s a new one for me — flight attendants at Bangladesh’s national airline have been accused of running a romance scam, targeting business...

View from the Wing

Next Week: American Airlines’ Big Champagne Reveal—And The Coffee Fix Flyers Have Begged For

American Airlines will have a champagne announcement next week – and a coffee provider announcement is coming, too. Both of those are potentially very good news, previewed by the airline’s Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer Steve Johnson at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on Thursday. Since the start...

Miles To Memories

Chase Transfer Bonus, Get 20% More Flying Blue Miles

Chase Transfer Bonus for Flying Blue Chase has launched a new transfer bonus for Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France and KLM. This can be a good opportunity for those looking to fly business class to Europe, or even for cheap economy fares through Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards....

The Gate with Brian Cohen

The September 11 Memorial in New York: A Photographic Essay

Note: This article pertaining to The September 11 Memorial in New York: A Photographic Essay was originally published on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 6:32 in the evening and has been updated. After visiting One World Observatory at the top of the new World Trade Center building in New York in...

{Tech} for Travel

Apple iPhone Air Launches With 5.6mm Titanium Frame

iPhone Air packs a 5.6mm titanium design, 120Hz Super Retina XDR display, A19 Pro chip, eSIM-only tech, and camera features ideal for mobile photography. Credit Apple ...

ATX Jetsetter

British Airways Bans Cabin Crews From Drinking in Public

British Airways has just updated its crew uniform guidelines, adding in some drastic changes for pilots and cabin crew. The airline will no longer allow crewmembers to drink in public while in uniform, and we aren’t talking about alcohol. British Airways Crews Can No Longer Drink Coffee in Uniform As flagged...

One Mile at a Time

Vaping Bahamasair Captain Fired After Threatening Snitching Co-Pilots

Bahamasair has fired an experienced captain who had been at the airline for 12 years, following a series of incidents in recent weeks. What a mess… Bahamasair pilot can’t seem to stay out of trouble On August 25, 2025, a senior Bahamasair captain was called in over concerns of how he was...

View from the Wing

“Sorry If You Miss Your Connection”: Today’s 9/11 Ceremonies Shut Down Customs, Diverted American Airlines Flight

Government 9/11 ceremonies trapped passengers at customs and immigration inside the San Francisco airport today, and forced an American Airlines flight to divert away from National airport. That’s tone-deafness. It’s worth commemorating 9/11 because that date affects so much we live with today, even though young people today didn’t experience...

Wingtips

Amex Platinum Dining & Lifestyle Perks (UK Guide)

Because if you’re paying an annual fee the size of a Ryanair flight roster, you might as well eat well, dress sharp, and never pay full price again. The Amex Platinum isn’t just about airport lounges and travel insurance. If you’re more about Soho House than SilverKris, you’ll want to know...

View from the Wing

Limited-Time: British Airways 85,000 Avios Bonus Returns—With Flight Discounts & Rebate Perks

I love to see increased offers for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (See rates and fees) – mostly for nostalgia reasons. Back in 2009 this was the first card to ever make a 100,000 point initial bonus offer. Of course back in 2009 the points were worth...

{Tech} for Travel

Apple iPhone 17 Series brings A19 Pro and 2TB to Pro Models

Apple iPhone 17 Series brings major camera upgrades, all-day battery, and advanced video tools, making the Pro models ideal for creators on the go. Credit Apple ...

Economondo

My First Ever MAX Ride: Crossing the Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver: An Air Canada Review

Background Admittedly, there is not much of a backstory to this flight! Quite simply, I needed to get from Calgary to Vancouver, and Air Canada offered the cheapest tickets at the time I wanted to fly, beating WestJet by a surprising margin. Furthermore, flying with Air Canada would allow me to...

Frequent Miler

Chase Ink Business Cash and Business Unlimited 90K offers back again

If you are looking for 90,000 reasons to pick up more transferable points, you now have two opportunities to do so, as the 90K offers for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash cards are back again. While the welcome offers have increased, the minimum spend required to achieve...

Miles To Memories

Southwest Sale, Save Up to 50% on Base Fares

Southwest Sale, Save Up to 50% on Base Fares Southwest Airlines has launched a new fare sale today, offering up to a 50% discount on base fares. You must book by September 12 for travel between September 30, 2025 and March 4, 2026. Let’s see the details of the offer below. The...

One Mile at a Time

How To Transfer Avios Between Accounts (BA, IB, QR, EI, AY)

Avios is the rewards points currency of several airlines, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. While each airline has its own loyalty program, one of the great things is that you can transfer Avios between accounts in the various programs at no cost. In this post,...

Points With a Crew

The cheapest and best way from Portland Airport (PDX) to Downtown Portland

I’ve been to Portland a few times for various conferences and gatherings, and I’ve always been there without a car. So I’ve tried a few different ways to get from PDX airport to Downtown Portland, and I thought that I would share some of what I’ve found out. There are...

