Ryan's Latest Posts

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…

Sometimes, things go wrong during a vacation: The airline loses your luggage. Or your plane is late, causing you to miss your cruise ship’s departure. Or your child gets sick and needs to visit a hospital in a country where…

I’ve traveled to … a lot of places. That seems like a good way to put it. I recently completed my goal of visiting every country in the world. As I got close to this goal, I was repeatedly asked…

With every trip, there’s a chance something could go wrong. Your first flight could be delayed, causing you to miss a connection. You could get sick or injured. Maybe your luggage doesn’t show up at your destination. For any of…

There’s a saying that “you get what you pay for.” In many ways, we got what we paid for when my wife and I spent 3 nights at one of the cheapest all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. The Sunscape Puerto Vallarta…

Airline: United AirlinesAircraft: Boeing B787-10Flight #: UA38Route: Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Date: October 10, 2023Duration: 10 hours, 10 minutesCabin and Layout: Polaris business class; 44 seats in a 1-2-1 configurationSeat: 9D (aisle)Cost: $1,104 (including an…

Airline: All Nippon Airways (ANA)Aircraft: Boeing 787-8Flight #: NH872Route: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta (CGK) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND)Date: October 10, 2023Duration: 7 hours, 10 minutesCabin and Layout: ANA business class; 42 seats in a 1-2-1 configurationSeat: 7D (aisle)Cost: $1,104 (including…

My wife and I recently spent a night at the Alila SCBD Jakarta in Indonesia, and that was simply not enough. We only needed a hotel for a night before flying home from Jakarta, and we had no idea this…

Despite multiple trips in and out of Bali over the years, I’d never been in the domestic terminal at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali. On a recent trip, my wife and I were headed from Bali to Jakarta…

If you’re like me, you typically associate wellness retreats or holistic hotels with high price tags. And that definitely applies when I hear “Alila,” as many of these World of Hyatt-participating properties can charge hefty sums. There are only 4…

Singapore can be an expensive place to visit, and hotels in Singapore prove this point. You’ll find a wealth of options for high-priced lodging, but there are few options for using low-value free night awards obtained from loyalty programs or…

Airline: All Nippon Airways (ANA)Aircraft: Boeing 787-9Flight #: NH5Route: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Narita International Airport (NRT)Date: October 1, 2023Duration: 11 hours, 55 minutesCabin and Layout: Premium economy; 21 seats in a 2-3-2 configurationSeats: 14D (aisle) and 16G (aisle)Cost: 65,000 United MileagePlus miles + $5.60 (including…

If you’re looking for a classic resort stay along the beach, this is it. The Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort has multiple restaurants, several pools, endless activities, entertainment for kids, good food, meetings, and weddings galore, and — my…

Whether you’re interested in World War II history, a laid-back island life, visiting every country in the world, or wound up in Pohnpei (an island in the Federated States of Micronesia) from the famous United Island Hopper flight, you’ll quickly…

I recently flew on Nauru Airlines, the flag carrier of its namesake country. It’s a small island in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 1,380 miles northwest of Fiji. Nauru International Airport (INU) in Yaren is the island’s sole airport, and no…

Airline: United AirlinesAircraft: Boeing B737-800Flight #: UA132Route: Honolulu (HNL) to Pohnpei (PNI) in MicronesiaDate: September 6, 2023Duration: 9hr 50minCabin and Layout: Economy; 150 seats in a 3-3 configurationSeat: 14A (window)Cost: 35,000 miles + $11.20 One of the most famous routes…

I’m not a big fan of landside lounges, but I was willing to change my mind during a visit to Germany this summer. Did Frankfurt’s LuxxLounge blow me away enough to give lounges before security another shot? The LuxxLounge was…

I recently had a 12-hour layover in Honolulu, arriving from Los Angeles and transiting to United’s famed Island Hopper service the next morning. That layover from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. was enough time that I wanted to go out…

The IGA Lounge in the international terminal at Istanbul Airport (IST) has been busy every time I’ve visited, likely because it’s one of the few lounges accessible by those not flying in premium cabins with Turkish Airlines or its Star…