Ryan's Latest Posts

The author flew on a ticket provided by Hilton Hotels to attend a recent press event. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither Hilton nor Southwest had input in any part of this review. I recently flew Southwest Airlines…

Run, don’t walk, if you want a deal on one of the world’s longest flights. Singapore Airlines’ premium economy flights from Newark to Singapore and Southeast Asia are available for $500 to $800 off — as low as $1,180 round-trip….

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card remains one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards for numerous reasons. Alongside excellent earning rates and a fair amount of benefits that justify the annual fee, the card also offers numerous shopping and…

Airline: JetBlueAircraft: Airbus A321Flight #: B6223Route: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Date: March 11, 2024Duration: 6 hours, 31 minutesCabin and Layout: Mint business class; staggered 2-2 and 1-1 layoutSeat: 3D (aisle)Cost: $767.91 JetBlue Mint,…

Airline: CondorAircraft: Airbus A330-900neoFlight #: DE2016Route: Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)Date: March 11, 2024Duration: 8 hours, 50 minutesCabin and Layout: Business class; 30 seats in a 1-2-1 configurationSeat: 5F (aisle)Cost: 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + $177 in taxes and fees Famous for its striped…

“Hello, is this a hotel? Are we in the right place?” It was a peculiar start to our stay at the 101 Hotel, Reykjavik, a Member of Design Hotels. Despite the quirky beginning and finding a dog at the reception…

These days, it seems like new airlines are popping up all the time. There are new low-cost and ultra-low-cost players in Southeast Asia, Europe, regional U.S. markets, and even Iceland. Such is the case with PLAY Airlines, based out of…

In the lead-up to a recent European vacation, my wife and I learned there would be increased chances of seeing the northern lights. My wife had been 0 for 3 on trying to see them, so we decided to add…

My wife and I recently spent 3 nights on the southern coast of Spain. When you hear that we paid just €55 (~$59) per night for our hotel, your expectations for what we got probably aren’t very high. We weren’t…

At the end of February 2024, my wife and I spent 3 nights at the Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel, a Marriott property in northern Portugal’s largest city. The hotel opened less than a year before our visit, and everything still…

My wife and I spent 4 nights at the Hyatt Regency Lisbon in late February 2024, and we honestly considered rearranging our trip to stay longer. The hotel was that great. The Hyatt Regency Lisbon is the first (and still…

If you’re like me, you’ve seen Air Europa’s name multiple times as a member of the SkyTeam alliance and wondered more about it. However, I had never flown the Spanish airline until recently. After booking my flights, I had the…

I had 2 expiring free nights in my World of Hyatt account and wanted to get a new tattoo to commemorate finishing my goal of visiting every country in the world. Looking around online, I found an artist I liked…

There are numerous hotels you can choose from in New York City. In fact, there are so many that it can feel overwhelming. Let me help you out by winnowing down your choices by 1. I’d like to let you…

While there are other options for thermal baths in Iceland these days, the Blue Lagoon remains the most famous. It’s also the most expensive, due to this fame and the multiple amenities available, such as a spa and restaurant. And…

Airline: TAP Air PortugalAircraft: Airbus A321LR-neoFlight #: TP204Route: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)Date: February 19, 2024Duration: 6 hours, 14 minutesCabin and Layout: Business class; 16 seats in a staggered 2-2 and 1-1 configurationSeat: 1C…

Airline: United Airlines (UA)Aircraft: Boeing 777-200Flight #: UA2032Route: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)Date: February 4, 2024Duration: 4 hours, 40 minutesCabin and Layout: Premium economy class (Economy Plus), 3-4-3Seat: 41GCost: $168.90 To commemorate completing my goal of visiting every country, I had an…

Fabulous Las Vegas. We recently visited as a group of 7 people while 5 relatives visited my wife and me from Brazil. My wife’s brother-in-law was dying to see Las Vegas as an easy hop from our Orange County, California,…

The beauty of travel is that it’s not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. You don’t have to go where everyone else is going. Unfortunately, going where everyone else is going is much simpler. There’s a plethora of advice on how to use…

There’s no worse way to start a vacation than being the last person standing at the baggage claim carousel when it shuts off, and it’s clear your checked luggage didn’t arrive. On top of the annoyance, you now have the…

If you take multiple trips every year, insuring each one can be a hassle. There are forms to fill out, comparison shopping over and over again, and then remembering the policy documents for each specific trip. And then there’s the…