Why it’s okay to save up credit card points Upgraded to Economy, June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 Some websites will make you think that saving up credit card points is hoarding, which has a negative connotation. They say it’s one of the worst possible things you could do and you’re losing so much in opportunity cost by doing so. However, those websites have a profit incentive to… Continue Reading
Credit Cards How many miles is a good deal? Upgraded to Economy, June 12, 2024October 23, 2024 A friend recently asked me about how I booked tickets in business class. When I am not traveling for business, I pay for business class using miles instead of cash. These tickets are called award tickets. However, business class award redemption prices can vary widely. Different airlines charge different amounts… Continue Reading
Flights A Midsummer Flight’s Dream: How I’m spending only $300 for my midsummer vacation’s flights Upgraded to Economy, June 3, 2024October 10, 2024 This summer, I’m making the same voyage I made last summer, except I’ve added one new stop. My goal with this trip was to be as efficient with money as possible. My focus is to minimize my hotel and airfare expenses while maximizing the amount of time I spend outside… Continue Reading
Flights My first amazing Alaska Airlines redemption Upgraded to Economy, June 2, 2024June 2, 2024 A few days ago, I had over 125,000 Alaska miles. This was a lot of miles that I had essentially no use for. I don’t want to redeem these miles on domestic routes because they almost always are a worse deal than simply paying cash. In addition, I want to… Continue Reading
Driving My crazy idea for how I’m going to Montréal this summer Upgraded to Economy, May 31, 2024July 25, 2024 If you can’t tell, I am absolutely infatuated with Montréal. However, the annoyance of clearing customs and immigration at the airport, combined with Canada’s high aviation taxes, make another alternative idea a lot more enticing. Just like I did in my 2022 trip to Toronto, I can simply fly to… Continue Reading
Where should I go next? Upgraded to Economy, May 29, 2024May 29, 2024 Within North America, I have several ideas for upcoming trips. I’m not exactly sure where I should go, but here are my ideas thus far: Alaska Living in Seattle has its benefits for visiting Alaska. For one, I am right at the port of call for cruise ships that go… Continue Reading
Travel Historical context you should know before visiting Quebec Upgraded to Economy, March 29, 2024August 10, 2024 Québec is one of my favorite places to visit in the world. It’s close to the United States and has a rich vibrant culture that’s unlike the rest of North America. I love how it’s such a proximate place to enjoy a culture different from the predominantly English- and Spanish-speaking… Continue Reading
Tired of planning trips for your friends? Upgraded to Economy, March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 Are you tired of being the one who plans each friend trip? I’ve been in those shoes too and it’s pretty exhausting. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Some trips don’t need much planning. For trips fitting the following criteria, it’s actually quite feasible to be less strict… Continue Reading
How I’ve grown as a traveler Upgraded to Economy, February 21, 2024March 2, 2024 In October 2021, I finally had some time on my hands to travel. After several grueling months of work, I decided to take a well-deserved vacation. At the time, many foreign destinations were closed to visitors. Furthermore, almost all of the destinations open to foreigners required proof of vaccination against… Continue Reading
Lounges My ranking of Centurion Lounges in the U.S. Upgraded to Economy, February 8, 2024August 10, 2024 I’ve visited over half of the Centurion Lounges currently operating in the United States as of early 2024. While they tend to be some of the best lounges you can find in the airport, not all Centurion Lounges are created equal. Read on to see which ones I’ve visited and… Continue Reading
Some unintuitive items I bring with me on my trips Upgraded to Economy, January 29, 2024July 25, 2024 Traveling frequently has allowed me to develop a routine for packing. For a short trip, I’m now able to carry all of my necessities in just one carry-on bag and one personal item backpack. Here’s a few things I like to carry with me that might not be too intuitive,… Continue Reading
Travel Preparing for your first trip to Japan Upgraded to Economy, December 25, 2023October 8, 2024 If you are going to Japan for the first time soon, you’re either very excited or nonchalant but will soon be excited. (I was in the latter category, but after my first trip, I booked next year’s tickets to Japan just a few days after leaving Japan.) There are a… Continue Reading