On my way back from Europe this summer, I had a brief layover in London Heathrow. My flight to Seattle would be departing from Terminal 5 C gates. On the way over, I spent time in the North Lounge by the A gates. This time it made sense to try … Read more
After my cruise on the Oosterdam, I was going to be flying ITA Airways in Business class from Rome to Frankfurt. In the Schengen area, ITA has a new lounge — the Hanger. ITA Is a member the SkyTeam alliance so elites with SkyTeam have access to the lounge as … Read more
I recently spent two weeks aboard Holland America Line’s MS Oosterdam. The ship, part of the Vista class of ships, was built in 2003. It has a capacity of 1,964 guests — though I must assume that is based on two people per stateroom as our sailing had nearly 2,200 … Read more
I received an offer for a free Ocean View Room through the casino department at Holland America for a number of cruises. A friend and I decided to book a two week itinerary through the Mediterranean on the Oosterdam, one of Holland America’s older (and smaller) ships. I was able … Read more
Knowing I would be sailing out of Civitavecchia, the port nearest to Rome, for my Mediterranean cruise, I felt there were three options of where to stay the night prior to boarding the ship: near the Rome Airport, in Rome, or in Civitavecchia. Rome was the most interesting option. Being … Read more
Vilnius airport is currently (2024) undergoing a massive renovation/modernization. There is only one lounge; the Narbutas Business Lounge. I visited the lounge using my Priority Pass before a July flight to Rome. The lounge is located directly after security. Two elevators take you up one level. As it is a … Read more
I just finished three nights at the Artagonist Hotel in Old Town Vilnius. I booked using my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to use my annual $50 hotel credit prior to canceling the card. The total for three nights was $341.68 (plus a €2 per night city tax) before the $50 … Read more
Helsinki is one of my favorite European hub airports. It is clean, updated, and easy to navigate. Finnair flies directly from many cities to Helsinki. It is a great way to get to anywhere in Europe. In addition to the various Finnair lounges that can be accessed when flying oneworld … Read more
There is a section of the Frankfurt airport in Terminal 2 that includes D Gates 21-26 and E Gates 22-26. I was flying Finnair from FRA to HEL and left from Gate E22. This portion of the airport is pretty dismal. There is a restaurant, a snack bar, one duty … Read more
British Airways takes up almost all of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. There are three Business Class lounges in the Terminal — two (North and South) at the A gates and one at the B gates. During my 8 hour layover I opted to try out the British Airways Galleries … Read more
British Airways has updated their Business Class (also known as Club World) product. I have flown their old product a number of times and always found it to be underwhelming. Fortunately they have a new product that is on par with other Business Class seats on other airlines. A friend … Read more
The original Alaska Lounge in Seattle is located just past security check point 4. It was recently renovated to bring it up to par with the Alaska Lounges at C Gates and N Satellite. Access to the Alaska Lounge can be purchased by anyone for $60 for one visit or … Read more
The Amex Business Platinum card, with a $695 annual fee, is the most expensive credit card that I have ever applied for. When I signed up for the card, the sign up bonus was 190,000 Membership Rewards points after $15,000 spend in the first three months. So what are the … Read more
Rio Las Vegas is an off strip resort casino and hotel that opened in 1990. It was sold to Harrah’s (Caesars) in 1999 for $766 million. After 20 years of neglect by Caesars, the Rio was sold in 2019 for $516 million to Dreamscape Properties. As of 2024, the Rio … Read more
Today Virgin Voyages sent out a teaser email for their new ship, the Brilliant Lady. In the email was the animation above along with the following text: We’ve been keeping a secret, and it’s almost time to let you in on it. Something Brilliant is coming — trust us, you’ll … Read more