James's Latest Posts

The Centurion Lounge at New York’s JFK airport is American Express’ flagship lounge space, with 2 floors of amenities and services for the frequent traveler. The humongous space features some of the best seating, amenities, and decor American Express has…

It’s no secret that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken a toll on nearly every person on earth — rising unemployment numbers, cities, and countries on complete lockdown, and planes flying completely empty. Every aspect of normal life is in suspension….

Airline: Hawaiian Airlines (HA)Aircraft: Airbus A330Flight #: HA451Route: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)Date: November 4, 2019Duration: 10hrs 45minCabin & Layout: Business Class, 18-seats, 2-2-2 configSeat(s): 1CMiles Used: 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and…

When you travel internationally or on a long-haul flight, you want to fly in comfort. Whether that means being in Delta Premium Select, Delta’s premium economy product, or Delta One, Delta’s lie-flat business class product, you want to know that…

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is in the minority of U.S. airports that have not seen any growth in passenger numbers over recent years. DCA is known as the short-haul airport of Washington, D.C. due to its 1,250-mile perimeter…

Update: The Toluca Centurion Lounge is permanently closed. American Express operates several lounges in Mexico under the Centurion branding. Access is included for specific American Express cardholders and provides a retreat where passengers can relax before their flight. In Mexico,…

Diamond Medallion is the highest frequent flyer tier in the Delta SkyMiles program, above Platinum, Gold, and Silver. It requires a hefty amount of spending with Delta Air Lines, but the benefits are plentiful. Diamond Medallion passengers are given the…

Delta’s first class and Delta Comfort+ products offer an improved onboard experience and are instrumental in the SkyMiles Medallion program for elite passengers to be rewarded with upgrades, depending on availability. Both classes share some important differences, so it’s key…

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) is the busiest airport serving the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. BWI is a focus city for Southwest Airlines, with the airline holding sole occupancy of Concourses A and B. Also known as Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall…

Train: Amtrak Silver Meteor Type of Cars: Amfleet II and Viewliner II Train #: Southbound Train #97 Route: Washington, D.C. Union Station to Miami Date: January 8, 2020 Duration:‚ Approximately 23 hours Seat Type: Viewliner II Bedroom Miles That Can Be Used: Amtrak Guest…

Basic Economy is the relatively new cheapest airline ticket you can buy, coming with a new set of restrictions that some flyers may not be used to. While Basic Economy seats are located in the same section of the plane…

American Express has 40+ Centurion Lounges worldwide, including Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA), Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Hong Kong (HKG), and Monterrey (MTY), among others. These lounges are operated by American Express and feature a variety of amenities…

Update: The Talbott Hotel is now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The review for this stay occurred was when the property was owned by JdV by Hyatt. The Talbott Hotel, part of Hyatt’s recently acquired JdV by Hyatt brand, is…

Amtrak is one of the most popular transportation methods in the Northeast region, with trains serving cities from south of Washington, D.C. to Boston. These Northeast Regional trains run Amtrak’s most traveled route at near hourly frequencies and offer both…

American Express operates many Centurion Lounges worldwide, with over 40 locations from which to choose. Each of these lounges offers a varying level of amenities and services, but in general, it is an upper-end lounge with complimentary Wi-Fi and beverages, as…

Brightline is the only privately owned intercity rail system in the U.S., currently running trains between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. The service opened in 2018 to much fanfare and is much different than other train lines in…

American Express’ lounge network covers both domestic U.S. locations and key international cities. Hong Kong is one of American Express’ international flagship Centurion Lounge locations and features a well-equipped facility that provides complimentary food, drinks, areas to relax, tables to work…

You may be familiar with the Centurion Lounges in the U.S. offered by American Express. Amex also operates these lounges aboard, including 2 in Australia: 1 in Sydney and 1 in Melbourne. Centurion Lounges are open to eligible cardmembers and…

Gold Medallion status is the level above entry-level Silver Medallion status in the SkyMiles elite status program. At Gold status, you start to experience many mid-tier frequent flyer benefits, and it is a huge jump from the lower Silver level. Gold…

American Express members who’ve been to one of the Centurion Lounge locations before are usually excited to see there is one available at an airport location they are flying through. These lounges offer complimentary food, beverages, Wi-Fi, a multitude of…

Delta Silver Medallion status is the lowest of the SkyMiles Medallion elite status tiers. Delta offers Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion, and Silver Medallion provides entry-level benefits to the basic frequent traveler. Most Delta elites are Silver Medallion, with…