Flights My experience with ITA Airways Volare status on other SkyTeam carriers Upgraded to Economy, January 1, 2023July 4, 2023 In the middle of 2022, I got Volare status on ITA Airways through a status match program they were running. Since then, I’ve found very limited use of this status. Through my Volare Club Premium status, I’m supposed to have access to SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits. However, as of December… Continue Reading
Featured The best travel-size toothpaste for carry-ons Upgraded to Economy, November 27, 2022November 28, 2022 We all know that whenever we’re flying, we have to adhere to the annoying 3-1-1 liquids carry-on rules. I used to think that meant I could only bring small, travel-size toothpaste (only carrying about 0.85 oz in the container) like the below: Believe it or not, those little travel size… Continue Reading
Featured How I’m requalifying for AAdvantage Platinum for 2023 Upgraded to Economy, November 27, 2022November 28, 2022 Starting for the 2023 qualification year, AAdvantage qualification is based on how many AAdvantage base miles you earn, which count as what’s called Loyalty Points. It doesn’t matter how many segments or miles you actually fly; it essentially only matters how many miles you earn, which is essentially a function… Continue Reading
Pre-booking flights for weekend trips Upgraded to Economy, October 19, 2022November 28, 2022 After a recent long weekend trip to San Francisco, I’ve become quite amenable to taking more trips on weekends. As I live in Seattle, Alaska Airlines has become my primary go-to airline, since this is their primary hub. Combined with my AAdvantage Platinum status, which is oneworld Sapphire, I get… Continue Reading
Why Global Entry rocks for land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 19, 2022July 25, 2024 Take a look at the line I passed at the Peace Arch. Continue Reading
How to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings Upgraded to Economy, August 14, 2022July 25, 2024 Watch this video for a demonstration on how to scan your RFID TTP card at land crossings. In this example, I am using the NEXUS lane with my Global Entry card. Continue Reading
The best airline phone customer service shortcut Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2022November 28, 2022 Something I realized in 2021, when I had to stay on the line with American Airlines customer service for long periods of time before I could reach someone, is that I didn’t have to wait for those long periods of time. In fact, I didn’t even need elite status on… Continue Reading
Flights How I got AAdvantage Platinum in January 2022 during the double dipping period Upgraded to Economy, August 8, 2022July 9, 2023 I’ve been enjoying the wonderful benefits of AAdvantage Platinum and oneworld Sapphire since January 2022. While I had qualified for AAdvantage Gold back in October 2021, I was going to be making a 2 month trip to Europe and I realized it would be really handy to have the additional… Continue Reading
Driving How to save money flying to Canada if you’re renting a car Upgraded to Economy, July 26, 2022July 25, 2024 If you’re flying to Canada from the United States, chances are, you’ll probably be visiting (or at least starting your journey in) one of its larger cities: Toronto, Montréal, or Vancouver. Then, you might rent a car for your trip. Only problem is, it’s much more expensive to fly to… Continue Reading
Travel My experience with getting approved for Global Entry Upgraded to Economy, July 17, 2022November 28, 2022 After the pandemic, with travel surging, the estimated application wait times for Global Entry has become less certain than before. As I recently went through the application process myself, I hope my experience will be a helpful data point. The stages of the application process There are essentially three stages:… Continue Reading
Travel The new LaGuardia is nothing short of amazing Upgraded to Economy, July 17, 2022July 5, 2023 Less than 10 years ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden said that being in LaGuardia Airport feels like “some third-world country”. Recently, I traveled to New York City for a week-long trip, the first time since the pandemic. The last time I was in LaGuardia was in 2018, where I remembered… Continue Reading
Credit Cards How I got my credit score above 800 before I turned 22 (Part 2) Upgraded to Economy, July 16, 2022July 16, 2022 This is part 2 of a two-part post. For part 1, see: How I got a credit score above 800 before I turned 22 (Part 1). I wasn’t planning on applying to a new credit anytime soon, as I was content on the credit cards I already had: Discover it®… Continue Reading