Flights

Boeing 777 Memorabilia

I was going through a bunch of my old stuff today and found some fun Boeing 777 memorabilia from the launch in 1994.  Hard to believe the 777 is almost 21 years old!

My father worked for Boeing for 40+ years and used to give me freebies that the company gave their employees.  While I have thrown away a good amount over the years, I kept a hold on to these items (probably because they were so small!)

First item is a sealed commemorative coin from the first 777 roll out on April 9, 1994.

Commemorative coin
Commemorative coin

See the rest of the Boeing 777 memorabilia below:

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Mileage Run Beijing in Business Class

Mileage Run Beijing

I was alerted to an amazing business class fare from Washington DC to Beijing by OneMileataTime.  In the rule of travel hobbyists, I booked immediately and knew I could sort out details later.  I couldn’t pass by a mileage run in business class.

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I am glad that I booked quickly because the fare was gone in less than an hour.  Read more to find out additional details.

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Poo causes flight diversion

Airplane bathrooms can be disgusting.  But I had never heard of a plane diverting due to someone stinking up the lavatory until today.  If this article from the Daily Mail is to believed, this week a British Airways flight from London to Dubai had to turn back because of a terrible smell coming from the toilet.

Upon landing back in London, a politician on the flight tweeted the following:

Apparently what was supposed to be a brief delay turned into having to wait until the next day for a replacement flight.

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Mileage Run Istanbul

Mileage Run Istanbul

Mileage run Istanbul…via Houston and Paris.

Last night I couldn’t sleep and was checking out some of my favorite people I follow on Twitter.  I came across this tweet:

I was intrigued so I booked.  Here is why:

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Alaska Airlines Spring Award Sale now live

Readers of my website know that I am a loyal Alaska Air passenger, so I was excited to see the Alaska Airlines Spring Award Sale today.  A big part of my loyalty to AS is not choice but the fact that 51% of all flights in and out of my local airport (SEA) are on Alaska.  Delta is gaining on Alaska, but only accounts for 14% of all flights.

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Alaska just announced their Spring Award Sale for Mileage Plan members.  You can score some great flights for 5,000 miles (+$2.50).  For example, you can fly SEA>SFO roundtrip for 10,000 miles (+$5.00).  

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Alaska Airlines Price Guarantee

Never heard of the Alaska Airlines Price Guarantee?  Here is what you need to know.

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If you read this website with any regularity, you know that Alaska Airlines is my airline of choice.  Partially this is by default (I live in Seattle and SEA is their hub), but also my experience is that Alaska Airlines is the best domestic carrier out there.  Their crews are always professional and friendly, their loyalty program is top notch, and their customer service is wonderful.  But, they are NOT always the cheapest option.

However, I utilize a tool that has saved me hundreds of dollars over the past couple of years.  

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First Mileage Run: From Seattle to DC

first mileage runMileage run.  This is a term that travel hobbyists use frequently that I did not know the full definition of until last week.  I know can count myself a member of the elite (or crazy…) who partake in the infamous mileage run!  This is the account of my first mileage run.

A mileage run (or MR if you are hip to the lingo) is when you book a flight just for the loyalty points you earn with the airline (or hotel for that matter).  Usually this is done when you find an extremely low fare on an airline you like to earn status with.

Living in Seattle, my airline of choice is Alaska.  I have been MVP for the past few years, but this year I am aiming for MVP Gold.  The benefits of MVP Gold are extensive; most important to me are upgrades to first class and ability to change a flight with no penalty.  You must earn 40,000 “elite qualifying miles” (or EQMs), which usually means actual miles flown.  Miles you earn through using your Alaska Airlines Visa Card, for example, do not count towards elite status.

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Double Miles – Alaska Airlines

Alaska Double Miles

I have benefited from Alaska Airlines promos in the past that offer double miles for certain routes from Seattle.  However, the email I received today has more routes eligible than in the past.

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Alaska Airlines Discount Code – Russell Wilson

Purchase a ticket at www.alaskaair.com by January 31 and use discount code GORUSSELL to score 12% any flights leaving from Washington state.  Note that you must travel between February 12 and March 18, but still about the best coupon I’ve seen Alaska offer.  If you need a weekend away to get … Read more