Travel It’s official: U.S. citizens can indeed stay in France for up to 180 days without a visa Upgraded to Economy, March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 A 1949 bilateral agreement between the United States and France provides U.S. citizens with the ability to enter France for short stays (i.e. tourist or short-term business) for up to 90 days. For the past three decades, it was essentially forgotten about, but a recent communique issued by the French… Continue Reading
Arrival forms Upgraded to Economy, October 10, 2025November 18, 2025 Many countries require arrival forms to be completed, which serves to collect information required by the national authorities. Here is a list for select countries which Americans commonly visit. The United States, Canada, CTA (i.e. the United Kingdom and Ireland), and Schengen Area countries do not collect entry forms, but… Continue Reading
Hotels Finding the right place to stay in Tokyo Upgraded to Economy, August 17, 2025August 17, 2025 One of the things I struggle with most is finding a good place to stay in Tokyo. Like it or not, Tokyo hotel rates are still expensive even with the weak yen. And with multiple districts you can stay in, it can be a challenge to find the best. In… Continue Reading
Flights Flight review: Turkish Airlines “Turkoflot” A350-900 business class (Seattle to İstanbul) [SEA to IST] Upgraded to Economy, June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 To start my very first sojourn to India, I flew Turkish Airlines from Seattle to Delhi transiting in İstanbul. I had the pleasure of enjoying one of their most luxurious business class hard and soft products on this route. Why I booked this flight I had been eyeing this route… Continue Reading
Flights Flight review: British Airways A350-1000 business class (Vancouver to London–Heathrow) [YVR to LHR] Upgraded to Economy, June 7, 2025June 7, 2025 In early November 2024, I flew to Europe for a business conference. For business travel, I always pay with cash because it’s expensable. I found the cheapest way to get business tickets to Europe from my neck of the woods was by flying from Vancouver to Paris via London–Heathrow on… Continue Reading
Travel What I’ve learned from my ski trips Upgraded to Economy, March 25, 2025March 26, 2025 When I skied as a child, I didn’t think I would be doing it very often as an adult. Now, it’s a blessing that I get to live my dream of being able to ski at some of the best ski resorts in the world. But making it happen is… Continue Reading
Travel Should you go alone on your first trip to India? Upgraded to Economy, January 12, 2025March 31, 2025 Earlier this year, I made the decision to go to India when I found tickets for a really great deal and quickly booked them. Even though I invited some of my Indian friends to come with me, nobody ended up accompanying me. With comprehensive preparation and sufficient support from my… Continue Reading
Travel Making payments in India Upgraded to Economy, December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 In India, you should always be prepared to pay for things in three different ways: cash, UPI, and credit card. Just about everybody takes cash. UPI is the Indian version of Venmo but it’s accepted widely for basically everything. Credit cards operate on the major networks: Visa, Mastercard, and even… Continue Reading
Travel Best mobile plan for India for foreign travelers in 2025 Upgraded to Economy, December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 I recently visited India for two weeks, a country where smartphones have proliferated and apps have become ubiquitous for many aspects of society. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to be able to stay connected throughout your whole trip. Among the various countries I’ve visited, I’ve found eSIMs to be excellent choices… Continue Reading
Is Up3 the best way to roam in Europe? Upgraded to Economy, November 1, 2024November 1, 2024 eSIMs are amazing, but most eSIM prepaid plans don’t include talk or text, which becomes a problem when you have to call somebody in Europe. If you want to get a local phone number, you usually have to waste time going to a shop, buying a SIM card, swapping it… Continue Reading
How to affordably call while abroad Upgraded to Economy, October 29, 2024October 29, 2024 In today’s connected world, new innovations in international telecommunications have made communication while traveling abroad easier than ever. The advent of eSIMs in the past few years have enabled a significant number of consumers to avoid hefty data roaming fees charged by their home carrier, only requiring them to pay… Continue Reading
Travel How to add a second passport to your Trusted Traveler Program profile Upgraded to Economy, October 16, 2024October 16, 2024 For those of you who have more than one passport that needs to be added to your Trusted Traveler Program profile, ever wondered how to do it? Typically, the website only allows you to have one passport. When your old passport expires, you simply replace the old passport’s info with… Continue Reading