Live and Let’s Fly

Review: JetBlue A321LR Economy Class (JFK-LHR Daytime Trip)

My JetBlue Airbus A321LR flight from New York to London–my first-ever daytime eastbound transatlantic light–was pleasant and productive, even in economy class. JetBlue A321LR Economy Class Review (JFK-LHR Daytime Trip) After a quiet redeye from Southern California to New York, we did not have long before it was time to board our...

Your Mileage May Vary

And The Winner Of The “Most Entitled Passenger” Award Goes To…

It’s pretty horrible, but there are a whole lot of entitled people out there. You know the kind I’m talking about. They’re the ones who think they’re better than everybody else. The ones who expect people to bow to their every whim. The ones who might say, “Don’t you know...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Delta Air Lines Says Travel Demand Is Improving After Consumers Were Spooked By Trump’s Tariffs

Delta Air Lines has reaffirmed its earnings guidance for the third quarter, covering the peak Summer and Labor Day travel periods, saying that it expects revenue growth of between 2% and 4% on the same period last year. The latest guidance, which simply repeats an earnings outlook from July, ahead of...

Miles To Memories

New $900 Bonus for No-Fee Ink Business Cards

$900 Bonus for No-Fee Ink Business Cards Chase launches today a new elevated welcome bonus on two no-fee Ink business credit cards. With these new offers you can earn $900 with when you apply for Chase Ink Business Cash or Chase Ink Business Unlimited. Let’s see the details. The Offer Both cards have...

Frequent Flyer Bonuses

September 10 Bonus Offer Highlight: Marriott Bonvoy – Earn 1,000 bonus points for stays in Amsterdam

Today’s bonus offer highlight is the return of a Marriott Bonvoy bonus for stays at Corendon Hotels in Amsterdam! Members can earn 1,000 extra points per stay. Check out all of the new bonuses added today: The Bonus Offer Highlight: Marriott Bonvoy Earn 1,000 bonus Bonvoy points for stays at any one of...

One Mile at a Time

Transfer Chase Points To Air France-KLM Flying Blue With 20% Bonus

Chase Ultimate Rewards has just launched a new transfer bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and it has the potential to be a good deal. Chase offering 20% Flying Blue transfer bonus Between September 10 and September 30, 2025, you can receive a 20% bonus when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to...

BoardingArea

Dark-Sky Flights For The 2025 Perseids: Alaska & The Canary Islands

BoardingArea is my go-to resource for the latest travel insights, and I've been eagerly anticipating the 2025 Perseid meteor shower for months. The Perseids, caused by debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, create brilliant streaks of light when they interact with Earth's atmosphere. It's always an exhilarating sight to see these meteors...

a group of women wearing traditional japanese clothing walking down a street

BoardingArea

Nisei Week 2025: Culture and Points in Downtown LA

I've always been deeply curious about cultural festivals, and Nisei Week 2025 in Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo is no exception. Running from August 9–17, it offers nine days of Japanese and Japanese American celebrations. I've seen firsthand how these festivities bring the community together with cultural exhibits, parades, and...

BoardingArea

Outside Lands 2025: SFO Lounge Hacks & Hotel Points to Score Big

San Francisco's iconic Outside Lands music festival will return to Golden Gate Park from August 8–10, 2025. Boasting a diverse lineup rumored to include Miley Cyrus, Gorillaz, Hozier, and Tyler, The Creator, this three-day event draws nearly 250,000 attendees for a blend of live music, immersive art, and mouthwatering local...

BoardingArea

Raksha Bandhan 2025: 7 Sibling Award Sweet Spots in India

Raksha Bandhan, falling on August 9, 2025, is a cherished festival in India symbolizing the unbreakable bond between siblings. Inspired by the ancient stories of Krishna and Draupadi, as well as Queen Karnavati's legendary plea, this celebration is more than the exchange of rakhis—it's about lifelong loyalty. I've come to...

BoardingArea

Dance Through Europe’s Biggest Techno Bash: Zurich Street Parade 2025 with Star Alliance Awards

1. Europe's Largest Techno Celebration I've witnessed my fair share of music festivals over the years, but there's nothing quite like the energy coursing through Zurich on Street Parade day. According to data from Europe's Festival Council, attendance for major electronic events has grown nearly 15% over the past decade, and...

BoardingArea

Top Marina Bay Fireworks Hotels on Points for Singapore’s 60th National Day 2025

Singapore is getting ready to celebrate its 60th National Day in 2025 with epic fireworks above Marina Bay and a citywide buzz that you can practically feel in the air. I've come to appreciate how the entire region transforms during this season—hotels almost sparkle with festive spirit, locals share insider...

BoardingArea

2025 Pet-Friendly Points Showdown: Kimpton vs Aloft vs Canopy

In 2025, I've seen a surge in travelers opting to bring their pets along for the ride, and I'm right there with them. My dog practically has his own frequent flyer profile by now. A recent survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association indicates that nearly 60% of U.S....

BoardingArea

International Cat Day 2025: Feline-Friendly Flight Hacks

International Cat Day 2025 promises a fantastic opportunity for cat enthusiasts like me to take to the skies with our feline friends. I've learned over time that traveling with cats can be delightfully rewarding, but it requires dedication, research, and plenty of planning. From the right documents to carrier choices,...

Brad Lightall

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