Chris's Latest Posts - Page 11

One of the most famous and most visited cities in the world is New York City. New York, also known affectionately as “The Big Apple,” is the most populous city in the U.S., a major business and financial hub, and…

Traveling to Orlando often means lots of planning and trying to find the right balance of theme parks, downtime by the pool with family, location, and price. While the amount of time you decide to spend by the pool is…

Just getting out of the house with an infant can be stressful, but bringing them on a plane can add a new level of complexity that can fluster even the most seasoned parents out there. Then you add in the…

Toy Story Land is one of the newest “lands” at Walt Disney World — it opened its gates at Hollywood Studios in June of 2018 and has been a destination for kids and adults alike ever since. Formerly known as…

Airline: American Airlines Aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER Flight #: AA904 Route: RIOgaleão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG) > Miami International Airport (MIA) Date: March 15, 2021 Duration: 8hrs 45mins Cabin and Layout: American Flagship Business, 37-seat capacity across 10 rows…

After a quick trip to Orlando, I found myself stuck at Orlando International Airport (MCO) for about 5 hours thanks to some rolling delays by American Airlines. When I travel with my kids, even a 1-hour delay can throw all…

Last month I flew from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, and after rechecking my bags and making my way through security at 5:00 a.m., I was in dire need of some fresh coffee and a place to freshen up. Although…

If you have done any hotel research for an upcoming trip to Orlando recently, you have probably stumbled upon the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa. The JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek is now the second JW in…

With summer in full swing here in Brazil, I had been doing my best to find some family-friendly outdoor activities to keep the kids from going crazy in our apartment. Fortunately, we live about an hour from Rio de Janeiro,…

Airport security can be one of the more confusing and stressful parts of air travel. Whether you’re unsure about what’s allowed in your carry-on or checked bag, whether you have to take your shoes off, or if you have to…

Whether you’re traveling with kids or are a big kid yourself, you’ll inevitably consider taking a theme park vacation. Here at Upgraded Points, we’re big fans of theme parks and know how much work (and money) goes into planning a…

In January I was looking for a quick, local getaway with my family. Since we live in an apartment and school was still remote, things have gotten quite cozy around here with 2 kids running around. We live about an…

It is no surprise that Marriott, the largest hotel company in the world, has quite an impressive footprint of pet-friendly hotels. The company has over 7,300 hotels across 131 countries and many of them, especially in the U.S., are pet-friendly….

São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is the busiest airport in Brazil. However, when I visited in the middle of the pandemic, it was eerily quiet. The airport is massive, with 3 terminals serving over 30 domestic and international airlines….

In December 2020 I found myself with a 24-hour layover in Houston before my continuing flight back home to Rio de Janeiro. Since I was traveling by myself, and not with 2 kids in tow, I had a few options…

Update: On April 18, 2022, a federal judge struck down the federal mask mandate. Airlines and local transit authorities will now create and enforce their own mask policies. If you are planning on traveling in the near future, you should…

Road trips are all the rage nowadays, and bringing your furry friend along is something that many of us like to do, if possible. When hitting the road, making sure that your hotel is pet-friendly is important. Fortunately, Hyatt has…

After an extended period of time without travel due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), many people have been traveling like never before. While masks are no longer required on most flights around the world, avoiding germs is generally a good idea….

Airline: United Airlines Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Flight #: UA149 Route: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) > Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) > São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) Date: October 9, 2020 Duration: 9hrs 35mins Cabin and Layout: United…

Update: The policies set forth in this guide should be considered expired. The travel industry has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Initially, travel came almost to a complete standstill. Then, there was a slow reopening of some…

Here at Upgraded Points, we love animals just as much as we love traveling — and we have a pretty good feeling that our readers do, too. So when we hit the road with our families, sometimes we like to…