Hawaii Calling
Queen Kapiolani Hotel Review: Retro Charm with Diamond Head Views
This Queen Kapiolani Hotel review has been a long time coming after many reader requests. Loved by locals, it could be a great fit for you too—depending on what matters most in your stay. Sitting at the southeastern edge of Waikiki, the Queen Kapiolani Hotel is a long-time favorite for...
Nerd Ka Travel
American Airlines Plans Regional Fleet Upgrades for a More Consistent Travel Experience
American Airlines is moving forward with a plan to bring its regional aircraft more in line with its mainline fleet. With the largest regional fleet of any U.S. carrier, the airline says it is focusing on upgrades that emphasize comfort, […]
Miles For Family
Switching from Business to Premium Economy for Flight Home from Asia
My daughter and I have a trip to Thailand booked for next summer. I was so excited to find award availability for 2 people in business class both ways across the Pacific Ocean! Unfortunately, due to some scheduling conflicts, we decided to change our return date. Thankfully, it wasn’t too...
Miles For Family
Beijing: Visiting Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove...
Miles For Family
New Fingerprint Scans for Europe, Chase $50 Travel Credit and More
Americans Visiting Europe Will Be Required to Have Fingerprint Scan: Starting next month, Americans visiting 29 European countries will be required to have their fingerprints and faces scanned upon entering and exiting. See this news story for the latest. Targeted Chase $50 Travel Credit: Some Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase...
Live and Let’s Fly
Paid For Extra Legroom, Ended Up Babysitting Strangers’ Kids At The Exit Row
We often talk about families demanding seat swaps or premium rows without paying for them. But this case was different: a traveler paid extra for an exit row seat, only to spend four hours with children hovering in his space, blocking the window and leaning over him as if the...
TravelUpdate
This Might Just Be My Best Domestic Economy Award Redemption
It's not often that I snag such an excellent award ticket. I try to get solid value out of my miles, but this rarely happens for economy flights. This is why I burn most of my miles for business class itineraries. But once in a while I'll find an amazing...
Miles For Family
$750 Bonus on No-fee Business Credit Card
I mostly chase credit cards that offer miles and points for free travel. However, cards that offer cash back can be a great addition to your wallet. US Bank just increased the welcome bonus this no-fee business credit card. US Bank Triple Cash Rewards Business Credit Card The US Bank...
Miles For Family
Hooray! Capital One Adds Three Transfer Partners
Today, Capital One announced three new transfer partners. Yahoo! Japan Airlines (JAL) Transfer miles from Capital One to Japan Airlines with a 1000:750 transfer ratio. This is great news because the other major banks (Chase, Citi, Amex) do not offer transfers to JAL. Award seats on flights to Japan are...
Miles For Family
4 New Transfer Bonuses Just Added!
Some new transfer bonuses just came out this week. I’ve updated the September 2025 Transfer Bonuses post to reflect these additions. New: Citi 50% Transfer Bonus to Turkish Airlines Through October 18, 2025, get 50% transfer bonus from Citi to Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program. This is a rare...
Miles For Family
Goodness, Gracious, Great Wall of China!
This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove...
Miles For Family
Amex Platinum Changes Live, Earn Southwest Companion Pass with One Credit Card, and More
Amex Platinum Changes Now Live: For months, we’ve been talking about the refresh coming on the Amex Platinum cads (both personal and business). These changes went live this week, including the higher annual fee and the increased benefits. See this post on One Mile at a Time. Hyatt Regency Coconut...
Miles For Family
Hot Offers on Business Credit Cards!
I have new links! I’ve partnered with Travel Freely to share these offers, and you’ll be supporting me when using the links below. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to add a business card, this is it. Hot new offers just dropped this week! Two of the strongest...
Miles For Family
Grand Hyatt Beijing: Cheap Lodging, Expensive Food
This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove...
Miles For Family
Brawl on Wonder of the Seas Forces Return to PortMiami
Oh, geez. Not another cruise ship brawl! This time, it’s on a Royal Caribbean ship. Yesterday, Wonder of the Seas departed Miami for a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas. However, after just a few hours out at sea, the ship was forced to return to PortMiami due to a fight...