Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 - Year in Review

It was a busy year with a new job and my wedding. I flew 96,075 paid miles and 134,608 including award redemptions. I earned lifetime Platinum on SPG and barely made Gold on United. My goal for 2018 is 1,000,000 status with United and I am about 60,000 miles away.

Promotions were infrequent and planes are more densely packed. United's 10 wide coach on 777's is miserable. Extra dense coach seating makes me miss the 747 even more.
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Maps courtesy gcmap.com
All Flights

Travel Highlights:


Favorite Photos:





Friday, December 29, 2017

Funny Airline Magazine Ad

Here's a funny ad I found in United's Hemispheres magazine.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Photo Post

The A319 has great proportions.
Frontier A319 N923FR
Frontier A319 in Denver

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Lufthansa Group Goes Spend Based for Mile Earning

More airlines are moving to a revenue based mileage earning model and Lufthansa is just the latest in a long list. I earn Lufthansa miles from partners, Avis and duty free shopping mostly, so I can get discounts on trinkets from the Lufthansa World Shop (3,000 mile minimum to redeem in store). Partner earning isn't impacted, so I'm not worried.
Lufthansa 737-500 Tail

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Free Checked Bags

I'm flying Southwest a lot in 2018 and excited for free checked bags. My wife earned a companion pass, so I fly free too. 
Bags and Me Fly Free

Monday, December 11, 2017

Remember To Earn Points or Cash with Online Shopping

Remember to use airline shopping portals or MrRebates to earn cash or points back with your online shopping.
Cash Back is Better than Spirit Miles

Saturday, December 9, 2017

EI-EIE A320 for Alitalia

Cool registration, better if it ended in O or 0.
Irish Registered Alitalia A320

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Happy Weekend

I hope you are comfortable with your status levels on the year. Don't trust the final days of the year to mileage or mattress run because there''s no margin for disruption.
I Got Star Gold from United Gold in 2017

Monday, December 4, 2017

Good Lounge

A good view is critical to a good airline lounge experience. The T2 lounge in Madrid has a wonderful view.
Runway and Ramp Activities

Sunday, December 3, 2017

United Polaris 767 Experience

It's funny United is telling me about all the cool stuff (lounge and seat) I won't be experiencing. My flight was over 5 hour late, so I switched to Lufthansa and had a lovely experience. 

Dear Andrew,

Your upcoming travel includes our brand new United PolarisSM experience, which brings a new level of quality to every aspect of premium cabin travel. The transition to United Polaris service represents our largest product transformation in a generation.

Your first United Polaris flight:*
Reservation Number: ABC123
Departure Date: November 28, 2017
From: Madrid  To: New York/Newark

About United Polaris

The United Polaris experience was created to provide travelers with enhanced comfort and relaxation for real sleep in the sky.

SERVICE

Relax on board with services and amenities focused on inflight comfort and restful sleep. Enjoy elevated dining options, custom Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, and more.

LOUNGE

Enjoy an exclusive experience and unparalleled pre-flight relaxation. Chicago O'Hare is home to the first United Polaris lounge, with eight other locations opening through 2018.

SEAT

We've developed new custom-designed, direct-aisle-access business class seats, which will start arriving in the coming months.

We're confident that our new United Polaris service and amenities will truly elevate your travel, and we hope you're excited to take part in such a momentous product launch.

Thank you for choosing United, and we look forward to seeing you on board.
Lufthansa is Still Better

Friday, December 1, 2017

Iberian A340

They like the 4 engine Airbus, cheap to buy and good performance for high altitude fields in Latin America.